# Is there a software or hardware you wished existed to improve your workflow?



## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

Question is in the title. I am looking for some ideas for my next DIY project.


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## GtrString (Dec 26, 2021)

Yeah, I think a small, solid 4 fader controller with midi + usb I/O, good ergonomics & resolution in the 100$ range would sell like milk and butter.


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## YaniDee (Dec 26, 2021)

A database app specifically geared towards cataloguing libraries, vsts and fx..


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## Loïc D (Dec 26, 2021)

@jononotbono ‘s control surface


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

GtrString said:


> Yeah, I think a small, solid 4 fader controller with midi + usb I/O, good ergonomics & resolution in the 100$ range would sell like milk and butter.


Actually, I have done a DIY MIDI controller a few years ago that I am still using today. It must still cost less than 100 USD to make: It uses a teensy board and 5 cheap faders from Ebay. The case is made out of cheap wood and a salvaged hard plastic sheet (cracks come from extensive use...). 

It required some code to work and since the faders are not high quality, i remember that it took a little while to properly calibrate the MIDI output. The sampling rate (number of points detected per second) is not amazing but since I do not use it Live, I can always smoothen the CC curve in the DAW after recording if required. 

It is a great DIY project for musicians, but I am not confident a move to a retail product would keep it under 100 USD to be honest. Good faders tend to be expensive.


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

GtrString said:


> Yeah, I think a small, solid 4 fader controller with midi + usb I/O, good ergonomics & resolution in the 100$ range would sell like milk and butter.








Log into Facebook


Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.




www.facebook.com





3d printed. can be customized. about $100 range. usb.

he is closed for dec but in jan youll be able to order from his etsy store. he made a 4 (large ) fader and 4 knobs custom controller and very good.









TheMIDIMaker - Etsy


Shop MIDI Controllers For Creators Like You by TheMIDIMaker located in Prosper, Texas. Top shop for gifts. Buyers bought gifts from this shop and gave them 5-star reviews!




www.etsy.com





audio imperia is also workig on one. they have it on their facebook page. looks cool


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> A database app specifically geared towards cataloguing libraries, vsts and fx..


Ah I see, you mean a way to keep track of all the virtual instruments purchased over the years and a way to search through them by categories or some sort of description I imagine?


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

A knob or fader box where you can select custom presets buttons that have different midi cc on each. 

for knobs it would be great to have all important midi CC for different hardware synths in one knob controller 4x4 or similar. My virus TI and moog and sequential synths all have different midi implementations for simple stuff like filter, ADSR etc.

For fader, i mostly use 4 faders but sometimes id like to have optons for random libraryes that use vibrato or legato etc in other cc numbers than other libraries.


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

not exactly to improve workflow but would be nice to have a Mac mini size pc server with up to 128gb of ram thats not loud or too expensive. the available ones are too big, or too loud or too expensive. 
Something the same size as the Mac mini or maybe biiger if it can hold m2 ssds.


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

a macro software or device to do stems in logic more easily. or a plugin like reason/rewire that has a sequencer to record stems in logic. you can add to any track and just assign to "strings" or "perc". So its easier to do stems on my 700 track template with just 8 tracks 
well, also a way to locate a track in logic out of 700+ tracks. Like short brass and itll take me there. HEck even pro tools has this.


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## YaniDee (Dec 26, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Ah I see, you mean a way to keep track of all the virtual instruments purchased over the years and a way to search through them by categories or some sort of description I imagine?


Yes..It could also include size, player used, location, backup location, purchase date & vendor, comments, etc. There is a site called collectors.com that has them for movies, books, recordings, even stamps and coins, but not for music software..


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

gsilbers said:


> A knob or fader box where you can select custom presets buttons that have different midi cc on each.
> 
> for knobs it would be great to have all important midi CC for different hardware synths in one knob controller 4x4 or similar. My virus TI and moog and sequential synths all have different midi implementations for simple stuff like filter, ADSR etc.
> 
> For fader, i mostly use 4 faders but sometimes id like to have optons for random libraryes that use vibrato or legato etc in other cc numbers than other libraries.


This would be a very interesting piece of gear. Presumably you would select the prevailing preset using a software to avoid putting too many controls on the box itself. It is also more user friendly to define each preset directly on the computer. You then would have to manually switch to the preset (via the software) of the VST you want to use. There would be no automatic detection based on selected track for example. So we know that this requires both software and hardware development, so not an entry level piece of gear I would say. I will think about it further, thank you


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

gsilbers said:


> not exactly to improve workflow but would be nice to have a Mac mini size pc server with up to 128gb of ram thats not loud or too expensive. the available ones are too big, or too loud or too expensive.
> Something the same size as the Mac mini or maybe biiger if it can hold m2 ssds.


Loudness is because of fan action, and fan action is needed especially when the box is small (very little space between computer parts hence little natural ventilation). So this is more a problem for a constructor, I cant unfortunately do much about it


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> This would be a very interesting piece of gear. Presumably you would select the prevailing preset using a software to avoid putting too many controls on the box itself. It is also more user friendly to define each preset directly on the computer. You then would have to manually switch to the preset (via the software) of the VST you want to use. There would be no automatic detection based on selected track for example. So we know that this requires both software and hardware development, so not an entry level piece of gear I would say. I will think about it further, thank you



there could be a software gui interface for a one time setup. and a set amount of presets based on bottons .maybe 4 bottons. 
or a knob w dsiplay or a way to select the midi CC and then press and hold to store the preset or someting along those lines.


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## gsilbers (Dec 26, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Loudness is because of fan action, and fan action is needed especially when the box is small (very little space between computer parts hence little natural ventilation). So this is more a problem for a constructor, I cant unfortunately do much about it



yeah. somehow apple nailed it with the mac mini even at 64gb of ram. so maybe 2 mac minis together will work


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

gsilbers said:


> a macro software or device to do stems in logic more easily. or a plugin like reason/rewire that has a sequencer to record stems in logic. you can add to any track and just assign to "strings" or "perc". So its easier to do stems on my 700 track template with just 8 tracks
> well, also a way to locate a track in logic out of 700+ tracks. Like short brass and itll take me there. HEck even pro tools has this.


Ah yes, stems are problematic in Logic. But in Cubase for example, it is very easy to export stems and selecting a track by name can be done through a macro (slower than a search box but doable).

Problem in doing something for a single DAW is that if the next iteration includes that functionality, the work will have counted for nothing.


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## Bullersten (Dec 26, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> Yes..It could also include size, player used, location, backup location, purchase date & vendor, comments, etc. There is a site called collectors.com that has them for movies, books, recordings, even stamps and coins, but not for music software..


Ok if the list is public it may as well be a website, where each user creates a profile and register its gear. The same type of thing exists in software development: developers can list all the softwares and programming language they use, so anyone can see what tech everyone else uses. There are usage stats, pros/cons, explanations as to why someone would use one tech over another etc...

To be honest this could easily be something that could be done on this very website. Why dont they?


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## Mornats (Dec 26, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> Yes..It could also include size, player used, location, backup location, purchase date & vendor, comments, etc. There is a site called collectors.com that has them for movies, books, recordings, even stamps and coins, but not for music software..


I started a spreadsheet for my sample libraries but I went a different route. I had my libraries in rows, with instruments as the columns so I could keep track of where, for example, all my woodwinds were. Sounds strange, but some libraries have a bunch of instruments and I sometimes lose track, e.g. British Drama Toolkit has a clarinet in there, as does Spitfire Studio Orchestra so it's nice to scan it, see where all my clarinets or woods in general are, and rediscover a hidden gem in a long-forgotten library. Also useful for keeping track of which libraries have hits, risers, underscore elements etc.

So basically, if I want a certain instrument or type of sound, I want to be able to look it up and see which libraries have it so I can choose the one I want. It's easy to forget that some string libraries have extra patches with some soundbeds made from the strings samples.


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## YaniDee (Dec 26, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Ok if the list is public it may as well be a website, where each user creates a profile and register its gear.


Thanks for the replies, but I want to catalogue what I have, not all the products out there! I have literally thousands of Vsts, Libraries and Fx plugins, so it's easy to loose track of and even forget what you have.



Mornats said:


> I started a spreadsheet for my sample libraries but I went a different route. I had my libraries in rows, with instruments as the columns so I could keep track of where, for example, all my woodwinds were.


This is more what I'm looking for, but with a database form with, say dropdown lists (Eg Strings, Winds, Brass, Pianos..or Native Instruments, 8Dio, Spitfire, etc). That would make entering data for so many entries quicker..I started making a database like that, but put it aside..maybe I should continue!


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> Thanks for the replies, but I want to catalogue what I have, not all the products out there! I have literally thousands of Vsts, Libraries and Fx plugins, so it's easy to loose track of and even forget what you have





Mornats said:


> So basically, if I want a certain instrument or type of sound, I want to be able to look it up and see which libraries have it so I can choose the one I want. It's easy to forget that some string libraries have extra patches with some soundbeds made from the strings samples.


Ok, i understand the problem. It is not one that i have since i do not have many VSTs but if it is a common issue, i will look into it. I will clearly need your help for defining what to include in the database however. If you sent me an example of each search type you would make and the results you would expect to get, i would get a sense of the full specs.


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## YaniDee (Dec 27, 2021)

Here is an example. I started it in LibreOfiice Base, but I haven't learned how to populate drop down list boxes (there is a blank one), and kind of gave up on it. This would be for libraries, I would make others for VST synths and FX. The drop down boxes required would be for Instrument type (Strings, Brass, Percussion, etc) and sub type (eg Trumpets, Violas, Soprano Voices etc) with a table that could be added to. And maybe one more for Vendor (Native Instruments, 8Dio, EW, Sptfire, etc) I can get more specific if you really think you want to do this.


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## ism (Dec 27, 2021)

Some kind of notation that goes beyond the 19th century rigidities of score v piano roll.


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> Here is an example. I started it in LibreOfiice Base, but I haven't learned how to populate drop down list boxes (there is a blank one), and kind of gave up on it. This would be for libraries, I would make others for VST synths and FX. The drop down boxes required would be for Instrument type (Strings, Brass, Percussion, etc) and sub type (eg Trumpets, Violas, Soprano Voices etc) with a table that could be added to. And maybe one more for Vendor (Native Instruments, 8Dio, EW, Sptfire, etc) I can get more specific if you really think you want to do this.


Thank you, articulations probably need to be a searchable field e.g. list all legato patches for celli for example. A choice box to define ensemble or solo also could be handy. 

A website with user registration is probably best so that libraries description can be shared. Do hobbyists typically own enough libraries to find this useful or is it mainly for pros? Need to have a look at costs but i think i can make it happen.


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## musicalweather (Dec 27, 2021)

YaniDee said:


> A database app specifically geared towards cataloguing libraries, vsts and fx..





YaniDee said:


> It could also include size, player used, location, backup location, purchase date & vendor, comments, etc. There is a site called collectors.com that has them for movies, books, recordings, even stamps and coins, but not for music software..


*Tapforms* is perfect for this. It's Mac/iOS only, so if you're PC, read no further. 

I have it on my iPad. You can completely customize the database and organize it how you want. For my sample libraries, I include the following general categories: developer, genre, sampler format, where it resides, instrument category, current version, last updated, and size. Under "library content," I list specific instruments under woodwinds; brass solo; bass section; strings solo; string sections; stringed instruments; acoustic and electric guitars; bass; acoustic, electric and prepared keyboards; mallets; percussion; drum kit style; synth models, FX; choirs; and solo vocal. You can of course include notes and even audio files in each entry.

I have a separate database for my effects plugins. 

It's very searchable, and you can export the databases as CSV files. 

Very handy, as I'm up to 450 samples libraries now. Definitely recommend!


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## dgburns (Dec 27, 2021)

I just bought this app. Early days for me but it lools to be what some here are looking for perhaps? It won’t catalogue your fx plugins however.






Patchboard public release


Patchboard finally released to the general public. Anyone biting? Still too expensive for me, but I'll be very interested to hear results from anyone who tries it. https://patchboard.app




vi-control.net


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## YaniDee (Dec 27, 2021)

musicalweather said:


> *Tapforms* is perfect for this. It's Mac/iOS only, so if you're PC, read no further.


Looks perfect...but I am on a PC.


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## Mornats (Dec 27, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Ok, i understand the problem. It is not one that i have since i do not have many VSTs but if it is a common issue, i will look into it. I will clearly need your help for defining what to include in the database however. If you sent me an example of each search type you would make and the results you would expect to get, i would get a sense of the full specs.


Next time I get a chance, I'll share what I have so far.


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

musicalweather said:


> *Tapforms* is perfect for this. It's Mac/iOS only, so if you're PC, read no further.
> 
> I have it on my iPad. You can completely customize the database and organize it how you want. For my sample libraries, I include the following general categories: developer, genre, sampler format, where it resides, instrument category, current version, last updated, and size. Under "library content," I list specific instruments under woodwinds; brass solo; bass section; strings solo; string sections; stringed instruments; acoustic and electric guitars; bass; acoustic, electric and prepared keyboards; mallets; percussion; drum kit style; synth models, FX; choirs; and solo vocal. You can of course include notes and even audio files in each entry.
> 
> ...


I would like to know how long it took to load up 450 sample libraries?


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## Mornats (Dec 27, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Do hobbyists typically own enough libraries to find this useful or is it mainly for pros?


I'm a hobbyist and I have a lot of libraries, so much so I needed to start my spreadsheet! From what I read on here, I'm sure I'm not alone in owning a lot of libraries as a hobbyist.


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

dgburns said:


> I just bought this app. Early days for me but it lools to be what some here are looking for perhaps? It won’t catalogue your fx plugins however.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The ability to load up a selected VSTs from the local database in the DAW at a simple click is basically the feature that is hard to beat. But the price point reflects that of course... How is the database of patches being built? By hand, by folder scan or is it all automated?


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## Mornats (Dec 27, 2021)

Here's my spreadsheet. It's out of date, unfinished, has some weird entries but it the kind of thing I was going for.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dkeqs6o4esjw4vx/virtual%20instrument%20list2.xlsx?dl=0


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## AlexRuger (Dec 27, 2021)

Everyone asking for the database thing: I'm cooking up something that is all that and much, _much _more. Funny to see the suggestion here. Still early days but I'll be sure to let everyone know once there's something to announce.


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## bvaughn0402 (Dec 27, 2021)

I need a simplified way to create macros or shortcuts. I don’t want crazy sophisticated programming. I want it to understand the complications for me. So if I click OK with a mouse button it just understands that is what to push regardless of where it is located on the screen.


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## musicalweather (Dec 27, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> I would like to know how long it took to load up 450 sample libraries?


I built the database over years. The first set of libraries was quite a bit of work to input, but after that, I just entered the info as I acquired each library.


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

bvaughn0402 said:


> I need a simplified way to create macros or shortcuts. I don’t want crazy sophisticated programming. I want it to understand the complications for me. So if I click OK with a mouse button it just understands that is what to push regardless of where it is located on the screen.


I am guessing that's a DAW specific frustration?


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## Bullersten (Dec 27, 2021)

Mornats said:


> Here's my spreadsheet. It's out of date, unfinished, has some weird entries but it the kind of thing I was going for.
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/dkeqs6o4esjw4vx/virtual%20instrument%20list2.xlsx?dl=0


Impressive collection. You do need a way to filter through this for sure. Just to have the list of library names is useful so I can load a few to test functionality. Thank you.


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## jbuhler (Dec 27, 2021)

A little utility program to give better editing of Logic’s articulation sets. The editor provided in Logic is atrocious in so many ways.


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## Bullersten (Dec 28, 2021)

Mornats said:


> Here's my spreadsheet. It's out of date, unfinished, has some weird entries but it the kind of thing I was going for.
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/dkeqs6o4esjw4vx/virtual%20instrument%20list2.xlsx?dl=0





YaniDee said:


> Looks perfect...but I am on a PC.


Given that there is a staggering (and ever growing) number of libraries and manufacturers out there, centralising the creation and support for each entry inside the database seems a bad idea. So the alternative is to let users create, edit and share library entries (a bit like wikipedia). This would avoid duplicates and each library would only need to be entered once. There would be private records also of course for people who have their own samples.

By default, the user that creates a library entry can edit it. If any other user notices an error, they just submit an edition request to the admin who will update it. If the library has been badly set up in the first place, a user can just make its own version and the admin will deal with duplicates.

How does this sound?


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## el-bo (Dec 28, 2021)

My prayers will be answered when Songsmith finally gets a MacOS release:







On a more serious, but not unrelated note, I might try experimenting with some generative/sequencing music options in the coming months. So I’m looking for anything interesting that’s cheap /free (Probably within Reaktor or the iOS worlds)


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## Trevor Meier (Dec 28, 2021)

jbuhler said:


> A little utility program to give better editing of Logic’s articulation sets. The editor provided in Logic is atrocious in so many ways.


Yes, this! I’d love to see a tool that makes it easy to create & edit articulation sets, and translate them into different formats. A tool for articulation set > TouchOSC template (button per articulation) would be amazing!


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## jbuhler (Dec 28, 2021)

Trevor Meier said:


> Yes, this! I’d love to see a tool that makes it easy to create & edit articulation sets, and translate them into different formats. A tool for articulation set > TouchOSC template (button per articulation) would be amazing!


At this point I'd just be happy for an easy way to create and properly edit articulation sets! There's so much that should be open to group edit (set all to "note on"). But, yes, added functionality to translate articulation sets would also be welcome.


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## Mornats (Dec 28, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Given that there is a staggering (and ever growing) number of libraries and manufacturers out there, centralising the creation and support for each entry inside the database seems a bad idea. So the alternative is to let users create, edit and share library entries (a bit like wikipedia). This would avoid duplicates and each library would only need to be entered once. There would be private records also of course for people who have their own samples.
> 
> By default, the user that creates a library entry can edit it. If any other user notices an error, they just submit an edition request to the admin who will update it. If the library has been badly set up in the first place, a user can just make its own version and the admin will deal with duplicates.
> 
> How does this sound?


Would it be possible for this:
Someone creates an entry for, let's say Albion One. They add in a bunch of stuff it has such as ensemble strings, ensemble brass etc. I grab this entry as I have Albion One. Now, I want to customise it as I want to put in some custom stuff that only makes sense to me (perhaps it stuff that would suit a particular genre, or would fit an upcoming project/film score/TV series). As it would only make sense to me, it's not really appropriate to edit the main entry. So could I grab the base file, then add my own customisations and just keep those. The base file does the bulk of the work for me so is very useful, but I can just add stuff on top. In other words, I can choose whether to ping the author to update it based on my changes, put in a request for a new version, or keep it for myself.

Regarding customisations, there would be two types. Additions, and overwrites. Additions would be me just adding extra stuff on top of the base file. Overwrites would be me changing the contents of the base file (renaming things etc.)

Edit: forgot to say, yes, asking users to submit entries for each library rather than it being central would be a good idea. There may be some inconsistencies of course but future edits should sort that out. It would avoid the problem of someone requesting a little-used library to be added and having the request put to the back of the queue so it never happens.

Regarding updates to the base file. If I only have additions, then any updates to the base file would (in theory, and I know it's often different in practice), would only affect the base-file entries and would leave my customisations intact. If I have overwrites, an update to the base file would overwrite anything I'd overwritten myself. In this instance, it would be best if I renamed my version so this wouldn't happen (a prompt to rename the file once an overwrite has been added would suffice if this renaming was mandatory).


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## Bullersten (Dec 28, 2021)

Mornats said:


> Would it be possible for this:
> Someone creates an entry for, let's say Albion One. They add in a bunch of stuff it has such as ensemble strings, ensemble brass etc. I grab this entry as I have Albion One. Now, I want to customise it as I want to put in some custom stuff that only makes sense to me (perhaps it stuff that would suit a particular genre, or would fit an upcoming project/film score/TV series). As it would only make sense to me, it's not really appropriate to edit the main entry. So could I grab the base file, then add my own customisations and just keep those. The base file does the bulk of the work for me so is very useful, but I can just add stuff on top. In other words, I can choose whether to ping the author to update it based on my changes, put in a request for a new version, or keep it for myself.


Yes, as I have planned it, there are 3 things that will be only visible to the user:
1. A rating which influences the ranking of the instrument in any search. Rate a patch high and it comes towards the top if it is included in a search result.
2. A tags field for each instrument. Tags can be picked amongst a long list of expressive words and genre (like soundcloud) so that people can make their own categories and search for them.
3. A personal note field for each instrument to annotate things that are only relevant to you like file location, sampler used, audio format, etc... Notes will not be searchable


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## Mornats (Dec 28, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> Yes, as I have planned it, there are 3 things that will be only visible to the user:
> 1. A rating which influences the ranking of the instrument in any search. Rate a patch high and it comes towards the top if it is included in a search result.
> 2. A tags field for each instrument. Tags can be picked amongst a long list of expressive words and genre (like soundcloud) so that people can make their own categories and search for them.
> 3. A personal note field for each instrument to annotate things that are only relevant to you like file location, sampler used, audio format, etc... Notes will not be searchable


Sounds ideal. I would use that personal note field extensively! There may be a particular patch that I think would carry a track when used in combination with a patch from another library for example. So I'd make a note of that for sure.


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## jcrosby (Dec 28, 2021)

*Workflow Issue*:

Searching for kontakt patches with any level of specificity is basically useless, especially given that QL Patches can't be included in the database.


*Solution*:

An app that allowed you to embed tags into Kontakt patches, tags that would be searchable in the Kontakt database...

Ideally with the ability to modify the Kontakt database to create custom entries, add a "favorites" category(ies) to the database, etc.

Kinda sorta like Omnitag, but in reverse... (Omnitag cleans up a mess, whereas this would organize a barren wasteland of unusable potential).


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## bvaughn0402 (Dec 28, 2021)

Bullersten said:


> I am guessing that's a DAW specific frustration?


Not really. More OS I guess.


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## Cideboy (Jan 2, 2022)

YaniDee said:


> A database app specifically geared towards cataloguing libraries, vsts and fx..


Not for much other than sound fx but SoundQ is pretty great for Foley and sound design. I use it to find samples too.








SoundQ - Unlimited Sound Effects & Music


All the sounds you need for every project. Bring your ideas and videos to life with one inspiring source for sfx and music.




www.prosoundeffects.com


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## Cideboy (Jan 2, 2022)

YaniDee said:


> Yes..It could also include size, player used, location, backup location, purchase date & vendor, comments, etc. There is a site called collectors.com that has them for movies, books, recordings, even stamps and coins, but not for music software..


Cubase has their VST manager that does most of this


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## Cideboy (Jan 2, 2022)

Bullersten said:


> Thank you, articulations probably need to be a searchable field e.g. list all legato patches for celli for example. A choice box to define ensemble or solo also could be handy.
> 
> A website with user registration is probably best so that libraries description can be shared. Do hobbyists typically own enough libraries to find this useful or is it mainly for pros? Need to have a look at costs but i think i can make it happen.


This could be useful however I think it would be more for the hobbiest. As a professional, I know exactly what VSTs I own ( which is most of them) and how I will use them. I have templates built with the VST preconfigured and all of the complex Audio/midi routing configured. I would never just drop an instrument into a project - even from the VST menu. I typically use channel templates/presets. 

Most pro software already has a solution built in like cubase VST manager. That said, it would be fun to keep tabs on things from a vendor neutral perspective.


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## Bullersten (Jan 2, 2022)

Cideboy said:


> This could be useful however I think it would be more for the hobbiest. As a professional, I know exactly what VSTs I own ( which is most of them) and how I will use them. I have templates built with the VST preconfigured and all of the complex Audio/midi routing configured. I would never just drop an instrument into a project - even from the VST menu. I typically use channel templates/presets.
> 
> Most pro software already has a solution built in like cubase VST manager. That said, it would be fun to keep tabs on things from a vendor neutral perspective.


Thanks! I have been using cubase and i did not even know there was a vst manager. Will have a look.

The way I see it, one of the ways to use a database is to tag the instruments (or synth presets) you do not use regularly so they can stay out of your template.


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## Mornats (Jan 2, 2022)

Cideboy said:


> This could be useful however I think it would be more for the hobbiest. As a professional, I know exactly what VSTs I own ( which is most of them) and how I will use them. I have templates built with the VST preconfigured and all of the complex Audio/midi routing configured. I would never just drop an instrument into a project - even from the VST menu. I typically use channel templates/presets.
> 
> Most pro software already has a solution built in like cubase VST manager. That said, it would be fun to keep tabs on things from a vendor neutral perspective.


Speaking as a hobbyist, I'd agree. I do music in whatever spare time I have so I'm not living and breathing this all day. I've got a template for my Spitfire Studio Orchestra but I mainly use my Quick Start template which has 8 tracks set up with a blank Komplete Kontrol instance in each with routing to a reverb channel. It's designed to get me in and ready to drop in whatever VST I fancy.

It's just way too much effort for me to put everything into a massive template. It would probably take too long to load in before I run out of time to play!


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## Bullersten (Jan 3, 2022)

Cideboy said:


> Cubase has their VST manager that does most of this


I had a quick look at the Cubase VST plugin manager. It does not seem to help much if you want to search/tag instruments available in a specific player e.g. EWQL play engine.


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## Cideboy (Jan 3, 2022)

I think Komplete Kontrol might be something to consider if your looking to browse various vendor patches from a single location. Unfortunately, I think you would first have to make your own custom scripts and audition files for anything that doesn’t support NKS. It does sound like what your looking for might best be suited as a 3rd party app. I think it would work best as a plug-in because it could use native dsp programming to communicate with the host. It really could be as simple as a VST wrapper with a database. That’s basically what komplete kontrol started out as. This I would buy.


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## Bullersten (Jan 3, 2022)

Cideboy said:


> It does sound like what your looking for might best be suited as a 3rd party app. I think it would work best as a plug-in because it could use native dsp programming to communicate with the host. It really could be as simple as a VST wrapper with a database. That’s basically what komplete kontrol started out as. This I would buy.


Your app idea is very close to the app in the link below. It was mentioned in a previous message:

Patchboard App

I think the price point is too high for hobbyists, and I could be wrong but I do not think the database can be built without a decent amount of input work from the end user. The solution I have in mind is for patches definitions to be shared amongst users. If every user inputs a handful of their important patches from commercial VSTs, the database would grow organically and stay updated with new releases.


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## Cideboy (Jan 3, 2022)

Bullersten said:


> Your app idea is very close to the app in the link below. It was mentioned in a previous message:
> 
> Patchboard App
> 
> I think the price point is too high for hobbyists, and I could be wrong but I do not think the database can be built without a decent amount of input work from the end user. The solution I have in mind is for patches definitions to be shared amongst users. If every user inputs a handful of their important patches from commercial VSTs, the database would grow organically and stay updated with new releases.


Database could be hosted in azure too - could be a shared resource that VST devs submit to someday like NI.


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## 3CPU (Jan 3, 2022)

Is there a software or hardware you wished existed to improve your workflow?​My nephew is disabled and loves music, would be nice to have Mind-Transference hardware paired with VR and mic to allow mind and voice commands of the DAW.


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## Alex Temple (Jan 6, 2022)

This is probably beyond the scope of what you’re asking, but I wish the MIDI protocol was updated to support sending of metadata. Imagine how much time we’d save if every time we added a patch in Kontakt, or especially to anything in VE pro, if we could set it to automatically send the patch name back to our DAW so that the corresponding MIDI track had its name auto-updated.


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## Cideboy (Jan 6, 2022)

Alex Temple said:


> This is probably beyond the scope of what you’re asking, but I wish the MIDI protocol was updated to support sending of metadata. Imagine how much time we’d save if every time we added a patch in Kontakt, or especially to anything in VE pro, if we could set it to automatically send the patch name back to our DAW so that the corresponding MIDI track had its name auto-updated.





Alex Temple said:


> This is probably beyond the scope of what you’re asking, but I wish the MIDI protocol was updated to support sending of metadata. Imagine how much time we’d save if every time we added a patch in Kontakt, or especially to anything in VE pro, if we could set it to automatically send the patch name back to our DAW so that the corresponding MIDI track had its name auto-updated.


Check this out - https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/midi-polyphonic-expression-explained.html



Oops - seems your talking about controlling a patch so this likely won’t help with much other than patch selection- maybe someone knows how one might select a specific preset using midi. I know spitfire does this on channel 32 for articulations.


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## gamma-ut (Jan 6, 2022)

Bullersten said:


> Yes, as I have planned it, there are 3 things that will be only visible to the user:
> 1. A rating which influences the ranking of the instrument in any search. Rate a patch high and it comes towards the top if it is included in a search result.
> 2. A tags field for each instrument. Tags can be picked amongst a long list of expressive words and genre (like soundcloud) so that people can make their own categories and search for them.
> 3. A personal note field for each instrument to annotate things that are only relevant to you like file location, sampler used, audio format, etc... Notes will not be searchable


What I've slung together is broadly similar to that. It's a group of databases in Notion (yes, they managed to pick the same name as the score software, great job guys), which allows for tags, but not just a single group of tags but fields that have different tags.

This makes it somewhat easier to search for things without having to bash the data into pre-organised fields. So I've got instrument "qualities" separate to things that describe where they are separate to usage notes. The big advantage of Notion (or something like it - Roam occupies a similar space but is less graphical) is you can link like hypertext and do it bidirectionally. So favourite patches can be bunged into regular notes that link to the source instrument - which saves having to make some humungous database of patches out of which 1% are ever needed. The danger is spending more time organising than using - but this kind of approach makes it a lot easier to find things when you've got a bunch of libraries and software instruments.

Notion's pretty good for organising office and IT-type stuff so it makes a good general-purpose tool for this kind of thing. The one potential downside is that it's cloud based so potentially hostage to outages. Other similar tools are turning up that let you store this stuff locally, though they tend to come and go.


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## Bullersten (Jan 6, 2022)

gamma-ut said:


> Notion's pretty good for organising office and IT-type stuff so it makes a good general-purpose tool for this kind of thing. The one potential downside is that it's cloud based so potentially hostage to outages. Other similar tools are turning up that let you store this stuff locally, though they tend to come and go.


I did not know Notion, but many people on the thread have already taken steps to implement their own little database solution so there is clearly a need there.

A network based solution is only really advantageous if the data is shared amongst users as it saves everyone some tedious input work. If enough people are interested and if each input only the most important patches they want to keep a tab on, the database would grow quickly enough for everyone to see the added benefit


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## Bullersten (Jan 6, 2022)

3CPU said:


> Is there a software or hardware you wished existed to improve your workflow?​My nephew is disabled and loves music, would be nice to have Mind-Transference hardware paired with VR and mic to allow mind and voice commands of the DAW.


The problem here really is the lack of alternatives to a keyboard and mouse to control a computer. Research in human/computer interfacing has been quite slow but hopefully a breakthrough is close.


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## Bullersten (Jan 6, 2022)

Alex Temple said:


> This is probably beyond the scope of what you’re asking, but I wish the MIDI protocol was updated to support sending of metadata. Imagine how much time we’d save if every time we added a patch in Kontakt, or especially to anything in VE pro, if we could set it to automatically send the patch name back to our DAW so that the corresponding MIDI track had its name auto-updated.


I think MIDI 2.0 can do what you want. This is from the wikipedia page:

"MIDI Capability Inquiry (MIDI-CI) specifies Universal SysEx messages to implement device profiles, parameter exchange, and MIDI protocol negotiation...
Parameter exchange defines methods for inquiry of device capabilities, such as supported controllers, patch names, instrument profiles, device configuration and other metadata, and to get or set device configuration settings."


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## JamelaBanderson (Jan 6, 2022)

XY control pad, and pitch & mod wheels that are on both sides or middle of the keyboard. Or a foot pedal board that does those things. Sometimes you need to play with your right hand, other times with your left. 
Actually pedal board is my preference because sometimes you want to play with both hands.


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## xjmusic (Jan 6, 2022)

GtrString said:


> Yeah, I think a small, solid 4 fader controller with midi + usb I/O, good ergonomics & resolution in the 100$ range would sell like milk and butter.











nativeVS







nativevs.bigcartel.com


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## thereus (Jan 6, 2022)

I want a midi phrase shaper/performer. Take a musical phrase and do the things we do to every phrase to make it into a musical sentence...


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## creativeforge (Jan 6, 2022)

Now that you ask: if there was a VR mixing console maybe? Where you can grab tracks or effects and move them around in space to create a more spatially realistic mix?

Or does that already exist?


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## Bullersten (Jan 7, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Now that you ask: if there was a VR mixing console maybe? Where you can grab tracks or effects and move them around in space to create a more spatially realistic mix?
> 
> Or does that already exist?


Even without VR, it sounds interesting


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## creativeforge (Jan 7, 2022)

Bullersten said:


> Even without VR, it sounds interesting



Ah, could be without VR? Maybe holographic... Or with a We see this done in a few spy or futuristic movies.  

I just wrote MiMU to see if they are working on something like this.


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## Bullersten (Jan 7, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Ah, could be without VR? Maybe holographic...


I imagine a software that allows the user to place different trackd around a virtual 3d space. It realistically recreates the positionning using reverb amd panning. Having to buy a VR kit to do this may be a little overkill


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## JamelaBanderson (Jan 7, 2022)

creativeforge said:


> Now that you ask: if there was a VR mixing console maybe? Where you can grab tracks or effects and move them around in space to create a more spatially realistic mix?
> 
> Or does that already exist?


Izotope has a visualizer program that does that on screen with a mouse. I don't have my workstation in front of me so I can't remember the name off the top of my head.


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## Ashley Kampta (Jan 7, 2022)

Bullersten said:


> I imagine a software that allows the user to place different trackd around a virtual 3d space. It realistically recreates the positionning using reverb amd panning. Having to buy a VR kit to do this may be a little overkill


Software (such as DAW plugins) like this already exist! Maybe try something from Dear Reality? Their dearVR plugins allow you to mix in 3D space, and they're not too expensive, unlike something like Flux's SPAT Revolution, for example.

Alternatively, if you didn't mind not having the up/down axis, Virtual Sound Stage can do this for left/right and front/back axes. It's pretty useful for orchestral mixes or simulating an indoor live-sound atmosphere.


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## AcousTech (Jan 7, 2022)

3CPU said:


> Is there a software or hardware you wished existed to improve your workflow?​My nephew is disabled and loves music, would be nice to have Mind-Transference hardware paired with VR and mic to allow mind and voice commands of the DAW.


Not exactly what you asked, and I’m not sure if this could be made to work(only on Windows, perhaps obviously), but it sure has been a quite a gift to disabled gamers:









Xbox Adaptive Controller | Xbox


Connect switches, buttons, joysticks, and mounts to create a custom controller experience that is uniquely yours.



www.xbox.com





I’d imagine there might be some way to integrate it with a DAW. I’d be happy to help research further if you want to share more. DM me if so...


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## Bullersten (Jan 10, 2022)

gsilbers said:


> A knob or fader box where you can select custom presets buttons that have different midi cc on each.
> 
> for knobs it would be great to have all important midi CC for different hardware synths in one knob controller 4x4 or similar. My virus TI and moog and sequential synths all have different midi implementations for simple stuff like filter, ADSR etc.
> 
> For fader, i mostly use 4 faders but sometimes id like to have optons for random libraryes that use vibrato or legato etc in other cc numbers than other libraries.


After some experimentation, I think i can build a midi controller configurable with presets. I will upgrade my current controller to make the prototype.


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## Bullersten (Jan 13, 2022)

GtrString said:


> Yeah, I think a small, solid 4 fader controller with midi + usb I/O, good ergonomics & resolution in the 100$ range would sell like milk and butter.





gsilbers said:


> there could be a software gui interface for a one time setup. and a set amount of presets based on bottons .maybe 4 bottons.
> or a knob w dsiplay or a way to select the midi CC and then press and hold to store the preset or someting along those lines.


After some play around, I am happy to report that my DIY USB controller is very stable at a 50ms resolution even with 5 CCs recording at the same time (see screenshot below). I just reduced the polling time interval in the firmware code of the Teensy LC that I am using and that was all it took. This is probably of a similar quality to products available on the market.






Then I have made a small software with JUCE to be able to easily pick which CC can be controlled by each fader. On-screen faders are only there asa live indicator for the position of the real ones and it supports the loading/saving of presets:






For the presets, some of the communication between the Controller and the computer is done using MIDI SysEx messaging. The interesting thing about this method is the annual fee that needs to be paid to the MIDI association by any manufacturer who wants to commercialise hardware using it. It is amazing all the hidden costs one can find by looking closer.

I think selling low end hardware is quite difficult to pull off for small manufacturers. I understand why focusing on bespoke high end is the best route, and only when they get successful in that area, can having a low end range really make sense from a commercial perspective.


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