Originally posted by sbenno: "A few things: 96kbit MP3s are not a synonym of audio quality. So even with a perfect synthesis engine the result will be an undynamic piece of crap. Those MP3s must be replaced with at least 160kbit versions."
We should produce samples that are the same format as what other folks are doing. My observations, with a scope, show around %70 data loss above 12kHz with mp3 compression. So, things need to be relative.
"Then of course there is the limited wavetable ROM size. Yes you can hear that the strings for example (high strings) are using too short samples thus still sound a bit artificial. But as domenik said, 256MB is quite a lot of space and do not assume that this is the final soundbank :-) (Neither the styles are final, just a few quick demos). If you ask me IMHO the examples contain too much reverb."
I observed several negative qualities in the demos but my overall impression was very encouraging.
I don't think the demos are arranged to reveal sound qualities. Obviously it's useful to hear music but we need demo arrangements that feature unprocessed and processed kick, snare, kick and snare, high hat, high hat and kick and snare, each tom, each cymbal. Then a simple beat with processing that leaves each drum instrument naked. I need to hear a recording studio style sound check for each instrument until I've got the whole band playing.
Is it good business to release demos that don't fully represent the potential of the X-76? In my opinion, it's genius. It is arragant and alienating when a manufacturer thinks they're capable of meeting requirements without the user's participation. Before product, Lionstracs believes in a philosiphy that we're married to for better or worse. The spirit of the open source license is "the new boss". To hell with protecting ourselves because that will produce the same old results. Benno, we have to sleep in the same bed--ah, let me rephrase that, you can't please me until we are equals.
Lionstracs must provide a great DREAM soundfont library but we can also provide tools for modifying the DREAM soundfont library. I think SWAMI, swami.sourceforge.net, might be the tool. Am I wrong? If Lionstracs can add DREAM format to libinstpatch, as Reduz has indicated, then users can modify their DREAM Soundfont libraries. Then we can use P2P distribution tool that does a diff; if source has something that local doesn't, then pull. Include authentication, blah, blah. Benno, I've already paid Taybin to work on a P2P session exchange tool for Ardour. Lionstracs can pay him to modify the tool for the Mediastation.
I don't think Lionstracs should host a Soundfont server because, as Reduz has suggested, people will sample DX7 bass sounds and distribute them. I suspect we can host metadata; parker is serving x, y and z.
We're building the X-76 to please others, not ourseleves. Mediastation users must be "the new boss" otherwise Lionstracs is "same as the old boss".
Benno, can you have all the software done by tonight, get the price below $200.00, have it delivered to my door by my future wife and get her to stay with me long enough to perform a warranty repair?
Ron
"I'm not sure if it was the right thing to post such low quality demos. Perhaps yes perhaps not. Of course people want to hear the iron in action otherwise they think that this is a vaporware project. Bad demos can damage the reputation of a product but on the other hand these demos are just from a limited size soundbank to show that the iron is actually working and not a vaporware product. I think anyone with a bit of a brain understands that you cannot assume this is the final sound quality of the Mediastation. I hope people appreciates domenik's openess in showing you guys how the still unfinished product (that understandably still has some deficiencies) is progressing. I think there are not that much companies that have such an open attitude. Openess is synonym of honesty because openess makes it hard to cheat. Speaking for myself I think a successful product must be deliver raw performance (good sound quality, maintain the promises) and deficiencies cannot be offset by heavy marketing or brand name."
"Plus of course this was only one of the multiple audio engines the Mediastation has under the hood (besides the DSPs there is the sampler and the softsynths). Audio demos not available yet."
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