Author Topic: Introducing DMEditor (now version 1.1a and open source!) (Read 119140 times)

Corvidae · « **on:** January 03, 2012, 07:24:59 PM »

As we all know, the current solution for sharing kits on the DM10 is, well... lacking. We have to do a full SysEx dump, send it to someone, then they have to restore their module to it, losing all of their custom kits in the process. On top of this, you can't even see what the kit settings look like without destroying yours in the process.

Today, that has changed. We now have a full* online/offline DM10 kit editor! Go here to download version 1.1:

https://dmeditor.codeplex.com/

Just unzip it to a directory (no install necessary) and go!

Usage is simple. Connect your DM10 to your PC (both USB and MIDI work), then start the program. If the connection is correct, your DM10 should switch to kit #100; at that point, you're ready to go! Any changes you make in the PC interface should be reflected on the module, allowing you to quickly configure and prototype any sounds you like. When you're done, you can save either the currently selected instrument, the full kit you're working on, or your entire module for use later (or to send to others!)

If you have problems, check the FAQ page. Feel free to create tickets for bug reports (you'll have to register first, though). Any questions can be directed here or via PM.

Let me know what you think, and thanks for taking a look!

Special thanks to Hellfire, who helped with testing and input. You rock! :D

Updates:

v1.1: Added support for BlueJay soundset, implemented a couple new features (kit copying / defaulting), fixed a couple bugs.
v1.0: Initial release

vtdrummer · « **Reply #1 on:** January 03, 2012, 07:41:24 PM »

Corvi: Thanks for doing this... I have downloaded it, and will give it a try when my DM10 unit returns from repair.

Hellfire · « **Reply #2 on:** January 03, 2012, 08:28:39 PM »

One word

"Outstanding"

Thank you Corvidae for taking the time to create this program. I've been wanting to tell the users here on the forum about this for a while now. NAMM is not even here yet and this is quite possibly the best news for the DM10 this year. Again, thank you for letting me be part of your testing phase with this project. I can't wait to see how people utilize this very powerful program.

BTW, Since many here at DMdrummer.com are going to like this news, I've made it a sticky and will be adding it to the new feed at the top of the page.

isaidso · « **Reply #3 on:** January 03, 2012, 08:39:19 PM »

Awesome news. Any chance this works with the DM8 module?

Corvidae · « **Reply #4 on:** January 03, 2012, 08:42:33 PM »

Quote from: isaidso on January 03, 2012, 08:39:19 PM

Awesome news. Any chance this works with the DM8 module?

There's a chance, sure. Give it a shot; if it does, please let me know! I don't have a DM8 to test with, but if everything works, I can officially add support for it.

vaikl · « **Reply #5 on:** January 03, 2012, 10:01:53 PM »

What the hell....

Dreams come true now!!!!

Since I'm on a mac I'll try things tomorrow, maybe with a Parallels Win7 or with my older PC's. Sounds to good to be true, nevertheless a big thanks to Corvidae!!!!!

isaidso · « **Reply #6 on:** January 03, 2012, 11:00:26 PM »

Quote from: Corvidae on January 03, 2012, 08:42:33 PM

Quote from: isaidso on January 03, 2012, 08:39:19 PM
Awesome news. Any chance this works with the DM8 module?

There's a chance, sure. Give it a shot; if it does, please let me know! I don't have a DM8 to test with, but if everything works, I can officially add support for it.

Have not went thru all settings yet, but so far it is working great!!!!!

Corvidae · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2012, 01:16:26 AM »

Quote from: isaidso on January 03, 2012, 11:00:26 PM

Have not went thru all settings yet, but so far it is working great!!!!!

If you can go through all the settings and verify they all update on the module, let me know and I'll "unofficially support" the DM8, since I can't test changes myself.

inconn · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2012, 05:49:19 AM »

AWESOME!!! Let's get those soundsets rolling!

ungoliant · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2012, 07:27:47 AM »

Amazing !!! This is X-mas still ! Thks Corvidae !

Here is my Metallica kit to share, tell me if it works !

immortalx · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:13:52 AM »

Congratulations man, that's some great news!!!!! Finally someone had to do it

Funny thing is I've been messing with the soundrom file too, but without success

I guess you worked out that 239 byte block's checksum?

Sharkuel · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2012, 10:52:38 AM »

Dear Corvidae.

You just made the start of 2012 something great to a little humble boy who likes to drum like there's no tomorrow.

You won one Internet+

May the Heavens bless your efforts and grant you everything good, because you just spread more hapinnes among humanity than Jesus and Santa together!

Corvidae · « **Reply #12 on:** January 04, 2012, 11:09:32 AM »

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Means a lot.

ungoliant: That looks like it's the regular "Default" kit. Are you sure you saved off the right one?

immortalx: I haven't, no. I had to go back to my fallback plan of using the published NRPNs. I initially went into this trying to find a way to "roll your own" soundset using parts from both Bluejay (the toms / drums) and stock (everything else), but somethig is either encrypted or obfuscated and without more details / specs, I didn't have the resources to try and reverse-engineer it. This mode, while still not supported by Alesis, at least works.

Hellfire · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2012, 02:40:11 PM »

Well, DMEditor made it on to the Hellfire Drums website.

If you are a DM10 or DM8 owner, you need this program.

vaikl · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:07:03 PM »

So, here are my first impressions, as promised. It's a very nice, neat and slim proggy, makes fun to use it. GUI is well-thought and hassle-free, all you need it's there and in the right place. The automatic value refresh on the module via sysex is a bit surprising for an older MIDIan like me

, but it works incredible.

Here's my question: I'm now with the BlueJay set on my DM10, not the factory one. Works anyway, but I noticed that the tool don't jump to set 100, but stays on 000 on the module. Everything I change in the tool on kit 100 (Default) (beside instruments, because they don't exist in BlueJay) will be stored in kit 000 on the module.

If I manually change the kit number to 100 on the module, the tool will store everything in that kit.

That's how it should work, if I have understood it right? Is there soemthing I have to do so that the tool changes the kit automatically to 100 or is it a problem with having the BlueJay soundset instead of the factory set?

Corvidae · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:13:37 PM »

Quote from: vaikl on January 04, 2012, 04:07:03 PM

So, here are my first impressions, as promised. It's a very nice, neat and slim proggy, makes fun to use it. GUI is well-thought and hassle-free, all you need it's there and in the right place. The automatic value refresh on the module via sysex is a bit surprising for an older MIDIan like me , but it works incredible.

Glad it makes sense; I tried to mimic the DM10's interface as much as possible. If you have suggestions to make it easier / more convenient to use, please let me know.

Quote from: vaikl on January 04, 2012, 04:07:03 PM

Here's my question: I'm now with the BlueJay set on my DM10, not the factory one. Works anyway, but I noticed that the tool don't jump to set 100, but stays on 000 on the module. Everything I change in the tool on kit 100 (Default) (beside instruments, because they don't exist in BlueJay) will be stored in kit 000 on the module.

If I manually change the kit number to 100 on the module, the tool will store everything in that kit.

That's how it should work, if I have understood it right? Is there soemthing I have to do so that the tool changes the kit automatically to 100 or is it a problem with having the BlueJay soundset instead of the factory set?

Actually, that has nothing to do with the soundset. By default, the DM10 silently ignores kit change messages; it took me days to figure out why this didn't work while everything else did. You can change this through Utility -> MIDI (F2) -> Ext (F2) -> Prog Chng (should be set to 'RECEIVE'). Once that's changed and saved (I think, might take effect immediately), kit changes should work.

I'm planning on getting BJ support done in the next couple of days; I'll probably include that in version 1.1.

vaikl · « **Reply #16 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:26:01 PM »

Quote from: Corvidae on January 04, 2012, 04:13:37 PM

Actually, that has nothing to do with the soundset. By default, the DM10 silently ignores kit change messages; it took me days to figure out why this didn't work while everything else did. You can change this through Utility -> MIDI (F2) -> Ext (F2) -> Prog Chng (should be set to 'RECEIVE'). Once that's changed and saved (I think, might take effect immediately), kit changes should work.

Ah, prog change, didn't realize this (cause I never had used it on my module

). Have changed it and it works like a charm.

I'm curious about 1.1 now!

Hellfire · « **Reply #17 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:29:54 PM »

Quote from: vaikl on January 04, 2012, 04:26:01 PM

I'm curious about 1.1 now!

I'm looking forward to that as well.

Corvidae · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2012, 04:31:01 PM »

Quote from: vaikl on January 04, 2012, 04:26:01 PM

Ah, prog change, didn't realize this (cause I never had used it on my module ). Have changed it and it works like a charm.

I'm curious about 1.1 now!

Glad to hear it works.

The only scheduled changes are BJ support and support for the other arbitrary MIDI notes (for MIDI IN support). Any bug fixes will obviously go in, as well.

I might push the MIDI stuff out to 1.2; not sure yet. Depends on what happens between now and then.

isaidso · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2012, 05:46:43 PM »

Quote from: Corvidae on January 04, 2012, 01:16:26 AM

Quote from: isaidso on January 03, 2012, 11:00:26 PM
Have not went thru all settings yet, but so far it is working great!!!!!

If you can go through all the settings and verify they all update on the module, let me know and I'll "unofficially support" the DM8, since I can't test changes myself.

All settings work. Very nice work

Corvidae · « **Reply #20 on:** January 04, 2012, 05:52:26 PM »

Quote from: isaidso on January 04, 2012, 05:46:43 PM

All settings work. Very nice work

Awesome. I'll add that to the wiki.

Thanks for the testing!

vaikl · « **Reply #21 on:** January 04, 2012, 08:06:43 PM »

Corvidae, I had something in my mind but had forgotten to check it during my test today: Is it possible to just copy a complete kit and paste it on to the next kit, say, from 100 to 101 in your tool? Simple copy/paste action?

The advantage for me would be a fast setup of a kind of sentence in which I could slightly modify some parameters from kit to kit, like raising compression step by step in a row of 5 kits. This way I could prepare such kits with your tool on my comp and then just sit down and switch through this kits on the module to find the best overall sound with the same other settings.

Just an idea.

Corvidae · « **Reply #22 on:** January 04, 2012, 09:10:27 PM »

Quote from: vaikl on January 04, 2012, 08:06:43 PM

Corvidae, I had something in my mind but had forgotten to check it during my test today: Is it possible to just copy a complete kit and paste it on to the next kit, say, from 100 to 101 in your tool? Simple copy/paste action?

You could save a kit off and load it as another kit, but there's no option to copy it to another kit manually at the moment.

Great idea, though. Consider it added to 1.1.

vtdrummer · « **Reply #23 on:** January 05, 2012, 01:25:52 AM »

I can't wait to try this out... I just got my module back from the repair center today, so I'll try it out.

Question... I backed up my DM10 before I sent it out... can I use this to load the backed up SYSEX files back onto my module, or do I have to do it the 'old' way?

Thx!

immortalx · « **Reply #24 on:** January 05, 2012, 05:14:08 AM »

I had some more time with it today and let me say this tool is so useful!!! Why Alesis didn't write such a program is beyond me...
Corvidae, small question : Everything is working fine, whatever setting i change is reflected back to the module. However if i switch the unit off, all changes are lost. Are we supposed to manually save the kits using the store button on the module? Just checking if this is the way it works.