New beta machine: AudioTrack

[btd]

I've got a new machine for you all to try. It's an attempt at adding basic audio sequencing capabilities to buzz. Basically, it's a machine where a "pattern" is actually just a chunk of wave data.

Latest version (29 October 2008): http://btdsys.lazytrap.com/dl.php?id=33

Requires a recent buzz build. There's a generator and an effect, so make sure you unzip them to the right directories. The generator is the main attraction, the effect is only required when you want to record.

"Record, you say?" Yep, record. You will need:

• an "AudioTrack Input" machine with something connected into it (if that something is a soundcard input or something else that has latency, experiment with AudioTrack Input's "latency compensation" parameter);
  
• the input machine selected as "Record source" in AudioTrack's rightclick menu;
  
• a tick next to "Arm" in AudioTrack's rightclick menu (note that machines disarm themselves when you press stop, and the arm status isn't saved in the song -- this is intentional);
  
• an empty pattern to record into;
  
• to press Buzz's "Record" (F7) button.

This video (right-click and save as) shows the basic steps for recording from ASIO input.

Things might get a bit strange if you change the tempo or the song position while it's recording, so don't do that. Jeskola Groove 1 doesn't actually change the tempo as far as this machine is concerned, so that should be safe.

The pattern editor toolbar buttons are a bit cryptic due to my tragic lack of artistic ability, so here's what they do from left to right:

• Repaint view
  
• Clear wave data
  
• Import from file (not implemented yet)
  
• Import from wavetable (use the dropdown list above the toolbar; should support all formats including 24/32 bit)
  
• Set pattern length so that this wave will play back at normal speed

I think that's everything you need to know before you dive in and start trying to break it. Let me know what you think!

[IX]

Speechless. Gobsmacked

[mute]

holy f'in crap.

[mute]

porn:


edit: hey wow,.. that's confusing looking --^



recording is a snap. awesome.

really nice that it adjusts/stretches the waveform for you if you resize the pattern. ill ask the eventual question, any possibility of editing?

[majkol]

Wow, this looks awsome! Can't wait to get home from work!

[hotelsinus]

Massive! thats all
_________________
.,Fanta,.

[McGrbv]

Always creative btd. The bomb is capable of exploding at any moment.
Thanks to mute for first picture!
_________________
Let's get a buzz from Buzz...

[Dan]

Excellent!

[lindon]

Again! Thanks for the continued effort btd.

(edit, 5 minutes later)
And it works perfectly!

[earkus]

Wow! thanks btd.

[Domtron]

g.r.e.a.t.

[etruscan]

Excellent stuff man! It crashed my buzz08.exe tho'; not at home now so all I can remember is that I had a UTrk going into the Input machine. Can't remember the specifics otherwise but will attempt to recreate it . . .

[btd]

Thanks for the kind words everyone

An additional caveat: don't use oversampling on AudioTrack while it's recording. I guess if/when buzz supports oversampling for effects, this will change to "use the same oversample setting on AudioTrack and its input machine".

[earkus]

Loading Audiotrack Generator crashes on the latest build (1038). The fx part loads fine.

[btd]

[earkus]

shiet. They works fine for me in build 1036, but not in 37 or 38. Ill try a reload then...

[mute]

[Domtron]

[mute]

[Domtron]

[ebop]

Brilliant work btd!
Stunning machine!

Now it's gonna be easy to record the voice of that cute girl next door

No crash for me so far (using 1038 build).

I could record 2 tracks simultaneously from 2 Polac asio-in with no problem (only 2 inputs on my soundcard). Maybe people with a lot of audio inputs can take some time to stress test this gem.

Found a minor bug : if I mute an audio track in machine view, when I unmute it, the audio is not aligned with buzz anymore.

I think the arm mechanism could be improved. Why is it not a regular buzz parameter? It would rock if it could be enabled with a midi controller button/footswitch. Having the ability to group the tracks to be armed would also be cool (imagine having to record a drumkit with 4 mics on it).

Could the machine record without having to press F7 ? You know, so you don't have to turn off these PeerLFOs...

About editing features : great news you plan to add some. Slicing and merging patterns would be fun too.

In the future, hope you can add multi-take recording as it is a must-have for bad instrumentists like me.

That said, I still would love this machine if you kept it just as it is.

Last thing : where are the samples actually stored, in RAM or in a temp file on the hd?

Wonderful day. Many thanks btd.

[btd]

[tinga]

Great !
So easy to record now, waves are stored in the bmx
Again a new machine, a real downpour...

Many thx for this simple, but effective AudioTrack.

[hobbes-]

any chance for this machine to work within buze too?

[Domtron]

everything works great here!

one little thing.
if you record lower volumes,the waveform isn't visble.
talking about implementing offset.i meant negative and positive offset.

[Dego]

Excellent stuff...

I can reproduce this Buzz crash situation:

1) add audiotrack machine.
2) press 'new' project on Buzz toolbar. Buzz will crash.

Looking forward for little implementations, nothing fancy... i like pressing F7 btw... activating recording by finally pressing just a button has to be the right way of doing it.

[cellophanemonk]

This is so awesome

[btd]

New version isn't quite ready yet, but I just had to show off what it looks like with the new custom pattern box feature in Buzz 1040

[qnio]

[tinga]

Vertical view for waves is sexy!

[mortal1]

<rasta>Looking good, mon!</rasta>

[Dan]

Cool!

[magmavander]

Thanks!! OMG I must be dreaming...
_________________
frenchy but chic

[crackedworld]

Happy days!

[Domtron]

!



my session is going huge.
i have to save regulary, i've got rare session crashes, because of faulty vst's.

one buzz00 behavior i liked very much is the possiblity to save your session while the "send back report to ms" windows apears.
you know what i mean?

maybe it would be ideal to implement a crash routine in buzz.
something like.
"buzz is pim pommed because of...please save your work and click ok to crash"

sounds crazy?

however.
i'm forced to save my work carefully because of those things and
my hard disk size shrink rapidly.

[lindon]

my pants are on fire

[mute]

[IX]

I'm rapidly approaching the limits of my gobsmackedness potential.

[synthphase]

OMG! I've been waiting a long time for this baby. I'm so horny for vertical scrolling waves!

[kibibu]

this looks wonderful btd.

wouldn't a little "arm" button on the pattern view be lovely?
_________________

core i7 920, 6gb ram, windows 7
p4 2.4ghz, 1gb ram, xp home
kibibu