PresetMagician: Generate NKS Presets from VST plugins

This OK?

 

As I thought - for some reason, the Preset Information in the database was not updated. I'm afraid I need more info for that, but I'd prefer to implement a better problem reporting function in PresetMagician first. In that case, I'd not only need not only the application+plugin logs but also a part of the database. Is it okay for you to wait a few days (or a week, depending on how quickly I can get the problem reporter done)?

Another option would be to remove (or rename) the database completely to see if it works then. You can open the database folder under Settings->Database->Database Location. Then rename PresetMagician.sqlite3 to something else, it will be re-created when you restart PresetMagician

 

That fixed the preview sounds, but now when I double click on a preset in KK to open it, KK crashes

 

I just tried my NKS files and yes, it crashes as well. However, it's a bug within miniBitCM, because the crash also happens if I save a NKS preset from within Maschine and load it without having miniBitCM loaded. A workaround is to open the plugin first, then load the preset. Nothing I can fix, neither can Native Instruments. The only option is to contact the plugin author and ask them to fix the bug

 

It was crashing KK last week or so, I had to open it like you said. Then for the past few days it was working, except for the previews. Now, since the previews are working, it crashes again. Weird.

 

Well, I'm pretty sure when the presets sounded all the same, and you would load the preset, it would have the init preset instead. The reason why the presets sounded all the same was because the preset data was invalid, and thus couldn't be loaded by miniBitCM, and that's why it didn't crash.

 

That sounds reasonable. It was the init preset that I was hearing for all the presets. Thanks for spending so much time helping me with this.

 

You're welcome and I'm a bit sad that I can't fix the issue, but fixing crashing VSTi plugins isn't something I can't accomplish Btw, I just tested against miniBit, and it works fine there, so I guess they most likely fixed the issue there.

 

I was just going to ask you that. I guess the CM version won't be fixed.

 

To be honest... Recently I have no time to dig dipper into PM, it is just about installing sometimes a new version, analyzing (full) and saving presets... so some questions

1. How to reset the database?
2. If I forgot to add preset folders before analyzing, how to make a already analyzed and stored vsti appear again on PMs first page?

A draft of a recipe how to set up PM (and vsts) to get as much as possible from the analyzing and preset saving process will be a nice addition somewhen...

 

If you mean "clear "by reset, you can simply delete the database file. Open Settings->Database->Open Database Location. This opens the Windows Explorer, now close PresetMagician and delete (or better: Rename) the file PresetMagician.sqlite3

But usually that's not necessary, except if you imported junk presets. If you added preset folders, just do a full analysis on the affected plugin(s) and the new presets will be added

Again on PM's first page? I don't think I understood what you're trying to achieve, can you rephrase it?

Well there's nothing much changed, with the difference that presets are now stored in the database, enabling the feature "Export non-exported presets" as well as (in a later version) editing preset information.

Regarding documentation, see https://presetmagician.gitbook.io/help/ (there's also a buton in the PresetMagician application). Some commands within PresetMagician already have a proper tooltip (stay for 1 second over the command) and it'll display a short help.

Basically, my workflow would be (if I had time to actually use my own software and make music ):

- Analyze all plugins in full mode once
- Do exports as I prefer
- If I run out of time, or there's a crash, or whatever, I can simply use the "Add not yet exported presets" function and continue where PresetMagician left off

Once I got all presets exported, I could do a full analysis once in a while and use "Add not yet exported presets" again -> this will now include all changed and/or new presets.

Quick analysis only does a basic analysis and retrieves presets from the database, for the exact difference see here: https://presetmagician.gitbook.io/help/manual/reference/commands/analyze-plugins

 

When I try to convert the OB-Xd plugin all I get is 128 factory default presets. The factory folder only has the Default.nksf file and the previews folder only has the Default.nksf.ogg file. The first time I analyzed the Helm plugin I got three arp presets and the rest were factory default. I cleared the database and tried again and it worked.

 

Right now PresetMagician generates the NKS file according to the preset name. If all presets are named "Default", it generates 128 times the "Default.nksf" file plus the preview, I need to implement a check for that.

Were the rest also named "Factory default"? If you can provide a bit more info that would certainly be helpful for a possible bugfix

 

Could the problem with OB-Xd be that the presets are in banks?
The Helm presets are in individual folders. The first time I analyzed it, it generated three Arp presets. Everything else was factory default presets. The second time all the presets were available

 

There's a similar problem with FXBs for Sylenth. Many banks have less than the allowed number of presets per bank (128 or 256 - not sure), but the result is you end up with hundreds of 'Init' presets in the export list. I've been removing these by using the filter at the top of the preset export list columns, but (feature request) can you make the preset list columns sortable? Double clicking the column header sorts the list ascending/descending for example?

 

My biggest feature request by far though is to be able to manually (bulk edit selected presets) the Bank/Sub bank attributes. Is right click functionality available? Select the presets you want to edit, right click, Edit bank & edit sub bank options. Would be handy to be able to bulk edit other preset tags/attributes this way.

Keep up the good work

 

Well, there's no specific preset parser for neither OB-Xd and Helm yet, so PresetMagician uses the VST programs standard to retrieve information. All the info PresetMagician gets using that interface is how many programs there are, and what the name of each program is. The number of programs stay the same and is reported when the plugin loads, so it's strange that only 3 presets are retrieved using helm. Could it be that either the plugin crashes after retrieving these 3 presets (check for errors in the plugin log) or that there are actually presets retrieved with a blank name?

There's no way to load additional banks apart from loading FXB/FXP files because it looks like that OB-Xd does that from the plugin GUI. Seems that I have to develop specific preset parser modules for these plugins

I'm currently working on a way to edit (and delete) presets from PresetMagician's database, so that should solve your problem. I hope it's done soon.

 

Zampler doesn't generate any presets either, just 128 init/factory presets.

 

No, not yet, but see the last post, I'm working on it

 

Yeah seems that the plugin loads it's preset at some point and not when the plugin is loaded. I have a similar problem with dexed which I reported here: https://github.com/asb2m10/dexed/issues/175

Oddly enough, as far as dexed is concerned, the presets are loaded in Maschine even without opening the editor.