jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

So, I'm fast approaching a beta release of the LSDJ Patchbook for Android and I'm at the point now where I want some feedback.

The current features (those you'll see in the beta release) are as follows:

*Edit and save instrument data (duh).
*Edit and save tables and assign them to one or more instrument.
*Edit and save waveforms - each waveform is made up of 16 "frames", just like LSDJ - and assign them to instruments.

*Import and Export a csv file of any given instrument as well as any waveform or tables attached to it (this is basically just a text file that makes it easy to trade instruments).

Features I plan on adding before the Android market release:

*Form sanitization and validation of data. This is important because of...
*Server sync - this feature will allow you to submit patches to a server for the world to view. Users may submit patches anonymously or using a unique username (more web features likely).

I need your help:

I have already begun using the program myself and find it to be useful already but my real hope is that it will inspire more sharing of patches, which is why I've added a back-end that supports lots of easy sharing methods. The beta will have only a simple import/export but I hope to add some serious 'social' features via the web server (more on that at the end of this post).

I have lots of ideas for usability tweaks and features but I'd love to get some ideas and feedback from users of LSDJ and perhaps even people who manage their patches in various ways. I also have some general questions for users:

Would you want this app to come with some preprogrammed patches?
Will you be heartbroken if I skip the "synth" screen and just used the wavetables?
Do you want to be able to store groove tables?

If you have any thoughts on those questions or any other feedback I'd love to hear it!

Ideas for the future:

One of the key features I've had in mind has always been usability and speed. I want this program to make patch saving as quick and painless as possible. It's the reason that I've many many elements 'tap friendly' as you can see in the demo.

To that end, one thing I'll be adding relatively soon after the beta release (it's probably first on my list of post-beta features) is a custom input method for all the hexadecimal values. Most android keyboards aren't optimal when going back and forth between numeric and alpha characters. I want to pop up a custom entry that includes exclusively 0-F and allows you to easily select your two nibbles (don't we all just love the word nibble!?).

Another key feature I've designed this app around is sharing. The back-end supports pretty robust data handling and since the "on device" storage is just SQLite it'll be easy to add support for an external SQL web server.

Initially the web server will be pretty simple, there will be a website with just search and view functionality and a csv upload/save type deal, but it won't take much to release an HTML5 front-end to allow editing of patches from your computer or iOS device.

After that all works, I might just add an .lsdsng instrument import, who knows.

IndigoChild
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Kyle, Tx

Hey man it would be cool if you manage to add a feature to preview how the patch should sound. You could do that by user upload or smart sound generation.

defPREMIUM
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r a d

The One Electronic
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Detroit

Dude yes

shanebro
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New Orleans, Louisiana

Yes! Looking forward to this, bro.

Fufugagakikilala
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Malaysia

Awesome!

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
IndigoChild wrote:

Hey man it would be cool if you manage to add a feature to preview how the patch should sound. You could do that by user upload or smart sound generation.

Sound generation would be quite tough to do accurately and for the types of complex sounds you'd want to save patches for, accuracy would be important. I know that some people are working on reverse engineering the LSDJ playback routine and with that it might be possible to do via emulation, but until then it's not something I'd likely even attempt.

User uploaded sound is something I've given a lot of thought to as well but it's difficult to implement into my usage model. I want the app to be "quick and easy", there isn't currently a really quick and easy way of getting a nice recording of a sound from a Game Boy into an Android device.

That said, there's potential for the feature of including an audio example being part of the website.

Last edited by jefftheworld (Jul 28, 2013 10:41 pm)

thebitman
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I'd like to see:

- LSDJ save parsing, so you can easily rip instruments, presets, and wavefroms/frames (talk to 2xAA about his save explorer?)
- Longer filenames or in-file commenting, so we can be more descriptive with the names, or specific about how to use them (don't use below F4, sounds terrible)
- synth parameters for the WAV channel are essential, because some waveforms (like ones with tons of resonance) look crazy and aren't easy to replicate or draw, like a sine wave with low cutoff
- would be nice to see a hex-friendly numpad for entering stuff like envelopes and some other parameters

Looks great, kind of trumps my miniature-book patchbook idea haha can't wait to try this on my phone

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I've already looked into parsing saves/lsdsngs and it's something I'd love to add after the core functionality is in place as it wouldn't be hard to implemement.

Longer names for instruments, waveforms and tables are already in place now but adding comments are actually a great idea!

The wave channel so far has been the hardest so far. It currently looks like the LSDJ wave frame screen and takes only touch and hex input. I've been using it a bit and it's very fast to enter values for waves that you're already created but maybe not optimal for general editing.

Hex friendly input method on the way!

TylerBarnes
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Dallas, Texas

This looks way better than the iPhone one. One thing I would love to see in this is a way to upload and attach a sample preview to each save so we could audition the sounds and know what each patch sounds like. I am fairly confident that most people, me included, can't remember what a lot of our old patches sound like just from looking at the name/tables/settings/etc. One thing that the iPhone version does have that is useful is a notes section. Just a little text box where we can scribble some instructions or something down, like "Best if used on note C5" or "This patch is meant to be  used in tandem with patch xxx"
And to answer one of your questions "should it store groove tables?"....YES. I have some instrument tables that have some specific rhythms that are designed around specific groove tables. it would be nice to store a groove to each patch or table.

Last edited by TylerBarnes (Jul 29, 2013 10:09 am)

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TylerBarnes wrote:

This looks way better than the iPhone one. One thing I would love to see in this is a way to upload and attach a sample preview to each save so we could audition the sounds and know what each patch sounds like. I am fairly confident that most people, me included, can't remember what a lot of our old patches sound like just from looking at the name/tables/settings/etc. One thing that the iPhone version does have that is useful is a notes section. Just a little text box where we can scribble some instructions or something down, like "Best if used on note C5" or "This patch is meant to be  used in tandem with patch xxx"

I just added the "notes" input! A few people mentioned it and it's obviously a great idea. I've added independent note taking for instruments, waves and tables since they're functionally separate.

I'm also going to add a long-press action on the load menu to allow you to see the notes saved about an instrument.

Last edited by jefftheworld (Jul 29, 2013 10:09 am)

TylerBarnes
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Dallas, Texas

Sweet! Great to hear. I can't wait for this app sir. Once I moved to android I was disappointed to find there wasn't already a iPhone lsdj patchbook equivalent.

jefftheworld
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Like I mentioned in the video, the beta will be out probably towards the end of the upcoming weekend, it'll feature pretty much everything other than the web features.

It'll hit the android market after a short period of beta testing.

thebitman
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One last idea: since all waveforms have characters for each frame (0-F) that line the top and bottom of the waveform, wouldn't it be possible to enter the characters and watch a realtime drawing of the waveform for that frame? Since you are simply placing squares on a plane, it shouldn't be too hard. Monotonous, maybe, not fun, yes, but still better than me trying to drag squares all over a grid with my fingers.

jefftheworld
Offline
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
thebitman wrote:

One last idea: since all waveforms have characters for each frame (0-F) that line the top and bottom of the waveform, wouldn't it be possible to enter the characters and watch a realtime drawing of the waveform for that frame? Since you are simply placing squares on a plane, it shouldn't be too hard. Monotonous, maybe, not fun, yes, but still better than me trying to drag squares all over a grid with my fingers.

That is exactly what my current implementation is. I tried many other options like touch dragging and while that worked somewhat okay on my tablet it was simply impossible to be accurate on my phone.  For now you simply type in a row of hexadecimal characters and it draws the waveform, which is actually really fast and easy to do but makes for a sort of "boring" solution.

I've got a fancy new hexadecimal keyboard now that pops up for any hexadecimal inputs and it makes it very painless to type in your waveforms this way, so baring any "ah-ha" moments before next weekend, this'll probably be what you see for the beta release.

Last edited by jefftheworld (Jul 29, 2013 4:56 pm)

walter b. gentle
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babylon

this looks really cool. im on ios though, bummer.