Hi everyone. I'd like to make a unified library for Korg's Wavestation plug-in, but I'm working on an entirely new technique for doing it, and I need help. The idea is to first create an Excel spreadsheet (see link below) which captures all the patch metadata (patch name, category prefix, etc.), including the bank and program numbers for each patch. Once this is complete, I will process it with a new program which will spit out the .unify patch files.
The Wavestation features 18 banks of 50 patches each, so ideally I'd like to sign up a handful of users (who own the Korg Wavestation plug-in), who can each fill in the spreadsheet for one or more banks. Along the way, we'll probably find we need to revise the spreadsheet format (at the very least, adding a new column for the patch description, which isn't there yet in the attached template) and all contributors should expect to have to update their version of the Excel file to reflect these changes.
If you're interested in helping with this project, please comment below. Many thanks in advance.
Partially-filled spreadsheet for the RAM1 bank: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hmc4v6jt3ibefgw/Wavestation%20RAM1.zip?dl=0
@zinct, @heyjosh Thank you both for jumping in.
Jeremy, why don't you start on RAM2, and Josh, RAM3. I'll finish up RAM1 which I've already started. That should be enough for us all to get ideas about how to classify these patches, and what needs to be changed or added to the spreadsheet format.
Some more background: The Wavestation VST appears to use state-data very poorly, resulting in .unify files that are 627 KB in size. However, it responds to MIDI bank and program-change messages, and I have added some experimental code to Unify to send these instead of even loading state-data at all. This allows .unify files which are only 6 KB in size. Unify itself can't save this file format, but it's very easy to generate in code.
Please note I've edited the initial post to include a link to download the spreadsheet I'm working on for the RAM1 bank. I've added a Description column and filled in more of the fields, but it's not done yet. I'd suggest using this one as your template instead of the one I posted at first.
Check out page 3 of this
http://i.korg.com/uploads/Support/Wavestation%20SR_Performance%20Notes_634707763295278894.pdf
@heyjosh What a fantastic resource! Is there any way to do OCR on that, to extract the actual text? That could save us a lot of time.
Just catching up with your posts this morning. RAM2 is fine with me Shane.
Nice find re the PDFs @heyjosh!
P.S. Did you notice the new Korg Collection 3 which now includes the Prophecy (among others) - see here and here.
I have now OCR'd RAM 1, 2 and 3, plus ROM 4, 5, 6 and 7. I have also copied these into spreadsheet format which are attached.
Shane, for RAM1 I only populated the parts that you hadn't done.
I will continue populating templates for the rest of the ROMs, CARDs and KLC when I get some time.
Hi,
It seems that the help with metadata for WAVESTATION is already covered 😀. But I was inspired, so I have started making a TouchOSC controller for IT but found that UNIFY isn’t responding to CC16 and CC17. @getdunne, is that by design or some setting I’ve missed? The reason for 16 and 17 is that they are default for the X/Y pad. The midimonitor in UNIFY doesn’t react to these two CCs! If I change that to other CCs it is not a problem. WAVESTATION standalone also respond as expected.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
I have now OCR'd RAM 1, 2 and 3, plus ROM 4, 5, 6 and 7. I have also copied these into spreadsheet format which are attached.
...
I will continue populating templates for the rest of the ROMs, CARDs and KLC when I get some time.
Brilliant, fantastic, thank you! This will make a huge difference. I have merged your RAM1 spreadsheet with mine, and manually typed in the Descriptions for the first 16 or so presets; I think it's best to use the official Korg description strings throughout. The result is attached.
UNIFY isn’t responding to CC16 and CC17...
If you have referenced these CCs in an active MIDI Controller File, those CC messages will NOT be passed on to layers. Note this is not the case when you simply assign them to macro knobs.
The midimonitor in UNIFY doesn’t react to these two CCs!
In Unify v1.5.3, the CC check-box in MIDI Monitor defaults to un-checked. You will need to check the box to see CC activity.
Ok, that was the "culprit". I am out of CCs 😱. I think you already have a request for handling Midi ports? I will stop kidnapping this thread now.
Guys if you need another hand on deck with the WAVESTATION, let me know!
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
I was wondering if we should add a Category column, but my instinct is to avoid it, and instead make a lookup table to fill in the Category items using a lookup table, based on the Prefix. Thoughts?
Also, I have asked John if I might possibly get in touch with the Korg Collection developers at Korg, to discuss my ideas for auto-generating .unify patch files for these instruments. When the original Legacy Collection came out, I wasn't sure this would remain an active project, but the latest news suggests it may be. I'm excited about possibly working with Korg on this. Fingers crossed!
Guys if you need another hand on deck with the WAVESTATION, let me know!
Yes, please do! I may not have time to do as many as the others so if you would like to help me on the odd numbers? I will commit to RAM3 and ROM5 for now. Would you be willing to take ROM7? We can discuss what next after that, if that works?
Yes, that's fine I will continue with even number ROMs - ROM4, 6, 8 and 10.
Re the Prefix - I was working under the assumption that Prefix = Category 🙂
I will also continue to convert the remaining ROM/CARDs into Excel templates. If anyone's curious I am using the OCR in OneNote to convert the images in the PDF to text.
Good to see you on board Thomas.
Couldn't let you sweat all alone 😎. Are you setting Tags and Prefix by ear or have you found them anywhere? Since there is a search function by "category" they should be somewhere, but I havent found them.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
Are you setting Tags and Prefix by ear or have you found them anywhere?
I haven't found them encoded anywhere, so I've been doing it by ear. The Korg people might be able to help, but let's wait and see.
I am using SFX as opposed to ATM, as I can only find ATM used in one Unified library so far and SFX is more prevalent. Feel free to change/normalize later if needed.
Here is RAM 3. On to ROM 5.
Yes I'm doing the same as Shane; listening to the patch to determine which Prefix/Tag. I also check under EDIT - PATCH - Waveseq for Wave Sequencing.
Some are straightforward but I always end up in a quandary over others e.g. Flute and Bass (split) but it sounds like a PAD so should it be SPLIT or PAD or something else? Actually with Flute patches is there a FLUTE category or WIND or something else? If I stopped and asked for every quandary I would never finish it, so I go with what makes sense to me.
I just noticed that the PDF above doesn't cover the CARD expansions (presumably because they would originally have been bought separately) so I'm Googling to see if I can find any other resources with these details. The patch names should be easy to OCR from a screen grab but the textual descriptions will take much longer to write unless we can find something that's already been written.
Maybe there is a list of expansion cards somewhere with preset details IDK? Maybe Korg could supply something?
The pinnacle of my career: FLUTE - "Breathy".
I am adding so much value here! 🤣
I don't have an easy way to read sysex, but I found this online and it may be what we need, not sure.
Direct: http://www.danphillips.com/wavestation/SYSEX/factory3.zip
The patch names should be easy to OCR from a screen grab
I found the first 3 CARD lists, but no descriptions.
http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/korg_ws/soundbanks/WSC-1S.html
http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/korg_ws/soundbanks/WSC-2S.html
http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/korg_ws/soundbanks/WSC-3S.html
Source:
http://bobbyblues.recup.ch/korg_ws/ws_soundbanks.html
Here is my take on ROM 7.
Unfortunately, I am totally useless at categorizing sounds (and I hate it 🤮 ) so I hope the prefix I set is somewhat OK.
I do not use excel but LibreOffice Calc, so I hope the file is readable?
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
@heyjosh Thanks for all the links. The card information is useful but not sure about the sysex stuff.
Plus I upgraded to Korg Collection 3 so now I have lots to waste spend time testing 😉
Here's my completed ROM4.
Which one is not taken already, ROM9/ROM10?
Edit:
Saw that Jeremy is doing ROM 10 so I start with 9.
Edit again:
I did ROM 9.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
Guys, I'm leaving for a 2-week vacation on Tuesday, so don't be alarmed if I stop posting for a while. The work you're contributing is greatly appreciated, as is the fact that you're basically organizing it among yourselves at this point.
Also, I wanted to mention that I'm not at all certain that my idea to build a unified Wavestation library based strictly based on MIDI patch-selection is a good one. I hope to get some useful feedback from the guys at Korg, but I'm not sure how long that will take, so there may be some delay between when you complete the bank spreadsheets and when I make a first version of the library.
I'm not at all certain that my idea to build a unified Wavestation library based strictly based on MIDI patch-selection is a good one.
No doubt it's a great idea. We'll just see if it all works out. Thanks for spearheading it all. Either way, having this all in excel will help Unify it. Enjoy the break.
ROM11 done.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
ROM 8 done (attached).
Only ROM 10 left to do for me (I'm fitting this in around school holiday stuff with my 9 yr old so may be later in the week).
Once I have completed ROM 10 I think that means that we have done all RAM and ROM expansions.
I am going to stop there until Shane has a chance to test the process/take this any further with Korg, especially as the CARD expansions will be a LOT of manual work (mainly to fill in the detail column). Don't let me stop anyone else who wants to carry on with the CARD expansions though.
I can do 10 if you are busy @zinct?
I have the spreadsheets done for all cards (1-6) and KLC with the patch names. I have an idea how to get the categories in and will test it. Will come back about that.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
I can do 10 if you are busy @zinct?
I have the spreadsheets done for all cards (1-6) and KLC with the patch names. I have an idea how to get the categories in and will test it. Will come back about that.
That would be great, thanks Thomas 👍
ROM 10 done. Also including a file with all cards with performance name and categories/tags from Wavestation.
Now I will wait for Shane until I do anything else.
Win 10 and 11/Cubase Pro 12/Unify/Wavelab 8/Vienna Pro 7/Spectrasonics all/NI 13 Ultimate/Izotope MPS2/Serum/Cthulhu/Scaler 2.5/MusicLab guitar vsts/BIAB 2022/TouchOSC/Metagrid Pro etc
I'm actually away on holiday now guys, so feel free to work out details among yourselves. THANK YOU all for your help!