VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

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Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

And another small thing, when I install a different/new version (if I'm installing the same version it just doesn't happens) of VMS after installation it always says this error -1, after I close the error everything works perfectly though so this it's not too important:

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)
Anonimo_LLopi wrote:
And another thing, there's something really wrong about the MIDI file converter, when I press Start Conversion button the whole VMS process closes itself and lefts a really short kilobyte sized file that of course wasn't properly converted, It doesn't matter the Output file format I choose or how the mixer it's set up, it always closes itself

MIDIConverted had an incomplete MIDDI events filter left there after playing around with Reverb/Chorus filtering (2.5.0-beta4 regression).
The filter was... filtering out everything, so it ended up with an empty file to convert leading to an unexpected crash.
Now fixed...

Anonimo_LLopi wrote:
And another small thing, when I install a different/new version (if I'm installing the same version it just doesn't happens) of VMS after installation it always says this error -1, after I close the error everything works perfectly though so this it's not too important:

Was not able to reproduce it, but I've noticed a strange behavior: the "List of processes.." page shows that VirtualMIDISynth.exe process is running and it's (obviously) locking itself from being updated.
Now you're able to install anyway but you should be prompted to reboot at the end of setup, and this does not happen.
Then I've noticed you (maybe) closed the runnung VirtualMIDISynth instance just before clicking "Install" button (in fact the line with locking processes quickly disappears).
I've then tried to do the same actions but still not able to reproduce it. Also this is the worst error ever: BASS_ERROR_UNKNOWN says it all ;)

I'm just supposing that your running VirtualMIDISynth requires a little bit to close up, so when the new one starts the output device is still in use... just guessing ;)
Have you tried to do the same by closing the running instance before the setup starts?

Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)
coolsoft wrote:
MIDIConverted had an incomplete MIDDI events filter left there after playing around with Reverb/Chorus filtering (2.5.0-beta4 regression).
The filter was... filtering out everything, so it ended up with an empty file to convert leading to an unexpected crash.
Now fixed..

Nice

coolsoft wrote:
Then I've noticed you (maybe) closed the runnung VirtualMIDISynth instance just before clicking "Install" button (in fact the line with locking processes quickly disappears).

Yup, that's what I did, sorry for not pointing it out

coolsoft wrote:
I'm just supposing that your running VirtualMIDISynth requires a little bit to close up, so when the new one starts the output device is still in use... just guessing ;)
Have you tried to do the same by closing the running instance before the setup starts?

Nope, even if all blocking processes are already closed before the installer it has even started the error still happens, if I install the same VMS version as the current one it doesn't happens but if I install a different version (for example the previous version) the error appears after the installation is done, blocking processes probably don't have anything to do with

Also today I got this very same error when windows (and VMS) started

And then followed by this other error probably because installing so many times different versions:

(then I reinstalled rc2 and it worked, I haven't had this error in ages and I don't think it will happen anymore so don't worry about it)

Anyway this error isn't critical, it just shows up and (maybe) VMS resets so nothing get's really affected, it's just that it's slightly annoying to have a error of something non critical and non specified show up

Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

Lately I've been freaking out because I was hearing crackles and I though my (relatively expensive) headphones were breaking

But now I'm REALLY glad to know that the problem it's on VMS's part which means my earphones aren't broken :D

Well let's talk about the problem, VMS seems make a crackle after a played sample reachs certain time (in this case when 85ms have passed since it started playing), those are the "Crackles" I've been hearing (and no, increasing buffer to a whole second doesn't fix it, I've tried all the other options as well)

In some samples it's really noticeable meanwhile in others it's not/maybe it's not even there at all

I've compared a recording of the same sample both played on VMS and on Polyphone (soundfont editor) and the VMS one sounds broken, with the OPL-3_FM_128M soundfont and the instrument 10 (music box) when playing C5 or higher (E5 it's especially noticeable)

This is a recording of C5:

As you can see both the VMS and the polyphone sample look pretty similar

But if you invert the wave of either and you play them at the exact time you get the "MIX", when using this technique basically removes the parts that are exactly the same so the mix it's how the parts that aren't the same in the samples sound

As you can see in the "MIX" (the one under it's the same but normalized) something changed when 89ms happened, that it's probably the crackle, polyphone doesn't make such cracke, that's why there is such a abrup volume change

I've uploaded the samples

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Samples.7z
Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

Thinking the crackle issue was because in some version something changed that made crackles appear I reinstalled and tried most beta versions, but no luck, even the older current stable versions make crackles which means:

a) I've always had crackles but I just noticed it they are there (But I don't think so)

b) Maybe something unrelated to VMS? maybe windows updated the sound drivers and made some stuff crackly? the recording still sounds crackly

c) Broken headset (probably not because I've tried my old headset and my phone's speaker and I still hear the crackles)

d) Or simply there's something wrong with how VMS handles samples (could it be related to the infamous -1 error?)

This crackle issue doesn't happens with all samples/instruments it just happens in some samples/instruments, volume doesn't affect the crackles

I've got a different midi player (samplelord) and just using the same soundfont and same instrument removes the crackles, both are playing the same midi:

Upper recording is VMS (crackles are also present when using the midi file converter) and Lower samplelord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94UhHXg-b5M&feature=youtu.be

In the video the crackles sound way less than when played through audacity so I've sent you a mp3

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Test.7z
Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

Finally I've found out what's causing the crackles, it's a setting inside the soundfont on a specific instrument that when it isn't in blank causes the crackles

Either VMS it's applying this setting correctly and the soundfont it's just badly set up or it's VMS' fault for applying these settings incorrectly or simply using these settings cause unexpected/unwanted crackles

See that "Mod env -> filter (c)" setting? If I erase those and I load the soundfont on VMS the crackles completely disappear, so the crackles are generated by mod env settings

Also see how the Mod env delay (s) it's set at 50ms? it the same amount of time to where the change happened on the sample in my first post about this, so this is related, erasing that value doesn't remove the crackles though

If it's something that you can't fix (because it's the soundfont's problem or because any other reason) then I suggest adding a setting in options to disable/ignore these settings as a workaround or maybe in the soundfont properties so you can disable them in just the soundfonts that are causing crackles

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

@Anonimo_LLopi: VMS doesn't have a deep control on MIDI synthesys other than setting rendering parameters to BASS library.
Being it a rendering issue, I suggest you to open a thread on Un4seen forum where Ian Luck could take a look (and maybe release a patch for BASSMIDI).

Let me suggest another thing: since you've found that this bug is not strictly related to VMS 2.5, it's better to "move" it to a separate thread with a proper subject, so other people can find it easily.
Yes I know, it's a bit of copy/paste, but I'd like you to be the author of those new copy/pasted posts and I don't like editing your own words to remove 2.5 references...

Once you completed I'll cleanup this thread.

Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)
coolsoft wrote:
@Anonimo_LLopi: VMS doesn't have a deep control on MIDI synthesys other than setting rendering parameters to BASS library.
Being it a rendering issue, I suggest you to open a thread on Un4seen forum where Ian Luck could take a look (and maybe release a patch for BASSMIDI).

Done: https://www.un4seen.com/forum/?topic=18105.0

btw: vms isn't the only one making crackles, MIDI clef, a android midi player also produces the exact same crackles, not sure if it also uses BASS

coolsoft wrote:
Let me suggest another thing: since you've found that this bug is not strictly related to VMS 2.5, it's better to "move" it to a separate thread with a proper subject, so other people can find it easily.
Yes I know, it's a bit of copy/paste, but I'd like you to be the author of those new copy/pasted posts and I don't like editing your own words to remove 2.5 references...

Once you completed I'll cleanup this thread.

Done, I've changed "VMS" for "BASS", I wasn't sure where to put the thread so I just put it on general discussion, if you think it's not on the appropriate forum then move it to the appropriated one

https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/forum/post/3868#post3868

Cheers

Posts: 96
Joined: October 14, 2016 - 03:20
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

I've have found 2 more gui related bugs:

First one:

When you exit out of fullscreen to windowed through the windows 10 mouse command of dragging the window out of the top (iirc it also was on w8) this happens:

The problem it's that VMS config window position when you do this special command is always at top left, this produces a posible situation where the mouse cursor isn't even touching the window, but it can still move it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX_beOF6m8U&feature=youtu.be

The solution would be teleporting the windows to where the mouse cursor is when you do this mouse command

Second one:

In the options if you scroll down while on windowed mode and then you go full screen the part of the options over where you were on windowed mode get temporaly lost and Reset to default values button get lost:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT1NONv80NI&feature=youtu.be

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth 2.5.0 - Release candidate (was Beta)

@Anonimo_LLopi: thanks for your bug reports, fixed in RC3.

2.5.0-rc3 just released, see first post.

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