Artiphon

This thread is intended to gather the feedback of Orba tinkerers.

@BJG145 I'm trying to figure out if I can access the samples in the Orba2. Do you have any experience with how to setup a fileshare on an ESP32? I see references to the samples in the property files something like orba://Artiphon/SamplePool/Drum/snare.wav

I suspect there is something systemic going on as I've seen recent posts about delays on Reddit. I'm exchanging mine for another (which I don't expect to receive anytime soon). I have been trying some of your DFU techniques to see if I can get it to take the latest firmware. I do have some new URLs:

https://storage.googleapis.com/orba2_firmware_updates/appcast_fw2.xml

https://storage.googleapis.com/orba2_firmware_updates/

I am really enjoying the new sounds but the limitations are too much to start any hacking yet.

Cool!

@Subskybox: Thank you for sharing :-)

And that's not going to happen, I think (requires too much memory). It's already a lot that you can manipulate instruments now.

It would be nice if the export as wav or midi finally came back (that function was, albeit a bit clumsy, in the original app). That has been at the top of the todo list since 1860.

@ Mick: I would if I could.

It would be nice if Artiphon gave some clues to editing presets.

You can use the editor Roger Mepham made.  Or take an existing preset and edit in a text-editor.

I'm afraid it's more or less a matter of randomly adjusting values, saving the preset, loading it into the Orba and trying it out...

An example of just messing around...

@ Mick: 

I think it is possible to emulate 'real' instruments on the Orba. But of course it remains a small synthesizer with technical limitations.

It would be nice if Artiphon would be a bit more transparent about the possibilities. Now we are very dependent on the Artiphon design team. And that team has not been known for speed so far.

Stating the obvious: Re-installing the app will bring back the standard presets you lost.

You've given it a good go! The elusive QuantStartSnap and other settings are really hiding somewhere. I've seen things in the code like quantSlider or similar.. I'm going to hold out and assume that Artiphon will bring these to the App in the next few months.

I've decided to take a small hiatus and contemplate where to go from here. I'm revisiting my the list I posted a while back:

SUCCESSES (from this forum):

1. Modify Thumbnail Images

2. Create Custom Chords

3. Create Custom Scales

4. Create some clever Presets

5. Continued understanding of hardware/software

6. ... ??? I could make a script to quantize song files or wait a few months

7. ... ??? I would like to make a MIDI to SONG utility but I'm not sure it would be a huge benefit. I think the goal is to make Orba a great stand-alone synth.. To do this they need to add: quantization, key change on the device.. I'm thinking A + OCT + Vol +/- would be a great way to do this.

FUTURE HOPES:

1. Find Drum settings that can be tweaked realtime (I may add knobs or sliders for CC values to the Editor in the future.)

2. Find an interesting use for Spin gesture (Possibly could be used for key change)

3. Understand how gestures are bound to synth params and cc values

4. Have Orba record pitch effects

5. Examine Bezier and Song Base64 data (started on this but didn't get far)

The new Soul Chords preset in 0.15.27 should give us some good additional data points for reverse engineering the XML encoding of their chords. This preset has 7th, 9th, and 11th chords. We can compare this to the default, open, and 7ths presets. 

The default Orba chord presets should be triads - 1, 3, 5. The default #7 chord G/B has the third on the bass - 3, 1, 5.

The Open preset supposedly emphasizes the octaves more. If by "open" they mean 5ths or "power chords", then they should be lacking the thirds somewhere. Maybe 1, 5, 1?

The 7ths preset adds the 7ths and might drop the 5ths. So either 1, 3, 5, 7, or 1, 5, 7 if they can only encode three notes.

The new Soul Chords preset supposedly has 7ths, 9ths, and an 11th. Technically, those should be 1, 3, 5, 7 and 1, b3, 5, 7 and 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 1, b3, 5, 7, 9 etc. If they are limited in how many notes they can have in their chords, then they will start by dropping the 5th. 

I haven't had a chance to analyze the chords, and it might be a bit tricky because synth presets with lots of harmonics or built-in harmonic intervals like octaves and fifths can throw off your ear. But if we can figure out which notes are contained in each chord, then compare the chord presets that deviate from triads, we might be able to figure things out. I already looked at the XML for all of the chords presets, and all of them except the Open and the 7ths are exactly the same. Comparing the 7ths to everything else that doesn't have 7ths and to the new Soul Chords preset that does have 7ths should tell us how they add 7ths. 

-=Gabriel=-

I would say: This could be a wonderful standalone musical instrument. Now it is little more than a somewhat clumsy midi controller. But we can agree that Artiphon constantly falls short when it comes to making a good app.

@subskybox that sounds quite a lot - any chance gathering it all in one place? Either a pinned post or a website? This thread is now almost 30 pages...

This seems a nice gadget too: the Odd Ball. There are differences. But it seems to work better out of the box, with a better app ... I wonder what Artiphon thinks of this.