3rd Party Plugin factory presets database for Logic

carlcaulkett · June 16, 2018

I had a look at the Synthmasters 2.7 presets mentioned in post viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15267&p=639390&hilit=Synthmaster#p639390

I’m using Synthmasters 2.9, however, and it seems that there is quite a substantial mismatch between the presets in the post, and the presets in 2.9. Has anyone saved the 2.9 presets or is anyone planning to? I would try it myself but at first glance the interface to this particular plugin is a bit impenetrable!

carlcaulkett · June 16, 2018

One of the big problems in automating the process of saving presets is that sometime the icon in the plugin itself to move the preset selection on to the next item doesn’t always update the Logic Pro selected preset in the top left of the plugin window. This results in all type of bother when the process tries to do a “Save As” and winds up trying to overwrite an existing filename.

I hope all that made sense! If you have experienced similar problems, and even better, if you have sussed out how to solve the problem, please let me know!

des99 · June 16, 2018

I've written about my process previously in this thread, and it varies depending on how the plugin is implemented, but generally, I "pick up" the preset name from the plugin, and use that as the name to save the Logic patch. (Same with Bank/Folder names).

For some plugins where you absolutely can't get the patch name as text, then I have a work around to pick up filenames from the finder, but with all macro automation, there is always some application specific problem solving that needs to be done to achieve the objective.

It helps breaking your scripts into modules - one for the main loop, one for patch incrementing, one for bank incrementing, one for saving, and so on. Then you can just copy the patch incrementing module for a different plugin (eg a different sequence of button presses) without having to redo everything from scratch. You end up with a system with swappable modules for each plugin - and plugins from the same developer often behave the same, so there are savings to be had there as well...

carlcaulkett · June 16, 2018

This my Sikuli script:

def pause():
   wait(0.5)

def doOne():
   logicApp=App("Logic Pro X")
   logicApp.open()
   logicApp.focus()
   pause()
   # Simulate mouse click to select next preset
   # This is the point that sometime fails to advance the preset name
   # in the top left corner of the plugin.
   #
   # Normally, though, this is the only line that has to be adjusted for 
   # each plugin
   click("1528875991977.png")
   pause()
   pause()
   pause()
   pause()
   click("1528747124187.png")
   pause()
   # Select "Save As..."
   type("s")
   pause()
   type(Key.ENTER)
   pause()
   type(Key.ENTER)
   pause()
   switchApp("SikuliX.app")
   App.focus("SikuliXIDE")

num=int(input("Enter number of presets"))
for x in range(0, num):
   doOne()

This is what the 2 click lines look like in the Sikuli IDE:

As the comments suggest, only the click line at line 15 has needed to be altered for all of the plugins tackled so far, but as I mentioned this is where the failure sometimes occurs. The screenshot illustrates the problem:

I have just clicked on the upper of the two green right hand facing arrows, to advance the selected plugin to “AR CompyTranceArp RL” but the selected plugin name in the top left hand corner is still showing “AR Comb Arped Pad BT”, and of course it is this name that feeds the “Save As…" mechanism. This operation will fail with a “File already exists” error.

des99 · June 16, 2018

Yes, because different plugins all handle this, and behave, differently.

You'll probably need to find another solution if the plugin doesn't behave in a convenient manner for your existing solution...

Note: very few of the plugins I've previously done behave like you describe, because many don't use AUpresets at all, but use their own custom preset formats and browsers, and don't expose any of them to the host at all. You can see this if you go to the Logic preset menu for a plugin - if the plugin's presets show up there automatically, they are implemented in the plugin in a way that exposes them to the host, and they probably behave in the way you'd like (because the plugin is basically just switching presets in that AUpresets list.

However, many many instruments don't show anything in that menu, because they don't expose them at all. So your preferred solution won't work for those, and you'll need to find another way... it's all part of the "fun" of doing this!

skijumptoes · June 17, 2018

I found that by using AULab to host the plugins, it was more aware of the preset names than Logic was, in a manner that could be copied with ease BEFORE the save as dialog appeared. So that may be worth a try also if you can't figure out a way of copying it from within the synth master ui.

sjgam · June 20, 2018

I have just clicked on the upper of the two green right hand facing arrows, to advance the selected plugin to “AR CompyTranceArp RL” but the selected plugin name in the top left hand corner is still showing “AR Comb Arped Pad BT”, and of course it is this name that feeds the “Save As…" mechanism. This operation will fail with a “File already exists” error.

I just manually create logic presets without scripting but one thing I have noticed is that sometimes just after a preset has loaded and then when you click on the arrows of the the plugin's gui browser the logic preset does not advance with it as you mention above. But what I do is wait about 3 seconds and then click the arrow and then logic advances with it.

So perhaps in your script you can try to pause the arrow click for 3 seconds or so?

(I really need to dive into this scripting thing)

carlcaulkett · June 29, 2018

Hello again, Logic and Sikuli appear to be behaving themselves tonight, so I’ve got some more Library presets for this AirTech Hybrid expansion pack which is available for £1.00/$1.32/€1.13/¥146 of your earth money from Plugin Boutique at https://goo.gl/SPzK4Q.

Destination folder: ~/Library/Audio/Presets/AIR Music Technology/Hybrid_x64/Cr2HybridPresets

Presets:

Cr2HybridPresets.zip

carlcaulkett · June 29, 2018

I’ve also got some other Hybrid expansion packs which I suspect I picked up for a similar low price at various times in the last year so you may or may not have them. They would have come from Plugin Boutique but I don’t know if the bargain price still stands. Curiously I hadn’t installed these other extensions myself, I suspect because when I downloaded the originally I didn’t yet know how to install them! I’ll install them over the weekend and make them available here, hopefully.

carlcaulkett · June 29, 2018

I have just clicked on the upper of the two green right hand facing arrows, to advance the selected plugin to “AR CompyTranceArp RL” but the selected plugin name in the top left hand corner is still showing “AR Comb Arped Pad BT”, and of course it is this name that feeds the “Save As…" mechanism. This operation will fail with a “File already exists” error.

I just manually create logic presets without scripting but one thing I have noticed is that sometimes just after a preset has loaded and then when you click on the arrows of the the plugin's gui browser the logic preset does not advance with it as you mention above. But what I do is wait about 3 seconds and then click the arrow and then logic advances with it.

So perhaps in your script you can try to pause the arrow click for 3 seconds or so?

(I really need to dive into this scripting thing)

Thanks for the suggestion @sjgam. You’ve made me think there’s more scope for experimenting with the timing than I had realised. I’ll have a play around tomorrow.

sjgam · June 29, 2018

I just manually create logic presets without scripting but one thing I have noticed is that sometimes just after a preset has loaded and then when you click on the arrows of the the plugin's gui browser the logic preset does not advance with it as you mention above. But what I do is wait about 3 seconds and then click the arrow and then logic advances with it.

So perhaps in your script you can try to pause the arrow click for 3 seconds or so?

(I really need to dive into this scripting thing)

Thanks for the suggestion @sjgam. You’ve made me think there’s more scope for experimenting with the timing than I had realised. I’ll have a play around tomorrow.

Your welcome - see if you can manually replicate it first before wasting time with your scripting. I might be tempted to purchase synthmaster if you get the presets working. I tend to purchase off of this list as I really like to browse with my preset button on my midi keyboard mapped to Logic's Library. So surprised the plugin manufacturers dont look after this as the Logic user base is quite large and it would be a selling feature and they only have to do it once

carlcaulkett · June 29, 2018

I shall, therefore, use Synthmaster 2.9 as my guinea pig. I think the presets for 2.7/2.8 are available in this thread already, but 2.9 introduced many new preset sounds. I'll keep you posted.

carlcaulkett · June 29, 2018

Your welcome - see if you can manually replicate it first before wasting time with your scripting.

The beauty of scripting with Sikuli is that for me to adapt a script to work with another plugin, just involves me changing the one line that advances the plugin to the next preset. Everything else stays the same. (except possibly the timing as we've discussed).

carlcaulkett · June 30, 2018