The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

--- In AN1x-list@y..., "Gary Gregson" <gary@y...> wrote:
> VST/VSTi and DXi formats are primarily Audio plugin formats. 
Their
> handling of MIDI is actually quite limited.
> 
> OPT is primarily designed to provide MIDI plugins to third party
> sequencers. i.e. it is not competitive to VSTi/DXi, but 
complimentary.
> 
> From Yamahas viewpoint the overall aim is to simplify the 
integration of
> external hardware into third party sequencer environments i.e. 
to make
> external hardware as seamless to use as softsynths.
> 
> OPT provides access to client sequencer MIDI services 
(including direct
> access to events stored within sequencer tracks, timing 
information,
> MIDI ports and transport/status functions etc).
> 
> OPT is divided into 3 levels of support:

I don't mean to sound facetious but this appears to be similar to 
the Environment in Logic Audio. Is this based upon the old CAL 
language from Cakewalk?

> 
> Level 1 - Panels: Basic control panels that can transmit data 
via client
> sequencers MIDI ports. e.g. simple device editors/librarians 
etc
> 
> Level2 - Processors: Access to client real-time and offline 
event
> queues. Allows automation of Level 1 panels plus 
real-time/offline MIDI
> effect effects (arpeggiators, tempo delays, 
auto-accompaniments etc)
> 
> Level3 - Views: Direct access to client track, block event 
structures
> (including master track and selections etc). This allows editors 
to be
> written that can do almost anything a native sequencer editor 
can do
> (e.g List views, Piano rolls etc). However it is intended that 
views be
> supplied that augment the features of existing client editors (for
> example Yamaha has a list view that utilises an OPT database 
component,
> to interpret all Yamaha device sysex, NRPNs, RPNs etc into 
plain English
> parameters. So instead of seeing F0 43 4C.... etc you see: 
Variation
> Effect: Amp Simulation). In this way you can edit the 
parameters in a
> more intuitive way, rather than attempting to perform rocket 
science on
> meaningless bytes! Furthermore the view can perform search 
back, such
> that it can interpret data contextually (e.g. come up with the 
correct
> parameter name and values for a given effect program).
> 
> Similarly you can write complex device editors that can both 
extract and
> insert MIDI setup data directly to client tracks etc. Essentially I
> could write a version of XGedit/An1xEdit that runs within your 
sequencer
> and stores all data directly to the sequencers tracks. No need 
for Hubi
> pipes or import/export of MIDI files! 
> 

Okay, now I'm beginning to see some separation but, again, this 
reminds me of a 'universal' version of Logic Control. Perhaps I'm 
conceptualizing this incorrectly. Thanks for the details - I'll read 
up on this some more.

> In the limit, using OPT can you can produce a totally modular 
sequencer,
> where you can pick and choose which views/editors you want 
and tailor
> them to your setup!
> 

Analagous to Screen Sets...?

> The OPT SDK is available under a royalty free license from 
Yamaha. For a
> copy contact: sibazaki@e...
> 
> Regards
> 
> Gary Gregson
> 
> Email:gary@y...
> http://www.yme.co.uk/yme 
> 
regards,

Jon

 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jondl_2000 [mailto:jondl_2000@y...] 
> Sent: 03 April 2002 16:56
> To: AN1x-list@y...
> Subject: [AN1x] OT: Yamaha Debuts New Open Plug-in 
Technology
> 
> FYI - there's a Press Release on Harmony Central regarding 
> Yamaha's OPT 
> 
http://www.harmony-central.com/News/2002/Open-Plug-In-Tech
> nology.html
> 
> I don't quite understand what benefit this offers that isn't 
already 
> accounted for via MIDI, VST FX and VSTi's? Hmm...
> 
> Jon