NGEN 1.2 Firmware Update + New Batch

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Today we have some exciting news to share about NGEN: a new batch and the new 1.2 firmware update.

New 1.2 Firmware Update

The 1.2 update for NGEN is now available and it includes significant improvements to NGEN's performance and musical capabilities.

We've implemented a new threading system that takes care of managing and handling tasks across the two available cores in NGEN and, as a result, we've improve performance across the entire system.

With this new system, NGEN can now use one core for MIDI generation and the other for different tasks (such as display rendering, file management, and so on) to prevent any stutters or glitches during playback.

This means it's now possible, for example, to save and load projects while NGEN is playing.  Project changes are now queued and quantized to 1 bar to provide a more musical transition between projects.
The new system also helped us fix many bugs related to file management.

The performance gain provided by the new threading system also helped to improve the display refresh rate, the timing of delayed MIDI notes, file management, and the performance of many other repetitive tasks needed in NGEN.

The new update also includes new internal frameworks for creating, managing, and playing chords. Using these new frameworks, the Generators can more easily create and modify more musical and sophisticated chords and know what chords to play depending on the active key, scale, and transposition. For this update, we've updated the Pop generator to use these new frameworks.

NGEN 1.2 also includes improvements to the UI and workflow,  a new MIDI Thru setting, a "New" option for clearing the active project, and many bug fixes.

Update instructions and the complete change-log for the new 1.2 firmware are available on the NGEN User Manual at https://ngen.spektroaudio.com/

Additionally, we've also released 4 new templates for DrumGen:  Memphis, Boombap, Jungle, and Garage.
All available templates (including the new ones) can downloaded from the NGEN Resources repository on GitHub.
Instructions on adding them to existing units can be found on the File Management page of the NGEN User Manual.

New Hardware Batch

A new batch of NGEN hardware units is already being assembled and our plan is to start shipping in August 2024.

We’re currently getting ready to open pre-orders for the new batch and we hope to share more details (including pre-order dates) in the upcoming weeks. We’ll also update this blog post with additional information.

UPDATE:

Pre-orders for the new batch will be available on the NGEN page (spektroaudio.com/ngen) on two separate dates:

  • AUGUST 21ST, 2024 / 1 PM EST

  • SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2024 / 4 PM EST

Most of the batch is already assembled and tested so our goal is to start shipping units on August 26th. We expect lead-time to be 1-2 weeks.

All units are shipped from Brazil via International Postal Service or DHL (importing / custom fees may apply depending on your country).

We're also working with certain retails to have NGEN units available locally at certain locations worldwide and we hope to share more information about this soon!

Roadmap for NGEN

With the release of the 1.2 update (that focused on optimization, performance and fixes), our plan for the next update is to focus on the new features we've planned for NGEN such as pattern sequencing, file transfer between internal and external storage, and new generators / MIDI effects.

We also plan on creating more video tutorials to help users get the most out of NGEN. If you have any ideas / requests for future videos, please let us know via the Contact form!

If you’d like to keep up with our latest news, check out our new Spektro Audio forum and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Until next time!

Ícaro Ferre

NGEN + CV Toolkit Updates, New Forum, and Other News!

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Today we’re releasing a new firmware update for NGEN, a new minor update for CV Toolkit 3, new open-source tools for NGEN, and our new forum!


NGEN 1.1.2 Firmware Update

The new 1.1.2 update for NGEN is now available and it includes many improvements to different parts of the NGEN firmware such as:

  • New Scale Editor (beta)

  • Improved potentiometer readings (for better precision and smoother operation)

  • Updated internal framework for custom UI / controls.

  • Updated name editor, list selector and info view based on updated framework.

  • Improved project management

  • Important bug fixes for patterns, generators, and MIDI routing

The complete change-log, as well as update instructions, are available on the NGEN User Manual.

We’re also working on new video tutorials for NGEN that will soon be available on our Youtube channel.

I’d also like to thank everybody who pre-ordered units from our second NGEN batch. The feedback we’ve receiving has been incredibly valuable.
A third NGEN batch is already in the works and it should be available by the end of Q2 2024.

CV Toolkit 3.0.1 Update

A new minor update for CV Toolkit 3 is now available (3.0.1) and it includes improvements to Factory modules and the UI, updated Max framework and some bug fixes.

The change-log for CV Toolkit 3.0.1 is available on the CV Toolkit 3 User Manual.

Existing CV Toolkit 3 customers will receive a link for the new update via email.

CV Toolkit 3 is available at http://spektroaudio.com/cv-toolkit-standalone

New Spektro Audio Forum

The new Spektro Audio Forum is now publicly available at https://forum.spektroaudio.com

Our goal for this new forum is to have a hub for our users to interact, ask questions, report bugs, request new features and learn more about our projects.
While we’re always available for direct communication via our Contact form, this new forum will let us have more open discussions with other people about the past, present, and future of Spektro Audio projects.

The forum includes dedicated sections for our different projects so all users are welcome to join.

Open-Source Tools for NGEN

We’ve also released 2 new open-source tools for NGEN to let users further explore NGEN’s capabilities:

DrumGen Template Editor

The DrumGen Template Editor is a GUI-based application written in Rust + eGui that lets you create and edit templates for NGEN’s DrumGen generator.
Templates can be exported as .hex files and loaded into NGEN via a MicroSD card.

URL: https://github.com/SpektroAudio/DrumGenTemplateEditor

ngen_nsl rust library

ngen_nsl is a custom Rust library that makes it easier to create, encode and decode NSL scripts.
It includes all commands currently available in NSL and methods for importing an exporting .hex files.

Crates.io: https://crates.io/crates/ngen_nsl
Documentation: https://docs.rs/ngen_nsl/
Repository: https://github.com/spektroaudio/ngen_nsl

We’d also to remind NGEN users that we also have a repository for other NGEN resources (including factory content, 3D printable parts and other NGEN-related scripts) that is available at: https://github.com/SpektroAudio/NGEN-Resources

If you’d like to keep up with our latest news, check out our new Spektro Audio forum and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Until next time!

Ícaro Ferre

NGEN – New Batch, Hardware Revision and 1.1 Firmware Update

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Today we’re excited to announce some great news related to our latest hardware project: NGEN – Algorithmic MIDI Workstation.

Since the release of NGEN, back in January 2023, we’ve been working on NGEN’s hardware design to improve availability and firmware to include many new features, improvements, and bug fixes. Today we’ve got some announcements related to a new NGEN batch, a new hardware revision, and the 1.1 firmware update!

Here’s the video that we’ve prepared for these new updates:

Throughout 2023, we’ve been working on many new updates related to NGEN that we’re finally able to share with you today.

If you haven’t heard about it yet, NGEN – Algorithmic MIDI Workstation is a multitrack MIDI sequencer that lets you combine multiple generators and MIDI FXs to create and perform music algorithmically.

Learn more about NGEN at http://spektroaudio.com/ngen

NGEN Availability & Hardware Revision

One of the main roadblocks during the initial development of NGEN was the availability of certain central components to NGEN’s design.

To properly address this issue, I decided to revisit NGEN’s internal design.

I’ve designed a new PCB for NGEN that is based on more commonly available components and that can be manufactured at a larger scale than before.

The R&D for the new board, along with multiple other prototypes, ended up taking most of our time during 2023 (which is why we haven’t released more NGEN content so far) but we’re very happy with the results.

With this new hardware revision and manufacturing capabilities, we should be able to improve NGEN’s availability going forward while still providing new features to NGEN such as USB-C, internal memory for projects, and improved CV outputs.

New NGEN Batch

A new batch of NGEN units is currently being assembled and our goal is to start shipping these units during the second week of January 2024.

Pre-orders for the new batch start on December 15th, 2023 and it’ll be available through NGEN’s product page:

http://spektroaudio.com/ngen

All NGEN units are assembled and shipped from Brazil so, to avoid long pre-order queues / wait times and give more people a chance to pre-order a unit, we’ll be making more units available for pre-order on the page at the following dates:

  • December 15th, 2023 – 1PM EST

  • December 28th, 2023 - 10AM EST

  • January 6th, 2024 - 12PM EST

NGEN 1.1 Firmware Update

The NGEN 1.1 firmware update is now available and it includes a major re-factoring of the entire NGEN framework, as well as new features, improvements and bug fixes.

Let’s go through some of the changes available in NGEN 1.1:

Updated Framework

In order to support the new hardware design and increase performance and stability, we’ve re-factored core parts of the NGEN’s framework.

Everything from I/O communication and display rendering to syncing and routing has been updated to provide a better user experience and to let us continue to improve and expand NGEN’s capabilities going forward.

Pattern Generation

One of NGEN’s main features is the Generate button which lets you generate new sequences using one of the available generators.

While generating individual parts is fun, sometimes you may want to generate an entire new pattern at once during a performance or a studio session.

With the new 1.1 update, you can now algorithmically generate new sequences for all active tracks in your current pattern. It’s also possible to create sequence variations for all active tracks.

A new Randomize State switch is also available in the General settings.

When enabled, NGEN will assign a random state (full, minimal, fill, sparse, or muted) to each of your active tracks when you generate a new pattern in order to create more dynamic and unique patterns.

Each generator then automatically adjusts its settings according to the assigned state to better batch it’s designed characteristics.

NSL Generator

The beta version for the new NSL Engine generator is now available in the NGEN 1.1 update.

NSL, or NGEN Scripting Language, is a custom scripting language developed for NGEN that lets you write custom generators using a set of available commands documented on the NGEN User Manual.

The NSL Engine is a generator capable of running NSL scripts that features a 32-step sequencer with programmable pitch, velocity, density, and note length per step; standard parameters such as Shift, Length, and Density; as well we 4 generic parameters that can be accessed via the available commands.

Our goal for NSL is to be an open programmable generator in NGEN that lets us test new ideas for generators and users create their own generators for NGEN.

Please keep in mind that NSL is still in beta so we’ll continue to work to expand its functionality and improve its usability.

Pattern Management

The new Pattern page design now shows the generator and MIDI effect for the first 3 active tracks of the selected pattern.

You can now manage your patterns by pressing Function + Pattern while in the Pattern page.

The new edit modal lets you save, copy, paste and delete the patterns available in your active projects, as well as 2 extra options: Generate All and Variate All.

Generate All lets you generate all 8 patterns at once, with a push of a button.

Variate All on the other hand lets you generate sequence new sequence variations and for each of your empty pattern slots.

Generate All and Variate All also work with the new Randomize State setting.

Updated Generators

The ACDGEN and Polyform generators have been updated to include features from their software versions.

ACDGEN now includes new Accent and Base Velocity parameters and new Lead and Legato modes (introduced in the latest ACDGEN software updates).

Polyform now includes new parameters for Inversion Probability, Inversion Range, Chord Quality and Trigger.

Highlights & Change-log

Here’s a list of the highlights of the new NGEN 1.1 update:

  • Re-factored NGEN framework: increased performance and improved stability

  • Updated user interface design

  • Pattern Generation: Generate new sequences (or sequence variations) for all your active tracks at once

  • Randomize State: generate more dynamic and unique patterns by randomizing the state of all your active tracks

  • Pattern & Track Reloading: quickly reload a pattern or track from their last saved state

  • NSL Engine: New beta programmable generator

  • Updated Generators (ACDGEN / Polyform / MIDI Player / Thru)

  • Updated MIDI FXs (Chords / Shaper / Strum)

  • MIDI Clock now supports swing for 1/8

  • Free Clock can now generate a master MIDI clock

  • Extended Clock Rate parameter range

  • Settings are now organized by different sub-menus

  • The global Variation Amount can now be adjusted under the General settings.

  • Mute Switches: mute the first 4 tracks using the NGEN’s 4 main buttons while in the Perform sub-menu

  • Improved parameter control: coarse control is now available by holding down the Menu encoder while turning it

  • The entire active project (and all patterns) are now stored in memory to improve performance

  • New file format for projects with support for dynamic file size

  • Improved project management

  • Updated MIDI CC assignments

The complete change log for the 1.1 update and the update instructions are available on the NGEN User Manual.

Roadmap for NGEN

With the release of the new hardware revision and 1.1 update, we should be able to improve NGEN’s availability in 2024 and continue to work on more improvements and new features for NGEN.

We’ll also continue to work on porting and sharing features between NGEN and our other software products such as ACDGEN and Polyform.

For more details about NGEN, visit http://spektroaudio.com/ngen

NGEN is designed and manufactured in São Paulo, Brazil.

If you’d like to keep up with our latest news, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Until next time!

Introducing NGEN – Algorithmic MIDI Workstation

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After 3 years in the making, NGEN, our new Algorithmic MIDI Workstation, is finally available.

NGEN – Algorithmic MIDI Workstation

NGEN is a 16-track MIDI sequencer that lets you combine 12 different generators and 10 MIDI FXs to algorithmically generate drum / percussive patterns, basslines, melodies, chord progression, arpeggios, and much more.

Besides our already released generators (ACDGEN and Polyform), NGEN also includes completely new Generators such as Drumgen, Samba, Arper, POP, and MARP and MIDI FXs like Humanizer, Glitch, Chord, and Shaper.

You can use NGEN to generate a MIDI sequence to a single track in your DAW, multiple tracks, multiple hardware MIDI instruments, or anything in between.
It's easy to get started with NGEN but you're always invited to explore and take things deeper.
Combine different generators and MIDI FXs, route tracks internally (to get Polyform to react to ACDGEN, for example), set specific MIDI program changes per track, set generators to auto-variate automatically, save and recall different patterns, change the key and scale of all tracks in real time, save projects to the microSD, or control multiple tracks via the Performance mode.

Taking algorithmic music a step further

After releasing the first Spektro Audio hardware product ACDGEN – Hardware Edition, a standalone MIDI sequencer based on our algorithmic MIDI generator ACDGEN, I started working on my next idea: a new hardware platform that could host multiple generators so they could be combined to create and perform an entire song / music idea algorithmically.

So after working for over 3 years on 6 different prototypes, experimenting with different feature sets and hardware layouts, the NGEN is finally ready.

Algorithmic Composition

The core idea behind NGEN is to abstract the process of music composition through the use of different generators.

Instead of letting the user choose specific notes and program / record sequences (like most sequencers available in the market), the generators in NGEN use custom algorithms to create those sequences and offer the user indirect controls over these sequences via parameters such as Length, Shift, and Transpose.
This indirect approach let users experience music composition through a different perspective: instead of focusing on specific phrase ideas, the user is encouraged to re-shape these generated sequences in real time, curate and explore them in new ways.

The MIDI FXs included in NGEN let you spice up the generated sequences by adding MIDI-based delays, glitch effects, MIDI Program Change and CC sequencing, velocity randomization, chords, and more.

The Design

My goal when designing NGEN was to build a piece of gear that would be enjoyable to use both in the studio and on stage.

  • The parameter knobs and buttons are well spaced out so they can be easily accessed during a live performance.

  • The 1.3" OLED display provides sharp visuals that works great both in daylight and low-light.

  • The menu system in NGEN's operating system was also designed to be easy to read and use. It uses minimal design, large fonts (to make it easy to read from a distance), and always focuses on providing visual feedback to the user's actions.

  • The main four buttons (Track | Clk, Pattern, Function, and Generate) use mechanical switches (Gateron Green) to provide better tactile feedback.

Live Performance

Besides the hardware features previously described, NGEN also includes many features designed for live performance such as:

  • Shortcuts for quickly navigating to different pages, selecting tracks, activating patterns, and more.

  • Assignable MIDI Program Change per track and per pattern (for automatically switching presets on hardware instruments).

  • Extensive MIDI CC implementation: all Generator, Clock Generator, and MIDI FX parameters, as well as global functions such as pattern selection, track selection and scale settings, can be controlled and automated via MIDI CC.

  • Auto-Variation: automatically generate new variations of the current sequence (enabled per track).

  • Performance Mode: the 8 macros available in the Performance Mode let you map up to 4 parameters of any track per macro and set their min/max range individually.

Depth & Complexity

NGEN was designed, from the beginning, to be expandable and offer a variety of features that are needed to make it work as an Algorithmic MIDI Workstation. To achieve this goal, NGEN uses a menu system and multi-functional knobs.

Having this in mind, these are some of the steps taken during the development and design process to help users get familiar with NGEN's workflow and functionality:

  • Default settings were designed to help you get started as easily as possible.

  • Advanced settings and features are hidden by default to let the user get familiar with the core functionality first. These settings can then be enabled at any moment by the user.

  • The menu system consists primarily of 2 levels (main-menu / sub-menu). A third level is only used for more advanced settings (such as macro mapping).

  • While the Parameter knobs perform different functions depending on the selected Generator, common/related parameters are often placed in the same knob (Shift / Transpose on Param 1, Length on Param 2, Density on Param 3).

  • A Parameter List idle mode is available that displays a list of which parameters are currently mapped to the Parameter knobs.

The NGEN User Manual (available at http://ngen.spektroaudio.com/) provides extensive documentation for all the features available in NGEN, including various diagrams and screen recordings.

Experimentation and Exploration

Many features included in NGEN were developed with experimentation and exploration in mind:

  • Tracks input and output MIDI channels can be configured individually: while you may want to use individual channels per track, try combining multiple generators/tracks by sending them to the same output channel.

  • Auxiliary output: all tracks feature an aux output that can be used to send MIDI to another track. You can use this feature, for example, to send MIDI notes from ACDGEN into Polyform so that Polyform reacts to whatever ACDGEN is playing.

  • Different Clock Generators: the Free Clock offers an internal clock with advanced swing options and the Ball Clock let you use bouncing balls in an adjustable box to generate unique clock patterns.

Availability & Road Map

With the launch of NGEN, we're offering a very limited batch of units available for pre-order.
These units will be sold directly to customers and we'll do our best to ship them anywhere in the world.

Some of the components used in NGEN are still being affected by worldwide shortages, especially here in Brazil, so our plan, for now, is to build and offer small batches until these components are available in larger quantities so we can get units manufactured at a larger scale.

Going forward, our goal is to continue to work on NGEN's features and workflow via firmware upgrades and also to port all these different generators and effects that we've created for NGEN back to the computer as VST and AudioUnit plugins.

We'll also continue to offer and support ACDGEN – Hardware Edition as a great and straightforward tool for using algorithmic sequences in your setup.

The Spektro Audio NGEN – Algorithmic MIDI Workstation is available for U$599 at http://spektroaudio.com/ngen

The pre-order for the first batch will open on January 20th, 2023, at 1PM EST (Eastern Standard Time), on the NGEN product page.

To celebrate the release of NGEN we're offering a 20% sale on all our software products until January 29th, 2023. To get the discount, add any products to your cart and use the coupon NGEN.

NGEN was created, designed, developed, and built by me, Ícaro Ferre, in São Paulo, Brazil.

If you'd like to keep up with our latest news, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Until next time!

ACDGEN Hardware Edition – New Batch / 2.0 Firmware / ACDLAB

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Today we have three exciting new announcements related to ACDGEN – Hardware Edition: a new batch, a new 2.0 firmware, and a special (and unusual) gift!

NEW BATCH

We'll finally be dropping pre-orders for a new batch of hardware units very soon.

This new batch took a bit longer than expected because of new challenges caused by COVID, specially here in Brazil, but the units are finally getting ready to be shipped.

Due to restrictions imposed by postal services around the world, certain countries might have more limited shipping options available. These restrictions are still changing weekly for certain countries so, in order to avoid any issues, we'll manually check what options are available for customers.

We will also be updating an online table with the options we find for certain countries so customers can get an idea of the available options before purchasing.

If you'd like to get notified about pre-orders, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@SpektroAudio).

NEW 2.0 FIRMWARE

A new 2.0 firmware for ACDGEN – Hardware Unit is now available.

The main feature of the new 2.0 firmware is that it now lets ACDGEN sequence up to four channels simultaneously and independently.

Although each channel can controlled independently and set to output to a different MIDI Channel, they all follow the same Key and Scale.

To switch between the available channels, hold Function and tap Generate.

The 2.0 firmware also includes a new internal clock, a new Auto Variate feature, a new method for controlling the swing amount, additional MIDI CC mapping, and more.

All new units will ship with the 2.0 firmware and update instructions + updater software will be released soon. We'll also release an update for the software customizer to make it compatible with the 2.0 firmware.

ACDLAB

Screen Shot 2021-04-30 at 11.35.26.jpg

To celebrate the release of the new batch and firmware, we're also releasing ACDLAB, a music groovebox rom for the Nintendo Gameboy.

ACDLAB is a fun way of trying ACDGEN in a fun and unique way. It features a synth voice sequenced by a trimmed down version of ACDGEN and a four part drum synthesizer.

You can try ACDLAB on any Gameboy emulator (such as mGBA) or on real hardware (via an SD card adapter).

ACDLAB is available for free at http://spektroaudio.com/acdlab

We also have some exciting new hardware and software projects schedule for 2021 that we can't wait to share with you.

If you'd like to keep up with our latest news, make sure to follow us on Facebook (/spektroaudio), Instagram (@SpektroAudio), or Twitter (@SpektroAudio).

Until next time!

Introducing ACDGEN – Hardware Edition!

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Today we’re introducing our first ever hardware product: ACDGEN – Hardware Edition!

IMG_0320 Cleaned.jpg

While our focus continues to be in software-related projects, there has always been an interest in making a physical product that would match our design principles.

The hardware edition will enter the ACDGEN product line alongside the Max for Live version, which will continue to be updated in the future.

As always, we’ve prepared a video to showcase all the features available in ACDGEN – Hardware edition, check it out!


ACDGEN – Hardware Edition is a standalone desktop unit that can generate MIDI patterns that can used to create basslines and melodies. We designed it to be fun and easy to use on stage and in studio.
It syncs via MIDI Clock, features USB and MIDI ports and, while it works very similarly to the Max for Live version that we first released back in August 2018, it also includes some brand new features.

Besides including the same parameters available on the software version (Key, Scale, Density, Length, etc), the hardware version also includes additional features such as random MIDI velocity, Keyboard Shift, MIDI CC sequencing, Shift modes, Swing modes and more.

We’ve also included a free software customizer which let’s you change certain settings of the hardware. These settings can be stored directly into the unit’s memory and loaded up automatically when the unit gets powered on.

If you’d like to check out all the features included in ACDGEN – Hardware Edition, check out the user manual.

All the hardware units are handcrafted in Brazil by Ícaro Ferre and Vinicius Brazil, the creator of the Vinicius Electrik Eurorack modules. Because manufacturing products like these in Brazil is both expansive and difficult due to logistics and limited access to certain parts, we’re only making 20 units for the first run.

If you’d like to purchase a unit, get in touch with us via the Contact form.

For more information about ACDGEN – Hardware Edition, visit http://spektroaudio.com/acdgen-hardware-edition.

Until next time!