mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

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Joey
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mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by Joey »

I am a bit confused about the files in Scope (when installing new devices etc)

Am I right in assuming this:

mdl is a modular module
dev is a device (a synth, an effect, etc)
pre is a preset file
dll is an xtc file
dsp is, well, dsp, I guess

and this:
mdl goes in the modular modules directory
dev can be in multiple directories, like synthesizers, effects, etc
pre will go into the Scope/presets directory

And then: how are presets arranged? How and where will a dev find its preset file(s)?

I hope you will not find these questions too basic, in fact it's quite hard to find this out.
So thank you in advance.

Joey
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garyb
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by garyb »

basically correct. some mdls work as devices.

most preset files are registered to the device that they were created for, but it's possible to make presets that would need to be browsed for.
Joey
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by Joey »

Ah.
If a mdl can be a device, will it be
- just a device
-both a device and a modular module?

how can you tell the difference? Between a mdl that's meant as a module or not, I mean.

If I have a .pre file, do I just put it in the presets folder, and the device will see it?
I imagine the names should be similar (so synth.dev will look for synth.pre in the presets folder. Is that correct?

I am currently sorting out a big collection of 3rd party stuff, and it's all unsorted and in zips. Quite a lot of work.

Thanks again, Joey
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valis
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by valis »

Usually if a .mdl "is a device", in my experience it's coming from a 3rd party dev that can't (yet) pack it to be a device fully as they're still learning., or of course a modular creation. However as someone who owns an SDK license but has yet to really dig in to create my own creations (I've helped others) I might be wrong here, so I'll let GaryB or someone else clarify that point further.

What I DO know, is that when I get devices that are .mdl's but work as a device (ie, outside of a mod3/4 shell), I store it both in my Scope folder hierarchy and in my backup structures as such, and when a device can be BOTH, I do my best to annotate this. This is because I can forget over time! I do this same practice with all of software, my backup structures have text files that sit alongside most installers for regular software in my backup data structures. So clearly my scope installation folders are certainly annotated as well for later reference. That's the only way to keep track of what is what after using a platform for almost 20 years, let alone all the stuff that one might accrue over the years.
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spacef
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by spacef »

- devices are saved as references (path to your hard drive where the dev is located). That way, they can be updated and all project would be updated too (when loading an old project, the project would load the new device - as long as the name/path on disk is the same as for that new dev ). It also allows solving loading problems by renaming devices into something different (like adding "test" or x at the end of the name, for example when the dsp are full and you would need to "unload" something from the project that can't be opened in a regular way).

- In SDK you can "save as a reference" (*.dev) or choose "Unreference Module" befoire saving as an mdl (no reference). Saving a module would be for a new circuit part (macro module with lots of stuff in it, and which now can be reused in other devices without the need to redo everything each time). But devices, whether finished or not, should alwyas be saved as references (*.dev).

- mdl are saved inside the project (no reference to disk). the internal of your device is made of modules. otherwise, they can't be loaded by another user (who does not own sdk and the module library, or do own them, but not on the same disk/path). When devices are saved as mdl, they are stuck forever in a project (or inside a .dev) and you loose the possibility of solving a project loading issue (when the project is too full for example), not to speak of outdated versions that could crash a project and make it unusable for ever, with no way to solve it (this would concern very old devices, or ones that contain bugs).

- Best practice: mdl is for modular modules, dev is for devices.

- dsp files are files loaded on scope start, and at device/mdl load. they are functions necessary for this device. they may also contain activation key functions.

- Presets list are loaded automatically when they have the same name as the preset list (shown in the preset list window). If the preset list name is not the same, then the preset list window loader will not find it and will not load it. Saving preset list with a different name allow to exchange presets between users without the risk of overwriting the original preset list. The new presets would be loaded from the 2nd preset window (the brown part at the right of preset list window: drag it to open it, load new preset file here, then drag presets manually to the "main" preset list window on the left.

- dll can also be asio plugins versions of the device (xtc) but they can be many things.
Last edited by spacef on Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:55 am, edited 10 times in total.
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valis
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by valis »

Thanks spacef, worth sticking this just for your response.
Joey
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Re: mdl. dev, pre, dsp, dll files

Post by Joey »

Wow
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