VSDSX 2.3.1

COMPATIBILITY
Machine Format(s) Architecture(s) Native Processor(s) OS Supported Note
PC VST3 X64 INTEL Windows 10 or higher
Mac VST3, AU X64 INTEL/ARM Mac OS-10.14 or higher
  • Install Info for Windows OS

  • On PC you need the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Version.
    go there: vc_redist.x64 and download/install the X64 version.
    Direct link seems to be this


    VST3 presets are needed and are selected by default on install, if in the future you wish to install them back or revert to default you can also install just presets from the installer


    If a crash occurs during launch check that you have complete read/write permission on your main 64bit VST3 folder and/or the VSDSX application folder
    • C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
    • C:\Users\"yourusername or admin"\AppData\Local\VSDSX


  • Install Info for Mac OS

  • Don't miss the part in the Presets Installer where it says to "change install location" and choose "install for me only", presets need to be installed for the current user so the plug-in can access them.


    If at the end of the presets installer setup the message “The installation failed.” is dislayed, this is a user library permission issue. Look for permission settings at your user* preset folder location here:
    Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets
    Check if read/write permissions are given for users AND ADMIN too.
    The addition of admin usually resolves the case and allows the installer to function correctly.

    FYI: The presets Installer is installing the presets at this location:
    Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/AlyJamesLab/VSDSX/(presets in there)

    *In case you didn't know the USER library is hidden by default on Mac OS, but you just do one of a couple commands, personally I go with holding the Option key down while selecting the Go menu in the Finder, it reveals the User Library.

    You could also simply try to repair permissions via Disk Utility, some are using "Clean My Mac" for constant maintenance, which has a similar function.


  • Mac Plug-In Formats

  • Mac version is available as AU (Audio Unit) and Mac VST3

    They are Universal 2 that means they both are Native Silicon and Native Intel at the same time, the processor will choose its prefered native code. Complete compatibility info is right here


  • Usage Info

  • VSDSX like all my newer plug-ins do not use "drag resize" capability yet, nevertheless it uses "DPI awareness" which makes the plug-in GUI follow DAW (or the whole system) DPI settings..

    I have monitors with a big resolution like 4K or 2K and I use the scaling function of the OS (on PC and on Mac) regularly, I usually scale the whole system to 125% or 150% in order to have a comfortable view.
    Even if not using "system" scaling most programs, including DAW now feature scaling, it can be set to follow the system settings or be independent.
    Any set scaling will also automatically resize my plug-ins.


    .aupreset can also be loaded by the PC version along vst3 ones.
    Presets can be loaded/saved in .vstpreset, .aupreset and .xmlpreset/.xmlbank formats.

    In order to design new presets, start with the a base preset and have fun messing around. Export as .xmlpreset format which is a plain text easily editable and sharable.

    PROM and PROM2 are factory loaded with internal EPROM
    You can find a big pack at the download section with original Simmons EPROMS you can load.

    The default location the plugin is looking at is:

    • PC: My Documents/EPROM Library
    • Mac: Library/Music/EPROM Library

    this folder is first created when you try to load an EPROM for first the first time, best practice is to put your custom EPROM folders in there for quick access.

    Most parameters can be right clicked and "midi learned" If you messed up just select "unlearn" for that control.
    The triggers are by default mapped along the GM MIDI standard for the most part, it is pretty straight forward but you can customize if needed.
    The MIDI map is global and shared by all instances.

    VSDSX MIDI Map



    VSDSX additional preset banks and EPROM sounds will be found at the community/download section of alyjameslab.com check from time to time!


  • Coming from v2.0.x

  • VSDSX 2.3 have 2 additional voices, TOMB (Tom Bass) and a second PROM voice, the MIDI Map file is also changing: on first launch it might state that you are using a "CUSTOM MAP" because it imported the old one, if you want to keep it like that just click SAVE, if you want to use the new mapping listed above select RESET.


    Most presets come from previous versions excepted the Initial one and don't use the new features, experiment with it, I will explain them deeply in the upcoming v 2.3 Manual.
    A key feature is the Global Circuit Mode which gives you the original VSDSX ( LEGACY ) behavior or the SIMMONS typical one, you can find a diagram on the INFO panel explaining the differences and you can also monitor the behavior visually via the "Tone Bend Visual Indicators" activated on the SET page. More info soon on videos and social media snippets!


    VSDSX Circuit Modes



  • Importing V2.x Custom Presets & Compatibility


  • Prior to v2.3 all presets were using the LEGACY mode.
    If you have saved custom presets they are compatible and can be loaded in 2.3, all new parameters will default to OFF or zero without affectign the preset.
    However you need to adjust two parameters from the SETTINGS panel that were not there before.
    These are:

    • Noise Filter Sweep Amount - Velocity Response: set it to full
    • Bend Velocity Response: set it to a proper amount so you can use it when/if activating TOMS or CYMBS bend modulation later.


    VSDSX Preset adjust


    Differences will appear on Hihat, Cymbal and Prom as those internal circuits have been changed more or less, notably Cymbal and Hat now have a proper "FM Bell" sound instead of a Noise "Click part", filter, bend direction and dymanic range also changed, so expect differences in those, again the manual will feature details about all that.

    All new parameters and settings can apply to previous presets, try to add some EG Decay time modulation, increase Tone Click Leakage, Open HH Bias etc, these features will be detailed in the new 2.3 manual.

    Note that if you want to somewhat replace v2.0 in an existing session with latest 2.3, it is better to first save the plugin current settings in a custom preset on disk.

    The plugin state (memory saved in a previous session made with v2.x) itself might not recall exact settings, if you pulled up a session made with prior version, the state might be messed up. There are reasons for this:

    • next version have way more parameters and although original parameters ID have been kept and in theory should be restored we have no way to be sure a particular DAW would handle the state in similar way.
    • The VST3 SDK and format used in v2.3 is more modern and up to date compared to v2.0.2 so some functions work differently.

    On the other hand, saved .vstpreset (VST3) will work minus the two settings adjustments I told about previously, because the .vstpreset format is a defined format and should be interpreted in a predictive manner.





  • Loading EPROM Sounds

  • VSDSX can load EPROM binary images in .bin format, this is a data dump of the exact content of an EPROM chip where samples where stored back in the days.
    PROM and PROM2 can do that, they are loaded by default with:

    • PROM : Drumulator Snare
    • PROM 2: EMU SP12 E Snare

    For easy access VSDSX creates an "EPROM Library" folder on your system when you first try to LOAD a custom EPROM.
    Paths:
    • PC: C:\Users\yourusername\Documents\EPROM Library
    • Mac: /Users/yourusername/Music/EPROM Library

    Two packs of original EPROMs can be found at the download section under VSDSX tab.
    place them in the EPROM Library folder for easy access.
    Set the ENCODING TYPE to the appropriate format your EPROM sound was encoded with ULAW or LINEAR PCM.
    If you don't which one it is, you will eventually hear it, the wrong type will sound distorted AF...which can sometimes be useful.


  • Updating from Version 2.0.x

  • Coming from 2.0.x you MUST uninstall previous version before updating to ensure a smooth transition. It's better to be safe than sorry.

    For PC Users:

    • You must uninstall both the VST2 and VST3 versions using the uninstaller.(since v2.3 only 64bit VST3 is supported)

    The internal structure of the VST3 file has been updated to a more modern format so it is important to remove previous version first to avoid ending up with two plugin files with the same ID being actually different, that would crash a DAW.

    To avoid issues such as mismatched parameter values, it's advisable to use this new version with fresh sessions rather than replacing it in existing ones.

    See Coming from v2.0.x above

    • Use the VSDSX 2.0 uninstaller.

    For Mac Users:

    Uninstall the AU Plug-In: (starting with v2.3 VSDSX Mac version is also provided as VST3 and not only as AU)

    • Locate VSDSX.component in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ and delete it.

    Uninstall Presets:

    • Presets installed before version 2.0.1 were manually placed in:
      • Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/VSDSX/
    • Presets installed after version 2.0.1 are located in:
      • Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/AlyJamesLab/VSDSX/
    • If you have manually installed or added new presets, save any custom presets you want to keep, then delete the rest. If you haven’t created any custom presets, delete all .aupresets files in these directories.

    New Preset Installers:

    • The new preset installers use the following path for all PlugIns:
      • Users/YourUserName/Library/Audio/Presets/AlyJamesLab/PlugInName/

    Note:

    • The user library is hidden by default on Mac OS. To reveal it, hold the Option key while selecting the Go menu in Finder. This will reveal the User Library.

    Updating your software with these steps ensures a clean installation and helps prevent potential issues.


  • Note if you upgrade from the deprecated Windows only 32 bit version 1.0 or using Windows 7

  • VSDSX 2.0 shouldn't mess with your previous works as it is a 64bit plugin with a new ID. It is a complete rework so no preset sharing between v1.0 and v2.0 are possible ATM.


    While Windows 7 is not marked as "supported" it should run on it as well.
    In case of graphics glitches or crash on legacy Windows 7 systems not updated, the system requires the installation of the Microsoft platform update. This is an update from 2013 but I know some of you might still have old systems with updates turned off for years ;) platform update info link Direct link seems to be this