I just got a Zoom B3n and was really let down when I loaded up Guitar Lab and saw that the functionality and usability is actually significantly worse than ZOOM Edit&Share is for the B3, which is terrible enough as it is.
Well, I'm not just here to whine - I'm going to try to do something about it. I've contacted Zoom to see if they will open source the software, but that is a moonshot. In the meantime, I am going to try to develop something (Windows only - at least for now). (I previously wrote a random patch generator for my B3, which was a lot of fun when I was feeling like being experimental.)
I'm looking to see if anyone else is doing anything similar, so we can pool our efforts (esp. around #5 below). I'm also looking for ideas! What's the one thing that would really make the patch editing application more useful to you?
My plans (after thinking about for 15 seconds) are to attempt in roughly this order:
Well, I'm not just here to whine - I'm going to try to do something about it. I've contacted Zoom to see if they will open source the software, but that is a moonshot. In the meantime, I am going to try to develop something (Windows only - at least for now). (I previously wrote a random patch generator for my B3, which was a lot of fun when I was feeling like being experimental.)
I'm looking to see if anyone else is doing anything similar, so we can pool our efforts (esp. around #5 below). I'm also looking for ideas! What's the one thing that would really make the patch editing application more useful to you?
My plans (after thinking about for 15 seconds) are to attempt in roughly this order:
- Figure out how to interface with the unit (I have confirmed I can do this, still need to optimize how I am doing it.)
- Reverse-engineer the basics of the patch data structure (patch #, name and description, to start).
- Write a simple tool to bulkedit patch names and descriptions.
- Add the ability to re-order patches.
- Reverse-engineer the effect and parameter data of the patch data structure.
- Add the ability to clear (empty) a patch.
- Add the capability of setting the mix of all cabinet emulations to 0 (use case: I'm going to a rehearsal and want my amp emulations on, but cabinet emulations off, as it's not an FRFR cab).
- Add the capability of restoring the mix of all cabinet emulations (removed in #7) back to what they were before they were zeroed (use case: I'm using amp simulations and playing through an FRFR cab).
- Full patch parameter editing capability.
- Bulk patch parameter editing capability (not quite sure how this is useful, but I think that's a lack of imagination right now).
- Find all patches using an effect.
- Gain staging and level matching mode: only show level controls for each effect in a patch, to make it easier to both gain stage between effects in a single patch, as well as match levels across patches.
