Fruity effects

Fruity LSD


Fruity LSD wraps the functionality of the DirectMusic software synthesizer to FruityLoops and provides 16 MIDI instruments with an option to import DLS level 1 banks.

Since this is a software synthesizer, you can process its output with effects as with any Fruity Generator. The difference from an usual Fruity Generator, however, is that the Fruity LSD itself is a combo of 16 instruments (15 instrument channels and 1 drum channel /10/, as in a standard MIDI interface). You should think for Fruity LSD not as a generator, but as a virtual software MIDI device. You attach the Fruity LSD as an effect in a FX channel. You can control its 16 channels with MIDI Out generators you add in the Step Sequencer just as with normal MIDI device. Just set the same MIDI port in the LSD plugin and the MIDI Out channels you will use. You can set the patch name and bank number from the MIDI Out channels as well, but since this may be confusing when using custom DLS banks (the MIDI Out channels will display only standard MIDI instruments names), it's recommended that you set the patch from the Fruity LSD's editor directly.

MAIN PARAMETERS:

Bank
Lets you set the DLS bank to be used for synthesis. Click the browse button to select a DLS file. By default, Fruity LSD uses the Roland GM/GS Sound Set (which is default for the DirectMusic synthesizer as well and is usually located in "<windows directory>/System32/GM.DLS"). The DLS file used is not included in the FLP file, but stored as a path instead.

Port
Sets the MIDI port number from where Fruity LSD will receive MIDI events (notes, volume changes etc.). You should set the same port in the MIDI Out channels that will be used to control the Fruity LSD. It's recommended that you avoid using port 0 with Fruity LSD, since this port is reserved for the main MIDI playing output in FruityLoops (that one you set as "Playing output" in the MIDI Settings page).

Channels list
This is a list of the 16 channels of the LSD with the patch names. Click on a name to select a different instrument for the channel. Channel 10 holds the drum section.

Main volume
This wheel sets the main volume of the LSD output. This parameter is automatable.

ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS:

Device
Sets the DirectMusic compatible MIDI device to be used for synthesis. Hardware MIDI devices are filtered in Fruity LSD, since their output can't be routed to FruityLoops.

Reverb
Turns on/off the global reverb effect.

Chorus
Turns on/off the global chorus effect. Note that this effect is not supported in the built in Microsoft Synthesizer. However, it is included for compatibility with third party DirectMusic engines that may be used with Fruity LSD.


Notes:
 
- You need DirectX 8 or later installed on your system for the Fruity LSD to function properly.
- Pan, filter cutoff & resonance per note (in the graph edit or the piano roll) is not supported - the MIDI standard only supports velocity per note.
- At low volume levels you can notice some noise in the Fruity LSD sound (you can hear it clearly on decaying note if you put a compressor after it in the FX track). This is not an issue in the Fruity LSD plugin itself, but in the DirectMusic synthesizer. You can partially fix this problem with a Fruity Filter or equalizer (to cut the very high frequencies of the output).
- There are many tools that allow you to create custom DLS banks. DLS supports samples per region, envelopes, LFO-s etc. With tools as Awave, you can also take advantage of hundreds of freeware SF2 (SoundFont) banks you can find on the Internet by converting them to DLS format.
- See DirectX for copyright notices about the Roland GM/GS Sound Set.


(01) gol, fred
thx to Chris Moulios for the source code