Tips and Tricks

The ex.factory tips and tricks dialog is shown below:

This dialog has the following controls:

Close Closes the Tips and Tricks Dialog
Next Tip Selects the next tip in sequence
Show Tips at Startup If checked then when ex.factory starts up, the Tips and Tricks Dialog is automatically opened

List of Tips and Tricks

Just in case you want the tips and tricks shown by the dialog as one single list, here they are.

Double Clicking a voice

If you double click a voice in a file or the library, it will be sent to the synth's edit buffer. If you triple click instead, the MIDI Router dialog will be opened after the voice is sent to the synth's edit buffer.

Library Support

ex.factory provides a Library facility that allows you to store all your data in one place, and use filtering and sorting facilities to locate the data that you want.

(NOTE: Library features are available only to registered users).

MIDI Support

ex.factory now supports the transfer of Voices and Performances between ex.factory and the EX5 via MIDI.

The EX MIDI SYSEX implementation has some serious flaws in it that can corrupt data, but ex.factory now includes MIDI support because I have developed workarounds to the MIDI issues.

(NOTE: MIDI features are available only to registered users).

VL70m Files and Custom Elements

You can open VL70m LIB files into ex.factory and export custom VL Elements to the EX by dragging them onto the User VL Wave Elements within the EX Synthesizer Window.

(NOTE: MIDI features are available only to registered users).

Context Sensitive Help

If you press the Help Key ( F1 on a PC) then you can get context sensitive help, including within Dialogs.

Keyboard Shortcuts

ex.factory supports numerous keyboard shortcuts as an alternative to using the mouse.

Take a look in the online help or the ex.factory manual for details of the supported keyboard shortcuts

Import of AN1x Voices

You can import AN1x library files into ex.factory, giving you access to a wide host of patches created for the AN1x.

Simply load an AN1 file and it will be converted to an EX S1V file.

Scene Editor

ex.factory has a scene editor for Voices and Performances that allows you to precisely edit scenes.

The EX has no editor for scenes.

Right click over a scene and you'll find an Edit... menu item that calls up the scene editor.

File References

The File References tab in the Preferences dialog allows you to associate S1M files as FLASH or RAM memory banks for S1A, S1Y and S1V files. Updates to referenced files are reflected back in the files that reference them. For example, if you sort Waves in an S1M file then files referencing that file will be updated to ensure that elements maintain the correct references following the sort.

Master Patch List

The Master Patch List dialog under the Tools menu allows you to define a list of files that are exported, along with preset voice definitions, as a master patch list for use in supported sequencers to select patchs. Currently only Cubase VST/SX/SE/SL patch lists are supported.

New Voice

You can create a new voice using the New popup menu item in the tree view and the table view.

Copying Voice and Performance Arpeggiator Units

Within ex.factory you can copy a Voice Arpeggiator Unit to a Performance Arpeggiator unit and vice versa

Adding Several Wave Layers

When you select the Add ... option to add a new Wave Layer to a Wave, you can add more than one Wave Layer in one operation by

Element Remapping

ex.factory can remap Voice Elements to reference FLASH Waves instead of RAM Waves, and from RAM Waves to FLASH Waves.

Remapping can also be performed on a Elements, Voices and selections of Elements and Voices.

Right click over an Element or Voice to select the Remapping context menu options.

Adding Several Drum Elements

When you select the Add ... option to add a new Drum Element to a Drum Voice, you can add more than one Drum Element in one operation by

Object Colouring

If an Object such as a Wave or Voice is coloured blue, then it is being referenced by another Object.

If you right click over a blue Object you'll find a "List References" context menu, which will show you the Objects that reference this one.

Import of WAV files

You can drag and drop WAV files from Windows Explorer into an S1A or S1M file, and ex.factory will import them if it can (subject to them being in a supported format).

If a WAV file has an embedded "smpl" chunk, then the loop point data and centre key info that is contained in this chunk is also read in.

WAV files can also be imported from the context sensitive menus. Multiple files can be selected for import within the dialog box.

Sample Editing and Playback

ex.factory now allows Sample parameters to be directly editing within ex.factory and Samples can also be auditioned within ex.factory.

Simply right click over a Sample and select the Edit... option.

Copying Voice and Performance Effects Units

Within ex.factory you can copy Voice Effects Unit (Reverb and Chorus) to Performance Effects units and vice versa.

Wave Layer Editing

Wave layers can now be edited within ex.factory

Simply right click over a Wave Layer and select the Edit... option.

Find/Find Next Category Tool Bar Buttons

If you hold the SHIFT key down whilst pressing the Find or Find Next tool bar button the operations performed change from:

Table Sorting

You can sort Voice and Performance Tables by clicking in the Table Column headers.

For example, if you click in the Category Column then the Table will be sorted by Category

Utility Mode Settings

S1A files and S1Y files contain UTILITY mode settings.

If you load another user's S1A or S1Y files then you'll overwrite your UTILITY mode settings with theirs.

If you save out an S1A file from you own EX, load it into ex.factory and right click over the "System Settings" branch, you will find an option to save these settings as a default set.

Before loading any newly received S1A or S1Y files, load them into ex.factory, right click over the settings and load your default settings into the file.

You can now load these files into your EX and they will contain your default UTILITY mode settings",

You can only DRAG COPY Certain Objects

If you are trying to perform a drag operation on certain data types and are wondering why ex.factory is not allowing you to perform the drag, try holding down the CTRL key during the drag to see if this is then allowed. Holding down the CTRL key turns the operation from a Drag Move operation to a Drag Copy operation.

Sometimes during a drag operation, the only sensible operaton that can be undertaken is a copy operation, for example:

In these circumstances a move operation does not make sense so it is not allowed.

Copying/Moving Objects to a Different File

When you copy an Object to a different file then any Objects it references can also be copied at the same time.

For example of you move a Performance to a new File, then the following Objects are also copied:

I think you'll agree this is a cool feature!

This feature can be selectively turned off for different Object types if required within the Preferences Dialog.

Saving Data

If you have a file loaded which holds different types of data (e.g. an S1Y file that holds Voices and Performances) you can save the different data types to simpler (and smaller) file types. 

S1A Files
  • Voices and Performances can be saved to an S1Y file.
  • Voices can be saved to an S1V file.
  • Waves and Samples can be saved to an S1M file.
  • Arpeggios can be saved to an S1R file.
  • Patterns can be saved to an S1P file.
  • The Song can be saved to an S1S file.
S1Y Files
  • Voices can be saved to an S1V file.

To save off the data types, right click over the Collections in the Tree View and you'll find options in the Context Sensitive Menu to save the Collections.

Workspaces

ex.factory allows you to save a Window arrangement as a Workspace which you can then recall at a later date.

Moving Objects within a File

When you move an Object within a file then any Objects that reference the Object type being moved can be updated to ensure they all still reference the correct objects after the move.

For example of you move a Voice within a file then all the Performance Parts are updated

I think you'll agree this is a cool feature!

This feature can be selectively turned off for different Object types if required within the Preferences Dialog.

Tritonus Sound Libraries

You should install the Tritonus Sound libraries to your Java implementation if you work extensively with Samples.

Exporting Patch Lists

You can export Patch lists from S1A, S1Y or S1V files for use within either Cubase, Protools or Sonar.

You can also export file information to HTML, XML or SpreadSheetML formats.

The relevant options can be found on the File Menu under the Export option.