SDSE: export drum VSTs to .wav, .dsnd and .dkit in 1-click

[Lustar]

SDSE 1.9.3 is available.

This is a bug fix release, you don't need to update if you don't have any issues.

To upgrade from 1.9 or 1.9.1:
- extract the new version in your current SDSE folder, overwrite all files (your configuration won't be overwritten)

Changelog since 1.9.1:

• fix for issue when building hats to .dsnd
• fix for exporting from the Native Instruments VSTs in the evaluation version
• improved message when any of the Native Instruments VST needs to be reloaded to continue (SDSE will ask if it should reload Reaper)

[Lustar]

SDSE 1.9.5 is available.

New installer and setup:
When you install SDSE everything you need to get started can be downloaded and configured for you.
SDSE can be installed in Standard (desktop icon, start menu shortcuts) or Portable mode (nothing written to registry).


Export modes:
VSTs and libraries that contain fewer samples are exported faster, to smaller .dsnd files.
SDSE can now use one of 3 export modes based on the VST or library:

• High (what we used until now): BFD2, SD2, SSD4, Drumasonic
• Medium: Abbey Road, Addictive Drums, BFD Eco, EZDrummer and EZX libraries in SD2, DrumMicA
• Single Hit: Electronic EZX, Number 1 Hits EZX

It's possible to override the default by changing "Export Mode" in SDSE.ini.
Forcing a smaller number of hits can be useful when testing several versions of a kit, to quickly try them on the module before exporting the final version using the best mode.


To upgrade from 1.9 or newer:
- if you never made any changes to SDSE.ini you can simply delete the old SDSE folder and install the new version.
- if you have made changes, install the new version and copy your configuration files from the previous SDSE folder.


Changelog since 1.9:

• added installer (standard or portable mode) - thanks to Jman for testing
• improved setup to download and configure everything required - many thanks to Louis for permission to download DSoundTool
• the default folder for new sounds is now "Desktop\SDSE Sounds" (or "SDSE\Sounds" in Portable mode)
• option to set the number of hits to one of three modes: high (what we used until now), medium or single hit - thanks to Ismael and Jman for testing
• SD2: changed default "Disable Crash Mute" setting to disable Mute on Bell zone for Crash cymbals (set it to 0 to export Mute when possible).
• changed keyboard shortcuts for wav, dsnd and dkit to avoid conflict with Windows Explorer (old shortcuts available when Reaper is active)
• support for the Chris Lord-Alge SSD4 library - thanks to Yoghi
• support for older EZdrummer versions (1.2.0 minimum).
• Windows Aero is disabled on Windows 7 if needed (and restored when SDSE is closed), other Aero related improvements on Vista/8
• improved VST path adjustments for Reaper (SDSE checks all VST plugins in paths set in Reaper)

Here's how SDSE is installed.


1) installing SDSE



2) SDSE downloads and sets up everything for you.

[Jman]

Definitely the best version yet. Great improvements and ease of use with all components installed in one nice package. Thanks for all your hard work. J

[BURNIN AMBITION]

i have no words to say. lustar is a god!!! thank you so much mate

[BURNIN AMBITION]

btw i get an error message
The recommended file was not found!

Please inform your Webmaster!

[StudioG4]

Not sure of the best place to ask this so I did it twice. Please forgive, I'm frustrated.

OK, I downloaded and installed the newest version of SDSE tonight and have the most current java on my win7 system. (I must say that I really have no feel for REAPER.)
I open the created REAPER and then SDSE and set BFD Eco as my VST.
Configure a kit to my liking and press "ALL".
Screen goes orange, I see some files open and close, the program says completed in 2 minutes 47 seconds. I check my desktop SDSE sounds folder and there is one file there -perc3.
Not what I expected. Tried it again and I get a wav file !ERROR-JNF ..... (the sample that is allocated to perc3).
I'm obviously doing something wrong, but what?
Can anyone help?
Also, how do I/where do I set the kit pieces I want to include in my DSNDs?

[Lustar]

This is the best place to ask, but the best way is to contact me directly so I can help sooner.

Don't worry about REAPER, you don't have to use it at all, it's just the host.
When SDSE is installed in Standard mode, it should have opened REAPER for you with the SDSE project loaded into it. You don't have to set up a VST, just to select BFD Eco in the list.

With the evaluation version you can only export the Ludwig Black Oyster kit from BFD Eco, SDSE should have displayed a message about that and it shouldn't have taken more than a few seconds.

To export from one kit piece to a full kit from a supported drum VST, you set it in the VST then click "All". SDSE will detect what is currently loaded and export it.

It could be one of several things, I'll send you a PM and we'll figure it out.

[Dr.Skins]

Now that you've perfected the pc version maybe you should work on a Mac version.

[HumpieDrum]

Yes please Lustar!
A Mac version

[StudioG4]

Lustar! Once again to the rescue. Thank-you for your individual attention and concern to my application issues. After spending some time with SDSE on my 32 bit system, I see that the memory limitation (with the hands on work by Lustar) is an issue. With my slim (memory wise) BFDeco, I can convert all the drums and cymbals into wav's with REAPER and SDSE, but the conversion into DSNDs using SDSE is problematic, attributed to the memory limitations of the 32bit app. I am able to use the DSOUND tool as a stand alone to convert the drum wav's to DSNDs, but the cymbals give me an "Out of memory" error due to their large file size. SDSE should do this automatically with little problem but the 32bit memory limitation and it's associated max. available memory of 3 gig (I have 8G available on board) caused the required Java to crash.
I will be installing a dedicated 2T hard drive with a clean 64 bit Win7 application as a dual boot for all my future music applications and am excited to "get busy".
My recommendation to all is that a 64 bit operating system is almost a necessity for access to max RAM memory and minimal headaches. SDSE is a very cool program that makes converting wav's to DSNDs for the 2box effortless.
Highly Recommended!
Thanks again Lustar!
Tony G

[Lustar]

HumpieDrum, please vote on the topic poll to add your voice. There are also ways to run Windows on a Mac, it takes a bit of time but is easy to do, maybe that would be a solution for you.
(Dr.Skins, please don't vote twice )

Thanks for your follow up Tony. BFD eats more RAM than other VSTs so even though SDSE disables it to save memory before using DSoundTool it can be tricky on Windows 32-bit because of the Java limit (it's actually less than 1.5GB). In the latest work in progress I have added a way to make DSoundTool open for sure when memory could be an issue. I'll keep working on ways to minimize this potential issue for the next version.

[Lustar]

SDSE 1.9.6 is available.

The most important change in this version is the lower memory requirements to convert to .dsnd.
Lack of memory shouldn't be an issue anymore as long as we have enough memory to load the kit in the VST.

More memory available to DSoundTool:
SDSE loads DSoundTool by telling Java to use as much RAM as possible then will retry with lower values if needed until DSoundTool can be started. This will ensure we have as much memory available to DSoundTool as the system can allow at that time.

Lowered risk of "out of memory" Java error:
When the available memory is lower than 3GB SDSE will remove silence in WAV files with SoX before sending them to DSoundTool. Converting the files takes a little bit longer on a system with less than 4GB of RAM but it greatly reduces the risk of running out of memory.


To upgrade from 1.9.5:
- install the new version (your configuration won't be overwritten)

Changelog since 1.9.5:

• improved DSoundTool loading when available memory is too low
• option to remove silence in WAV files before converting with DSoundTool - thanks to Jman for testing
• all options to process WAV files before converting to .dsnd are now also available when rendering to WAV (only silence removal is enabled by default)
• support for all Ludwig BFD kits in the evaluation version for BFD2 and BFD Eco
• BFD2 is now set to offline mode like BFD Eco
• fixed issue when exporting from old EZDrummer versions (1.2.1 and older)
• when upgrading SDSE the configuration files are refreshed with new defaults if they were not modified since they were created
• improved filenames when converting WAV files to .dsnd without reading names from a VST
• improved check for SD2 Preset Path with a prompt to fix this setting in SD2 if it's wrong
• the first available VST is selected to make it easier to get started

[Hockeylifer]

Just have to give a shout out to Luster for not only creating a super useful tool but also for being so responsive to me and other members of this community.  To be sure, I purchased v. 1.9 the other night (I'm on the East Coast of the United States) and he sent me a license a few minutes later.  Holy Awesome service, batman!  What's more, I asked him a few questions via email - fully expecting an answer the next day (it was like 2:00 AM where he lives) and boom - a few minutes later he answered me.

Well, Thank you very much for the tool and dedication to making it work!!  And let's not forget Louis for kicking ass with DSoundTool.  It gave me an excuse to donate once again to the Jimmy Fund (Dana Faber Cancer Institute ib Boston).   Win - win!!

By the way, I have BFD2 and the kits I exported just using the raw sounds are jaw-dropping!  I shudder to think about buying BFD3 or a VST from another company.  JMan - any recommendations?

[Jman]

Just have to give a shout out to Luster for not only creating a super useful tool but also for being so responsive to me and other members of this community.  To be sure, I purchased v. 1.9 the other night (I'm on the East Coast of the United States) and he sent me a license a few minutes later.  Holy Awesome service, batman!  What's more, I asked him a few questions via email - fully expecting an answer the next day (it was like 2:00 AM where he lives) and boom - a few minutes later he answered me.

Well, Thank you very much for the tool and dedication to making it work!!  And let's not forget Louis for kicking ass with DSoundTool.  It gave me an excuse to donate once again to the Jimmy Fund (Dana Faber Cancer Institute ib Boston).   Win - win!!

By the way, I have BFD2 and the kits I exported just using the raw sounds are jaw-dropping!  I shudder to think about buying BFD3 or a VST from another company.  JMan - any recommendations?

I second the praises here! Lustar is busy again working on adding more functionality. While BFD3 is not supported in SDSE .... a birdie tells me it's comin
Seriously though there are soooooo many good VSTs out there that translate directly to nice 2Box kits through SDSE it is really a question of what you like. To me most Superior Drummer packs put out a more studio processed type kit, BFD2/3 a more acoustic/raw sounding kit, although with all the mixer choices and effects in the software you can get about whatever you want. BFD2 ... Zildjian Digital Vault is a killer pack for nice cymbals with all the articulations, and the BFD3 cymbals are on the same scale and have all the articulations. Some VSTs have tom rimshots, some don't, some have just one sound for crashes, some have all 3 .... lots of different things to look at and concider ..... Some people love SSD4, Addictive Drums, Abbey Road, Drumasonic  ... those also produce nice 2Box kits. So, sky's the limit, choices abound, GAS never ends. Now I just have to talk myself out of picking up the new BFD2/Sonic Reality Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) kit..... I don't need it, I don't need it .... I really don't need it ........
I'll eventually loose that battle. 

[digitalDrummer]

... Zildjian Digital Vault is a killer pack for nice cymbals with all the articulations, and the BFD3 cymbals are on the same scale and have all the articulations. Some VSTs have tom rimshots, some don't, some have just one sound for crashes, some have all 3 .... lots of different things to look at and concider ..... Some people love SSD4, Addictive Drums, Abbey Road, Drumasonic  ... those also produce nice 2Box kits.

And, of course, you have the ability to mix and match. If you want DS rim sounds on your BFD tom, no reason you can't do that. Prefer the Gen16 cymbals to those in Drumasonic, just swap them over.