Babu Frik v1.0.1 (+ Kijimi Firmware 1.3.6/1.4.4 + Logan Miller's sound bank)

Update of Babu Frik with some fixes and minor new features. Please check the user manual to learn more about Babu Frik. Report bugs and feature requests using the issues section above. Release notes:

• Fixed default installation paths for Windows installer
• Add support for firmware 1.3.6, which fixes sending SYSEX over DIN5
• Limit the rate at which SYSEX messages are sent over DIN5 connection, also the rate at which "Next patch", "Previous patch" amd "Randomize!" buttons can be pressed to avoid problems with messages being sent too fast
• Separate panel knobs behavior and cc knobs behaviour into two independent controls (as in firmware 1.3.6)

Note that for this update to function properly, you need to update KIJIMI to firmware version 1.3.6.
You can download KIJIMI firmware 1.3.6 update pack from the files below.

Update March 9th 2022: This release has been updated with the addition of a newer Kijimi firmware, version 1.4.4. The newer version mainly fixes bugs to work with oddsound, but no new features are added. Also as part of this release I added Logan Miller's awesome KIJIMI bank which he has been demonstrating with many Youtube videos and he was kind enough to share it with the world. The bank is not part of Kijimi's firmware but it can be downloaded from the links below. Thanks Logan!

Babu Frik v1.0 (+ Kijimi Firmware 1.3.5)

First release of Babu Frik with all features promised in the Kickstarter campaign description and more. Please check the user manual to learn more about Babu Frik. Report bugs and feature requests using the issues section above. The feature set includes:

• Full control of KIJIMI prameters, including those hidden in the KIJIMI menu.
• Timbre Space that allows you to create new patches by inteligently merging existing patches in a bank.
• Bank file saving/loading, patch file saving/loading, and functionality to dump/import banks to/from KIJIMI.
• Runs as stand-alone app or as a VST3/AU plugin in macOS or Windows.
• Automatable parameters when Babu Firk is running as a plugin in a DAW.
• Patch randomizer
• UI scaling and scrolling

Note that for Babu Frik to function properly, you need to update KIJIMI to firmware version 1.3.5.
You can download KIJIMI firmware 1.3.5 update pack from the files below.

Babu Frik v0.2 (beta2)

Second beta version of Babu Frik (beta2, v0.2). This release fixes many bugs and adds new functionality with respect to beta1. KIJIMI is now fully controllable from Babu Frik and the initial set of features is nearly complete. Read the notes below to get a better idea of what you can expect. Please use the issues section to report any bugs or make feature suggestions.

Known issues/limitations

• Babu Frik requires at least KIJIMI firmware 1.3.15 for all features to function properly. This firmware version might not yet be publicly available but it should be very soon.
• KIJIMI firmware 1.3.x patches are 262 bytes long, while 1.2.x patches are 134 bytes long. This means that if you load 1.2.x bank files to Babu Frik you'll get unexpected results with patches not sounding correctly. Babu Frik release v.1.0 will automatically detect patch format and act accordingly.

Roadmap

• Babu Frik v1.0 will be released in the next weeks once I find time to add a couple more features I have in mind and I can do some more testing (and get feedback from testers).

• After v1.0, I plan to make more releases that include new features like finer control of the randomization function and the timbre space generation as well as extra stuff that you might suggest :)

Installation

The beta releases don't include an installer, so you'll have to install the plugins/standalone app manually. To do that, you should copy the downloaded files in the following location(s):

macOS

• BabuFrik.app (Stand-alone app): /Applications/
• BabuFrik.vst3 (VST3): /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
• BabuFrik.component (AU): /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

windows

• BabuFrik.exe (Stand-alone app): c:\Program Files (x86)\JFSebastian\
• BabuFrik.vst3 (VST3): c:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3\

Babu Frik v0.1 (beta1)

First beta version of Babu Frik (beta1, v0.1). This release is not production ready, lacks features and probably has many bugs. Read the notes below to get a better idea of what you can expect. Please use the issues section to report any bugs or make feature suggestions.

Known issues/limitations

• KIJIMI firmware 1.2.x has a number of MIDI CC control issues which will make some buttons/knobs in Babu Frik affect the wrong controls. This is fixed in the latest KIJIMI's pre-release firmware 1.3.x, so it should be available to everyone soon. Nevertheless, for most of the front panel controls, Babu Frik should still be usable with firmware 1.2.x.
• Babu Frik's ADSR2 mod matrix buttons do not work as expected due to a bug in KIJIMI's firmware (so far also affecting 1.3.x) which will be fixed in an upcoming firmware release.
• MIDI in messages coming from KIJIMI always arrive at MIDI channel 1 (regardless of KIJIMI's configuration) and sometimes include a bit of jitter. For this reason, when MIDI in is configured in Babu Frik, some messages are filtered out from the MIDI in stream. This should be fixed in combined updates for Babu Frik and KIJIMI's firmware.
• As of Babu Frik beta1, it has only been implemented the control of KIJIMI's main panel buttons and knobs. Future Babu Frik releases will add more controls to the UI (see below).
• Saving/loading patch files and bank files should work but, similarly as in the previous point, only main panel controls are taken into account and therefore there are bits of the patch that are saved/load with an unknown state. The sound of these patches might change in the future with new releases of Babu Frik that incorporate more controls.
• KIJIMI firmware 1.3.x patches are 262 bytes long, while 1.2.x patches are 134 bytes long. This means that if you load 1.2.x bank files to Babu Frik you'll get unexpected results with patches not sounding correctly. Black Corporation should provide some suggested way to convert bank files from 1.2.x to 1.3.x when releasing firmware 1.3.x and make them compatible with Babu Frik (maybe when upgrading to 1.3.x this will happen automatically).
• The timbre space works but, as you'll see, it generates wild sounds. This is very helpful if you want to make KIJIMI sing in Sith (as advertised in the campaign!), but you might want to tame it a bit to produce (sometimes) more "melodic" patches. This will be addressed in future Babu Frik releases.

Roadmap

• In the coming months I might (or might not!) make available more pre-release versions (v0.x) including some additional fixes and adding more controls to the UI.

• The goal for v1.0 is to have a Babu Frik version similar to the current one but with fixes applied and featuring all missing KIJIMI controls, including global controls, extra options and LFO madness matrix. Take as a reference the all panels Babu Frik UI mockup I published on Facebook some time ago to better understand the goal for v1.0. I expect v1.0 to be released October 2020 (as originally planned). Note that this somehow also depends on Black Corporation releasing firmware 1.3.x before, because Babu Frik requires 1.3.x to work properly.

• After v1.0, I plan to make more releases that include new features like finer control of the randomization function and the timbre space generation as well as extra stuff that you might suggest :)

Installation

The beta releases don't include an installer, so you'll have to install the plugins/standalone app manually. To do that, you should copy the downloaded files in the following location(s):

macOS

• BabuFrik.app (Stand-alone app): /Applications/
• BabuFrik.vst3 (VST3): /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
• BabuFrik.component (AU): /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

windows

• BabuFrik.exe (Stand-alone app): c:\Program Files (x86)\JFSebastian\
• BabuFrik.vst3 (VST3): c:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\VST3\