While you’re right that it’s a euphemism (and quite “tonedeaf” given the unkept promises which got us in this situation in the first place), I sure hope they don’t abandon this basic feature. Your quantization example (a promise they didn’t keep) is solid. Saving our work is more fundamental. Especially since a form of it existed in the Orba 1. (And I’m quite sure saving was mentioned in the original marketing campaign for Orba 2.)
Having said that, you’re right about current dealbreakers. Users should only keep their Orba 2 if the current state of things is acceptable. We can’t assume that the company will fulfill its promises.
Maybe useful to know…
The original Orba app does support saving (obviously!). And it sounds like it works with Orba 2.
So, unless I’m mistaken, there’s a cumbersome workaround for Orba 2 owners who want to use the product as intended: load that old Orba app and save the patterns there. Far from ideal and it really heightens the absurdity of the situation (the QA process is strict enough to delay software features yet disconnected enough from product development that people have the hardware in their hands before the most basic features are ready).
Received my Orba, today (had two Orba Mk I, already). Been hoping that Artiphon issues had been ironed out, at this point. (Quality hardware plagued by software inadequacies.)
So I started playing with the device itself. It’s more fun than the original one in a few ways… a point which is completely moot if we can’t save what we create.
So, basically, the product wasn’t ready for launch. And that's more than disappointing. It’s deeply concerning.
I still hold hope that the premature launch (emphasizing self-promotion more than what people can do with the device) isn’t a sign of systemic issues with Artiphon. And we’ll get the Minimum Viable Product in a timeframe which isn’t that completely unreasonable and unconscionable.
Others would (and will) laugh at me. I still prefer to hold hope.
Evan’s answers don’t fill me with hope, though.
Thank you for the response.
Is there an approximate timeline for when this "feature" is supposed to happen?
If it's a couple weeks from now, while still a egregious over-site of ACTUAL functionality that should have been included from DAY ONE, I can set it aside and wait..a bit...
If it's months from now, I will definitely want my money back...
So I guess my question to YOU is, how long CAN I hold on to it waiting for a software update BEFORE I CAN get my money back?
To start a new song, go to the Songs tab and click/tap the + sign at the top. This will give you a clean slate to begin working on a new song. If you have an existing song open and then alter it, clicking/tapping save will be saving changes to the original song.
So I can safe too, but it seems I can only safe one song. When I try to safe another song, it overwrites this one song every time. Does anyone have this problem too?
Yes! New samples. Firmware update. Fixed resizing of content to fit in screen. Ability to save! Song library tab! This is all in the latest Windows and Android app. You can still only update firmware through the desktop, so make sure you use that first.
Awesome! thanks for the updated PC app and Firmware update! I can now save. The only issue is, where is it located, and in what format? I understand that we can use a midi player. I have one installed but haven't tried it yet. I don't think the XML file can be imported to create music, but then again, I'm a novice at creating songs in midi.
So I have one last question. It seems the saving is synchronized on the app among different devices, so if I save on my phone, the save file would also be there on the app on my computer. Though, does this also synchronize when say I bought another phone or computer? If so, it would be assumable that the save file is saved within your Orba 2.
Apparently the Orba 1 app can save a newly created song to the app. Now how to get it out of the app is the question. I assume it's saved somewhere in my files in a proprietary format? Do you have a plugin that will turn it into an MP3 or MP4?
Yep. It does sound like it’s working.
Apparently the Orba 1 app can save a newly created song to the app. Now how to get it out of the app is the question. I assume it's saved somewhere in my files in a proprietary format? Do you have a plugin that will turn it into an MP3 or MP4?
The files are stored somewhere for both the O1 app and the O2 app. The O1 files might not include some info in support of new features in the O2 like sampling and quantizing, so even though the O1 app can save O2 songs, the O2 might not be able to read them back in, or at least to load a song properly if it uses some of the new features. I am looking into this myself.
The easiest way to save a song into MP3 is to record the output of either Orba directly using a DAW or audio recorder like Audacity (free and excellent) and exporting to MP3. That's the best way to get the actual sounds generated by the Orba into an audio file.
The easiest way to save a song as a MIDI (.MID) file is to use the Orba as a MIDI controller with a DAW or MIDI synth and "play" the song into the DAW while recording the MIDI. This will NOT record the sounds that the Orba is generating. It will record the MIDI "events" into a MIDI file that can then be "played" through a DAW and/or MIDI synth.
Christian Colquhoun
This is functionality that should have been an 'out of the box' feature, not a "We'll add it in the coming month.." which is the reply I got from support.
To be honest, If I don't get a response soon about WHEN this ESSENTIAL USABILITY FEATURE will be available - at the moment it's barley above a glorified toy and NOT worth the money or my wait time - I will want my money back...soon...
Why would I want to compose / write / take the time on this if I can't save it?
EXCEEDINGLY disappointed....
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