New release - aLabs version 4 beta
This is moslty a bug fix release. Again thanks as always to @Abotte and @jon for testing.
Download: Release aLabs version 4 (beta) · sejerpz/alabs-mod-custom-images · GitHub
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Good news, with the help of @falkTX now starless firmware seems to support the plugin store:
I didn’t finalize the purchase, but the store seems to work as with the official image.
A new release is planned soon 
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A/B Compare for Pedalboard Parameter Tweaking
Alongside store support, the next release will include a small but useful new feature: A/B comparison during pedalboard parameter tweaking.
How It Works
Suppose you want to adjust some parameters on a pedalboard and quickly compare your changes with the previous state.
In this version, when you load a pedalboard, you’ll notice a new A/B Compare section in the upper-right corner of the interface.
This section contains three buttons:
- A – Switch to the A parameter slot
- Take – Capture the current state and store it in both the A and B slots
- B – Switch to the B parameter slot
At first, all controls are disabled except for the Take button (represented by a “photo” icon).
When you click the Take button, all plugin parameters are stored in both the A and B slots — essentially creating two in-memory snapshots.
After this initial capture, A and B are identical, and the Dwarf automatically switches to the B slot.
You can now start tweaking the knobs while switching to the A slot to compare and listen to the differences.
You can move back and forth, editing each slot independently and switching quickly between them to hear the differences.
Each time you switch slots, the current state is automatically saved to the corresponding A or B slot.
Once you’re satisfied, you can save the current state to the pedalboard or as a snapshot, just like usual.
Happy music! 
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“a small but very useful new feature”
Who hasn’t had a situation wishing you could do that ?
These small improvements are very inspired !
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New release - aLabs version 5 beta
Only one week, but two new important features landed and a release was due:
- The store should be fully functional (I need some feedback, because it seems to work, but I didn’t finalize any purchase yet
) - New AB Compare release (see this post for details: Starless unofficial Dwarf image - ALABS v4b - #84 by AndreaDelSignore)
Download: Release aLabs version 5 (beta) · sejerpz/alabs-mod-custom-images · GitHub
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hey @AndreaDelSignore i’ve been watching your work with interest; so thrilled that you are, indeed, taking advantage of the open source stack to bring some improvements!
not yet, as i’ve been busy with other things, but i’ll be installing and testing in the near future!
for now, i’m wondering if you’re entertaining suggestions for other features to work on… as i’m sure you know, there are a number of things which have been mentioned over the years about the standard MOD image.
are you interested in suggestions from the user base?
if so, is there a preferred way that you’d like to see that happen?
…or should we rather regard this as your personal vision for an alternate Dwarf image?..
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Hi Andrea,
I confirm: the store is now fully functional (I treated myself with another plugin :)).
I’m not able to see the new buttons for AB comparison: i purged the cache and changed browser but nothing so far. Maybe tomorrow I’ll give it another try, as now I’m in a hurry.
Thanks again for improving this platform!
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Hi Abotte,
don’t waste your time I forgot to push before doing the release so the Compare AB was not included.
I just updated the alabs5b image this morning, so re-download and re-install it.
Important: since I didn’t change the image version, after you connect the web-ui force a complete page reload: shift+reload button on firefox, ctrl+reload button on chrome.
Sorry yesterday I was a bit tired
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Thanks,
I got the new image, everything is fine
Thanks!!!
Thanks!
Yes, but I can’t promise anything
The forum is ok for discuss new features, then github to track the progress.
In some ways, this project also reflects my personal vision.
As I already mentioned in other posts on the forum, there were a few basic things missing from the standard image that frustrated me — so I decided (during my holidays!) to fix them.
I honestly regret not having done it earlier.
It all started a few months ago, when I bought a second-hand Dwarf and immediately recognized its huge potential.
However, when some non-techie friends asked me what kind of multi-effects unit it was, my answer was always something like:
“It’s a great machine, but I can’t recommend it to you yet because of some rough edges in the firmware.”
That was, of course, just my personal opinion, and as a result, this image is somewhat biased toward my own vision — which, as I’ve since discovered, is actually shared by many in the community.
What were the limitations I was referring to?
- Groups to simplify advanced settings dialogs
- Snapshots
- On-device editing or quick smartphone editing
Who was the target audience I had in mind?
- Professional musicians (jazz / contemporary)
- Amateurs like myself who do fewer than 10 gigs a year in very different contexts (bands, poetry, theater, jam sessions)
With this in mind, I started with Groups — which are still a work in progress (more news on that later) — then moved on to Snapshots, and finally developed the Performance View to lay the foundation for point 3.
Everything else followed naturally as refinements of those three original goals — except for the A/B Compare, of course 
From my point of view, we’re now at a real 1.0 version, with all the basics in place and all the great features that were already available.
This was only possible thanks to the help of two people I haven’t yet thanked properly, but I want to do it now:
- @falkTX, who patiently answered all my silly questions about the Dwarf and gave me the crucial hints to build Starless
-
@dreamer, who helped me overcome my Python ignorance
And, of course, the early adopters who helped me squash the bugs!
What will follow
Now that my holidays are over, I’ll have to slow down development a bit — but don’t worry, I’ll keep improving this firmware:
- Together with @falkTX, we’re already in the process of merging some of my work (groups) into the standard image, and I hope to continue doing so even if at a slower pace.
- I’ve implemented @rom’s idea of a global binding view, which was much needed when using pedalboards made by third parties. It’s not a full implementation of all the requested features yet, but it’s a good start. This is expected to land next week, and I’d really appreciate some help testing it since I don’t have much external hardware and I’m not very familiar with MIDI/CV (at least not yet).
- The performance view has great potential — it can evolve the UI from being just an editor into a powerful live controller.
- Blocks: I really need this feature, since I use the Dwarf with different gear (acoustic, classical, and electric guitars, a bass, etc.). I’d like to have shared “amp” blocks with EQ and other settings for each instrument to make building and modifying pedalboards easier. It’s now feasible, but I need a deeper understanding of the codebase.
- dB meters on pedalboard cables to simplify debugging and identifying clipping plugins.
- Improve the mobile user experience.
I know some of these goals are quite ambitious, and I’m not sure I’ll reach them all — but these are my current plans.
Sorry for this looooong response, but this was somewhat due.
Andrea
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Thanks everyone! In my opinion, the Dwarf Mod has improved a lot with the Starless firmware. Great work, I wish I had the knowledge to help you with this. At the very least, we’ll keep testing the updates and see to find and report any issues
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@AndreaDelSignore this is such a helpful post – lets us know more about your goals and motivations. thankyou!
i’m delighted to see that you’re thinking about a “global bindings view” - being able to intelligently navigate and edit parameter bindings will help immensely, and has always been a source of frustration for me.
some sort of “blocks” is another one i’ve been super interested in! …and there are other enhancements to pedalboard editing which would make a huge difference as well - ability to select multiple plugins and move or delete them (even if they’re not part of a “block”), and easier cable connect/disconnect (i.e. when multiple cables go to an input, the current need to click on the input to expose all the plugs and then pick out the one you’re interested in is awkward and time-consuming).
BIG ONE: make it possible to include only a subset of a plugin’s presets for the “assign all” function - so we don’t have to scroll through presets (esp. “default”!) which aren’t needed in a particular pedalboard.
cheers!
thanks again for your work!
<3
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I’ll be there !!!
I’ve plan to install your starless image this week and make some feedback on github if needed !
But 1st thanks a lot for all the work @AndreaDelSignore ! It’s quite precious and amazing to see things getting waked up and done so fast !!!
Do you have a midi controller ?
Do you need some finances to get one to test ? Do you have a liberapay account where we can help to remunerate the time spend on making our lives easier ?
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yes. this!
the question of how we can best help - including financially if that’s useful - has been in my mind as well!
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I was going to mention that some sort of way to tip / fund your work @AndreaDelSignore would be more than welcome
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I’d happily also send a few beers/coffees in your direction for your work!
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I just tested today your image and it is really great. Thanks you very much. It just opens another world for our MOD Dwarf !!
Snapshots now are so powerful and On-device editing is so helpful and simplifies the pedalboard’s bindings, I have always a way to change some parameter I forgot. (…now I have to redesign my pedalboards )
My midi devices (M-vave chocolate and FBV express MKII) work perfectly.
I also happily tip/fund your work.
I found a couple of small bugs with the Plugin presets: when you “ASSIGN ALL” to B&C footswitches, the Up Button (B) goes down the preset list like Button (C) and sometimes is shown like 2 individual foot switches. Also on the performance view, only the factory preset is shown…
I will test further next days and let you know.
Thanks again!
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Hey everyone, thanks a lot for all the support!
At the moment, I don’t have any way to receive donations — I might think about it later, but it’s not something essential for what I do.
My main goal was just to give something back to the MOD ecosystem for free. Let’s not forget that the real people who made Starless possible are @gianfranco and the MOD team — they’re the ones who built and open-sourced the whole stack in the first place.
That said, I might still set up a Liberapay account at some point — not really for profit, but maybe to grab a few plugins I’d like to play around with
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Hi Rom,
I’ve a doremidi with an expression pedal and I hope I can also use it to connect some momentary switches.
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About the “ASSIGN ALL” plugin preset bug, I tested a bit more. First time, it is shown fine. A wide box with Up-Down Arrows.
But after moving through the preset list, I get following screen, with 2 individual boxes.
It is not just visual. If I click Button B (Up), it goes wrongly down the list, like the Button C (Down). Strange thing is that after click Button C, for one time Button B goes Up, but after that it goes down.
Note: Sometimes, other standard footswitches bindings are shown wrongly like a wide box, but they should be individual boxes. I still don’t when it happens, but looks related to the “ASSIGN ALL” plugin preset bug.