Silver-K 0.2 Alpha

Silver-K 0.2 Alpha

The first public alpha release line for continued development of the combined K-Station / KS plugin. The application version is 0.2.0; the release tag is v0.2.0-alpha.1.

Downloads

• Windows x64: Standalone and VST3.
• macOS Apple Silicon (arm64): Standalone, VST3 and AU. This release does not include Intel or Universal builds.

Each archive includes a detailed English installation guide (INSTALL.md), release notes, licenses, corresponding source links, checksums and two of our test files for checking basic KS operation:

• ks-wave-zero.bin — zero-filled Wave ROM substitute, 129024 bytes. It substitutes for a missing sampled-wave bank. Generated oscillator waves can be tested; sounds requiring sampled waves or drums may be silent or incomplete.
• ks-init-flash.bin — test KS Data, 524288 bytes. It contains our basic Silver Init programs, Silver Multi performances and startup settings. It allows testing basic KS operation without original factory Data. You can replace it with your own compatible full factory Data MIDI/user Flash.

These files contain no original OS, DSP firmware, Novation factory patches or samples. Supply K-Station OS 2.1.01 or KS OS 2.1.02 separately. Select test KS Data under Setup → KS factory data, the zero Wave ROM under Setup → Wave ROM, and actual firmware through ROM folder / Load firmware. See official KS downloads.

Detailed installation: plugins, OS, Wave ROM, KS Data and factory presets. The same guide is included in both archives.

Fixes

• Improved contrast for Perf labels and switches; part volume is available directly on that page.
• KS editor changes and automation, including tuning and volume, address individual parts even when they share a MIDI channel. Layered playing is preserved; these edits do not reload the Performance or interrupt held notes.
• Corrected KS Program boost from the erroneous 0–127 range to its native 0–30 dB range. At 0 dB, the program uses its normal level. Invalid legacy boost values reset to 0 dB. The host parameter ID is preserved, but normalized boost automation now maps to the corrected range.
• Added checks for layer routing, state, UI controls and interaction between external NRPN messages and editor changes.

Known alpha limitations

Patch management is unfinished. Import, bank organization, tags, model compatibility and saving workflows are still being refined. Verify saved sounds by reloading them and keep original banks separately. Some preset-loading paths reload the Performance and interrupt sound. A-Station conversion and verified X-Station import are not implemented.

CPU performance and optimization are unfinished. CPU load, background loading/warm-up, multitimbral operation and small audio buffers need further work. This alpha does not establish smooth operation on every system or host.

Latency needs further improvement. Engine buffering, the audio driver and the DAW chain affect overall latency. Setup's Host latency does not include physical MIDI or audio-driver delays. Further latency optimization is planned.

KS external audio input is not connected. The zero Wave ROM does not reproduce original sampled sounds. Sound accuracy against physical K-Station/KS instruments has not been established. High Program boost can still overload the signal path.

Mac bundles are ad hoc signed, without Developer ID signing or Apple notarization; normal system launch approval is described in the installation guide. Windows may require the official Visual C++ v14 Redistributable x64. This pre-release / Alpha is the starting point for further plugin development.

Release validation

The Windows x64 Release build was produced in GitHub Actions from the release tag. DSP JIT tests, UI/conversion/routing checks and KS Init Flash reproducibility checks passed. Windows CI does not use private OS firmware.

On macOS arm64, additional checks used local firmware to verify state restoration and four-channel real-time audio through the release VST3/AU wrappers, with no underruns in those runs. Mac bundle signatures and file checksums were verified after extraction.

The archives were updated with English documentation; application/plugin binaries and the two KS test files are unchanged from the original release build.