MPE/touch controller options?

Equipment
82

its ‘pico decoder’ libs in the resources directory… you’ll see in my repo, windows, macOs 32/64 bit, linux 32/64 bit, and linux arm7. … so you could already use with a PI/BBB

     https://github.com/TheTechnobear/EigenD/tree/2.1/resources

however, the pico wont currently work on a rPI (tau/alpha are ok) due to an issue with the PIs kernels implementation of isosynchronous usb packets on the BM2835. I reported this here : https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/issues/903 , but I suspect, Im going to need to roll my sleeves up to fix it. (soundplane has same issue with the BM2835)

this why Im using a beaglebone black, as it doesn’t use the BM2835, and works perfectly with everything.

83

Thanks, I’ve hit the download zip button for posterity. (It’s quite big, that git repo must be fun to work with!)

This is the business of it then?

So grab packets from USB, decode it with these functions?

84

Yet another option:
http://www.touchkeys.co.uk/

Launched via Kickstarter, now generally available. I was hoping they’d be less expensive, but that’s an easy thing to say.

2 Likes
85

exactly, if you look in the libpico subdirectory , you can see the underlying protocol - picodump.cpp is an ‘example’, just printing out the messages as they come in.

@jasonw22 , cool stuff… Ive always quite like the idea, but it looks fiddly to fit - its nice they have a standalone midi din option too now.
(would also be a pain, if your keyboard fails… hard to transfer by the looks of it)

2 Likes
86

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

I’ve had a bit of a look at the libpico binaries, worst case scenario they probably wouldn’t be too hard to recompile / disassemble.

Given that the code is GPL licensed (esp. 3rd party Juce and FFTW), but there are binary blobs, doesn’t that de facto mean that only Eigenlabs (as copyright owner) can distribute compiled versions of the code?

Also, I’ve got a Raspberry Pi 1 if you need one?

87

with things like Juce, you are allowed to distribute binaries, as along as you also provide ‘reasonable’ access to the source. so given my releases are on the same GitHub repo, as the source, Im sure thats cool :slight_smile:
also, whenever I make a release, I also publish it on the Eigenlabs forum, so they are fully aware of my distribution, and have not made any requests for me to take it down etc. so I think im fine.

honestly though, Eigenlabs are not really marketing/selling new Eigenharps, so I think its a non-issue, and something we might even see some ‘progress’ on.

88

Really? Have you got a link for that? I thought it was strictly GPL or commercial license. FFTW is definitely like that.

I don’t want this thread to turn into the GPL compliance police, but in my opinion if you end up linking to a closed source binary you’re in violation of the GPL. Even if Eigenlabs don’t care…

Anyway last I’ll say on the issue.

1 Like
89

ah sorry, yeah, I get what you mean… because part of the package (pico decoder lib) is binary, it falls foul of distributing any of it as binary… yeah your probably right. I send Eigenlabs an email to see what their take on it is, and what to do about it. thanks for highlighting this for me.

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90

Cool. If they’ve got a license for Juce and FFTW, then I’m sure you can come up with someway to figure it out. (And any other libs you’re using).

If they haven’t got a commercial license then… :-1:

1 Like
91

(could a MOD perhaps split the GPL discussion a separate topic? … its a bit OT :slight_smile: )

they will have commercial licenses… as originally it wasn’t open source at all.
(I know for sure they have JUCE, id have to check FFTW , but Id be extremely surprised/disappointed etc, if they didnt have that too)

do you know how GPL deals with ‘optional’ modules?
EigenD can be used without a pico, (with a tau/alpha, or midi mpe, osc) , so can you have an optional module which is not compiled into the release… thereby you are not releasing any binary code, for something you cannot compile. (it would be painful for users, but a possible solution)

also, how do open source projects deal with VSTs, since the steinberg api is not open source, you have to register to download it (and therefore agree terms) , and as a derivative product are not allowed to include it in your source base.
(and juce arguably, optionally, relies on the steinberg api, for its VST support)

92

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/09/504823222/adding-a-funny-form-of-carbon-to-silly-putty-creates-a-heart-monitor

maybe silly putty is in your future for instead of manta pads

93

Darwin interviews Lippold Haken.

4 Likes
94

(is this a new thing now, where Darwin’s podcasts are transcribed or has it been going on for a while? Because of how I do things I don’t have the time of activities that I can just throw a podcast on in the background, but I enjoy reading them…)

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95

The transcription seems to be something Synthtopia is doing. I really appreciate it because I read quite a bit faster than people can talk.

From Darwin’s website:

NOTE: This podcast is the third interview in our collaboration with Synthtopia.com on expressive MIDI controllers developments. You can listen to the podcast here, on the synthtopia website (in an embedded player) or on iTunes.

But you can also read the article as well as search for information by viewing the transcription on at the following location:

1 Like
96

Right right. That makes sense.

And yeah there’s that too, can blast through reading it in much faster than realtime.

97

Hey @randy, I hope Darwin is planning to interview you as well?

2 Likes
98

He did that, around a year ago IIRC.

I’m also very happy to see the transcriptions showing up. I don’t have a commute or similar enforced captivity time and it’s hard for me to make room for podcasts.

4 Likes
99

Ah, there you are!

Will give it a listen.

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100

New Continuum firmware:

101

Damn I want one of those. Not sure if I have time to actually play it though! The synth engine seems incredible even of its own accord.

1 Like