#162

Thanks for this, I was only aware of the create multiple vst instance approach…

#163

It depends on the plugin. The plugin needs to be able to work in this multichannel in mode.

In Kontakt and Omnisphere you make a multi. It can be a pita but at least it can be saved as a single preset.

u-he Repro-5 seems to take mod wheel and pitchbend per-channel into a single instance. People on the internets say Diva works the same way.

Audiodamage Quanta works well.

There may be others.

#164

This controller has capabilities beyond its capacity. That’s frustrating. More details below.

(I’d be happy to talk at length about more generalized goals and frustrations, but this might not be the right vehicle for that discussion.)

Short version is, they’ve released twelve separate modules and they’re planning to make more. And the only way to know which of those is producing a given signal is by assigning them unique MIDI channels.

MPE zones is a partial solution, but we can file that next to a dozen other improvements and workarounds they might implement someday. Supporting poly aftertouch would also help a lot, since right now, MPE is the only way to see pressure data for individual pads. This creates unnecessary incentive to consume extra channels, and heightens the problem of only having 16.

Really, I have a litany of fairly major complaints with Joué, each under the header of “they can fix that in software”. Like, if I put aside the controller for a year or two, it should be fine when I get back.

I’m an early adopter. I can forgive that stuff.

But this inability to differentiate which module a signal is coming from is more of a structural problem. Without suddenly adding OSC support or giving us access to the raw data, we’re limited to channel based module IDs.

And actually, yeah. Structuring a set of “devices” based on the three regions you can put a module into would actually solve everything for me. (That’s me, personally, as a developer, not representing the average consumer.)

Joué does send sysex messages identifying when a specific module has been added or removed from each region, and I could totally leverage those. So, if I knew which region a note originated from, I’d know which module created it, and could route things appropriately on my end.

2 Likes
#165

Thanks for the Ableton MPE script. This seems to essentially automate the process described by Roli for using Equator in Ableton ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1H1oUV2IAw ), and is preferable to using an instance per voice, for synths that are MPE compatible or multi timbral. Of course this isn’t really MPE support since you can’t easily work with the MIDI data. I’m not sure why Ableton hasn’t put more work into MIDI support in Live, for example they have now added support for Sysex in Live 10, but only through Max4Live. Sysex is a pretty basic feature that should atleast be in stock live, IMO.

#166

I’m not sure I understand this… diva understands channel pressure and pitch bend in multiple channels correctly. I’ve used it with the continuum.

#167

that is what I was trying to say. multiple channels of midi with independent cc parameters can go into a single instance of the plugin.

#168

just found out that the touchpad on a macbook is literally an MPE controller

http://www.anyma.ch/2009/research/multitouch-external-for-maxmsp/

2 Likes
#169

I can see it now, “composition for soloist, electronics, and Magic Mouse”

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#170

yup yes uh huh right on it

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#171

Caught up on this thread, and noticed a few absences, in descending order of cost:

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#172

Re: Audioswift - does that allow the mac trackpad to function as fully MPE? I see they have multitouch functionality, and they also have pressure functionality via Force Touch on the newer trackpads. Just a question of whether that’s pressure per touch, or applied overall across touches.

1 Like
#173

Don’t know … haven’t tried it. I’ll read up a bit more on it and may buy it if it looks useful.

#174

I also noticed something about i2c on the Haken site - need to check into that.

#175

K-Board Pro 4 shipments are starting to arrive. No editor yet. And, y’know, editor probably needed.

I posted some specifics about the current state of things here:

But I’d say it’s promising. I think I can find a use for it in my setup.

KMI positioned this as a keyboard for keyboardists who vaguely sort of care about playing expressively, but not at the cost of learning something new. And I’d say the firmware reflects that. It’s a very opinionated controller.

As are most, these days. MPE developers are downright obnoxious about imposing how we should interact with their controllers.

#176

Im interested in experimenting MPE and Eurorack.I have got a Roli seaboard and I was thinking to scoop a FH-1 to control my eurorack.
Anyone here have tried this, How easy was to set it that up and anything I should know?
Any reason why I should be looking at a FH-2 instead?

#177

I have an FH-2 and I’ve experimented with it and the Seaboard Block in the past, and I’m currently experimenting with the FH-2 and the Continuumini. It basically works, but I’m also finding it to not be all that compelling.

It’s easy enough to get the FH-2 to provide basic MPE to CV conversion; a simple configuration step. But getting the resulting CV to have a useable response behavior is another story. When you use your device with, say, Equator, everything is optimized between the software and the device, so that your expressive playing maps “naturally” to patch parameters. But when you take that same expressive playing and map its MPE straight to CV on your modular, the results can be quite different. Damned clunky, in fact. Not natural feeling. And maybe jumpy and steppy, too… you might need to dial in some slew. (The FH-2 can do some slew for you, but that’s one more thing you have to set up.) It can get pretty fussy to get usable results, and there’s a good chance the usable results will compare poorly with the native MPE synths (Equator etc.).

2 Likes
#178

I’m having a similar experience with a seaboard block and fh-2 this week. Maths has been a saviour in taming it.

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#179

I was able to set up an mpe (sb rise) to eurorack patch a while back using endorphins shuttle control and it worked well. SC’s built-in smoothing was a nice bonus too.

1 Like
#180

hmm, perhaps we need an expressive controller w/ eurorack topic,

we did discuss this a bit over at polyexpression.com

anyway, I’ve recently been enjoying using the Soundplane with modular, what Ive done with that, is use a Bela Salt , this goes directly from Soundplane hi-res data to CV, so skipping midi ( * ), and also allows me to tweak the data.
(*) same tech, works for the Eigenharps, and should work with MPE too :slight_smile:

Ive not done the video yet, but here is the same thing running on a Bela to the AE modular.


(hmm, really must get the eurorack demo video done!)

what I found was…
if you don’t teak the data, things can be really dependent upon what VCA/filters etc your hitting, e.g. in the above video you’ll hear the odd ‘quirk’ caused by the VCA behaviour, that just doesn’t exist when I use Veils on the eurorack.

I don’t have (nor want) a large polyphonic eurorack, rather I have a collection of different voices.
so rather than using per touch control for ‘polyphonic’ touch, I use the capabilities for splits.
this way I know, when Im in certain areas of the surface I know what voice I’m hitting.

I also have limited CV outputs, so 8 cv output + 8 gates, so with 3 dimensions, I divide that into 4 zones.
two main zones with 3d, then two virtual sliders at each end. (each with gate)
(of course its simple for me to use the outputs differently e.g. 4 zones with 2d)

anyway, I agree with above comments, really the expressive data can need a bit of massaging, you could do this various slew/attenuators etc, but is a bit easier to do it in software.

I do find it an enjoyable to control eurorack, i guess in a similar way to the way others use pressure points, ribbons etc… its just a a bigger version really :wink:

of course , there also is another approach, with something like Bela (or I guess percussa SSP) ,
use the module as an MPE/expressive enabled polyphonic sound generator/oscillator… its a bit limited, as most modules have very few audio outputs … (bela has 2) , so it becomes a bit like a paraphonic setup - but still can be very cool… its not something Ive explored much yet, but I do want to :slight_smile:

4 Likes
#181

This is cool. Bypassing MPE MIDI seems like the better way to go.