#215

i don’t really think the grid will make a difference there. just different tastes / needs i guess. one thing has a fixed function, manifested in fixed UI choices, and the other thing doesn’t. generic interfaces will probably always be a little weird, and unspecified functionality probably tends to be less stable and of more uneven quality. (like trying to run someone else’s 15-year-old max patch.)

oh well.

1 Like
#217

I’m about 3 months into owning a Norns Shield without a grid, and I’m completely in love with it. Not once have I thought “ugh this would be so much better with a grid”. I sure would like to have a grid someday, but I’ve been saying that since around 2008 or so. One day. One day…

2 Likes
#218

I’ve got the midigrid script working with the Linnstrument. It’s a little flickery, and scripts with heavy activity bog it down, but it works for simple grid applications.

#219

Spend $10 on touchosc and try all the grid apps with oscgrid! You guys are missing out unnecessarily.

#220

I did (on the Android version with a Shield) and unfortunately the latency makes it all but unusable in practical terms, which appears on both a phone and a tablet. I don’t have an iOS device to try it on.

Has anyone else encountered similar problems with Touchosc and Norns?

#221

See this thread: TouchOSC templates for Grid and Arc

Some scripts work better than others.

1 Like
#222

Thanks. I’ve read through that thread a good few times already, and tested the Android TouchOSC extensively with things like Awake and the very useful Grid-test script, which is where the latency is most visible.

I also got hold of a Launchpad Mini Mk3, which some above have indicated works with Midigrid - I’ve not had much luck with that as yet. Midigrid is reporting the device as present (I fixed the name in the config to match that shown in the MIDI device menu on the Norns) when midigrid.lua is called by a script, but no buttons light up (except as triggered MIDI notes) on any of the scripts I’ve tried so far.

I spent a couple of days with the Launchpad mini trying to get it to work, trying both the @beepboop and @JaggedNZ forks - it is the former which gives the most response in Matron when midigrid.lua is called by a script. Which of those is most up to date, by the way?

This for example what gets reported by Beepboop’s latest midigrid (edit for clarification: when called from within a script):

midigrid.device is:
dev userdata: 0x6af0e080
event function: 0x3bd240
port 4
name Launchpad Mini MK3 2
id 2

Pressing some keys on the Launchpad mini results in “missing coords!” messages in Matron.

I tried rewriting the grid_notes in launchpadmini_config.lua to match the note numbers for both the Programmer mode and default custom mode 3 layouts in the Launchpad Programmers Reference Manual to no discernable effect, but I wonder if this is where the answer lies?

I’d dearly love to get the Launchpad Mini working with the Norns Shield, but for now I’ve switched it to controlling Axoloti patches via MIDI CCs as I’ve seemingly hit a brick wall with Midigrid.

Any advice from those who’ve had more luck than me would be gratefully received.

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#223

My fork is only tested with lp mini and should work on a few other devices. Still has some bugs (unexpected lights)
Does not support MK3 yet, mostly as I have no way to test.

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#224

Rereading you need to add the midi grid to the scripts you want to use, not launch midi grid directly

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#225

This is what I’ve been doing with every script I’ve tested - apologies if my process outlined above was not clear.

I’m considering getting a second-hand Mini Mk2 as well just to see if I can get something working!

#226

Try it right next to your WIFI router. If your wifi is too weak, it is unusable.

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#227

I tried that with no discernable improvement. I also tried with the Norns as a wifi node, which improved the latency a tiny bit but not enough to make the Android TouchOSC usable, unfortunately.

#228

I’ve started writing a node.js script to make two launchpad mini mk3’s behave as a Grid 128.

Taking the approach of emulating a serialoscd server in node.js. Then a second layer that maps grid.setLed x,y messages to MIDI messages to the appropriate launchpad.

1 Like
#229

Good luck with that - really looking forward to seeing the results!

#230

@DoS sorry to hear this has been a pain point despite your substantial time investment. if you want to share the MIDI API for the device, it shouldn’t be difficult to construct a softare shim.

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#231

Thanks @zebra. I’m an inveterate tinkerer with limited actual programming skills, so the time was well spent learning how these things are supposed to function.

If anyone needs access to the Launchpad Mini Mk3 Programmer’s Reference Guide, it can be found here.

#232

Got my Norns shield working today. Realise now that emulating a serialoscd server won’t work to get launchpads working with Norns. As Norns uses serial USB via libmonome to talk to grid, not serialosc.

So I’ll take a look at what appears to be the latest vgrid wip fork, @beepboop’s fork of @JaggedNZ’s vgrid work:

I can test first with an APC Mini. Then try to get it working with one, and hopefully two Launchpad Mini Mk3’s. I also have a Launchpad Mini Mk2 on its way for testing. Fun times!

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#233

Fyi I finally got to testing my WIP branch again and it looks like resent upgrades have broken something. Hope to get a chance to debug soon.

1 Like
#234

Ok, looks like I had some code that would get upset if random midi devices where plugged in at the same time.

For my fork ONLY try adding the following line to your desired script (around line 42 before
g = grid.connect())

local grid = include "midigrid/lib/mg_128"

This is a virtual 128 grid, you can swap between the two pages using buttons 5&6 at the top the launchpad mini.

Current known bugs:
Sometimes the wrong LED lights on the first column in particular. This is not as bad as I remember it, but it’s still happening and its very hard to figure out why.

Takt didn’t work at all last time I tried many months ago :man_shrugging:

I feel I must say this, I can’t recommend buying a new launchpad mini mk2 for the sole purpose of pairing it with Norns unless you are prepared to code to make it work, and even then I’d hesitate. But if you already have one or find one second hand for cheap … (and by cheap I mean like $20-30US)
And please please don’t buy an original launchpad, unless it’s for parts!

p.s. if you have 2 launchpad mk2 / mini mk2 then plug them both in via a USB hub. Enjoy :slight_smile:

3 Likes
#235

I got a good deal on a new Mini Mk3, and while I am not ever likely to use Ableton (I run Linux on my PC) it’s already proving useful for controlling an Axoloti and perhaps some other things.

I’ll give this a go - thanks!

1 Like