[LAU] control surfaces

[Len Ovens]

On Wed, 10 Sep 2014, Kelly Hirai wrote:

> i'm having to smooth the values of the nano's 7bit knobs to avoid
> zippering. its not a bad thing and i expect to have to do this at 14bits
> as well, but there are some sets of values for which i would like them
> to not fall into the same slots so easily.
>
> just curious if anyone knows off the top of there head, for the
> bcr-2000,  when the application decides it wants to reassign the encoder
> to another parameter and needs it to be a different value (lighting up a
> different led on the display ring) is this as simple as a midi note on
> message or is there a lengthy sysex glob that needs to be sent?

The manual says there are two modes for this. One of them is the sysex 
method, but the other would send the value of each individual control. The 
second would be the normal performance mode. That is, on most control 
surfaces, when a bank change happens, the host sw sends to the controller, 
midi messages to set all LEDs, fader positions and controller possitions.

With controller positions, this is only for a controller that is in 
absolute mode as in/decrement mode would find this meaningless. On a unit 
with encoders this means the absolute value is stored as a memory value 
and the encoder in/decrements this stored value so there is no "jump".

On a controller with real pots, there will be a jump to the current pot 
position or the value will not change until the pot is moved past the 
stored position. (depending on the unit)

> i've had to fight the dust out of rotary encoders in several devices.
> behringers included. read timings or dust causing them to do things like
> jitter forward when you turn them back. that would be kind of a show
> stopper for me if it was cronic.

Good to know. This probably answers my other question about 360 degree 
resolution as well. It says to me that these are the cheap mechanical 
contact type encoders as optical or magnetic encoders do not generally 
suffer from dust problems (even in places where dust gathers at the rate 
of about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) in an 8 hour shift). I can not find high 
resolution mechanical switch encoders, 32 cycles/rev seems to be at the 
top end (4 pulses/cycle gives 128 pulses/rev). The cost difference between 
mechanical switch and optical seems to be about 10:1. Magnetic is less 
than optical but needs high quantity purchase (not a consideration with 
the bc2000).

Also good to know because I have some mechanical encoders I am using for a 
project of mine.  :)

--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net