[LAU] MIDI Input of LAU Applications

Justin Smith noisesmith at gmail.com
Wed May 6 14:27:38 EDT 2009


On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 5:17 AM, Olivier Guilyardi <ml at xung.org> wrote:
> Crypto wrote:
>> Hi @LAU people,
>>
>> I would like to open a discussion about the MIDI capabilities of LAU
>> applications here.
>>
>> There is quite a number of great LAU software of course and we have seen
>> frequent announcements of new versions or even complete new applications.
>>
>> But from a particular point of view their use sometimes is a bit limited.
>>
>> I have found that most applications require the user to work (record, program,
>> finetune etc.) from behind the computer on which the application runs. But that
>> limits the usability in case someone is actually playing an instrument with
>> MIDI interface, especially in a live playing environment, and needs something
>> more convenient to handle parameters etc.
>>
>> I have seen few applications that allow for using MIDI commands let alone
>> allow me to enter a custom made (be it SYS EX message or any controller
>> message) MIDI message to trigger a particular action within the application.
>>
>> There have been a number of hardware controllers available for some time that
>> come with numerous drawbars, pushbuttons and similar stuff to ease controlling
>> mixer applications, drum applications or anything else, so having a flexible
>> MIDI input interface (software) seems to me to be a really great idea.
>>
>> At the moment things I would like to do force me to use a MIDI programming
>> language instead of using all these new fancy GUI applications with much more
>> and much better options apart from their MIDI support than the simple
>> programming environment has. I have to program nearly everything on my own.
>> And I find myself running against walls because there are just too many things
>> that simply do not work.
>>
>> I wonder if noone else has a MIDI "Start/Stop" feature on their wishlist for
>> their favourite drum computer program, or "Fill
>> 1/Fill2/Ending1/Ending2/Variation" etc. (which applications like hydrogen do
>> not yet have but they are on their way).
>>
>> I wonder if noone else prefers a real hardware turning knob over a GUI mouse
>> slider (which cannot be moved from keyboard, as there is no MIDI controller
>> input for the slider...).
>>
>> What do You think? Anything worth adding for You here? Is better MIDI input of
>> applications worth asking for?
>>
>> Would like to learn more...
>
> In my particular case, as the developer of Jackbeat, MIDI support has been
> postponed until I get a clear idea on how to do it right. I would like to
> achieve something as user-friendly as possible, but that can still be adapted to
> various hardware.
>
> So, I need ideas and feedback, and yours would be appreciated as new tickets or
> by commenting the relevant ones:
>
> http://jackbeat.samalyse.org/ticket/20
> http://jackbeat.samalyse.org/ticket/21
> http://jackbeat.samalyse.org/ticket/19
>
> Here are the questions that come to my mind:
> - what would be the best MIDI configuration system in Jackbeat?
> - how to achieve *both* easy and flexible bindings with a control surface?
> - should a hw knob control a fixed track and/or the current GUI active track?
> - what hardware do/would you use, and what are their peculiarities?
>
> --
>  Olivier
>
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>

regarding your first two questions: I use a device with multiple knobs
(as I am sure do many others), so it makes sense to have multiple
assignable knobs, one option being the current active track makes
sense.

Regarding flexible/easy setup, implement midi learn, it is simple:
user presses learn button on GUI control (ie. a right click context
menu on each knob or slider), then moves a slider or knob on midi
device, software takes the fist cc it sees from the external device,
and assigns it to that software control. IE I right click and select
"learn" on the track 3 fader, then I move a slider that sends CC 6,
from now on CC 6 controls the track 3 fader (and for bonus points,
have anything other than midi that changes the track 3 fader
(automation, gui activity, etc.) SEND a CC 6, for those of us with
motorized or LED-ring knobs/faders).



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