[LAU] MIDI Input of LAU Applications

[sonofzev at iinet.net.au]

On Thu May  7  4:27 , Justin Smith  sent:

>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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>> Linux-audio-user at lists.linuxaudio.org
>> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-audio-user
>>
>
>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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>)

I will try to give you some detailed feedback later.. but the ardour
implementation of controllers (including learn) as well as MIDI clock sync
operations are fantastic.. sequencing is getting there... 


Current CVS version of MusE or the 1.0rc2 version (which I think are the same for
today) are a great show of the sequencing and implementation features..