On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 5:17 AM, Olivier Guilyardi <ml(a)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
_______________________________________________
Linux-audio-user mailing list
Linux-audio-user(a)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).