software controller for hardware synths

[atom]

This is my project, i've been working on this for some time, a early alpha version is available for download. I write this here cause this is not a software synthesizer, this is only for processing/generating MIDI events.

http://code.google.com/p/ctrlr/

Main features are:

- can send ANY midi message, including sysex
- can have any GUI, you create them in a nice little editor (see the WIKI)
- you get a processBlock loop, this gives you information about TIME and position
- all parameters are available in LUA, you can generate any custom midi messages there, create complex dependencies, anything is possible
- it is cross platform, for now just Win32 build by i got my Leopard running and i will do a OSX build soon, linux is also possible if someone wishes, it's all based on JUCE code so where JUCE goes this goes, standalone version will be also available
- it can send MIDI events directly to the VST host for it process or just write directly to MIDI hardware ports
- MIDI Input (not implemented yet) from hardware ports and VST

i ddin't have much time to document this yet, i'm writing about this to get your ideas for this sort of software. do you think it's missing some basic functionality, will you use it at all ? and any other suggestions feedback are welcome.

also if you think of using this, can you please tell me what sort of OS/hardware are you using, i really don't know if making a OSX build or a Linux build is a good idea and so on.

[organsymphony]

I'm very interested in this!

I'm a mac OS user. On leopard if that's important.

Hardware wise id most likely use it to control/edit a Roland D-50 (got one coming soon i hope) and a DSI mopho.

The mopho is strange, its midi CC/NRPNs are ranged 0-164, so whether that would be a possibility with your software i am not sure.

Sam

[atom]

any midi message type, RPN, NRPN, CC, AfterTouch, Channel Pressure are built in, so they don't need LUA just a simple definition of witch slider sends witch controller number, the range is also not a problem every modifier has a min and max values. I'll try to update all docs ASAP on the Wiki pages so it's all clear how it works. I'll try to do a mac build today.

[scope4live]

Is it possible to have combinations ganged togther on a single fader or knob?
This would be sweet to control parameters on a pair of Waldorf Oscillators simultaneously.
Matching Cutoff's on dual filter's, etc.

A great idea even if the combos aren't possible.

[atom]

yes it's possible, when you move one controller a lua function gets called (you can define it) and in that lua code you can alter any other controller(s) using the information like the current value of the knob moved or the time info from the processBlock or whatever you want.

[23]

Atom....




YOU'RE MY FUKIN HERO

[THEODICY]

This could be the answer to a lot of my prayers, however, I do not think I can wrap my head around the coding part If someone wants to make an editor for a SE ATC-1 and a TX81Z I would be eternally grateful

[Yoozer]

Atom....

YOU'RE MY FUKIN HERO

This, exactly. When I have time in the weekend I'm going to check this out for sure - it should wipe away every piece of no-longer maintained software (Unisyn, SoundDiver), Cubase's Device Panels, and the slew of Apple][/Atari/286 DOS editors you have to use emulators for out there.

If there's a way to add one's own XML files to the Wiki pages you could combine both a synth info page and the controller map .

If this does what it says, I'm pretty sure most of us here would gladly give you a few bucks via Paypal or something.

[atom]

two things

if you have a manual for your synth, assuiming it's very old and accepts only sysex messages, it takes a feq lines of lua code to cover the whole device, cause theese message are very similar usually just the controller number and value change and you can easilly wrap it in one function.

i'll setup some kind of site for holding XML definitions from people.

[atom]

i did a mac build and a windows 64bit build, i can't test teh mac build for now cause my pseudo-mac is waaay to slow but i'll sit down to it once i get all the code stable enough, for now if you can test it and tel me if it works on MAC that would be great.

[Altitude]

very nice. A bind to CC would be useful so you could control very complex code with simple CC messages

[atom]

you mean MIDI input ? i will do that definetly, for now you can use your hosts MIDI in and pass it to VST parameters it will do the same thing.

[pflosi]

looks interesting

[StepLogik]

As an FYI (and not to steal atom's thunder - its a very useful piece of software), Music Quest 10 from Sound Quest ( http://www.squest.com/Windows/MidiQuest ... About.html ) does this although its pretty expensive. They have a pretty sizable instrument library as well.

[atom]

i didn't know there was such thing, if ii knew i'd propably just use it, i'll check it out and try to compare it too what i wrote, i'm sure that the amount of instruments they have on the list is nothing compare to what i can support (only those that i have).