Hi everyone.
I’ve not posted in a long time and maybe lost track of the most recent developments. So feel free to discard this post if irrelevant.
I was wondering if it would be complicated to add an input midi port to all the plugins in order to control the plugin’s parameter from the output of a midi plugin (or the system’s input).
I believe it could open a lot of nice possibilities.
Cheers
I my opinion this is not really necessary. There are enough plugins for controlling Midi, like the CV plugins. With these you can do even more then just send one message (e.g. by just sending a midi CC you can slowly turn the knob of a parameter of a plugin: if you take the CC directly the value will be changed directly). In my eyes the philosophy behind the Mod system is more having specialized plugins for certain tasks instead of each plugin is doing all. The combination “makes the music”. And vice versa you can even send CC and PC with the help of Mindi.
While I understand Kim’s point, simplifying control assignment would go a long way in alleviating the learning curve for new users.
If the Dwarf is aimed at guitarists, most of the target audience is not terribly familiar with CV. Yes, it’s powerful, but it potentially adds frustration to an already ‘alien’ experience compared with competing devices.
Having a simpler, more familiar route, while still having the powerful option of CV, would allow the best of both worlds. How much of a priority is assigned to this is obviously up to the dev team. And yes, most if not all can be done already if you’re willing to put the effort into understanding the process.
@Azza - If you enable the virtual midi loop option, most parameters can be controlled in the way that you describe. I’d be interested in hearing particular examples of what you’re trying to achieve to see if we can help devise a solution.
That is a very good point, I have to agree with that.
I have to agree with that as well, @FistfulOfStars. Whereas @Kim is right that this is already doable, it is not easy, simple, or streamlined.
The only issue I see is that I’m not sure this can be done at the “global” level – that is, the Mod managed OS. Instead, I believe it would have to be implemented for each plugin. (Please correct me if I’m wrong.)
If anything, a nice manual and/or tutorial – text, pictures and video – on how to create those MIDI assignments via CV plugins could be an asset for new/current users and ultimately solidify MOD’s stance on CVs as opposed to midi inputs, even if just to buy them time until the latter can be implemented.
I am aware of the virtual midi loop and it is indeed allowing to do most of the stuff. But I think it would also be quite simpler and more user friendly to simply drag a mid cable into a plugin and have the ability to add this midi input into the midi learn list of assignable controls. It is just so much more straightforward. I agree it would need to be done “per plugin” (with a job at the global level for the midi learn/assignation bit) and might need modifying most of the existing ones though. Still, we could encourage newly developed ones to offer that option. Or maybe there could be a modification in the dev libs that would allow to add it to most plugins without having to do it individually. What do you think @falkTX ?
I dont see the point. the MIDI learn is a global option, that applies on the host to all plugins equally.
If we make it per plugin, we can get into issues where the same CC is applied to multiple parameters at the same time. For that there are better options, like allowing to specify the CC+Channel manually
I agree with @FistfulOfStars that cv is a steep learning curve for new users but I don’t think midi is the answer. I agree with @QuestionMarc that it needs to be done on a global level. I think the answer is macros
Agree here as well. The big issue with loopback and learn is that any MIDI assignments currently HAVE to use global MIDI learn and therefore if you’re sending MIDI data into the Mod via serial or USB, then processed within the Mod, then to the virtual loopback, the learn cannot just “listen” to the loopback port and it “hears” the unprocessed incoming signal simultaneously with the processed loopback and assigns the parameter to the unprocessed controller. I’ve run into this when using MIDI plugins and the loopback to make a momentary CC footswitch a toggle. I had to use a separate external controller send MIDI data for the learn so that the loopback would ultimately work. So indeed like @falkTX said, allowing specification of CC/channel/port on the mapping page would be the best and most useful option.
It’s not just that, though—since MIDI learn can be applied to any parameter in a plugin, and virtually none of the plugins have only a single parameter, how do you decide what that developer-added per-plugin MIDI port would control?