Can anyone tell me if there is a plan for a multichannel (6 or more) input/output version of the MOD?
Hi VanceG,
I can’t answer your question, but I’m curios as to why you’d need 6+ i/o?
Are you doing something with turntables or looking to mix more instruments?
Cheers, -Harry
I have several guitar which have separate outputs for each string. I’m looking for a platform which will allow me to do basic processing such as EQ, Compression, Pitch Shifting, Distortion on each string individually. Right now I’m using standard laptops or Eventide H8000’s, both of which are difficult or expensive.
I think it’s highly unlikely that there will be a future version of the MOD with more than 2 channels. But if there’s enough demand for it we should of course keep our options open. Maybe a 19" rack version of the MOD? Who knows 
Jeremy
Just thinking out loud: You could theoretically run the MOD software in three virtual machines and use three USB interfaces to achieve that. Actually just two VMs, because you can run the software on the host as well. And if you have a MOD, you’d only need one VM.
You can’t just use 3 USB interfaces.
For separate string pick-up you do want identical pre-amps for all strings and sample-synchronization.
But yes, you could run the MOD software on a PC with an appropriate multi-channel soundcard, but no you do not want a Virtual Machine or two. For realtime processing you do want to be as close to bare-metal as possible.
Agreed - It really should be a single interface, or at least 3 interfaces which are all sample locked to each other.
I was just thinking that perhaps there was a plan afoot to design a MOD box with 6 or 8 inputs.
For separate string pick-up you do want identical pre-amps for all strings and sample-synchronization.
Would be desirable, yes. But the levels could be adjusted individually and I doubt you would hear differences in the pre-amps, after all, effects are applied to the strings anyway and thus reducing the influence of the soundcard.
with an appropriate multi-channel soundcard
The MOD software has only two inputs. How would you map the soundcard inputs in the software? Can the soundcard be accessed from multpie instances?
For realtime processing you do want to be as close to bare-metal as possible.
Again yes, again desirable. In my tests KXstudio with MOD ran very well in Virtualbox with one core and 1.5GB of memory (no other programs open.) though. The USB is connection is just passed through and should have minimal influence on the latency (if any). Have you tried it in a VM?
That’s key. If you do any DSP you do want gain matched preamps, and not adjust it at all. Particularly for Audio to Midi applications but also otherwise.
Well, that’s easily resolved, you’ve got the source-code. It’s not a hard limit.
Of course it runs, but would it be something you are confident to take on stage?
A high priority task in the host can preempt the complete VM. Then there are two schedulers: One in the host and one in the VM. Worse with two VMs. 128 spp / 48KHz is about 2.6msec. Context-switches, cache flushes, bus/device arbitration etc. worst-case that can well exceed a millisecond. So DSP load will be higher. As for reliability: Can it always meet the processing deadline every 2.6 ms for a period of over 2 hours while your on stage? Doubtful. A lot or OTS hardware can’t even do that.
Anyway, if you have a Desktop (or laptop) you can pretty much run all the effects anyway (they’re all LV2 plugins) in any host, no VM needed.
The real killer here is the convenience of having a robust small device, all in one box, literally plug + play that will also survive a few roadie beer attacks. It’d be great if some day a larger brother will emerge, hopefully with a similarly well spec’ed and high quality ADC/DAC stage as the DUO.
What is the problem with using the same audio interfaces so that volume adjustments are not necessary? Thus IMO not a hard requirement. Also, @vanceg did not mention the need for audio2MIDI.
Let’s agree to differ on the term “easily”, but it can surelye be done.
People take Windows PCs to the stage and I am a bedroom noodler, so I am inclinged to say yes.
FullACK. I would order a multi-input MOD, too.
My personal request for a multichannel processing is specifically for guitars with individual string outputs. I’ve been utilizing multichannel pickups (6 to 8 individual signals, one for each string of a 6 to 8 string instrument) for several years now. Much of that processing has relied on standard off the shelf products such as the Roland VG series of guitar processors. While these are interesting devices, they are designed primarily as “modelers” and are set up to attempt to mimic existing instruments. There are LOADS of creative possibility with these devices, but I would like tools which enable me to do processing not afforded by these off the shelf devices. This is why I’m looking at the MOD as a possible alternative.
Most of my attempts at making my own multichannel/individual string processing has been within the MAX/MSP environment. Other attempts include using high end processors such as the Eventide H8000. These work well but cost (with the H8000) and the requirement of carrying a laptop around (MAX/MSP) make both challenging.
My desire with a device like the MOD would be to provide processing for each string prior to being sent on to other devices which might include other mulitchannel processors, or simply mixed to stereo and sent to other stereo processors. This processing would focus on the effects that are uniquely served by ensuring that the input of each channel is monophonic (you can’t play two notes on one string at any given moment)
The processing/effects I’d like to do in the Mod might include
- Level setting (so YES, having individually adjustable gain for each string is important.)
- “Virtual Pickup Placement” (this is essentially an EQ curve that is applied to each input)
- Pitch shifting each string (to produce alternate tunings)
- Compression
- Distortion
Beyond that, I’d start getting into things like ring modulation, delaying each string etc.
There are whole worlds of interesting processing effects which could be created within these families of effects…
So, that’s my main goal.
And yes, indeed, there are other tools (such as laptop processing using standard audio interfaces) which DO get this job done, but the goal here would be to provide a “stage ready” platform that doesn’t require a laptop and can withstand the standard rigors of touring and being on stage.
There is no change needed. The software (incl. GUI) already runs with N channels as-is. You only need to start jackd using a different device.