separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

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Neutron
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separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

So i somehow ended up ordering this thing which i have wanted for 5 years! (i got to try one out and it is a way of playing that really suits me) it is in transit right now. (Haken continuum)

anyways i think the time will come when i decide to create a synth for it in scope (maybe after i can get the SDK for XITE?)

From what i understand, the continuum sends each "finger" on a different MIDI channel, so the synth would have to work different from a normal MVC,
maybe i could put 8 MVCs in the synth and have the MIDI number preset on each one, that seems really clunky. Can anyone tell me if there is some kind of "channel to voice" MVC or something?
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by dawman »

Bloody Lucky You..
Saw it one time with a full blown Kyma and immediately wanted to get one, then I saw the price..........
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by HUROLURA »

Just to make things clear.
Would you like to have different presets on the differents midi channels ?
- If, so I would guess the easiest way would be to setup the synth as a standalone monophonic device as usual, then load 16 instance of it and loading the wanted preset on each instance.
- If not (one only preset with the same settings but different control values for X, Y , Z), just raise the polyphony to 16 and use omni mode. I know you would have some trouble because the CC messages are not note dedicated but then you could setup the X to be note number, Y to be velocity and Z to PolyAT to get the triplet messages for each finger. If used with a self made synth this trick should work ?
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

actually it would want the same presets and controls on each identical synth, but i guess each synth would have a separate MVC, and they would have to always be at the same "polyphony" (i would use 6-8 probably) as it would have to be hardwired and have the MIDI channels preset. its not so bad because only 1 set of controls, and thats the most painful bit for me in SDK.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by HUROLURA »

Neutron wrote:actually it would want the same presets and controls on each identical synth, but i guess each synth would have a separate MVC, and they would have to always be at the same "polyphony" (i would use 6-8 probably) as it would have to be hardwired and have the MIDI channels preset. its not so bad because only 1 set of controls, and thats the most painful bit for me in SDK.
I do not get the reason why you would have polyphony on each finger ? Did I miss something ? By the way I also do not know many people playing with more than ten fingers ?

My guess is you would like to retrig some notes while the previous one are still giving sound thanks to enveloppe release for example.

What I do not get about the Continuum is the Midi channel allocation (I understand that the goal is to have more message available for each note to expand expression capabilities) as the "keyboard" provide more than 16 "notes"...
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

I think it is because the continuum has separate pressure for each finger, but not enough synths support poly pressure, it uses channel pressure instead. (i am not sure about that though)

Actually i thought about it a bit more. say you were playing with 2 fingers, and the y axis was controlling filter frequency. if you were using one MIDI channel, then moving only one finger forward would cause the filters to move for the voice assigned to both fingers which are playing, and they would fight against one another, so this way you not only have(fake) poly pressure, but poly (any CC you like).
Last edited by Neutron on Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by HUROLURA »

Isn't it possible to remap the messages sent by the X, Y and Z axis to different ones (Note, Vel + PolyAT) as I suggested. Then the Continuum could behave like a PolyAT capable masterkeyboard with quite a different palying feeling.

I also understand that resolution is not the same if you want to go beyond the 7-bits standard resolution.
But as the original CC MSB/LBS message structure has already been spoiled in many synth implementation, it would now be difficult to find an universal way of reaching the 14-bits resolution as it would have been possible with Pitch bend messages or RPN/NRPN messages.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

I just updated my post, i think you will see why it is done that way.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by HUROLURA »

I understood, then your wish would be to have the same mono synth at each of your fingers with individual settings twicking facilities.

Using note, velocity and PolyAT setting instead of CC would do the trick then as they are dedicated to each individual note.
This would provide the finger individual life.

But then my idea about a single polyphonic device in MIDI omni mode wouldn't work as the common control would become crazy. I guess it is still hard to figure out how to implement such things. Maybe a set of several monosynth with common preset and UI mapped to different midi channel with additionnal realtime parameters available for realtime twicking independent of patch information.
Just remembered the expression and breath control param I implemented in my OSS 107 could be used for that with several instances of the plug. You would still need to load the preset individually but maybe it is worth giving it a try before diving to see waht is OK or not.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

velocity only happens at the start of a note, and the XYZ have to be changeable at all times after a note is pressed.

i will try and build a synth with several MVC, and several monosynth engines inside, and link one panel to all of them.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by jksuperstar »

I don't have enough info about the Modulars of scope yet, but is there a module that can detect which Voice of a polyphonic synth you are using? The Nord G2 has a module like this, and you could use it to parse out specifics for a given voice.
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by Neutron »

jksuperstar wrote:I don't have enough info about the Modulars of scope yet, but is there a module that can detect which Voice of a polyphonic synth you are using? The Nord G2 has a module like this, and you could use it to parse out specifics for a given voice.

its not very common, i could even do it on an arduino.

some synths like the virus, sure i can easilly load up the right way, but it will be a shame to only be able to use the solaris monophonically. (but i bet it will make up for it with coolness)
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Re: separate MIDI chan to voice on single synth?

Post by HUROLURA »

Neutron wrote:
jksuperstar wrote:I don't have enough info about the Modulars of scope yet, but is there a module that can detect which Voice of a polyphonic synth you are using? The Nord G2 has a module like this, and you could use it to parse out specifics for a given voice.

its not very common, i could even do it on an arduino.

some synths like the virus, sure i can easilly load up the right way, but it will be a shame to only be able to use the solaris monophonically. (but i bet it will make up for it with coolness)
Zarg Quantum Wave have 4 instruments but as with over zarg plug-ins you'll have to wait for an Xite optimized version from JB.
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