MIDIbox SEQ V4 Wishlist

[TK.]

that leads me to my next question. does the architecture of some modules change? if yes, which ones?

Hardware changes:

 
• MBHP_CORE has to be be replaced by MBHP_CORE_STM32
   
• LCD connectors to J15 have to be changed (they have an 1:1 pinning now, which is less complicated than the pinning of MBHP_CORE, and compatible with the Ultracore
   
• BankSticks not supported anymore (obsolete)
   
• instead a SD Card has to be used (which is cheaper than BankSticks anyhow). It will be possible to access the SD Card via USB as a mass storage device, so that no external card reader is required to exchange data with a PC/Mac. This means, that you could solder the cables directly on the SD Card pads to ommit the SD socket.
   
• on an existing MIDIbox, you have to modify the rear panel for the USB socket and the second MIDI In/Out
  

Thats all. I already migrated my MBSEQ V3 in order to prove this (now I've two MBSEQ V4s :))

Do you think it is a good idea to start with V4 as a newbie or should I start with V3?

The STM32 based solution is less complicated than the PIC, therefore better for Newbies.

E.g., no trouble with SysEx transfers via your MIDI interface, because STM32 provides an integrated USB interface. Once connected, you are able to upload code from MIOS Studio.

There is an on-board LED which tells you that the chip is running. It even runs if no crystal is connected (in this case USB won't work though)

Also debugging the core is easier thanks to the verbose debug terminal, which prints text messages (instead of cryptic MIDI events) when anything goes wrong.

Etc...

That's nice! But from looking at that file I could not figure out if it will be possible to assign menu functions to the F1-F4 buttons like on MB SEQ3.4 by editing SEQ_BUTTONS.INC:

e.g. I use the F2,3,4 buttons to call MORPH, MIXER, TRANSPOSE Page as I use them frequently.

I just have added BUTTON_MORPH, BUTTON_MIXER and BUTTON_TRANSPOSE

How would this look like in MBSEQ_HW, or is it no longer possible?

I will add such functions on request, because there is enough memory free to provide such options in a single binary (currently only ca. 30% of the flash memory is used), and programming them in C is so simple that no testing is required at my side before releasing such an extension.

Everybody is still free to change the source code by himself of course like you did for V3. The hook is called "SEQ_UI_Button_Handler(u32 pin, u32 pin_value)"

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Gridracer]

[quote name=TK on: 2009-05-19 at 20:38

]I just have added BUTTON_MORPH, BUTTON_MIXER and BUTTON_TRANSPOSE

[moroe]

hi

just another idea:

would it be possible to link two MBHP_CORE_STM32 together ?

this would be a solution to get 32 tracks.

i know the new drumtrack concept, but  i wanna give each drum a seperate track because of the ability to mute each drum instrument with a button.

the only problem is that both cores have to share the same displays, knobs and buttons.

we could switch between the two cores with a dedicated button

i would also like to use the midi ins and outs of the second MBHP_CORE_STM32 so no routing of midi data to the first core is needed

greets

moroe

[TK.]

An UI link between two cores would produce an immense effort at my side, and I wouldn't use such an option by myself, therefore: no

Wouldn't it be better to provide "local trigger/parameter layer mutes"?

Each track can already play 16 drum instruments, means: the sequencer can already handle up to 256 "drum tracks" in parallel. The only feature you need is to mute these individual drums, correct? This would cost 32 bytes RAM - much less than all the code/RAM for a core link.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[stryd_one]

layer mutes

Yes please! :D

[nILS]

Embedded coffee machine? That seems to be the only feature really really missing :D I love where this goes!

[latigid on]

Automated C/TK compiler:

Your new feature requests made in plain english/german are automatically uploaded to the main file.

:)

[/tilted/]

Layer mutes / mute groups would be very nice.

Some DAW platforms allow tracks to be grouped in folders. This could be a way to ease display congestion.

ie, in one display mode, you might see the folders (drums, bass, leads, samples) etc.

if you select a group or folder, you can access the contents, so by selecting (drums), you essentially 'zoom in' to see Kick, Snare, Hats,

This dosen't mean adding tracks, but instead adds a mute layer which would allow sections of the key range (or even individual keys) to be muted, hence you could mute the kick part, or mute a sub-octave bass part, or lead harmony part.

Perhaps the mute could also allow a quick and dirty transpose, so for that layer you could mute, or play the kick part temporarily as a tom, or combined kick/cymbal. Or the bass suboctave could become a diatonic harmony part...

[stryd_one]

Also: Layer mutes+chord track+arp=fun.

[latigid on]

I'm dreaming again, sorry, but I'm thinking about a function where divisions of the clock (e.g.4/2/1/0.5/0.25, triplets etc.) will always be output to a dedicated "gate" socket, kind-of like on the MBCV but smaller divisions. I realise the "J5 gates" or additional gates from the SRIO could be used and cascaded, but a track would have to be set up for each division.

I think it would add a dimension to the analog out area.

Regards,

[Futureman]

...but I'm thinking about a function where divisions of the clock (e.g.4/2/1/0.5/0.25, triplets etc.) will always be output to a dedicated "gate" socket...

But you can do exactly that with the J5 Gate outs, just set a pattern to 16th's, and change the clock divider.

The gate out's rock.. I can't preach how good enough they are (incase you don't have a SEQ with em).. I've got a crap load of stuff that runs off triggers, and it's a godsend to have 8 of them at my disposal (Well, 16 if you count both sequencers. ;] )

Personally, I prefer the flexibility of generating my own trigger patterns than just 16th, 8ths or triplets etc... you can't spend your whole life writing 8th basslines.. lol.

Regards

Mike

[latigid on]

Clock divider, of course.

Sounds good, now I just need some time...

Regards,

[TK.]

It's now possible to mute layers of the selected track by pressing&holding the MUTE button.

This gives you also a nice overview about the instruments which are played by the track:

In the normal mute page, tracks are marked with a small "m" if individual layers are muted to improve the oversight (partially muted tracks can be confusing if you don't remember the disabled layers...)

Note that a common track (non-drums) can be muted as well.

This allows you to (for example) to mute CC lines, or to disable effects like Roll or Probability:

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[moroe]

wow this was fast

great job

greets

moroe

[/tilted/]

Nice going, TK!  :)

Is there a function to quickly un-mute all partial mutes?

Perhaps a combination shift-mute-track# or similar?

[Schrittmacher]

Ok Girls and Guys, just my 5 cent for this Thread.

After a few Mails with TK i had a request for a special funktion that called "Shift Sequence"

Shift means:

I had a Simple Sequence with 4 Steps

1->2->3->4 ....  when i activate this funktion the order is:

1->2->3->4

4->1->2->3

3->4->1->2

2->3->4->1

after this 4 cycles he begins with the original sequence

A famous musician called Klaus Schulze from Germany spoke about this in the 1970 years

he used this on his analog sequencer moog model Q960.

This can be combined with random: the sequenced got shifted with a randomize stepsize and cycle.

Track Cycle: means, the sequence got shifted after "x" durations, maybe 1-16 or more.

Stepsize: Shifting with a value from 1-32 

For example:

Track Cycle 1

Stepsize 2

he starts with    1->2->3->4

after one cycle   3->4->1->2

next                 1->2->3->4

again and again

I hope that was understandable?   Suggestions!

Marco

[TK.]

And here is the contemporary work (insider joke) ;)

Following simple 4-step sequence is played:

The tone colour is varied with a 16-step CC track:

It sounds like this: mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len4n.mp3

Repetitive and boring.

Ok, now we have some new magic "experimental progression parameters" in the Track Direction page, right side:

• Itv. (Interval): defines an interval of x steps after which:
  
• Repeat: the step will be repeated n times
  
• Skip: and/or m steps will be skipped
  

In following example each 4 steps one step is skipped: mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len4s.mp3

And here each 4 steps the step will be played twice (repeat=1): mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len4r.mp3

Now let's try it with 16 notes:

Again the result: repetitive and boring: mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len16n.mp3

Let's try Interval=4 and Skip=1: mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len16s.mp3

Or Interval=4 and Repeat=1: mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len16r.mp3

Or Interval=5 (uneven) and Repeat=3 (uneven as well): mbseqv4_demo_progitv_len16x.mp3

Fun! :)

Selectable Interval: 1..64 steps

Selectable Repeats: 0..16 steps

Selectable Skips: 0..16 steps

All parameters can be controlled from a loopback track for automated variations while the sequencer is playing. But tweaking the values manually and using a static setting already results into very interesting results.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Schrittmacher]

And here is the contemporary work (insider joke) ;)

Great work TK!

It seems to me, more like a Ultimate Edition V4 (Insider Joke again)

Sounds very nice! i can´t wait until the unveiling the Version 4

Many thanks the Grandmaster TK

Marco

[matoz]

Hello,

I'd like to know if it will be possible to select several midi Out per track?

It could be interesting to control several devices with one track.

Perhaps it is stupid, but what about the possibility to select several midi channel out per track too?

And the same thing for Aout... and mix of them (Aout+midi)

(Lot of combinations!!!)

And the same idea for inputs: possibility of routing several midi in and/or analogue in into one track.

thanks , very good work!

Loic

[matoz]

i was thinking about a thing like a sort of sub menu when we have selected a track, a sub menu in event menu and buttons ABCDEFGH could be selection of different midi out and buttons 12345678 the selection of Aout.

regards

Loic

[Gridracer]

Hello TK, a tiny wish from my side:

Could you please add, anytime, just before the official release,

the definition of a record button

to the MBSEQ_HW file to call the record page ?

On my SEQ V3 i assigned the record page to one of the F-buttons

as I like to have quick access to it when fooling around with a keyeboard.

Thanks a lot  and best regards

gridracer

[TK.]

Ok, I added a record button and LED

i was thinking about a thing like a sort of sub menu when we have selected a track, a sub menu in event menu and buttons ABCDEFGH could be selection of different midi out and buttons 12345678 the selection of Aout.

Problems: confusing handling if not consistently provided for most parameters in all menu pages, and there are more than 8 MIDI Output ports (currently: 20 different ports like USB1-4, UART1-2, IIC1-8, OSC1-4, AOUT1-4, Bus1-4, etc...) and more than 8 AOUT channels.

I already spent some thoughts on providing a "quickselection page" of up to 16 "most important values" when pressing the SELECT button. But by thinking a step further I came to the conclusion, that this would only result into a lot of additional effort and many complains from users who think that they found a bug if a certain parameter isn't selectable or not visible on the page (e.g. MIDI Channel Selection in MIDI page: 1-16 could be selected, but what about "All" and "None" - a user could overlook such important options if he only uses the quickselection but never turns the encoder below the value)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[moroe]

hello

how will songmode organize the patterns ?

is there a graphical display to see at which time which pattern is located ?

something like this:

songposition      01 02 03 04 : 05 06 07 08 : 09 10 11 12 : 13 14 15 16

pattern              01 01 01 01 : 23 23 23 23 : 15 15 15 15 : 24 24 24 24

and please please some news about progress of the seq v4 :)

greets

moroe

[TK.]

Song mode: just read the manual of V3 - it's sufficient, nothing will be changed here.

News: you could follow the log of this SVN directory

http://svnmios.midibox.org/listing.php?repname=svn.mios32&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fapps%2Fsequencers%2Fmidibox_seq_v4%2F

The firmware is already in use by two friends and myself.

All new features are working perfectly - no bugs so far, only unimplemented minor features which I don't find so important.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[moroe]

Hi Thorsten

Thx for reply

Do you have already tried to implement the synthesizer preset send and receive option ?

Greets

Moroe