MIDIbox SEQ V4 Release + Feedback

[Hawkeye]

skunks, of course you can, but why would you, cost is neglectable and later on you may need them ;-)

Edited November 12, 2010 by Hawkeye

[grizz]

I have a few feature questions:

1. When I am setting up tracks to control my seppoman SSM2044 filter is there a setting for "range" similar to the MB-6582? On the MB-6582 I set the range in ensemble->FIL->min=000 max=FFF. On the sequencer I am initializing the filter tracks as CC data, and the cutoff channels I am setting on INV, and the resonance on V/Oct. I'm just not sure about the range aspect, and I would like to make sure I am getting the full range.

BTW, I'm using 2 AOUT_NG's and 2 ssm2044 filters... 1 controlled by the MB-6582, and the other controlled with the MB-SEQ.

2. Is it possible to change all 4 pattern groups with one knob? Like maybe the transport?

CHEERS!!!

grizz

[skunks]

Hawkeye, maybe you are right, thinking about the future I'll add a couple of MIDI OUTs :)

[TK.]

1. When I am setting up tracks to control my seppoman SSM2044 filter is there a setting for "range" similar to the MB-6582? On the MB-6582 I set the range in ensemble->FIL->min=000 max=FFF. On the sequencer I am initializing the filter tracks as CC data, and the cutoff channels I am setting on INV, and the resonance on V/Oct. I'm just not sure about the range aspect, and I would like to make sure I am getting the full range.

yes, I could simply add a range, but this also means that I will have to restructure the CV configuration page which is a bit time consuming :-/

2. Is it possible to change all 4 pattern groups with one knob? Like maybe the transport?

If you want to change all patterns at once, just use the Phrase feature (-> song page)

It allows you to predefine 16 sets of patterns (but also mutes, tempos, mixer pages, etc) and to "fire" them with the GP buttons.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[TK.]

Beta31 is available now:

MIDIboxSEQ V4.0beta31

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


  o a powerful session import/export function has been added.

    It allows you to copy one or multiple patterns to any session location.

    Both functions are available in the Utility->Disk page


  o "Save as.." shows the current session name as default name

[/code]


Snapshot of the new pages:


and


and



I really missed this! :)


Best Regards, Thorsten.

[mastomo]

o a powerful session import/export function has been added.

It allows you to copy one or multiple patterns to any session location.

Both functions are available in the Utility->Disk page

this is absolutely great,

and it works !!!

thousand thanks :flowers:

[nuke]

fett!!... ;) didn´t upgrade yet but will soon!

[latigid on]

Hmmm, thoughts about the chasing step LEDs of the new Sequentix Cirklon?

http://www.sequentix.com/cirklon.htm

Am I allowed to speak its name? :blink:

[mastomo]

hello everyone,

something weird is happening since my last update (Beta31)

here is the thing :

Pattern A1 G1T1 plays drums for OUT1 midi channel 10

Pattern A2 G1T1 plays bass for OUT1 midi 1

Pattern A3 G1T1 plays drums for midi channel 10

i'm starting with A2, everything is fine.

- > stop

change to A1

- > play : G1T1 is playing, but my drum's synth is not receiving any messages.

- > stop

change to A3 : everything is fine

change to A1 : everything is fine

my solution is really easy : all my patterns got the same shape. G1T1 channel 10, G1T2 channel 1, G1T3 channel 2 and G1T4 channel 3.

hope i make it clear.

[TK.]

Unfortunately I'm not able to reproduce this.

Could you please send me your session in a .zip file?

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[mastomo]

Hello TK,

i just send you a PM with a link for a session.

this session will match with a GM module.

btw, i'm really happy today because i'm leaving Paris this morning for one week. i'm going to play my music in St Louis Senegal for a festival. :clover:

of course i'm bringing my MBSeq V4 to play with it. :smile:

i will try to take some nice pictures of this.

have a nice day

[TK.]

Your session files were really helpful, as the issue only happened under special circumstances.

CC links were not updated correctly as some of them depend on the number of (drum) instruments.

Since CCs are recovered before the number of instruments is configured, SEQ_CC_LinkUpdate(track) failed.

-> fixed! :)

Looking forward to see some pictures of your session, and maybe also a MP3 of your track, as I listened to it multiple times during debugging - on a GM synth it sounds promising ;)

So - ChangeLog of Beta32:

MIDIboxSEQ V4.0beta32

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


  o now it's possible to import/export songs/mixer maps/groove templates/local config as well


  o added DEBOUNCE_DELAY to MBSEQ_HW.V4


  o fixed pattern change on Normal->Drum tracks

[/code]


Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Gridracer]

Great fun those "dotted delays" and the Export function comes really handy!

But could it be possible that the "store as" function in the sessions menu doesnt work any more since at least beta 31?

Or am I just messing up something?

When I enter a new name for the current session and press store, I get the message that all four patterns are stored,

but they are stored to the current sesion and no new session is created.

(Creating a new session or storing the current session with the according function still works fine)

Best regards

Gridracer

[TK.]

When I enter a new name for the current session and press store, I get the message that all four patterns are stored,

but they are stored to the current sesion and no new session is created.

(Creating a new session or storing the current session with the according function still works fine)

Ooops! :-/

Beta33 is available now:

MIDIboxSEQ V4.0beta33

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


  o "SAVE AS.." name check now working as intended:

    - if filename is identical to current session, only the current 4 patterns will 

      be stored (like if you would push the SAVE button)

    - if filename is not identical, the current session will be transfered into

      a new directory

[/code]


Best Regards, Thorsten.

[mastomo]

beta33 is cool.

everything is ok by my side

[Hawkeye]

Hi Thorsten!

Great work on the MBSEQ V4 - my build process just allowed me to visit all the menus for the first time - really great stuff in there :-)

"First-time-user" impressions:

* when pressing "exit", while being in the menu I would have expected to get back to edit mode - and not to enter the currently active menu item - this is not important at all, there is an "edit" button for that, but it would be nice for me (even when in deeper menus, press exit a few times to "get out").

* the left and right buttons (i have added them in a cursor-key layout additionally to the up and down buttons) do work in some areas, in some they don´t - e.g. in the menu all is fine - in the edit mode i can use only the right button to get to the next step - also not important.

* scrub is cool :-)

* would it be possible to get a "tempo" button just in the way of scrub? Just a shortcut to the bpm menu and selecting the current speed as long as it is pressed? This would be very cool for live tempo fades ;-) (i am aware of the very nice tempo preset button and page)

* the "tap tempo" button did not work for me somehow (beta33)

Otherwise: can´t get the smile off my face - I have added a youtube "first startup" video for your reference, also demonstrating the power of "temporary fast" (FAST2) starting at 00:25 and the insanely quick update speed of VFDs compared to cheap LCDs.

Have a happy new year!

Peter

Edited January 2, 2011 by Hawkeye

[TK.]

Thanks for the feedback - the first impression is always the most important one! :)

* when pressing "exit", while being in the menu I would have expected to get back to edit mode - and not to enter the currently active menu item - this is not important at all, there is an "edit" button for that, but it would be nice for me (even when in deeper menus, press exit a few times to "get out").

I need this behaviour very often, e.g. when doing small changes in a pattern from any menu page to store the changes from the main menu, and to switch back to the page. There is no other button which would allow this.

Just align your habits and press EDIT to exit the main menu instead ;)

* the left and right buttons (i have added them in a cursor-key layout additionally to the up and down buttons) do work in some areas, in some they don´t - e.g. in the menu all is fine - in the edit mode i can use only the right button to get to the next step - also not important.

Since I don't use these buttons very often, it's very likely that I forgot to add the appr. code in seq_ui_*.c

Could you please give me a list of pages where these buttons don't work?

* scrub is cool :-)

I know! :)

* would it be possible to get a "tempo" button just in the way of scrub? Just a shortcut to the bpm menu and selecting the current speed as long as it is pressed? This would be very cool for live tempo fades ;-) (i am aware of the very nice tempo preset button and page)

Makes sense, I added this to the TODO list.

* the "tap tempo" button did not work for me somehow (beta33)

thats strange - I checked the code and found that it even will be checked twice (one redundant line ;)) - but I don't see the reason why this button shouldn't work.

I will test this with my HW soon.

Otherwise: can´t get the smile off my face - I have added a youtube "first startup" video for your reference, also demonstrating the power of "temporary fast" (FAST2) starting at 00:25 and the insanely quick update speed of VFDs compared to cheap LCDs.

An interesting perspective (side view) which can only be realized with a VFD! :)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Hawkeye]

Re: "Left Button"

Since I don't use these buttons very often, it's very likely that I forgot to add the appr. code in seq_ui_*.c

Could you please give me a list of pages where these buttons don't work?

This really is lowest-priority, as not too many people have those buttons, I guess...

The right button works fine, the left button does not work in these menus:

Edit, Mixer, Track Events, Track Mode, Track Direction, Track ClockDivider, Track Length, Track Groove, Track Triggers, Track Morphing, Random Generator, Record, Track Fx: *, Global Fx: *, BPM Selection, Options, Save Pattern, Metronome, MIDI Configuration, probably SysEx, CV Configuration, Ethernet (OSC)

Navigating "cursor style" in the normal edit menu is probably a nice alternative for minor step adjustments.

Re: Tempo Button

Makes sense, I added this to the TODO list.

That is great! Thanks!

Re: Tap Tempo Button

thats strange - I checked the code and found that it even will be checked twice (one redundant line ;)) - but I don't see the reason why this button shouldn't work.

I will test this with my HW soon.

The interesting thing is, the TAP_TEMPO_LED is lit, when tap tempo is pressed. But nothing happens in the displays, also no speed change after pressing it 5 times in a row or so...

Bye and thanks for this great piece of hard- and software :-)

Peter

Edited January 2, 2011 by Hawkeye

[Hawkeye]

Sorry for double posting, but after a good nights sleep...

Regarding the scrub-like tempo button - would you wait on the implementation?

I´d really like to have a dedicated "pushable" (that´s why the datawheel is not good for it) tempo rotary encoder and am also willing to produce "proper code", if you are interested in accepting it into your codebase ;-).

Greets and best regards,

Peter

Edited January 3, 2011 by Hawkeye

[TK.]

Thats fine for me, just try it :)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Echopraxia]

I think I am on beta 30.

I am using reaper to start the seqv4 but I have to set a track's clock divider to 64 to get it to sync properly with reaper. When it is set to the normal 16 it goes really fast. I am experimenting with recording seqv4's mid output to reaper and from reaper spitting it out to my synths so I can have a graphical editor for my v4 :)

[Echopraxia]

Now I am trying to figure out the step record mode using a keyboard. I can't figure out how to skip steps. I just want to be able to hit one key for step one then skip a few steps and then hit another key to input a note into step 5. Beta 30 I think. When I go to record page it shows record parameters and when I hit a key it then shows the edit mode and I can see the keys coming in but I can't figure out how to advance the steps without hitting inputting a whole bunch of keys. I read in the manual under record page it says to use the encoder below the step but when I turn an encoder it adjusts the record parameters and not the step to which I want a note to be placed on. Am i making sense?

figured it out.

Edited January 30, 2011 by Echopraxia

[Echopraxia]

I'm playing with the recording feature. I think the use of a second step mode would be a nice workable update. I am thinking step modes #2 would not advance the step when you hit a key on your keyboard. So you could hit a whole bunch of keys and you would just be overwriting on that one step. Plus if this is handled this way you can input a note and then be able to toggle that note on or empty/off (or any note??) each time you hit a key. So to explain in real words... hit key = note on, hit key again = note off. And still use the one encoder to advance the steps. Making sense? I hope there are no conflicts when running the sequencer.

[stuartm]

... I am thinking step modes #2 would not advance the step when you hit a key on your keyboard. So you could hit a whole bunch of keys and you would just be overwriting on that one step. ...

Could be very useful to insert Chords on very specific steps.

[vcfool]

I have been thinking that such a feature would be useful too.

Maybe just adding an "Advance Step Parameter" like the one found on most Tracker style sequencers: Set it to "0" not to advance any step when inserting a note, set it to "4" and advance in quarter notes intervals... etc...