An idea and the understanding of a retarded wet noodle...

[manji]

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right forum or not, and if not, sorry.  I was working on my Roland Sp-808 the other day, and although I love it to death, there are alot of things I would fix on it.  Alot.  So then I got out my trustee pen and paper, and designed what I would want as a general groovebox.  It would be a sampler, 24 track recorder, control surface, in one box, with a computer inside the same box running windows xp.  Running windows takes care of the sequencing, effects, recording, O.S. and all that.  I understand the computer aspect, and at heart I kinda figure it's just one huge computer mod.  I'm fairly competent with computers, so adding the keyboard, and call buttons (I have no idea if thats what they're actually called.  Theyd pretty much just be hot keys on the keyboard to call up say reason or cakewalk, or start/stop....etc) and the mouse (I think im going to use a finger pad from a laptop) are really no big deal. 

however, it's the midi part I'm having trouble understanding.  Pretty much the top half of the box would be one giant midi controller.  It would need a mixer section, which would have a combination of fader, 4 knobs and one button for each of the 24 tracks, which, if I'm using the correct terminology, would act as a virtual mixer inside of a recording program, plus a shift button to control more tracks virtually inside the program (already recorded).  The next sectionI figured would have 32 knobs, 16 buttons and 10 faders, maybe with a shift button for more controls.  Then there's a 3rd part, one which i'm not entirely sure is possible.  A Sampler.  I figure the recording can be done through the recording part (pretty much just a pci card into the computer), so its not technically a sampler.  But what it would need to do is be able to trigger samples through the pushing of the buttons with as little latency as possible.  I almost always record my drums "live" through playing them on my drum machines pads, and I'd like to emulate that as closely as possible.  I think I would need some sort of software to map (again, not sure if thats the right terminology) the right samples to the right pads, and again, a shift or bank button.  There would be about 30 pads in all.  And I'm not sure if calling it a midi controller would be right either, since really its a computer controller that should be programable with different appilications, like reason, cakewalk, etc...

Is this at all possible?  It seems like it should be, but I have no idea.  I figure building the controller part would be first, since I could use that on the computer I've already got for testing.  It almost seems to me like 3 midi controllers in one box would make the most sense, but again, I have absolutely no idea.  Any help would be at all would be greatly appreciated.    I have no idea what parts, what process, what anything I should do.  Thanks for any info you can give me. 

[Jidis]

It sounds like a lot of work, but should be possible. The pad latency you mention would be determined by the speed of the "brain" part of the trigger interface (MIDIBox/eDrum PIC circuit). I was reading on that a while back and it seemed like it was on par with most commercial modules in that regard, but I'm not sure. You should stick some external trigger jacks on there too if you've got the free inputs. Also make sure you handle the EMI/RFI shielding for everything, if you end up gutting a computer or something. All that metal in the case is there for a reason. I run my main computers with no case in a pair of isolation cabinets, and I had to line the whole inside with grounded sheet metal.

For the optimum speed or throughput with multiple circuits like that, you may want to ask here if there are benefits to the "direct to COM" option which Thorsten has here. I was thinking about checking on that as well.

Your theory on the sampler half is correct. I've got a K2500R here, and I can't even remember how to use it ;) In fact, half the time, I won't even need a software sampler and I do mostly loop based production. Nuendo can handle most of it from the project window as audio clips.

                                                              -Good Luck

PS- I had recently wanted the exact same device, but ended up thinking of an LCD based version without an actual host PC. I wanted a custom version of an MPC type rig in a custom anvil style case with a cheap sampler's guts, a trigger to MIDI circuit, and some form of sequencer. I mainly wanted it as a heavy duty drum machine which I could do SMDI transfers to and could load up with all the popular drum machine noises (perfect job for a Peavey DPM SP). Well, instead of a DPM, I got a "DOA" SP, so the operation is on hold until I can find out if it's fixable. (damn that thing's got a big motherboard!)

PS PS--  And welcome to the forum! :)

[manji]

Well thanks for the welcome, and I love it here.  I had no idea any of this was possible.  Now i want to make my own drum machines and all sorts of stuff. haha.

Anyway, you were talkin about how you had the same idea but instead went with an mpc type machine.  Does that mean  you loaded the mpc o.s. and everything, or just a similar box without the specifics of an mpc?  And if it's the second one, whats the capabilities of what it can do? 

And now this is really stretchin it, but would there be a way to do both in one box?  Maybe a switch or something to tell it to boot to the computer, another to tell it to boot to the other o.s.? 

haha.  Or maybe i need to start simple. haha.

[Jidis]

Does that mean  you loaded the mpc o.s. and everything

Nooooooo! I'm not one of those guys, I just try to build their stuff. ;) That thing wasn't worth messing with after the Peavey sampler fell through. It was just something I was thinking about. I started off just wanting a really nice MPC style trigger to MIDI interface, and then realized I would have to tote an SR-16 or something to record anything and I'd still be tied to a computer or module for extra sounds. I probably would have gone for a MIDIBoxSeq or something along with the pads. I'd still really like one, I've just got too many projects to jump into it right now.

-George