Multi-Tap Toggles

[Jidis]

Hello again,

I realize Thorsten is very busy these days, but if he or anyone else has the time and knowhow to make MIOS enhancements, I think some of us could use this one:

An additional button behavior option with a user defined "value divisor". For instance, in the multitoggle mode with a divisor of three, the button would have three states and the output value of the button message would step between values at 0,63, and 127. If the divisor was four you'd get outputs of 0,31,63, and 127 and so on.

I keep running into plug parameters which will accept continuous messages, but whose functions aren't very well suited for such controls. I think that even all the two pole on/off toggles will accept a fader message, but they just flip at 64. It doesn't make such controls very easy to visualize. I'm trying to merge some EQ plug mapping into my MB64 cue mixer design and it's full of parameters like different HP/LP filter slopes and I,II,III EQ type settings. Most of the VST compressors I use are the same way.

With my limited assembler knowledge, I'm not real sure how difficult that would be right now, but unless I'm overlooking something, it doesn't seem too horrible- Start at zero and add (127/the divisor setting) with each button press, flipping back to zero if >127. I'll check some of my plugs to see what they actually output in such cases. If they return these same type of fixed values, which could be used to activate LED indicators, it would be ideal.

-I wouldn't expect this option to be part of the main defaults, but maybe something which could be edited within the .ini file or somewhere for those who needed it.

- Thanks for listening!

George

PS- Wrote this at the studio and checked the plugs. They do indeed output these values. They will also throw them all out as an init message when the session is opened if the generic remote map is correct. What was also cool, is that with a plug parameter from the "selected channel" mapped to a MIDIBox toggle item, the values for every mapped plug parameter will be output for each channel as you select it. This would allow you to create a "virtual channel strip" MIDIBox with your favorite EQ, Comp, Gate or whatever, using identical channel inserts in a template. You could lay the controls out exactly like the plugs, with knobs for the continuous stuff and buttons + labeled LED's for the other settings, then access a whole mixer's worth, using a single channel and a pair of navigation arrows or some channel select buttons. Use rotary encoders with LED rings for the knobs, a big-ass motorized fader for the volume and a labeled button/LED matrix for channel selection, and you've got the one-man compact mixer of the future. 8) 

           

[tos]

For that 3-state/4-state/n-state button you can use a 3/4/n possition rotary switch in conjuction with resistors:

       .--------.--[R10k]-.
vcc--->| switch |--[R5k]--|-->to AIN
       `--------'---------'

[Jidis]

ToS,

Thanks! Yeah that was an initially planned solution with certain ideas, but the more I think about controls I would want, the more I like the idea of "repeatability", and having the controller update itself from the DAW app for that sort of stuff, rather than having a mechanical part be "out of sync" with the parameter it's linked to. 

I was messing with some value scaling and conversion recently, and did OK (surprisingly), so I may not have as much trouble with it now, but I've been tied up with some other things.

Take Care,

George

PS- Damn, now you got me wishing that I had done a stepped button on the EQ control I made recently. I actually didn't even go with a multi-way rotary switch on that, and just used the regular pots. It has a couple stepped controls which only need 4-6 steps. I could've put 4-6 LED's with the frequency label beside each one, and a button at the bottom of the list. >:(  - maybe next time with any luck