IOWarrior/Joywarrior

[Fall_X]

Does anyone know anything about the IOWarrior/JoyWarrior products on http://www.codemercs.com/ ?

I'm a newbie to all of this, but if I'm not mistaking, you could create your own usb controllers with these, and then write some software that generates the MIDI messages (there's plenty of software translating joystick messages to midi available, and writing something like this for your custom needs isn't very difficult, I've done it in the past).

What do you guys think? Would this be an easier solution than creating a midibox?

Thanks.

[bill]

What do you guys think? Would this be an easier solution than creating a midibox?

it cant be easyer than midibox ;)

[stryd_one]

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.

...because bill said it :)

What do you guys think? Would this be an easier solution than creating a midibox?

My personal opinion? No way. Writing C code for the midibox is so easy I still spin out at it from time to time. If you just wanted a joystick sending a CC it would probably be a couple of dozen lines of code at the max, with the joystick pots and buttons connected to a single core, no LCD or anything. In fact you could probably make the whole thing fit in the joystick case. TK has been very good to us :)

Of course if you have a a USB or gameport joystick and don't need a standalone device you could always use something like vmidijoy...

[Fall_X]

Thanks for your replies.

I don't really want a joystick midi controller, I'm personally more interested in the iowarrior, which comes with an sdk for writing software for it. But for a simple controller, I think the joywarrior would be a nice solution.

I'm not good at C, but I think I'd be able to manage writing the software. I'm not worried about that. I'm just looking for the easiest solution for building the controller, and having an USB controller would be a plus for me (which I could also do with a midibox, with a midi-usb interface).

This just seemed like a reasonable priced alternative, but since I'm new to all this, I'm not quite sure if it would be any good.

[audiocommander]

Would this be an easier solution than creating a midibox?

This is not the right question. The big advantage of MIDIBox is that you can program the Microcontroller and don't need no PC connected. Therefore you can create fully independent devices.

If it's easier or not depends on your intended purpose.

And: there are a bunch of ready-to-go applications available for MIOS, which you just have to upload by Midi (no programming required at all). In this point, a MIDIBox is easier ...if you know how to solder.

I don't really want a joystick midi controller, I'm personally more interested in the iowarrior, which comes with an sdk for writing software for it.

I/O means In/Out, so the iowarrior is nothing else than a Core-Module. The difference is, you buy it ready assembled an not as DIY-Kit.

And besides not being a modular solution (like MBHP) nor providing ready-to-upload-applications like MB64 or MBSeq, MIDIbox also comes with an "SDK": a ASM or C-based Skeleton to use with the IDE of your choice. Totally platform independent.

While there are lots of similar solutions (like Miditron, Ardurio, EZIO, just to name some), there may be surely easier to setup/assemble alternatives, but the easiness has its disadvantages, too: they are either expensive, slow, need a computer to work or have other restrictions.

MBHP/MIOS is IMHO by far the most advanced and flexible system of all (besides developing totally customized projects on µC's without MIOS, of course, but that's also very far from being "easy").

Regards,

Michael

[DrBunsen]

If you want to connect it to a computer and use joystick to MIDI software - you could buy a junked (but working) joystick from a thrift shop.  Remove the circuit board and connect the controllers (buttons, knobs, etc) in place of the ones on the 'stick.  For example, replacing the analogue joystick with two pots, one replacing the vertical and one the horizontal.  As you're using the 'sticks PCB the software end thinks it's a joystick, and converts it all to MIDI none the wiser that you've modded it.

[Fall_X]

This is not the right question. The big advantage of MIDIBox is that you can program the Microcontroller and don't need no PC connected. Therefore you can create fully independent devices.

I didn't realize the MIDIBox was this flexible - but I'll still mainly use it to control a program I'm writing myself (which is basically a midi scripting engine, translating incoming midi, joystick, etc signals to other midi messages through custom scripts), which will in turn control ableton live.

I/O means In/Out, so the iowarrior is nothing else than a Core-Module.

I realize that. The downside is that it's only digital, so I'd need AD convertors to make it work, which would probably crank up the price of the project quite a bit.

In this point, a MIDIBox is easier ...if you know how to solder.

Unfortunately, I don't. But it's never too late to learn. So I ordered a midibox kit.

But I don't want to ruin my box because I have no experience in soldering. So, I decided to follow DRBunsen's advice first. I had an old usb steering wheel which I never use, and I just opened it up and ripped out the electronics - and it's still functional :). It has roughly 17 buttons, one rotary pot, and an attachable pedal (which I can't seem to find atm, but it's somewhere), which I'll probably open up as well. So now I need to figure out which buttons I can order to attach to it, and how to do it. I'm really a newbie to all this, so I hope it will go well. I'll probably use it to trigger sample-clips in ableton live, but I need to think it through a bit first. I've got another joystick which I don't need. I wonder if there is some way to combine both into one device, with one cable, so the computer will recognize them as a single joystick? I doubt it though.

Thanks for the helpful replies.

[DrBunsen]

So, I decided to follow DRBunsen's advice first.

<blush>

and an attachable pedal (which I can't seem to find atm, but it's somewhere), which I'll probably open up as well.

That's probably your second pot.  Depending on personal preference, it might be handy to leave that as a pedal :)  Assignable MIDI pedal :P :P :P

I've got another joystick which I don't need. I wonder if there is some way to combine both into one device, with one cable, so the computer will recognize them as a single joystick? I doubt it though.

Doubt no longer!

This adapter will make it possible to connect 1 extra joystick to the PC. The gameport contains pins for two joysticks but you will need this adapter to be able to connect two joysticks to one connector

This page also has pinouts for the joystick port itself.  There are three listed there, so rather than going through them for any difference, I'll just pass the index page on to you :)  You might be able to work out how to make up a single cable, rather than two cables and an adapter.