remotely record seq actions

[bosone]

i was wondering... is it possible to record a complete sequence performance, meaning: to MIDI record what you are doing on the sequencer itself?

today i was tring to improve my seq understanding and use... and i was recording on sonar the seq MIDI output (notes, cc, and so on).

but as i was recording the patterns, i was also playing with track mutes and sometimes changing patterns content (notes positions, track direction...etc).

this is maybe just an idea for future improvements: it could be interesting implementing an option in which you can MIDI record what are you actually doing on the sequencer while it is playing, so that for example, if you mute a track, the SEQ outputs an appropriate MIDI message to tell that the particular track was muted.

the midi CC implementation already exist, so you can contol pattern, scales, and with remote functions you can remotely press GP buttons in order to activate or deactivate notes gates and so on.

the idea i had is an option to activate a "reverse" midi CC implementation and remote functions, so that, for example, if you press GP1, the midi events:

C-7 | 0x60 | MIDI Remote Key

C-2 | 0x24 | GP Button #1

(from mbseqv3_remote_functions.txt files)

are generated and can be stored in sonar, cubase or other sequencer.

when you playback the sonar files, the midibox sequencer is remotely controlled by sonar, and the exact performace you did is repeated (and can be changed, edited...)

maybe this can be considered a sort of advanced song mode in which a sequencer (sonar) controls another sequencer (midibox).

for example you start from 4 muted patterns (A1, B1,C1,D1), start record on sonar and press play on the sequencer.

now you can unmute and mute tracks, change patterns, modify events, act on every seq parameter which is already automated or remotely controlled.

every change is recorded by sonar with the CC automation and remote functions already existing.

when you have finished improvising on your track, you can recall the first 4 patterns (A1, B1,C1,D1), mute them press play on sonar, and the exact performance you made on the sequencer is repeated automatically, can be offline edited etc etc...

the idea is simple, but i bet the implementation could very complicated or even impossible!! :P

[TK.]

It could work somehow, since the control surface already routes most of the parameters through the CC layer (-> CS_M_HLP_TrkCC_Set function), so that the extension only needs to be added to a central function.

The mute functions are not routed through the CC layer, but this could be changed...

But I already see some issues: how do you want to re-initialize the changes when a song is restarted? Do you want to record all initial CC parameters? Thats a lot of events which will cause a huge delay.

To which MIDI port should the events be routed? I think that you don't want to record them over the same port like the events which are directed to synths? Does Sonar allow you to filter incoming events, before they will be recorded?

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[bosone]

The mute functions are not routed through the CC layer, but this could be changed...

just as an idea: you could assigne a remote control for jumping to the mute page and then record the GP behaviour (which should be already automated by remote control)

But I already see some issues: how do you want to re-initialize the changes when a song is restarted? Do you want to record all initial CC parameters? Thats a lot of events which will cause a huge delay.

yes, you are right... just as idea: the user should start by a standard configuration (all tracks mutes, a particular scale set...) then, when the seq is started, play by himslef the first bass note and arpeggio chord (if transposed and arpeggio tracks exists...).

then, as you play and record the performance, patterns are not saved even if they are modified, so that you can recall them loading the original ones...

To which MIDI port should the events be routed? I think that you don't want to record them over the same port like the events which are directed to synths? Does Sonar allow you to filter incoming events, before they will be recorded?

another though question!  :P

i think that user should reserve a particular channel for the sequencer recording, sacrifying one of the 16 channels of a particular port. if MB sequencer is set to receive  channel 1 events, the remote control function should be sent to ch1, so that they could be correctly interpreted once the sequence is playback. obviuosly, no external midi device should receive on ch1 anymore (except if you want really randomized and avantgarde music!!! :D)

just as idea....

Best Regards, Thorsten.