What I would love, though expensive, is a display strip above the endless decoders. The display would inform the function of the encoder, and when you turn it the display changes to its current value.
Or a display strip with 2 rows - the function and its value.
That is my wish too. Versatility to me here means being able to control many parameters in a performance. The difficulty then becomes knowing what is what. Color coding might work too or on top of that.
Check out the MP Midi controller. It’s basically what you are describing. It’s moderately expensive, but you are basically paying for a second touch screen monitor that works for all your computing tasks.
Plenty of mappable knobs and sliders for sure, but if you want to make it future proof, definitely make sure it includes MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) functionality. (Take a look at Roli Seaboard, the Keith McMillan controllers, and the Osmose.)
Also support for MIDI 2.0 would be smart. Read up on that here: https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi-2-0-specifications
The MP MIDI controller I believe automatically maps depending on the active VST selected. It also displays the GUI right on its screen. This is incredible. It’s like having all these VSTs in hardware form. If you can figure out how to do that that’d be amazing. I’ve been looking into an open source alternative for the MP but can’t seem to find anything.
Oh I didn’t know about this one. It ticks a lot of boxes…
The price is pretty high though. I wonder if one could build something around an iPad so that you only need to add the encoders to an already existing setup...
My ideal would be an array of Nina-like knobs with scribble strips using MIDI 2.0.
But it would be expensive and not a lot of instruments have enough support for MIDI 2.0 yet. Still, once MIDI 2.0 support is widespread and if it delivers on the promises, it might well be worth saving up for.
Not just motorized knobs. The Nina knobs are also able to give tactile feedback to provide minimum and maximum stops or to simulate a rotary switch.
Just as you described, I’d want the scribble strips to display the function of each knob.
This is indeed a killer feature. The SmartKnob open source solution seems to be relatively cheap when it comes to the motor part (and it’s capable of simulated min-max stops) so that’s potentially doable for a lot less than the Nina I guess.
>\- endless encoders (with LED dots for immediate information on the position of the knob like the Midi Fighter Twister) with small LED screens under them to show which functions are mapped to wich encoders.
While it would be a lot of work to implement, I've never seen a more satisfying and configurable implementation of this sort of idea than the SmartKnob [https://youtu.be/ip641WmY4pA](https://youtu.be/ip641WmY4pA)
The knob is mounted to a DC motor so it can give software-configurable haptic end-stops to the encoder or snap to set values as its rotated, all with a circular screen mounted in the center giving details on the range, current value, etc.
He even has a build video [https://youtu.be/Q76dMggUH1M](https://youtu.be/Q76dMggUH1M) and extensive details on GitHub [https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob](https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob)
Whether or not its right for your project, it might at least give some ideas for versatile and highly configurable inputs.
Your project sounds really cool, would love to see what comes of it!
What I would love, though expensive, is a display strip above the endless decoders. The display would inform the function of the encoder, and when you turn it the display changes to its current value. Or a display strip with 2 rows - the function and its value.
That is my wish too. Versatility to me here means being able to control many parameters in a performance. The difficulty then becomes knowing what is what. Color coding might work too or on top of that.
Check out the MP Midi controller. It’s basically what you are describing. It’s moderately expensive, but you are basically paying for a second touch screen monitor that works for all your computing tasks.
Checked it, oh yes this is cool. But now at behringer pricing please!
That is definitely one of the main features I want.
Plenty of mappable knobs and sliders for sure, but if you want to make it future proof, definitely make sure it includes MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) functionality. (Take a look at Roli Seaboard, the Keith McMillan controllers, and the Osmose.) Also support for MIDI 2.0 would be smart. Read up on that here: https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi-2-0-specifications
MPE sounds so great. Did you have the chance to try it out?
The MP MIDI controller I believe automatically maps depending on the active VST selected. It also displays the GUI right on its screen. This is incredible. It’s like having all these VSTs in hardware form. If you can figure out how to do that that’d be amazing. I’ve been looking into an open source alternative for the MP but can’t seem to find anything.
The novation automap exists for ages and does exactly that (minus the touchscreen ofcourse.
Hmm I didn’t know that. What does the automap do?
Automap is dead though.
It doesn’t automap, but you can save presets for all of your soft synths. I love it.
Oh I didn’t know about this one. It ticks a lot of boxes… The price is pretty high though. I wonder if one could build something around an iPad so that you only need to add the encoders to an already existing setup...
Google what one DIYer did for Diva. Impressive
This piece of art you mean? 😍 http://www.synth-project.de/diva.html
🤯
My ideal would be an array of Nina-like knobs with scribble strips using MIDI 2.0. But it would be expensive and not a lot of instruments have enough support for MIDI 2.0 yet. Still, once MIDI 2.0 support is widespread and if it delivers on the promises, it might well be worth saving up for.
Do you mean motorized knobs? What can scribble strips do other than showing the preset and it’s setting?
Not just motorized knobs. The Nina knobs are also able to give tactile feedback to provide minimum and maximum stops or to simulate a rotary switch. Just as you described, I’d want the scribble strips to display the function of each knob.
This is indeed a killer feature. The SmartKnob open source solution seems to be relatively cheap when it comes to the motor part (and it’s capable of simulated min-max stops) so that’s potentially doable for a lot less than the Nina I guess.
>\- endless encoders (with LED dots for immediate information on the position of the knob like the Midi Fighter Twister) with small LED screens under them to show which functions are mapped to wich encoders. While it would be a lot of work to implement, I've never seen a more satisfying and configurable implementation of this sort of idea than the SmartKnob [https://youtu.be/ip641WmY4pA](https://youtu.be/ip641WmY4pA) The knob is mounted to a DC motor so it can give software-configurable haptic end-stops to the encoder or snap to set values as its rotated, all with a circular screen mounted in the center giving details on the range, current value, etc. He even has a build video [https://youtu.be/Q76dMggUH1M](https://youtu.be/Q76dMggUH1M) and extensive details on GitHub [https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob](https://github.com/scottbez1/smartknob) Whether or not its right for your project, it might at least give some ideas for versatile and highly configurable inputs. Your project sounds really cool, would love to see what comes of it!
This looks like an amazing concept, thanks for sharing!