Few Questions: Midi Outboard Like M4L, Skinability Of Tools/api, Vst/v

[grymmjack]

Hi guys.

I’m simply awestruck by how far Renoise has come, and by Duplex with my APC-40 and how simple it works, and was wondering.

Is it possible to create something that has visual controls, laid out in some fashion like Duplex, but to control outboard MIDI gear? I have a Korg MS-2000 that I created a Max4Live MIDI Effect editor for. I’ve done the same using FLStudio dashboard. What I’m curious about is simply is it possible to do what I’m thinking?

Also, if it is possible, are the Duplex (or whatever I make I guess) controls accessible somehow in the tracks as DSP automatable targets?

This would let me for example track something using my visual controller like Duplex for knobs, but automate those knobs, and by proxy the connections to the MIDI outboard gear route it through the MIDI out.

This is how I have it setup in Ableton: MIDI IN routed to the M4L device, and everything in that M4L device can be automated, all the knobs, etc. Whatever I declare in the M4L parameters window.

Anyway just curious if this is possible.

Which leads me to my second question: Is it possible to skin these things like Duplex or whatever we make?

If we could create custom programs complete with skins and such, that would be amazingly cool.

Which leads me to my third and final question: Are there any plans to somehow create audio/midi/synth devices for renoise like M4L can do? I know that’s an ambitious question and a very complex thing to do, but I’m just simply curious. If not, does lua do any subhosting of plugs? Is there an existing project that embeds a VSTi/VST and exposes a custom interface via lua script or is this beyond scope of capabilities thus far?

I am a programmer by trade (well if you count LAMP web PHP/javascript therein), with my experience I’m guessing I could probably do some nice lua stuff, but I need a little bit of hand holding to get started. Beatslaughter was helping me back in the day (hi Alex!) but I have forgotten all he bestowed upon me.

Thank you very much.

Also if you are interested, you can see the M4L device here:
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/device.php?id=900

[vvoois (vV)]

@grymmjack

Which leads me to my second question: Is it possible to skin these things like Duplex or whatever we make?

To some extent you can change colours here and there and use bitmaps and png images, but you can’t change the overal look and feel of the tools outside your Renoise skin customization.
Are you using the specific fader-port driver tool for Renoise or using Duplex to control the faderport?

[mxb]

@grymmjack

Is it possible to create something that has visual controls, laid out in some fashion like Duplex, but to control outboard MIDI gear? I have a Korg MS-2000 that I created a Max4Live MIDI Effect editor for. I’ve done the same using FLStudio dashboard. What I’m curious about is simply is it possible to do what I’m thinking?

If all you need to do is open a midi port and write controller data or sysex then yes, this is perfectly feasable for a lua tool.

@grymmjack

Also, if it is possible, are the Duplex (or whatever I make I guess) controls accessible somehow in the tracks as DSP automatable targets?

This would let me for example track something using my visual controller like Duplex for knobs, but automate those knobs, and by proxy the connections to the MIDI outboard gear route it through the MIDI out.

I’m not a Duplex user, but I don’t think lua tools can add additional automation parameters into the track lists.

@grymmjack

Which leads me to my second question: Is it possible to skin these things like Duplex or whatever we make?

If we could create custom programs complete with skins and such, that would be amazingly cool.

Like vV has already mentioned, you can load in a few images and assign colours, but you cannot ‘skin’ controls as it were.

@grymmjack

Which leads me to my third and final question: Are there any plans to somehow create audio/midi/synth devices for renoise like M4L can do? I know that’s an ambitious question and a very complex thing to do, but I’m just simply curious. If not, does lua do any subhosting of plugs? Is there an existing project that embeds a VSTi/VST and exposes a custom interface via lua script or is this beyond scope of capabilities thus far?

The lua tools do not have any access into the audio stream or any of the realtime audio engine parts. I have previously wrote a couple of synthesisers in Lua which calculate the waveforms and load them into sample slots within instruments. These can be found in my signature.

@grymmjack

I am a programmer by trade (well if you count LAMP web PHP/javascript therein), with my experience I’m guessing I could probably do some nice lua stuff, but I need a little bit of hand holding to get started. Beatslaughter was helping me back in the day (hi Alex!) but I have forgotten all he bestowed upon me.

Just ask on the forum or in IRC. There are plenty of knowledgable people around and we are mostly friendly

[grymmjack]

@vV

To some extent you can change colours here and there and use bitmaps and png images, but you can’t change the overal look and feel of the tools outside your Renoise skin customization.
Are you using the specific fader-port driver tool for Renoise or using Duplex to control the faderport?

The specific faderport driver. I didn’t know about Duplex initially.

@vV

To some extent you can change colours here and there and use bitmaps and png images, but you can’t change the overal look and feel of the tools outside your Renoise skin customization.
Are you using the specific fader-port driver tool for Renoise or using Duplex to control the faderport?

And thanks for the answer about the skinning situation.

@vV

If all you need to do is open a midi port and write controller data or sysex then yes, this is perfectly feasable for a lua tool.

I’m not a Duplex user, but I don’t think lua tools can add additional automation parameters into the track lists.

Like vV has already mentioned, you can load in a few images and assign colours, but you cannot ‘skin’ controls as it were.

The lua tools do not have any access into the audio stream or any of the realtime audio engine parts. I have previously wrote a couple of synthesisers in Lua which calculate the waveforms and load them into sample slots within instruments. These can be found in my signature.

Just ask on the forum or in IRC. There are plenty of knowledgable people around and we are mostly friendly

OK thanks very much. I hopped on IRC the other day but there wasn’t much going on besides a few people collaborating on a track. I’ll keep researching for documentation and so on. Thanks again.