Master Keyboard

General Discussion
1

Hey, just wondering a small thing… Just bought myself a beautiful M-Audio Radium 49 ( http://www.procom.no/infoShop/isProductDis…p?details=23170 ), and want to add some more controllers with the Evolution UC 16 ( http://www.procom.no/infoShop/isProductDis…p?details=22714 ).

Now, the products don’t really matter, what I wonder is: Can two different USB-controllers work together in Renoise? :rolleyes:

2

Currently you’ll have to chain them with MIDI cables to the same MIDI Input, and use different controller numbers. So I guess the answer to what you meant is no, but you can get around it.

3

MIDI cables cannot be chained to the same input, that requires a MIDI merger. However I have no idea how it words with USB…

4

I have the Evolution UC 16 (it’s great), and have a MIDI cable from it’s output
to the MIDI in on my master keyboard. It’s common for MIDI equipment to
allow chaining like this, but with recent USB devices that seems to change…

I had a look at the keyboard you linked to, and you see here (image)
that it doesn’t have a MIDI input… Thus you can’t link them.

USB devices will usually (at least the Evolution UC 16 does) add their own MIDI
drivers to the OS, effectively working as if they had a builtin MIDI interface.
Renoise should in a later version support multiple MIDI inputs, but I’m afraid
1.5 doesn’t seem to be the time for that.

5

Sorry I wasn’t aware of this… I’ve only owned older keyboards I guess. This means that MIDI merging is done in the MIDI device, which not all supports. I.e. even if you have MIDI in doesn’t mean that the incoming signals also are sent thru to the MIDI out port.

6

In a master keyboard (they don’t play any sound), that’s the only reason there can be to have a MIDI in :)

One of the big advantages of USB devices, is that they come with their own builtin MIDI interfaces, and thus doesn’t require you to either buy a separate one or use chaining (which can increase the lag/latency). Anyway, google “MIDI chaining”, “MIDI daisy chaining”, “synth MIDI thru” or something like that to find more about this.

An example:
http://www.midipage.nl/uk_midi_aansl_1.html

7

Humm, I’ll try the Midi Yoke/Ox thingey, have heard of them and I think I have them on some installs-cd at home… Thought they would come in handy some day, and hey, they did! :)

…hope so anyway…

So, Martinal… Do you use the UC-16 with some older midi-keyboard or something? I read about how a slave device could be connected in the user manual…

Man, if I don’t get this up and working I’ll just sell the UC-16 for the same price I bought it (700 NOK used), as I only thought of using it in live setups anyway. I can go live some other time… sigh

8

I have a Roland A-33 master keyboard. 76 half weighted keys, no fancy features. Got an ok price. (I was initially getting a cheaper and a little bit smaller Fatar keyboard which was on sale, but after returning defect keyboards twice I got an offer on this one instead).

Those programs should do it for now, and expect better support in Renoise in the future. Perhaps the release after 1.5 (formerly known as 1.3), but I don’t promise anything as usual (since such promises usually break :rolleyes:).

When you get it hooked up (should be quick done, those programs aren’t very complicated, just make sure you don’t introduce any feedback loops), try for example mapping the first 10 knobs to each slider in a EQ10 on a track, start playback and play around. You’ll still have six knobs left, so just for fun map them to volume, some distortion plugin and a filter with resonance for example. You’re not gonna sell that thing, I promise :)

  • One of the ideas I’ve had is remotemapping preset groups:
  • Define groups of controllers in Renoise, with names, not attached to any device. With the UC16 you could typically define four presets in Renoise mapped directly to the quick preset buttons on the UC16.
  • Rightclick a device, select “Map controller group >”, then (in a popup) the groupname you want to map to this device. This leads to instant mapping of any number of controllers you’ve predefined in the group, to the parameters in this device.

  • Another is assigning a controller to the “current value”, this needs some sort of widget focus to work.

  • Yet another is combining the two, assigning a controller group to control the “current device”, which again needs some sort of device focus.

9

Too late, already sold it to a buddy of mine, Midi Yoke/Ox either didn’t work, or I messed up some stuff… Anyway, he needed it more than I did. Will buy another one when it’s supported without workarounds in Renoise… :)