Analogue-sequencer

Hi Colin, 
Been having a good think about this remote control malarky and 
exactly what I'd like controlled and how I'd like to do it remotely.
This "good think" coincided with a visit from that Nagle chappie, a 
few hours later and, after taking a short break for Pauls Joe 
Satriani impersonation (use a midi guitar, P3 force to scale, Korg 
Trinity distorted guitar patch.... and squint!) we came up with a 
few suggestions based on my using a MIDI footswitcher.
Here's how I imagine using it..

1: Press a switch to go into record. This will have to be 'sticky' 
as it's nigh on impossible to stand on two switches together (I did 
demonstrate to Paul and he agreed it didn't look pretty).

2: Press a switch to select a track, effectively going into record 
ready and allowing me to play the sound on that channel for a while 
before recording.

3: Pressing the 'record' switch again makes that track 'live' and 
records my nefarious noodlings. With a 'track' (switch) selected, 
the 'record' switch effectively toggles between record ready/live.

4: Pressing the track switch again 'un-arms' that track but leaves 
us still in record ready mode waiting for another track to be 
selected. 
Go back to step 2, repeat as neccessary until all tracks/patterns 
are full or your head starts to spin and you have to go and lie down.

5: With no track selected, pressing the record switch again will 
exit from recording leaving the switches that controlled track 
select to function as track mutes. 

With that in mind, these are what we'd like please Colin!

Bank & Part select:
By prog change message, a maximum of 12 banks by 8 parts requires 96 
messages. This could allow starting at any part in a bank - not 
something I'd want do myself but enormous possiblities.

Track select / mutes:
Another 8 prog change messages for each track mute or (record) track 
select.

Transport Functions:
Either by prog change or C.C's
Start, stop, continue etc. 
oh, and a restart function which Paul better describe because I 
can't remember the details!

Part Transpose Functions:
Part transpose value by midi note (relative from middle C?).
Scale root note by midi note.
Scale type by C.C.

Other Control Functions:
by prog change (yup, there's a few left!).
Record ready, ready/live toggle (with sticky option).
nDub on/off.
delete.
fts on/off.
ties on/off.
midi thru on/off.

Another Thing:
User config option that transmits f.t.s. root and scale on 
the 'control' transmitting channel.

Oh... and one more thing:
To save me setting up a playlist when I want to record over more 
than one pattern, would it be possible to have another page of track 
record options where I could set the playlist length? This would 
automatically set repeats to 1 and transpose to 0.

Well, I hope that all makes sense, it did to us at the time!
I know there's a fair bit to go at here Colin but rest assured, 
completion of this mission will probably lead to your deification!
Cheers dude!
Phil

On Tue, 31 May 2005 23:00:52 -0000, "philsmillie"
<philsmillie@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Transport Functions:
>Either by prog change or C.C's
>Start, stop, continue etc. 
>oh, and a restart function which Paul better describe because I 
>can't remember the details!

I thought simulating the effect of holding stop and then repeatedly
hitting play could possibly be useful. 

>Part Transpose Functions:
>Part transpose value by midi note (relative from middle C?).
>Scale root note by midi note.
>Scale type by C.C.
>
>Other Control Functions:
>by prog change (yup, there's a few left!).
>Record ready, ready/live toggle (with sticky option).
>nDub on/off.
>delete.
>fts on/off.
>ties on/off.
>midi thru on/off.
>
>Another Thing:
>User config option that transmits f.t.s. root and scale on 
>the 'control' transmitting channel.

Imagine what several performers, each with P3s could achieve with
this. No worries about having to remain in one key or, heaven forbid,
practising. If a master P3 could transmit its FTS and root and current
transposition each time these changed, slaved P3s would always remain
in key, no matter how outrageous or random or insane the master's key
or mode changes were. And performers playing their instruments through
the P3's FTS could play like mad, totally carefree of any cunning
sequence-meister trying to fool them by slipping in a quick few bars
of c# diminished seventh googleplex.
The possibilities, as they say, would be staggering. Epecially for
collaborations where there are several people with P3s on stage (I'm
thinking Different Skies here).

>Oh... and one more thing:
>To save me setting up a playlist when I want to record over more 
>than one pattern, would it be possible to have another page of track 
>record options where I could set the playlist length? This would 
>automatically set repeats to 1 and transpose to 0. And set each pattern in the created playlist sequentially.

For every playlist step; the maximum playlist length would be the
number of patterns in the current memory config. This would make the
P3 into the ultimate MIDI looper - plus many people would never need
to even go into playlist edit it all they wanted were patterns longer
than 16 steps. Sorta like the Electribe's Set Length but for each
track rather than global as the Electribes are.

>Well, I hope that all makes sense, it did to us at the time!
>I know there's a fair bit to go at here Colin but rest assured, 
>completion of this mission will probably lead to your deification!

How many miracles do we have to "prove"? I'm sure I have several
already...

Paul

P.S. Phil explained why poly AT and NRPNs are a dumb idea - you want
something simple that most MIDI controllers can send. Silly me.
---
Paul Nagle - SoftRoom Music - www.softroom.co.uk
          Bogus Focus Records - www.BogusFocus.com