Disklavier

Hello all,

On recommendations, I wrote to both MIDI Solutions and to PG Music.  
I have heard back from MIDI Solutions today, and paste their reply in 
below.  According to them, Spencer may have purchased the wrong 
product.  Their Velocity Converter will not make adjustments on the 
fly, since it works by having the computer send the profile via a 
separate MIDI file.  Rather, they recommend their Event Processor 
Plus.  I have not yet downloaded their file.  I'll be away for a 
couple of weeks, but if anyone else wants to try it and post their 
results, I'll await the news on my return.

Here is my query to MIDI Solutions and their reply:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Sutton" <mail.jsutton@...>
To: <info@midisolutions.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 5:08 AM
Subject: Volume Control of MIDI During Playback

Re: Volume Control of Midi during playbackDear MIDI Solutions,

Please see the e-mail thread below from the Yamaha Disklavier User's 
Group in Yahoo Groups.  Your velocity converter has been suggested as 
a solution to my query.  I have reviewed your website information, 
and it appears to be so.  The only potential problem I see is that 
the program is uploaded to the velocity converter as a MIDI file 
itself.  If that is the case, then I doubt that an adjustment could 
be made while the piano is playing a MIDI file from the computer.  
Ideally, I would like a velocity (volume) control that I can adjust 
as the file is playing.

Can it be used to modify MIDI velocities "on the fly", and can I set 
up some sort of volume control knob (either physical or simulated in 
the PC) to modify it as the piano is playing?

Attached for your reference, if you like, is the simple Excel 
spreadsheet referred to below that illustrates my desired intent.

I will appreciate your comments.

Best regards,
John Sutton
Shenzhen, China

-----Original Message-----
From: John Fast, MIDI Solutions Inc. [mailto:john@...]
Sent: 25 January 2006 17:01
To: John Sutton
Subject: Re: Volume Control of MIDI During Playback

Hi John,

With the Velocity Converter you would need to reprogram it in order to
change curves, the MIDI Solutions Event Processor Plus might be better
suited to this application.

The Event Processor Plus can scale MIDI data values (including 
velocities), it can also be programmed to turn on/off its settings in 
response to various MIDI events. In your application what could be 
done is to create a number of settings with different velocity 
scalings, and then create additonal settings that turn on/off the 
first settings whenever say a MIDI Control Change value is within a 
certain range. This wouldn't give you a smooth adjustment, however 
unlike the Velocity Converter it would allow you to change curves on-
the-fly.

The easiest way to see how this is possible with the Event Processor 
Plus is to download the Programming Tools software: 
www.midisolutions.com/ptepp.htm

As a simplified example, you could start off with the following:
Setting #1: Map all Note-on events of velocities in the range 1 to
TargetMin -> Note-on events of velocity TargetMin.
Then add the following settings in groups of two:
Setting #2: When CC#1 is in the range 0 - 10, turn Setting #3 ON, 
else turn
Ssetting #3 OFF
Setting #3: Map all Note-on events of velocities in the range 
TargetMin+1 to
127 -> Note-on events of velocity scaled to outgoing range 
TargetMin+1 to
TargetMax.
etc...

I haven't included AbsMax in the above example, but by playing with 
the Event Processor Plus Programming Tools software you may be able 
to find a way to work all of the parameters into the functionality of 
the unit or at least get very close to what you are looking to 
achieve.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about 
the product.

Best regards,
John Fast, MIDI Solutions Inc.
www.midisolutions.com


==========================================================

--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "George F. Litterst" 
<PianoBench@a...> wrote:
>
> Good morning, everyone.
> 
> Spencer, it sounds like you have an interesting plan for using the  
> Velocity Converter. MIDI Solutions makes nice products. It will be  
> interesting to see how well it can be adapted.
> 
> As for multiple MIDI applications running concurrently on a 
Windows  
> computer: My understanding is that this is a function of the MIDI  
> driver for your MIDI interface. For example, the various Yamaha 
USB  
> MIDI interfaces and Yamaha keyboards with built-in USB interfaces  
> only support just one MIDI application at a time. Edirol 
interfaces  
> and Roland keyboards with built-in USB interfaces support multiple  
> applications. I am not certain about other brands.
> 
> On the Macintosh side, OS X itself supports the use of the 
available  
> MIDI ports by multiple applications.
> 
> Regards,
> PianoBench
> 
> On Jan 25, 2006, at 1:31 AM, Spencer_Lists wrote:
> 
> > Greetings George,
> >
> > I just ordered one of the midi solutions velocity controller and 
have
> > high hopes for it. According to the user manual, there are 40 
preset
> > velocity curves that can be assigned to a controller number. I can
> > write a simple application that will send controller messages 
while
> > playing a file so you could switch from one preset to another. 
There
> > is also the ability to load a custom velocity curve which can be
> > easily constructed with the tool they provide. You can save any 
number
> > of these as MIDI files and send them to the device.
> >
> > Sure, there is not going to be a single curve that fits all songs 
but
> > it sounds like it will be easy to change them either by sending 
MIDI
> > files or by writing the suitable application to send control 
messages.
> > If consistency is wanted, I believe that GNMIDI will adjust all 
MIDI
> > files in a folder to a common average velocity level.
> >
> > If anyone has a DKV or other instrument that will respond to 
volume
> > messages, I can easily write an application with a slider to send
> > volume messages. As long as concurrent applications can access a 
MIDI
> > port simultaneously (seems to be possible with some windows 
versions
> > and not with others) this would be an easy solution. 
Unfortunately, my
> > PD does not respond to volume messages.
> >
> > I have a program that contains all the code to send the messages 
with
> > a graphic slider control and will edit out all of the extraneous
> > material (it is currently a Virtual Windchime program) if anyone 
is
> > interested. I will probably adapt the same program to send 
controller
> > messages for controlling the Velocity Controller. If there is more
> > interest than my own, I could make this a general purpose program 
to
> > send volume or controller messages.
> >
> >  --  Best
> > regards, Spencer_Lists Chase mailto:lists@s... 67550
> > Bell Springs Rd. Garberville, CA 95542    Postal service only.
> > Laytonville, CA 95454    UPS only. Spencer@s...
> > http://www.spencerserolls.com
> > http://www.spencerserolls.com/MidiValve.htm (707) 984-8356
> >
> >
>