Title: | * * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * * |
Notice: | Conference has been write-locked. Use new version. |
Moderator: | DYPSS1::SCHAFER |
Created: | Thu Feb 20 1986 |
Last Modified: | Mon Aug 29 1994 |
Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
Number of topics: | 2852 |
Total number of notes: | 33157 |
Well I picked up a nifty little unit - the JLCooper FaderMaster. I had originally intended it to be used as a simple source of MIDI volume commands (ye olde CC 7), but after getting into this little beastie, it turns out that I can do a LOT more than just mixing with it, which helps justify (if such a thing can be done ;^)) the cost of the box ($299 list, I paid $255). Anyway, here's the poop: FaderMaster is a small (8"x8") desktop device which has 8 slider faders, a 2-digit LED display, and 6 pushbuttons. Connections on the backside are MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, and a small barrel connector for POWER (supplied by the dreaded wall-bug). Features: The FaderMaster is programmable. It's memory is organized into 3 banks, "user","Factory", and "Sysex". "User" can contain 9 programs, "factory" contains 30 presets, and "sysex" seems to only have one program (which the user defines). In the user bank, EACH fader can be separately programmed to send one of: Note on/off, CC anything, Program change, Channel aftertouch, Pitch bend, Non-registered controllers. In addition, each fader has the following individual attributes: grouping - you can group any fader with any other Speed - you can change the sample time for a fader from 6-100 times/sec. This helps keep the barrage of events down to a dull roar for many not-so-critical types of events. Min/Max - and you can make a fader reverse itself by reversing the limits. Merge - You can route incoming MIDI data "through" faders, and merge the outgoing fader's contribution. There are three merge modes. You can either REPLACE or MERGE incoming MIDI data with the outgoing fader data. Delay - Faders 1-7 can be set to delay incoming MIDI note or cc data. Fader 8 can delay CLOCK data. Obviously adjustable. groups of attributes are considered a program, which there are 9 of. Yes, it can dump and load programs, and there is an optional $30. software widget that allows editing (MAC or ST) of these parameters. There is a "null" feature which allows any fader to work by "difference" of incoming data as opposed to "brute-force-change". This allows better punch-in/out for mixing, etc. There are thirty "factory" presets. They range from "general MIDI volume 1-8 and 9-16" to providing knobs (ala Roland PG-x00 series) for many popular MIDI devices. The list goes on. Here are just the supported devices which are preset (I won't list the parameters supported, the list is verrry comprehensive) MIDI volume (1-8, 9-16) MIDI Pan (1-8, 9-16) Oberheim MATRIX-6,1000 parameters (2 patches) Kawai K1,K1m,K1r (volume/detune 1-4,Attack/Release 1-4) (2 patches) Yamaha DX/TX (8 patches! general,Osc,Envelopes) Roland D-10/20/110 program change Roland D-20 parameters Roland D-50/550 EQ freq/gain, Reverb/Chorus Korg M1,M1R (2-single mode, 2-double mode) Emu Proteus (3 patches) Ensoniq VFX (Voice 1,2,3) If you make changes and want to save them, they get saved into USER bank. The SYSEX bank lets you put multiple sysex headers(allegedly, the documentation is somewhat vague about this) in, which allows you to make your own "knobs" for your unsupported MIDIBeast. All three banks will display values in the 2-digit LED display, and output "snapshots" which you could use to, for instance, initialize a sequencer's mix, or blast program changes to eight devices, or whatever. oh yeah, the SYSEX bank is preprogrammed for the ART Multiverb. The 50-page user manual appears to be pretty comprehensive. It contains many examples of configurations (6), and each example can be combined with the others, apparently. There is a 2 page SYSEX implementation chapter which, instead of the usual standard (and utterly useless) matrix of "what it listens to", gives actual commands with descriptions of what each command does. And the sysex commands get pretty esoteric, such as "insert fader value here","send Roland checksum here", "send 'other' checksum", etc. There are a number of appendices at the end of the manual. Some are useful (registered controller numbers), some are kind of overdone (the entire ART Multiverb sysex assignments take up 4 pages, densely packed). I can't wait to play with it some more. Next report will discuss zits. /pjh
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2166.1 | Zits | TALK::HARRIMAN | No longer in my 20s | Thu Nov 16 1989 09:56 | 94 |
So I got the FaderMaster into my studio last night, spent all evening with it, and have some more info. First, it's not tough to deal with - about as simple as the MX-8 in concept, although it's got sliders and a couple more buttons. Second, how you put it into your system has a LOT to do with what it does. I tried a couple different applications and I had to change configurations a NUMBER of times. Third, if you're not careful, you crash machines with it. It can drive an absolute SLEW of commands to an SGU, and if you happen to be running the sequencer, with clock, etc, things can get, well, busy. To be more specific: The human interface consists of a 2 digit LED display. Normally it tells you what program you are in (U1-U9,F1-F9,10-30,P1). If you touch a fader, then that fader's current value is displayed. After five seconds it reverts back to the program display. If you want a value higher than 99 (like 127), the display flashes 1, then 27 (or whatever the value was). I don't understand why they couldn't have just sprung for the extra LED driver and display. The more esoteric combinations (like snapshot, program decrement, etc) are multiple key combinations, and are not documented on the panel. I hate that, because they went to so much effort to explain the unshifted and shifted commands so you wouldn't have to have the manual nearby, but they can't go the extra 30 cents to silkscreen the esoterica onto the panel as well. And you think that snapshot is esoterica? Maybe not, but why be inconsistent? The user programs are all preprogrammed as CC 0. You cannot alter a factory patch in any way - it disallows most of the keys. But you can copy a factory patch to user, and then alter it. Wow. I understand why it doesn't have a thru out on the back after using it. It is completely configurable as a filter of events, and therefore you can get a thru (null filter) just by shutting off the filter. Of course, it also merges EVERYTHING IT SEES ON THE INPUT. Maybe it was my stupidity, but it took three tries to configure it so that I could control all the SGU volumes AND get just the CC 7 data to the sequencer track, without also merging all of the other track data along with it. (I did that by patching with the MX-8 - I don't see how anyone would want one of these without having a patchbay as well, it would be DIN hell otherwise) Lastly, it's a real pain to set parameters - it's a two-handed operation because you have to hold two keys down, and run the slider, and there is no fine-tune stepper (just TRY to set nonregistered controller 110, go ahead, I dare you - it took longer than you'd think for such a simple minded machine) Now for the nifties: I love it despite the zits. I not only can record volume changes to the sequencer, but I can record registered and non-registered controllers as well! Like filter opens and closes! And SPX-90 parameter changes! And it lets you dampen down the fader sample rate so that you get less granularity (using less sequencer memory) and it doesn't blast lots of duplicate messages! The snapshot feature lets me blast all of the initial volumes to the sequencer "volume track", even though that makes yet another way to start the sequencer (hit three buttons, the sequencer starts - It'll get complicated when I go back to tape synch with auto-mix as well. Argh) It is much more a generic set of knobs for your MIDI studio than a mixer. I can think of numerous applications. For instance, I used it to: Set and record volume changes, obviously Program the ESQ-1. Kind of fun to watch the ESQ-1 menus change from across the room. Ensoniq is smart enough to make all of the parameters non-registered params for all their boards, and they are reasonably good at documentation, so that works pretty well. Program the SPX-90. I wish the MIDIverb could deal with parameter changes. Record variable program changes to the sequencer. Finally, an easy way to get dynamic filter changes and modulation parameter changes. I can also think of doing other things, like using it to control/program a MIDI lighting system (and use your sequencer to run light tracks!!!!!) ...and do drum track delays/humanizing ...and any other MIDIthing you want What a neat box. /pjh | |||||
2166.2 | SALSA::MOELLER | LMF on Ultrix - it's up to YOU | Fri Nov 17 1989 14:15 | 5 | |
thanks, Paul. .. another one on the list .. karl (no longer in my '30's, as of yesterday) | |||||
2166.3 | TALK::HARRIMAN | No longer in my 20s | Fri Nov 17 1989 15:57 | 5 | |
>> karl (no longer in my '30's, as of yesterday) that's pretty close birthday timing, plus 10 years, huh? ;^) |