Sneak Peek - Introducing Maxwell - A software laser synth (analogish)

[Groover]

CV is a signal used in analog synths to control oscillators, filters and so on. It is typically about a 0-10 v signal. With a CV to midi converter you can take the analog signal and convert it to midi messages that can then control "modern" music equipment. And as Maxwell can learn midi signals it would in theory be possible to control Maxwell with analog signals from a synth setup.

This might be possible to do in software as well with a program that create midi signals from an analog input like the sound card for music visualization.

An example of CV to midi converters:
http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/mod...di-cv-daw.html

That was my thought anyway.

[BlueFang]

I have started thinking about and playing around with ideas on how to integrate external sources into Maxwell. The first and most obvious input will be audio signals - a-la a music visualizer type of tool. Another option would be integration of MTC - which could be generated by a CV-MIDI conversion.

As with many things, the technical challenge is much less of an issue than the "make it easy and fun for the user" challenge. Especially now that Maxwell has two distinct audience types. Those that want full control over every little parameter and those that just want a plug-n-play button/drop-down to make things just work. I imagine the first group would like the ability to assign tempo to LFO rates or proportional tempo rates to LFO rates - and wouldn't mind having to tap the tempo in themselves. Those in the second group just want something simple - like : Effect 1, Effect 2, Effect 3 - where these are magically complex effects that will make any abstract dance to music without any user knowledge of what is technically going on and without having to know about BPMs or tap-tempo - i.e., this would require a decent tempo detection tech - and I can tell you right now - tempo detection is difficult - not something I would have the time to develop myself - and licensing a DECENT tempo-detection algorithm is EXPENSIVE - like doubling or tripling the cost of Maxwell type of expensive.

Its challenging - but challenging is fun!

[CDBEAM]

HHmmmmmm ???? Well....I do not begin to know the technical aspects of such a linkage....
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Music =====> Maxwell display.....BUT.........such an arrangement....is 180 degree away from "twidling the knobs" manually....as a live performance augmentation to musical content....
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BUT, then...I think a mixture of both....Music =====> Maxwell display....with some degree of control over the linkage would be just great !!!
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SO..." I want Tuna, I want Liver, I want Chicken....Please Deliver " is the message I send you now !!
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Beam Out

[daderaide]

I was wondering if anyone here has any more detailed info on Maxwell usage than is supplied with the documentation. I've not been able to find many details there regarding the MIDI interface. Specifically I'm looking for anyone who knows any of the following:

1. Erase/re-enter MIDI learn data that was put in incorrectly or that you just want to change. where is this information saved? Restarting the program without saving doesn't reset the MIDI Learn function.
2. What MIDI keys are mapped to the APC trigger mode that select the preset patterns? I can program my midi controller if I knew what keys Maxwell was expecting to see. Only 3 of the presets are selectable for me right now.
3. What is the MIDI transition value between the different wave form options for each oscillator. There are 4 options (sine, square, triangle, and flat) Which MIDI value selects each option?
4. Can Maxwell be set up to send MIDI data to my controller? I would like some LEDs to turn on and off on the controller when I select invert, etc. Is this possible.?

Thanks! I just picked this program up and I'm loving it so far, but would love it even more if I could get it really tuned in to work with my MIDI controller :-)

[BlueFang]

I was wondering if anyone here has any more detailed info on Maxwell usage than is supplied with the documentation. I've not been able to find many details there regarding the MIDI interface. Specifically I'm looking for anyone who knows any of the following:

1. Erase/re-enter MIDI learn data that was put in incorrectly or that you just want to change. where is this information saved? Restarting the program without saving doesn't reset the MIDI Learn function.
2. What MIDI keys are mapped to the APC trigger mode that select the preset patterns? I can program my midi controller if I knew what keys Maxwell was expecting to see. Only 3 of the presets are selectable for me right now.
3. What is the MIDI transition value between the different wave form options for each oscillator. There are 4 options (sine, square, triangle, and flat) Which MIDI value selects each option?
4. Can Maxwell be set up to send MIDI data to my controller? I would like some LEDs to turn on and off on the controller when I select invert, etc. Is this possible.?

Thanks! I just picked this program up and I'm loving it so far, but would love it even more if I could get it really tuned in to work with my MIDI controller :-)

I think I can answer some of these questions...

1. To erase a learned control - first, turn on MIDI Learn Mode - then click on the control that you want to erase - it should turn green showing that it has an assignment. Simply shift-click on it again to erase the assignment.
2. For triggering the presets - you have to use Note On midi messages. There are two modes - Normal Mode (APC Trigger Mode is off), and APC Trigger Mode (APC Trigger Mode button is on).

For Normal Mode, the "Note Offset" number box specifies what MIDI Note # is assigned to the first preset (the preset in the top-left corner). MIDI Notes are then automatically assigned incrementally from left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

This doesn't work well with an APC 40 - as the MIDI Note numbers of the clip-launch buttons on an APC-40 start with MIDI Note # 0 in the bottom-left corner and increment from left-to-right, bottom-to-top. This note mapping is opposite of the "preset" numbers used by Maxwell, which is why there is an APC Trigger Mode - it takes care of this mapping automatically.

3. The waveform control can be controlled by a MIDI CC messages with data in the following range triggering each waveform type as so:
Sine: 0-32
Tri: 33-64
Square: 65-96
Line: 96-127

4. At the moment, there is no back-channel communication from Maxwell to a MIDI controller (except with the APC-40 Colorizer App included with Maxwell). If there is enough interest, I would like to add support for a MIDI controller like the APC-40mkii - but that is quite a large development effort.


Note about saved MIDI mappings: These are saved and loaded automatically on app close/open. The mapping files are located in the following location:

OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/Maxwell/
Windows: /user/Documents/

controllist.json
midimap.json

If you ever want to simply remove all MIDI mappings, you can just erase those two files.

[daderaide]

Excellent!! Thanks! That's all really great info. Exactly what I was hoping to learn.

AS a side note, it seems that these days every midi control board is designed around compatibility with Ableton Live. I understand that adding support for lots of different MIDI controllers would be a pretty huge undertaking, but since most, if not ALL popular controllers are being sold today are designed to be compatible with Ableton Live, that might help narrow down the requirements. Maybe just modifying the APC-40 colorizer app to conform with whatever the ableton live standards are?? I'm not a programmer, so I have no idea if this actually helps at all, but hey... those are my 2 cents :-)

[BlueFang]

Excellent!! Thanks! That's all really great info. Exactly what I was hoping to learn.

AS a side note, it seems that these days every midi control board is designed around compatibility with Ableton Live. I understand that adding support for lots of different MIDI controllers would be a pretty huge undertaking, but since most, if not ALL popular controllers are being sold today are designed to be compatible with Ableton Live, that might help narrow down the requirements. Maybe just modifying the APC-40 colorizer app to conform with whatever the ableton live standards are?? I'm not a programmer, so I have no idea if this actually helps at all, but hey... those are my 2 cents :-)

There is really no such thing as an Ableton Live MIDI "standard". Ableton has developed an amazing python (language) based framework just for integrating MIDI devices with Ableton Live. Generally the way it works is the manufacturer of a MIDI device will use Ableton's programming framework and scripting system to develop a "python script" - that integrates their own controller with Ableton Live. Once they are happy with this "script" - there is a developer program managed by Ableton where these manufacturers can provide these scripts to be included with Ableton Live.

This MIDI framework that they created is impressive AND is HUGE. We are talking tens of thousands of lines of code. You have to remember that Ableton has something like ~200 employees.

So the summary of the situation is that the MIDI support in Maxwell as it is now - with a nice click-and-assign type interface - is pretty advanced for a program in Maxwell's price range. In order to support something like you are talking about - a fully integrated two-way messaging system - is quite advanced - and would require a significant level of effort.

[catalanjo]

@ " tempo detection is difficult " = understatement of the century!
FFT & long latency pattern recognition perhaps !

Cheers

[daderaide]

ooof. that sounds like a big headache. Looks like someone needs to create a MIDI controller specifically designed for laserists :-)

Here, hold my beer. I got this.

[norty303]

I've found a pretty good selection of controllers for Maxwell actually.
Evolution UC-33e combined with the Evolution X-session DJ controller.
UC has enough rotaries for most of the core controls on the 2 banks of XYZ oscillators plus 9 faders which I'm yet undecided what I want them for. Maybe rot and pos.
Xsession has cross fader for the 2 banks then a further 16 rotaries which are mainly colour control currently. Then 2x keypads which are going to be useful.

I've asked Bluefang about integrating X and Y keystoning controls for the LaserDock which WL introduced in their recent update. This for me is the final step in a useable show rig. We're doing a show just after New Year where Maxwell will be featuring as the core visual content for the night. We will be using 2 sacred geometry style backdrops as the projection canvas. Should be interesting and I'm having fun with phasing in Maxwell