Blofeld Control Device

Learn about building and using Max for Live devices.
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sacredgeometry
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:10 am

Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:28 am

Blofeld Control

Hi there I thought I would start a thread to share some information on my latest max project

Image

A friend of mine just bought a blofeld and was complaining about the difficulty of using unlabelled cc automation lanes and being restricted to clip automation so i decided to start work on a virusTI-esque control interface for him.

Originally I was only going to make it with a bunch of labelled num boxes but as i got into it I decided "If its worth doing, its worth doing properly."

Image

Anyway I will update as more gets done.

Any requests or recommendation is welcome.
Peace + Hugs

Brian

bodo
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by bodo » Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:59 pm

That's great, I've been using the editor in Reaktor, but this seems a lot more elegant.
Would it be possible to include a Program Change, since the knob to select patches is all flakey on mine :( (a common problem I've read)
Thanks!

sacredgeometry
Posts: 199
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:14 am

bodo wrote:That's great, I've been using the editor in Reaktor, but this seems a lot more elegant.
Would it be possible to include a Program Change, since the knob to select patches is all flakey on mine :( (a common problem I've read)
Thanks!
Sure thing, once everything's been added to it I will release it for testing on this thread. I haven't actually got a blofeld so i'm just going off the manual as yet and I got one preliminary test from the friend I am making this for to test the method was working and to "green light" the rest.

Any thing else you think would be a good idea don't hesitate to ask as im making this for blofeld users :)
Peace + Hugs

Brian

sacredgeometry
Posts: 199
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:36 pm

Update: 14th July 2011

[Sorry for the slow progress I have been ill recently]

The OSCillator sections are completely built and a few modifications were made to things added through wrongly assuming there would be ccs for them.

This means that I will have to rethink the envelope display as it was switchable between types but as there is no cc set to set the env type (as far as i have read so far) and it would be clunky to ask users to set it based twice (once of the hardware and then again in the patch. I have hidden it. Along with hiding the Attack.Lev which is also strangely lacking a cc.

EDIT: One other thing I am trying to work on (this will probably be one of the last things I add before release.) is a system of storing and loading presets so that you dont have to use up your inbuilt memory.

One of the other benefits to this that I am trying to implement is saving the settings that you where using on when you closed your live set and then on loading a the set pushing them back out to the blofeld. Hopefully what this will mean is that you can close live down and reload it without having to worry about bouncing down to audio or saving presets.

Image
Peace + Hugs

Brian

bodo
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by bodo » Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:40 pm

Thanks for the ongoing development! Just take your time, it sure seems like the Blofeld is quite picky on what it can and connot recieve (ie envelopes).
Storing and loading presets would be a killer feature, as it's exactly where I tend to be put off by the flakey (because of the faulty knobs) way my own Blofeld handles this. If you're really feeling lucky, how about multis? Not that it's a big deal to program 'em on the Blofeld itself once you know how to (and not incidentally just lose everything in one clean sweep like I did many times).

Good luck, looking forward to try this out, since while I love the sound, I haven't been using much of it lately, your patch might change that.

edit: how about 'intelligent' randomization? I tend to have a passion for synths whom have this feature, but it would be nice to select a couple of parameters and/or scales to control the random bits.

madlab
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by madlab » Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:03 am

Don't have a blofeld but I'm now doing the same for a pulse +. But my skills on max are very limited and I don't have a clue on the way to get parameter feedback to update the parameters state on the device when I load a new preset on the pulse. Can somenone explain or give me links to this information ? Thanks and sorry for the slight hijacking...
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sacredgeometry
Posts: 199
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:10 am

Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:14 pm

madlab wrote:Don't have a blofeld but I'm now doing the same for a pulse +. But my skills on max are very limited and I don't have a clue on the way to get parameter feedback to update the parameters state on the device when I load a new preset on the pulse. Can somenone explain or give me links to this information ? Thanks and sorry for the slight hijacking...
This is something I haven't tackled yet, I will have a think of a few ways it could be done. I am will have to assume that it doesnt push the knob data out when you change presets. A good way to check is to have a random cc set to print out the value data then change the presets on the synth, if anything is printed then it will be straight forward, if not then i think you might have to do what I am intending to do and create a separate preset system which controls that side of things.
Peace + Hugs

Brian

sacredgeometry
Posts: 199
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:10 am

Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:20 pm

bodo wrote: If you're really feeling lucky, how about multis? Not that it's a big deal to program 'em on the Blofeld itself once you know how to (and not incidentally just lose everything in one clean sweep like I did many times).

Good luck, looking forward to try this out, since while I love the sound, I haven't been using much of it lately, your patch might change that.

edit: how about 'intelligent' randomization? I tend to have a passion for synths whom have this feature, but it would be nice to select a couple of parameters and/or scales to control the random bits.
Thats quite alright its keeping my mind busy whilst im looking for work. Intelligent randomisation will be something I can add after the first solid release. i.e when everything else is working as it should I will work on preset systems and other nice bits and pieces.

I was thinking about adding extra lfos and envelopes as well again after the main release as modulating ccs in m4l is very possible, the one concern with that is it would have to be with the ratio of the knobs and block off the knobs normal behaviour (as ccs only like doing one thing at once.) Lots too do, I will get back onto it tomorrow.

[spelling mistakes etc will be rectified in the morning, its quite late here]
Peace + Hugs

Brian

bodo
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by bodo » Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:44 pm

Any updates on this yet?

Thanks!

sacredgeometry
Posts: 199
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:10 am

Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by sacredgeometry » Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:14 pm

Im sorry progress slowed because my friend sold his blofeld which was a little disheartening, I will get back on this later today, it should be done soon most if of is just setting and labelling ccs at this point to get it at least functional and ready for first release. After that i will to sort out the push/pull preset system.
Peace + Hugs

Brian

alex.buga
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Re: Blofeld Control Device

Post by alex.buga » Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:39 am

I wanted to do that, but I have no idea about Max 4 Live, and from what I bumped into... a lot of controls are done via SYSEX (arpeggiator stuff).
I'm willing to pay for this kind of integration!

I wanted to sell my Blofeld because it's damn hard to manage the presets & all.

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