Monome

chalkline · Post by **chalkline** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:21 am

landrvr1 wrote:Anyway, I haven't read much about programming the Monome, but isn't it kind of a bitch? Don't you have to have a working knowledge and own a copy of MAX/MSP?

I mean, you Pays Your Moneys and....does it work right away? Create sounds? MIDI sync?

...

It is pretty straight forward to use. You download all the drivers and max/msp runtime. And all the apps or on the website to just download. There are quite a few now, with MLR being very popular, and Molar looks really good, not started using it yet.
I would say you could be up and running in an hour or two.

beatpoet · Post by **beatpoet** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:06 pm

It's an excellent device to have, it's a instrument in itself. Beautifully finished. I got mine last Feb after about a 3 week wait.

I checked the time the list was going live, and I just sat waiting for the link to go live and was one of the first few on the list for the second run of 64's, simple as that, if anyone really wanted one they could have had one that time, the list didn't fill up that quickly.

Was also on the list for the last run of 128's, I joined that about a month after it was announced and was #80, but I didn't buy when it came around, I was prob 3 months waiting for that one. Granted at the moment they're not taking requests so people have to wait a while but if anyone really wanted one there was loads of opportunity.

I mainly use it with MLR rewired to Live, or in the live situation, MLR only, starting to get into polygomé now which is a new app by stretta which is really amazing, considering getting a 2nd 64 for that, they're a good bunch of people with a good community built up, new applications being made every month, all free, opens up new possibilities every time.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:53 pm

chalkline wrote:
landrvr1 wrote:Anyway, I haven't read much about programming the Monome, but isn't it kind of a bitch? Don't you have to have a working knowledge and own a copy of MAX/MSP?

I mean, you Pays Your Moneys and....does it work right away? Create sounds? MIDI sync?

...
It is pretty straight forward to use. You download all the drivers and max/msp runtime. And all the apps or on the website to just download. There are quite a few now, with MLR being very popular, and Molar looks really good, not started using it yet.
I would say you could be up and running in an hour or two.

to clarify what chalkline is saying, no it's not a bitch to program, you don't have to own max msp you just download the free runtime and use the free apps on the monome site to play with it.

I'm always suprised at how many people think you have to own max with this thing. and some people even think that it's mac only which I have no idea how it got started

divonic · Post by **divonic** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:37 pm

I use a 40h to control Live. With chuck (a program) and a shred (chuck code) called monogrid. Basically each button on the monome is mapped to a clip in Live and using follow actions you get a very close simulation of MLR but all in Live. (i'm using each column on the monome to corespond to a "column" in Live) I wouldn't want to perform live with out the monome. I also use a Behringer BCF2000 for faders and knobs. here's alink to me messing around soon after I got the monome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsANWaHe4lE, and here's a my live rig. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5qhDEXef3o

Worth it? yes! end all of music devices . . . no . . . but it is great. Does it suck that the price went up a bit on the next one coming out and that there is a huge waiting list? sure but we're not talking Roland or Yamaha here we are talking 2 people in their loft. and you can't compare this to a Lemur it truesly is comparing apples and oranges.

t1mp · Post by **t1mp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:38 pm

yea, there are plenty apps to download. it just keeps growing...the dj64 app when dropped, its over.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:39 pm

to clarify...

you install the driver from www.ftdi.com, very simple driver. the FTDI chip is a great USB interface chip, it's used in the monome.

the FTDI USB chip and its driver talk to a helper app called 'monome serial' which takes data to/from the driver and converts it to UDP (similar to IP, there's a port and an address). OSC works with UDP natively, so any programming language that supports OSC will work with the monome (max/msp, Pure Data, Chuck, Csound, Reaktor, vvvv.)

of course any of the OSC applications can drive a midi port, so the entire midi implementation is available.

check the protocol links to the right here:
http://docs.monome.org/doku.php

all a user needs to know is that they need the FTDI driver, monomeserial and then they can start looking around the monome site for apps they want. if you want mlr you download that and the max/msp runtime environment. if you want to play 'Life' you need to get the free Chuck environment.

it might sound awkward but it's pretty simple once you get a few apps running.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:46 pm

you know tone, I've never gotten any chuck apps to work for me. I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to do with them to be honost. I downloaded chuck and downloaded some of the chuck apps on the monome site and just ended up stairing at it like "it's not doing anything.. what do I do now?" and then I just give up.

I guess thats fine cause I don't know of any chuck apps I can't live without. but I did see an interesting granular one I wouldn't mind fiddling with.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 5:55 pm

it might be the prefix, look in the code for /box or /device or something, that name has to be the same in monomeserial as in Chuck. this weekend is shot for me but find me online not during work hours and we'll sort it out.

Chuck's really cool, after watching that video someone posted a while back I think I really want to get into it.

the 'Conways life simulator' is really cool.
- hit some buttons, their LEDs light up
- if a button has too many on LEDs around it, it goes off (dies)
- if it has a proper amount, it reproduces
- if there aren't enough it dies
something like that. good geeky fun

t1mp · Post by **t1mp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:47 pm

i haven't been able to get chuck to work either, i do add shred and all that...gave up...would love to use Enableton.

divonic · Post by **divonic** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:16 pm

it took me a couple of hours to figure out setting up chuck for monome/Live. Something that is important is the order that you do things. I'm gonna use monogrid as an example but I think the enableton is similar and similar for other shreds.

1. Start monomeserial
2. set the prefix to /box (and that is actually "/box"; box is not a variable)
3. choose your orientation
4. Start Chuck
5. open shred (monogrid)
6. click start virtural machine
7. click add shred (the bottom left button on the monome will light-up)
8. Start Ableton Live
9. Click the MIDI learn button in Live; click the clip you want to trigger; then click the button on the monome that you want to trigger that clip. repeat. exit MIDI learn.
10. Start pushing buttons and making music.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:45 pm

divonic wrote:it took me a couple of hours to figure out setting up chuck for monome/Live. Something that is important is the order that you do things. I'm gonna use monogrid as an example but I think the enableton is similar and similar for other shreds.

1. Start monomeserial
2. set the prefix to /box (and that is actually "/box"; box is not a variable)
3. choose your orientation
4. Start Chuck
5. open shred (monogrid)
6. click start virtural machine
7. click add shred (the bottom left button on the monome will light-up)
8. Start Ableton Live
9. Click the MIDI learn button in Live; click the clip you want to trigger; then click the button on the monome that you want to trigger that clip. repeat. exit MIDI learn.
10. Start pushing buttons and making music.

thanks, I'll see if I get anywhere with that.

t1mp · Post by **t1mp** » Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:52 pm

yea, super thanks!

zeitgeist · Post by **zeitgeist** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:06 am

In a random bout of Lemur lust, I discovered last week that someone has written a full Monome emulator for the Lemur called MonemurV2.

http://post.monome.org/comments.php?DiscussionID=1551

So rather than dropping $1000 on a monome, I'm waiting until I can afford the Lemur and get all the functionality of both!

Anyway... Just sharin' some knowledge here.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:15 am

zeitgeist wrote:In a random bout of Lemur lust, I discovered last week that someone has written a full Monome emulator for the Lemur called MonemurV2.

http://post.monome.org/comments.php?DiscussionID=1551

So rather than dropping $1000 on a monome, I'm waiting until I can afford the Lemur and get all the functionality of both!

Anyway... Just sharin' some knowledge here.

tactile? nope.

divonic · Post by **divonic** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:58 pm

here is something a little off topic here but it is really cool: touch screen knobs. . . . (and switches, sliders, pressure controlled analog touch switches, squeezy knobs and balls, textured rubber, vibration feedback) who knows maybe they can make LED buttons and emulate a monome.

http://girtonlabs.googlepages.com/sensesurface

The Lemur is intriguing but I like tactile response of real faders, knobs buttons etc.