Littlepiggytracker Midi Interface Upgrade

[M-.-n]

Great news and project!
A MIDI In could be great too, using Lgpt Gp2X as a small sampler with all the 'piggy tweaks' .

I'm sort of planning in the long run to develop 'squealer' ; a virtual instrument using the piggy voices. But that's not for short term

 

[rokdcasbah]

all eight sequencer tracks at once

yamaha tq-5?
QUOTE
You're doing luvverle work on that rhodes, by the way

thanks. i sort of fell off the wagon last week, but we've got a gig friday so i'm hoping to have it all sewn up by then.

M-.-n: "squealer" is exactly the sort of thing i've been hoping for

keep up the great work guys. i think i'm going to build the converter soon...

 

[NeuTek]

Hi, got my converter built last night but sadly i can't get the midi to trigger on my 383 still. Really cant figure it out why it is. I Can however get the midi information to trigger on my behringer bcr and send stuff through jack to seq24 on linux as before but still nothing on my 383 any ideas?

 

[moxie]

Ive been saying this for months. I think every instrument should generation midi if set to ON that way your DAW can record midi written on the run.

2ND edit: piggy only sends max velocity. But you can use a table to set midi volume as a workaround, unless your synth is too cool for that.

I figured out, too, after looking in the revision history and scrolling very far in the instrument list

And I agree with you - It would be a good thing to just be able to switch on "MIDI Transmit" in an instrument. It would also be nice to be able to have several instruments sending on the same channel - I.e. On the piggy, I'd likely have two different instruments for the Kick and the Snare, but for sending Midi, I'd like to set them both to transmit on the same channel, different note#s. Ideally, I'd like to see "MIDI Params" as a separate screen for the instruments, with something like:

MIDI Transmit: On/off
Channel: 0-F
Notes Transmitted : Fixed/chromatic

...and, depending on that setting, either:

Note#: C-2 - C+7 (or whatever the reasonable range is)

...or:

Transpose: -24 - +24

Default Velocity: 00-EF


...Or something like that. M-N, consider this a future suggestion kind of thing

Then again, whether something like that is doable would of course be dependent on internal data structures and stuff. But at least "default velocity" ought to be possible to add, and would mean I could safely trigger me old TX-7 from the piggy without it dirstorting mightily (It doesn't like velocity values above 100 decimal)

I'm sort of planning in the long run to develop 'squealer' ; a virtual instrument using the piggy voices. But that's not for short term

Nice

Also on the suggestion list for the far future when we get a MIDI in: The possibility to use a midi keyboard for note entry. No, it won't record rythms, but something like being able to designate, say, high C as "rest" and then being able to go "C-rest-C-rest-F-rest-rest-rest-G-rest-rest-D-C-rest-rest-rest" would speed up my modus operandi a lot.

 

[M-.-n]

I Can however get the midi information to trigger on my behringer bcr and send stuff through jack to seq24 on linux as before but still nothing on my 383 any ideas?

Does that mean you recieve MIDI signal out from the pig ? the easiest to find out if it works or not is to get some kind of midi monitor and see if it comes out. Don't know if you got that but make sure the midi toggle in the project screen is set to true.

And I agree with you - It would be a good thing to just be able to switch on "MIDI Transmit" in an instrument. It would also be nice to be able to have several instruments sending on the same channel - I.e. On the piggy, I'd likely have two different instruments for the Kick and the Snare, but for sending Midi, I'd like to set them both to transmit on the same channel, different note#s. Ideally, I'd like to see "MIDI Params" as a separate screen for the instruments, with something like:

MIDI Transmit: On/off
Channel: 0-F
Notes Transmitted : Fixed/chromatic

...and, depending on that setting, either:

Note#: C-2 - C+7 (or whatever the reasonable range is)

...or:

Transpose: -24 - +24

Default Velocity: 00-EF

Then again, whether something like that is doable would of course be dependent on internal data structures and stuff. But at least "default velocity" ought to be possible to add, and would mean I could safely trigger me old TX-7 from the piggy without it dirstorting mightily (It doesn't like velocity values above 100 decimal)




I don't like too much the idea of mixing parameters for internal instrument and midi. In my mind there are either one or the other (especially if I start developping other type of instr like noise osc or something). Ideally you should be able to switch the type of instrument from sampled to midi. I'll hack something in the mean time so that we can have more than one midi instr. sending on the same channel for sure. I even know how I'll do it.

As for parameters, I understand max velocity is annoying for the DX7 and it would make sense to be able to tweak it. Transpose does make sense. So as the fixed/chromatic mode. Not sure I want to go as far as note range tho.

Cheerios,
Marc.

 

[NeuTek]

I Can however get the midi information to trigger on my behringer bcr and send stuff through jack to seq24 on linux as before but still nothing on my 383 any ideas?

Does that mean you recieve MIDI signal out from the pig ? the easiest to find out if it works or not is to get some kind of midi monitor and see if it comes out. Don't know if you got that but make sure the midi toggle in the project screen is set to true.

I have monitored the signal from piggy through my behringer bcr2000 midi controller which is picking up a signal as it hash midi in out and through lights that flash when a signal is passing.

i had this before however on the old flash of hex.

Just to be double sure im gonna add some midi singal lights to my pcb tonight.

Cheers

 

[moxie]

Notes Transmitted : Fixed/chromatic

...and, depending on that setting, either:

Note#: C-2 - C+7 (or whatever the reasonable range is)

Ideally you should be able to switch the type of instrument from sampled to midi.
...
So as the fixed/chromatic mode. Not sure I want to go as far as note range tho.


Good enough for me The "Note range" thing wasn't meant as a range of playable notes, but as the range for the parameter. I.e. either you select "Fixed" and then you get to pick one note from that range, or you select "chromatic" and then you may set a transpose value.

 

[M-.-n]

The "Note range" thing wasn't meant as a range of playable notes, but as the range for the parameter. I.e. either you select "Fixed" and then you get to pick one note from that range, or you select "chromatic" and then you may set a transpose value.

Yeah, I saw somthing similar using the 'root note' term since it is somehow equivalent in the sample instruments.

 

[firestARTer]

I Can however get the midi information to trigger on my behringer bcr and send stuff through jack to seq24 on linux as before but still nothing on my 383 any ideas?

Does that mean you recieve MIDI signal out from the pig ? the easiest to find out if it works or not is to get some kind of midi monitor and see if it comes out. Don't know if you got that but make sure the midi toggle in the project screen is set to true.

I have monitored the signal from piggy through my behringer bcr2000 midi controller which is picking up a signal as it hash midi in out and through lights that flash when a signal is passing.

i had this before however on the old flash of hex.

Just to be double sure im gonna add some midi singal lights to my pcb tonight.

Cheers


Are you sure you use the right Midi-Channel?

 

[torpor]

semi-related: i know part of the issue with midishare is that the usb handling...but i think midishare can also go over a network connection...maybe that could be implemented without needing more usb control then we already have?
not really sure what's involved though.

MidiShare works great on the GP2X - if you don't mind booting off your own custom kernel on the SD card (+filesystem) .. I've done the port already but due to constraints with my former employer its a little difficult to release right now.

Here's a pic of my MidiShare+GP2X+Powermate rig:

http://flickr.com/photos/tschuktschuk/203837189/


Essentially, MidiShare needs very little in order to run smoothly on the GP2X. MidiShare consists of a couple different layers - there's a kernel module to handle all the internal timing/queue issues, there's an external library for MidiShare-using apps to link to, and then there's the driver subsystem which provides MIDI devices for MidiShare to use.

The way my current GP2X+MidiShare rig is set up, it boots up from the external SD card, loads my own GP2X-customized kernel (basically with just a few bugfixes in the 2.4.x series that allow MidiShare to function properly - there are some ARM assembly portions (Queue handler, lock-free FIFO) in the MidiShare kernel module), loads up the USB-firmware loader (fxload) to get the onboard firmware in a Midex 3x3 MIDI interface working, fires up the MidiShare MIDI driver pointing to the external USB MIDI interface, and away we go .. everything works fairly smoothly.

The advantage to this is that you can use standard USB MIDI hardware and don't need to build anything yourself, or hack around too much with non-standard baud-rate entries in the header files, etc. But the disadvantage is that we need to get a more update 2.4.x series kernel in more common use among the GP2X'ers .. my initial strategy was to get involved in OPEN2X to get this done, and it looks like we're at a point where this could work .. so I'll try to re-do the MidiShare port on my own time in the near future and see if we can make a proper release. But it would be helpful if we had an OPEN2X kernel that could be more widely used for this though ..

 

[moxie]

But it would be helpful if we had an OPEN2X kernel that could be more widely used for this though ..

I'm fairly sure that as soon as open2x releases something that resembles an official release, it will be rather widely used, kernel'n'all...

 

[rokdcasbah]

awesome to hear torpor! too bad that it's classified...

 

[herr_prof]

Good enough for me The "Note range" thing wasn't meant as a range of playable notes, but as the range for the parameter. I.e. either you select "Fixed" and then you get to pick one note from that range, or you select "chromatic" and then you may set a transpose value.

This has been updated in the latest Ghetto:

http://community.livejournal.com/littlegptracker/37287.html

 

[torpor]

I'm fairly sure that as soon as open2x releases something that resembles an official release, it will be rather widely used, kernel'n'all...

Hopefully .. we will have some news about this shortly. I think Open2X has a good chance of a first real proper working release in the near future, now that there have been some improvements in the progress around mplayer and such ..

Anyway, it would be really great if we could get piggy MidiShare'ified in the near future, and I don't expect Marc will want to do that until there's a bit of stability around the Open2X release, so its good that he's hacking it together for now ..

 

[M-.-n]

Anyway, it would be really great if we could get piggy MidiShare'ified in the near future, and I don't expect Marc will want to do that until there's a bit of stability around the Open2X release, so its good that he's hacking it together for now ..
[/quote]

Yes, indeed. I think having a solution that doesn't requires firware upgrade and works in the mean time is cool. I can't wait for open2x to come up tho. Having usbaudio & midi so fubared in the current kernel hurts.

 

[starpause]

hi guys ... just some recent piggy news that i didn't feel like starting a new thread for ...

piggy on the f200!

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKeSUUsK2bs

picture:

http://flickr.com/photos/k9d/1865554453/

ALSO!!! piggy finally has GROOVE. this is big news for funky beat creators details:

http://community.livejournal.com/littlegptracker/38269.html

it's only in a ghetto build right now ...

http://mp3death.us/lgpt/doku.php?id=lgpt:b...s#ghetto_builds

i'm playing piggy at a laptop battle on sat. nov. 10th ... wish me luck

 

[virusx]

Wow! It would be so incredibly nice to have the use of the touchscreen to score within the Piggy!
@M-.-n: Do you have a "Piggython" running for your F200?
Off topic: I listen to your IDTP tune since you sent me the link, massively addictive!

 

[M-.-n]

@M-.-n: Do you have a "Piggython" running for your F200?
Off topic: I listen to your IDTP tune since you sent me the link, massively addictive!



I currently don't have a F-200 (still using my MKI & MKII and kind of waiting for the new gulator to come out). If I do use the touchscreen, it's going to be for masterFX control.. but it's not in there yet

Don't know if that answer your piggython question

And thanks for the track props, more piggy work @ http://www.myspace.com/discodirt

 

[M-.-n]

While I'm at it, a nice little pic of Firestarter's setup:

Piggy->C64 running Prophet64 -> 3 DMG gameboys running LSDj. Only misses a NES and the ultimate chip setup is completed !

 

[virusx]

Yay! That's a nice setup indeed!
I recently find a prophet64 cardtridge too but I was too busy to mod the C64 I have for this.

I really want to see what you can do with a touchscreen
So lets start the F200 piggython: 20$
(Piggy web page > Small donation)
I will spread the word where people could be interested.

Btw do you think that the piggy will benefit a lot of the horsepower of the "Gulator"?
I mean that the Piggy is already flawless on the 2X.