New granular synth: The Mangle

[wagtunes]

[quote="artao"]Proud new owner of The Mangle. Downloading now. Quite looking forward to exploring this one.
\o/[/quote

Some stuff I've done with this granular monster.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... 50-samples

[artao]

Not sure where to put feature requests, so I'll just throw this here ...
I sure would like to be able to modulate LFO parameters like frequency and pulse width. Being able to modulate parameters of the Voice envelope (or the other envelopes for that matter) would really be nice.
I LOVE the random generators!!! .... again tho, it sure would be nice to be able to modify those parameters.
..
Finally, a question: I see no way to (internally) assign MIDI control to the Macro knobs. I find that a bit surprising, and am kinda assuming I've missed something obvious.
In Reaper, I could certainly "force" assign MIDI input to those knobs. However, I just now took a look at the available parameters that Reaper can access ..... looks like each Macro knob has EIGHT!!! :O ... count them, EIGHT separate MIDI assignable / automatable parameters. What to assign? What do they each do?
the world may never know

[Ah_Dziz]

So I just grabbed this last night. I had no plans to get any more granular devices, but then I realized how crazy inexpensive this is. What is the procedure for making feature requests and whatnot? I'd love to see the tempo locked grain rate go up to much higher speeds. Really most of the synth could benefit from faster modulation so in general. I'd also love to see a way to snap the step sequencers to a vertical grid that would be user subdividable. Obviously I'm posting this here but I'd like to get this info to the developer and according to some of these posts he isn't around as much as some would like. Either way, as it stands now it's a great tool for the price and I'll probably be able to find some workarounds to accomplish what I want. It allows a better degree of control than granite especially when playing with percussive material and the pitch quantization makes it great for tones.

[wagtunes]

So I just grabbed this last night. I had no plans to get any more granular devices, but then I realized how crazy inexpensive this is. What is the procedure for making feature requests and whatnot? I'd love to see the tempo locked grain rate go up to much higher speeds. Really most of the synth could benefit from faster modulation so in general. I'd also love to see a way to snap the step sequencers to a vertical grid that would be user subdividable. Obviously I'm posting this here but I'd like to get this info to the developer and according to some of these posts he isn't around as much as some would like. Either way, as it stands now it's a great tool for the price and I'll probably be able to find some workarounds to accomplish what I want. It allows a better degree of control than granite especially when playing with percussive material and the pitch quantization makes it great for tones.

The developer is kind if MIA. You can email him but it may be a long while until he gets back to you, if at all.

[ThomasHelzle]

Finally, a question: I see no way to (internally) assign MIDI control to the Macro knobs. I find that a bit surprising, and am kinda assuming I've missed something obvious.
In Reaper, I could certainly "force" assign MIDI input to those knobs. However, I just now took a look at the available parameters that Reaper can access ..... looks like each Macro knob has EIGHT!!! :O ... count them, EIGHT separate MIDI assignable / automatable parameters. What to assign? What do they each do?
the world may never know

I find it rather self-explanatory actually:
To use any midi CC for modulation, drag the CC xx button to the parameter you want to control. Move the CC in question before you do or drag the field above it to set a CC manually, giving you all 127 channels to control.
I don't think the Macros are meant to be used like that, they are more like another option to control multiple parameters for either manual use or to automate in your DAW directly. Other than the visual aspect, they don't add anything to what you can do with CCs directly.
The macros are per Layer, that's why there are eight times four of them.

Cheers,

Tom

[artao]

I find it rather self-explanatory actually:
To use any midi CC for modulation, drag the CC xx button to the parameter you want to control. Move the CC in question before you do or drag the field above it to set a CC manually, giving you all 127 channels to control.
I don't think the Macros are meant to be used like that, they are more like another option to control multiple parameters for either manual use or to automate in your DAW directly. Other than the visual aspect, they don't add anything to what you can do with CCs directly.
The macros are per Layer, that's why there are eight times four of them.

Cheers,

Tom

Yeah, assigning MIDI to the parameters is quite self-explanatory, and very simple and awesome. Drag n drop. Very nice.
However, have you tried this with the Macro knobs? It doesn't work.
Why would I want to use my mouse to control those, one at a time? I pretty much wouldn't while using my MIDI controller. That's why they have all those knobs on 'em.

I eventually figured out the whole thing about why there's 8 assignable parameters per Macro knob. Thanks tho!

[ThomasHelzle]

Yeah, assigning MIDI to the parameters is quite self-explanatory, and very simple and awesome. Drag n drop. Very nice.
However, have you tried this with the Macro knobs? It doesn't work.
Why would I want to use my mouse to control those, one at a time? I pretty much wouldn't while using my MIDI controller. That's why they have all those knobs on 'em.

Why would you want to use a Midi CC to control a Macro to control a parameter if you can directly control the parameter with a CC?
You may not want to use the Macros the way they seem to be designed, but since you can do everything they do without using them, I don't see the problem?
What am I missing?

And not everybody is using Midi controllers (I don't), so there is more than one way to shave the cat

Cheers,

Tom

[Ah_Dziz]

So I just grabbed this last night. I had no plans to get any more granular devices, but then I realized how crazy inexpensive this is. What is the procedure for making feature requests and whatnot? I'd love to see the tempo locked grain rate go up to much higher speeds. Really most of the synth could benefit from faster modulation so in general. I'd also love to see a way to snap the step sequencers to a vertical grid that would be user subdividable. Obviously I'm posting this here but I'd like to get this info to the developer and according to some of these posts he isn't around as much as some would like. Either way, as it stands now it's a great tool for the price and I'll probably be able to find some workarounds to accomplish what I want. It allows a better degree of control than granite especially when playing with percussive material and the pitch quantization makes it great for tones.

The developer is kind if MIA. You can email him but it may be a long while until he gets back to you, if at all.

Well it's awesome and usable as is. There are just some things that could be better that don't seem hard to implement. Either way. It was worth the money.

[artao]

Yeah, assigning MIDI to the parameters is quite self-explanatory, and very simple and awesome. Drag n drop. Very nice.
However, have you tried this with the Macro knobs? It doesn't work.
Why would I want to use my mouse to control those, one at a time? I pretty much wouldn't while using my MIDI controller. That's why they have all those knobs on 'em.

Why would you want to use a Midi CC to control a Macro to control a parameter if you can directly control the parameter with a CC?
You may not want to use the Macros the way they seem to be designed, but since you can do everything they do without using them, I don't see the problem?
What am I missing?

And not everybody is using Midi controllers (I don't), so there is more than one way to shave the cat

Cheers,

Tom

Because the Macro knobs can control multiple parameters simultaneously.
Sure, I can set that up directly in Reaper .... but it's tedious.
Being able to MIDI control those, directly assignable in The Mangle's interface, really would be nice.

...
Being able to modulate LFO, random, envelope, and even sequencer parameters would also be really nice.
I hope he comes back from being MIA, and is still developing The Mangle.
I'm LOVING it as-is, but it'd be nice to have these features.

[ThomasHelzle]

Because the Macro knobs can control multiple parameters simultaneously.
Sure, I can set that up directly in Reaper .... but it's tedious.
Being able to MIDI control those, directly assignable in The Mangle's interface, really would be nice.

CCs can also control as many parameters simultaneously as you want, so I still don't understand what you could achieve with the macros you can't achieve with the CCs?

It's always worth a shot writing to the plugin author BTW. I had some good conversations with him in the past when he wasn't too busy to answer.

Cheers,

Tom

[Ah_Dziz]

Because the Macro knobs can control multiple parameters simultaneously.
Sure, I can set that up directly in Reaper .... but it's tedious.
Being able to MIDI control those, directly assignable in The Mangle's interface, really would be nice.

CCs can also control as many parameters simultaneously as you want, so I still don't understand what you could achieve with the macros you can't achieve with the CCs?

It's always worth a shot writing to the plugin author BTW. I had some good conversations with him in the past when he wasn't too busy to answer.

Cheers,

Tom

Do cc assignments have depth controls? That would be the only possible difference I could think of.

[ThomasHelzle]

Do cc assignments have depth controls? That would be the only possible difference I could think of.

Neither CCs nor Macro knobs have depth controls AFAIK but every parameter you assign in The Mangle has it's own personal and independent depth control anyway, so I don't think that makes a difference?

And I don't try to be a wise crack, I'm simply curious if there is something I missed about the macro knobs, but so far it looks to me as if they do exactly the same as the CCs and have no special features over them that would make them a better choice for controller assignment, even if they would allow midi learn.

Cheers,

Tom

[artao]

CCs can also control as many parameters simultaneously as you want, so I still don't understand what you could achieve with the macros you can't achieve with the CCs?

Perhaps I'm absolutely dense, but I'm not following you here.

[ThomasHelzle]

I'm on the Midi & Macro page.
I drag CC1 to Rate and set a range. Then I drag CC1 to Pitch and set a range...
Like all other modulators, they can be applied to as many targets as you want.
So my question still is: what would be the benefit of having Midi-learn on the Macros over using the CCs directly?
Midi-learn would allow you to have a CC control the Macro that then would control the parameter(s).
Why not have the CC control the parameter(s) directly?

(and I'll leave it at that so other subscribers to the thread do not get too much spam ).

Cheers,

Tom

[artao]

I'm on the Midi & Macro page.
I drag CC1 to Rate and set a range. Then I drag CC1 to Pitch and set a range...
Like all other modulators, they can be applied to as many targets as you want.
So my question still is: what would be the benefit of having Midi-learn on the Macros over using the CCs directly?
Midi-learn would allow you to have a CC control the Macro that then would control the parameter(s).
Why not have the CC control the parameter(s) directly?

(and I'll leave it at that so other subscribers to the thread do not get too much spam ).

Cheers,

Tom

OH DUH!
Sorry. I guess I am a complete dolt.
I was so focussed on the functionality of the macro knob, I didn't consider the obviousness of multi-assigning those CC values. And obvious it is to me now.
Sorry, and thanks.

That kinda makes the Macro knobs redundant then, but whatever.