Copperlan

[CopperPhil]

A simple example for today (no CopperLan native product on the market yet), you can connect permanently multiple MIDI controlers on multiple computers and use CopperLan to bind them to virtual MIDI ports used by the sequencer. Since connections are not exclusive in CopperLan, one or more controller output (using a MIDI->CopperLan port) can be connected to one input (CopperLan->MIDI) resulting in an implicit MIDI merge. And of course one controller can be connected to multiple MIDI targets.

Before end of this year, products will be released allowing to take control on standard VST plugins running on other computers. It means that you can have a computer running the sequencer/daw and others for running the plugins. Advantage: CPU power distribution with very low latency/jitter (we have developed our own high performance Ethernet protocol).

CopperLan native controllers are on the road, should be demonstrated early 2011. Today, it is hard (or impossible) to control multiple computer applications from the same controller. There is no problem with CopperLan, each controller actuator can act on any parameter of any application located anywhere on the network.

So if you regularly use only one computer and one controller, CopperLan will expand your playground, keeping things simple and allowing you to virtually increase your CPU power and controller flexibility.

Another example of usual 1 computer/1 controller user is: DJ. With CopperLan, they can expand the solo play and imagine performances as 2, 3, 4 guys acting on the same program from their own controllers. Moreover CopperLan can control lights (among others)...

It is very hard to say "with CopperLan you can do this, or this..." because actually you can imagine anything! CopperLan drops the barriers and offers a wide potential... use cases are infinite...

[marce]

Thanks! Understood.

[aMUSEd]

And on a single computer - you can route midi between apps? What is the latency hit for that?

[CopperPhil]

When you install the CopperLan package on a computer, it creates a CopperLan virtual network, 4 MIDI to CopperLan and 4 CopperLan to MIDI ports allowing existing MIDI application to exchange data with the CopperLan network. Moreover, CopperLan can deal with each other MIDI port (related to a USB MIDI controller for example).

So yes it is possible to exchange MIDI between applications through CopperLan, whatever these application are running on the same computer or not.

About latency, it depends on the computer... Mac computers offer best performance than Windows. It is not a legend, we made a lot of tests even in local or networking modes. Under Windows, MIDI relies on internal processing that seems to limit speed around 1000 messages per second (similar to physical MIDI speed). Over this speed the stream becomes unstable. However CopperLan can do more than 20000 (20K) messages par second on similar conditions (same computer, messages sent from an application to another one). Considering the speed capabilities, I guess you can trust me if I tell you that latency & jitter are very low and not perceptible

[beingmf]

If someone wants to make MANY people* VERY happy, he'd write an "emagic Unitor8/AMT8<->Copperlan" virtual USB driver, so that the interface may be used in Win7 and 64bit versions...

* I'd be one of them :)

[CopperPhil]

Just a quick message to tell that - for the first time - CopperLan has its own booth at Musikmesse in Fankfurt, Hall 5.1 D61

You can get a preview of what CopperLan products and demos will be demonstrated from my "CopperLan" Facebook page (public page, no need to register).

Shortly: CopperLanized Xils3 (Xils-Labs) and MiniMonsta (Ohm Force), the Radio Systems "The Platform" console, new CopperLan Manager redesigned for touch screen (running now on iPad), CV/Gate, CPMIDI2, CPMIDI8 and CPMIDIx from Alyseum.

The CPMidiX is a very small board to be inserted into existing hardware to make it CopperLan!

And more demos based DMX spot controlled by CopperLan, iPhone/iPad universal controller, a wrapper to CopperLanize any VST...

Last but not least, a new release (RC2) of the CopperLan package will be available very soon (scheduled this week-end) for Mac & PC from www.copperlan.org website. Stronger, faster, better MIDI support (i.e. clocks, activesensing), new CopperLan Manager easier to use/understand

Hope to see you in our booth, Hall 5.1 D61!

[CopperPhil]

Hi everybody,

For the first time we'll have our own booth at the NAMM Show 2012!

We have setup a lot of demos in order to be able to show something according any visitor interest, from the performer to the development engineer. The following products will be used:
- complete Alyseum set of products, including the MS-812 if you are focused on modular systems
- GestureSpark
- Xils3
- the whole set of Copperduino projects (http://www.copperduino.com)
- Numerology3 hosting CopperLan AU proxy plugins (sending analog messaging over the network)
- the complete set of open source sample code available from sourceforge
- CopperLan freeware software
- ...

All of this connected in an unified network made of PC, Mac, iOS, Win7 tablet and dedicated hardware controlling DMX motorized light and music related stuff from a single source (just an example). Most of the CopperLan capabilities will be demonstrated, such as hi-res messaging, connection handling, clocks, editing, monitoring, snapshot, MIDI over CopperLan, remote operation,... I'll be there for any question related to development, with sample code and any resources needed to demonstrate that making CopperLan application is very easy

if you come at the NAMM, don't miss our booth E13/E14 !!!

if you can't be there, news and event coverage is available from this page.

as usual, don't hesitate to contact me for more information.

Cheers,

/Phil

[scalawag]

Hi!
This seems to be a great product.
I didn't understand if i can use Copperplug in the following case:
First computer has the DAW running and the second computer has the VST effects rack processing the sound for the first computer. Sound is played processed on first computer. A sort of a server just for plugins. I hope you understand what i mean.
Cheers.

[jancivil]

unless the audio is sent back over the LAN, which afaict isn't described here, you would require the audio be ported back from the additional computer(s) to output at the same time as the DAW on the master; ie., with a second soundcard and something such as lightpipe back to the soundcard of the master setup.

[scalawag]

Or i can use Wormhole to transmit audio through LAN! My idea is to have only one plugin to do it automatically, and if CopperPlug has audio through LAN it will be a dream come true.

[siriusbliss]

Hi everybody,

For the first time we'll have our own booth at the NAMM Show 2012!

We have setup a lot of demos in order to be able to show something according any visitor interest, from the performer to the development engineer. The following products will be used:
- complete Alyseum set of products, including the MS-812 if you are focused on modular systems
- GestureSpark
- Xils3
- the whole set of Copperduino projects (http://www.copperduino.com)
- Numerology3 hosting CopperLan AU proxy plugins (sending analog messaging over the network)
- the complete set of open source sample code available from sourceforge
- CopperLan freeware software
- ...

I'll stop by to meet you at NAMM!
Can't wait to check it out.

p.s. - It would be great to see what's possible if/when CopperLAN was integrated with the upcoming Parseq/open Scope developments - http://audiobiscuit.de/en/Parseq

[CopperPhil]

Hi!
This seems to be a great product.
I didn't understand if i can use Copperplug in the following case:
First computer has the DAW running and the second computer has the VST effects rack processing the sound for the first computer. Sound is played processed on first computer. A sort of a server just for plugins. I hope you understand what i mean.
Cheers.

Hi,

yes indeed, distributing CPU load on multiple machines and play as it was single is possible with CopperLan. CopperPlug is a good base to setup a plugin farm actually. With the current version you can control VST plugins located in other computers than the one running the DAW, but audio must be transmitted by another way, dedicated external cables or any audio over ethernet protocol.

Actually, we made very interesting tests demonstrating that it's possible to transport audio over CopperLan. It is definitively not the aim of CopperLan, multiple audio/ethernet protocols exist for a while and we'll not challenge them. But it is possible to transport quite easily standard quality audio through CopperLan. So the CopperPlug project would be updated to demo audio transport between the DAW and remote plugins. However it is not the most efficient way in case of using multiple remote plugins. It's better to CopperLanize also the remote host in order to join the audio streams in a single pipe between the machines...

Finally, all the bricks are availables, but audio transport is not our business even we can do it. CopperPlug can demo the feasability, and probably be used as is in many cases, but for pro usage it would be better to have pro solution, even this pro solution adopt CopperLan! Indeed, CopperLan can be used to transport custom data on a no-IP based network.

Stay in touch, we'll certainly get some news during the show

[CopperPhil]

I'll stop by to meet you at NAMM!
Can't wait to check it out.

p.s. - It would be great to see what's possible if/when CopperLAN was integrated with the upcoming Parseq/open Scope developments - http://audiobiscuit.de/en/Parseq

Thank you

yes Parseq seems to be a perfect target to be CopperLanized! hope to meet some AudioBiscuit guy, at least during next Musikmesse.

[jancivil]

audio transport between the DAW and remote plugins. However it is not the most efficient way in case of using multiple remote plugins. It's better to CopperLanize also the remote host in order to join the audio streams in a single pipe between the machines...

Finally, all the bricks are availables, but audio transport is not our business even we can do it. CopperPlug can demo the feasability, and probably be used as is in many cases, but for pro usage it would be better to have pro solution, even this pro solution adopt CopperLan!

I kind of hate to have to break it to you: http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/497/1685/1990/1680.htm

[CopperPhil]

I kind of hate to have to break it to you: http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/497/1685/1990/1680.htm

Thank you for the info. I know that product. They built their own solution in a controlled environment which is why it's fine.

Actually the same can be done with CopperLan. We are showcasing the proof-of-concept in our meetings with the manufacturers. But it's to the implementers to chose their technical options, not us to impose any...