Custom MIDI Controller for Zebra

[unixgeek42]

I guess if you're someone who wants to take a sustained chord and mess with it for an ambient piece having 4 joysticks would be good
...
When I do want to play like that I just hook up my P5 data glove.

That is the idea and to replace the P5 it'll have the nunchuk

[nschmidt-dd]

like a vintage analog joystick for homecomputers...

Oh yes, you are right ... damn ... long time ago

[Cyoon]

Any news on that maybe?

[unixgeek42]

I just found a suitable joystick controller (I think). It is an ALPS 2x20k unit. It is used in the Doepfer A-174-1 module (http://www.doepfer.de). Unfortunatly it costs 45 EUR plus 10 EUR for an aluminum lever... So I will just order one and see if it works o.k.
It is also possible to use it with the Pocket Electronic Universal MIDI Control Electronics form Doepfer which is sold ready for use but it is 75 EUR and I still prefer the Arduino setup as it is fully programmable.
I will also try to find the ALPS joystick elsewhere for a more reasonable amount. Maybe it would help to buy it in larger quantities...

[unixgeek42]

It seems to be an older type: ALPS RKJXB1210 - which I can't find anywhere else...

[Cyoon]

hm k..thanks for the update..

75 euro for just one joystick is actualy pretty much..

but the thing looks really great, even if i could not afford it for that price..sadly

we'll see..

thx for the update..

cheers

[unixgeek42]

75 euro for just one joystick is actualy pretty much..

Actually it is 45 for the joystick and 10 for the lever, so 55 EUR total. But it still is expensive...

[unixgeek42]

This is going to be interesting as well:

http://www.midipad.de/midipad/midipad_welcome.html

[Cyoon]

well, but an ipad is pretty expensive as well sadly..

[cybertron]

This is going to be interesting as well:

http://www.midipad.de/midipad/midipad_welcome.html

Im not sure this is going to be that "big" of a hit.

I see a couple of problems with it.

1) Its another piece of hardware which isnt connected to my computer. Ok, no problem, it has wireless and bounces through my router to control the software. Minor gripe, but its there.

2) The processing power on the iPad leaves a lot to be desired. It limits the possibilities with it and makes it a 1 application stop.

3) No tacticle response from the pad. AFAIK there is no way for the iPad to respond to my finger to let me know that it has increased X % other than for me to look at it. I dont want to look at the iPad, then look at my midi keyboard, then look at my screen. Enough with the looking around already.

4) Scratching up that pretty screen. Yes - I know, you can probably get a protector, but having that screen, on my desk infront of me, having the keyboard, having the mouse, having the midi keyboard, having the drum pad etc etc...you know something is going to get dropped on it. Not only but but where the funk am I supposed to fit it? The value it provides doesnt outweigh the use it provides imo

5) There is already a competitor in this particular market, and again, as afaik I havent seen significant uptake on the hardware (cant remember the name but Im sure someone will kindly fill it in). I think there might be a reason for that.

[xh3rv]

5) There is already a competitor in this particular market, and again, as afaik I havent seen significant uptake on the hardware (cant remember the name but Im sure someone will kindly fill it in). I think there might be a reason for that.

I think you're thinking of the JazzMutant Lemur, which is pretty prohibitively expensive (more than I spend on health insurance annually, IIRC)

With all this remote control stuff, I have some doubts about the software side of things. The conditions for making this stuff really usable, to my mind, exceed what's legitimately handled by MIDI and VST/AU standards, except in the case where developers are specifically handling particular hardware - which I don't think is really fair to ask developers to do.

I'd love to see someone go out of their way to support a ton of plugs and DAWs etc., perhaps the nature of the iPad could be leveraged in that regard (it's 'hardware' from a certain perspective, but it doesn't have a hard-wired layout of controls). Something that did well at that task could offer a lot of insight as to how to bring some maturity to the solutions offered in this area, all of which just seem young and experimental to me ATM.