How To Add Mod Wheel Controller To Basic Synth

[wagtunes]

Let me start off by saying that I've been programming modular synths for a long time. Having said that, I can't believe how stumped I am trying to do this.

After studying the architecture of a number of the synths in MUX, I brought up the Basic Synth patch which actually is the default when you open up MUX and tried to do a simple operation of adding a mod wheel controller between Event Input 1 and Poly Synth and also within the Polysynth module itself.

I have no clue. I have tried a number of things but nothing works.

I tried to reverse engineer the process by dissecting the patch "Fat PWM Bass." So this is what I did.

I went into the Poly Synth module and deleted the Modulation Input module. When I did this and then re-added it, the mod wheel wouldn't work. So I went back to the main screen and saw that the Mod Wheel was disconnected from the Poly Synth. I reconnected it and all worked well. So far so good.

So now I thought, okay, let me delete the Mod Wheel module between Event Input 1 and Poly Synth. When I do this, the Modulation Input module inside the Poly Synth module still remained.

At this point, I figured all I need to do is go back to the screen where the Event Input and Poly Synth are and re-add the Mod Wheel module to that screen and reconnect everything.

I did this and the Mod Wheel stops working. I even made a copy of the original Mod Wheel controller, pasted it, which in turn renamed the two controllers to Modwheel (1) and Modwheel (2), Deleted Modwheel (1), connected Modwheel (2) between the Event Input and the Poly Synth and the mod wheel still doesn't work.

If I double click on Modwheel to bring up the little box with the value parameter and move the mod wheel, with the original controller, the value goes from 0 to 100%. When I move the mod wheel with the duplicated that I created and connected just like the original, after deleting the original, the value stays at 0%.

In short, it's not working.

Can somebody verify that I am doing the right procedure? If not, can somebody please type out in steps how to add a mod wheel controller to the basic patch.

I am really at my wits end with this thing.

[Michael L]

This is what I just did:
Basic Synth Front Panel > Settings (Gear symbol) > Map Midi Controller
This brings up the Edit Mapping Window. Then,
Source = 1 Modulation Wheel
Target Module = (I chose LFO, which is "Vibrato" in the Basic Synth front panel
Parameter = (I chose Frequency, the knob under Vibrato)
I left Min/Max as default
Click OK
I move my Modwheel & see the Vibrato>Frequency knob increase
Then, you can go to Settings>Edit Midi Controller Map, and see the above choices in the columns
If you change the Basic Synth front panel you can still see the Frequency knob move in the LFO in Mux>PolySynth>LFO.
You can also go to PolySynth>LFO>Settings>Map Midi Controller and do the same thing, but at that level.
Hope this helps!

[MuTools]

To connect Mod Wheel to eg a Basic Synth front panel parameter:

1) Right-click that parameter and choose "Map MIDI Controller".
2) Tweak your MIDI Mod Wheel so MIDI data is sent out and click OK.

Simple as that.

For more in depth info also see this doc page: http://www.mutools.com/info/docs/mux/us ... llers.html

If you have any more questions, let me know.

[wagtunes]

Thanks for this. I actually figured it out but in the process discovered something that has me a little puzzled as far as the way this synth works in its mapping parameters as far as what becomes available. You can try this to see for yourself. It is very odd.

1) Bring up the Fat PWM Bass patch under Factory Presets Bass.

2) Move the mod wheel and you will notice "MW-OpenFilter" goes from 0 to 100%.

3) Right click on "MW-OpenFilter" and choose Map MIDI Controller.

4) You'll see the Parameter is set to "MW-OpenFilter" and it is one of 5 possible parameters if you click the drop down.

5) Show the modular area.

6) Delete the Modwheel control and then put it back in. Or just make a copy of it, delete the original and hook up the copy between event and poly.

7) Move the mod wheel. You will notice that "MW-OpenFilter" still goes from 0 to 100% but playing the synth does not open the filter when you move the mod wheel. There is no longer any effect.

Repeat steps 3 and 4. You will notice that "MW-OpenFilter" is no longer a parameter you can choose. There are now only 4 parameters in the list.

Very odd.

This is what I just did:
Basic Synth Front Panel > Settings (Gear symbol) > Map Midi Controller
This brings up the Edit Mapping Window. Then,
Source = 1 Modulation Wheel
Target Module = (I chose LFO, which is "Vibrato" in the Basic Synth front panel
Parameter = (I chose Frequency, the knob under Vibrato)
I left Min/Max as default
Click OK
I move my Modwheel & see the Vibrato>Frequency knob increase
Then, you can go to Settings>Edit Midi Controller Map, and see the above choices in the columns
If you change the Basic Synth front panel you can still see the Frequency knob move in the LFO in Mux>PolySynth>LFO.
You can also go to PolySynth>LFO>Settings>Map Midi Controller and do the same thing, but at that level.
Hope this helps!

[MuTools]

Thanks for this. I actually figured it out

Alright

but in the process discovered something that has me a little puzzled:
1) Bring up the Fat PWM Bass patch under Factory Presets Bass.
2) Move the mod wheel and you will notice "MW-OpenFilter" goes from 0 to 100%.
3) Right click on "MW-OpenFilter" and choose Map MIDI Controller.
4) You'll see the Parameter is set to "MW-OpenFilter" and it is one of 5 possible parameters if you click the drop down.
5) Show the modular area.
6) Delete the Modwheel control and then put it back in.

How do you bring it back in?
Are you sure you're also adding a Constant Modulator module?

Or just make a copy of it, delete the original and hook up the copy between event and poly.

Tried that, works fine here, still see a "Modwheel" module in the target module list.

7) Move the mod wheel. You will notice that "MW-OpenFilter" still goes from 0 to 100% but playing the synth does not open the filter when you move the mod wheel. There is no longer any effect.

When you delete the module (step 6) any assignments made to parameters of that module are deleted too. Bringing back in a similar module does not automatically create the same assignments of course. Logical, agreed?

All that said i agree with you that this specific Fat PWM Bass patch may be a bit confusing at first as it's using a more complex method to implement Modwheel to parameter. Maybe AD, who created that patch, had a good reason to do it that way. Or maybe it's also because this patch already exists for a longer time, and things have evolved seriously, and not all patch presets use "the latest technology". At least the good thing about it is that it shows that there are different ways to do something.

Hope this helps, if any questions left, just ask.

[wagtunes]

Thanks for the response. I'm discovering that this modular does work a bit different from others that I've worked on and the specifics will take a little time to get used to.

Having said that, I can see the flexibility of this thing and it's very impressive.

Looking forward to really digging into it and coming up with some interesting, if quirky patches.

[MuTools]

FYI: The reason why AD used that way to map mod-wheel to that parameter is because this way the mod-wheel control is also visible as a knob on the front panel. That would not be the case when purely mapping the MIDI CC to a parameter because then the mapping is working but not explicitly visible as a knob on the front panel. It proves that there are different ways to do things, depending on what you want/need.

[wagtunes]

FYI: The reason why AD used that way to map mod-wheel to that parameter is because this way the mod-wheel control is also visible as a knob on the front panel. That would not be the case when purely mapping the MIDI CC to a parameter because then the mapping is working but not explicitly visible as a knob on the front panel. It proves that there are different ways to do things, depending on what you want/need.

Thank you. Makes a lot of sense. Yes, love the way you can design the front panel to suit your needs.

This is some really cool stuff.

[bibz1st]

FYI: The reason why AD used that way to map mod-wheel to that parameter is because this way the mod-wheel control is also visible as a knob on the front panel. That would not be the case when purely mapping the MIDI CC to a parameter because then the mapping is working but not explicitly visible as a knob on the front panel. It proves that there are different ways to do things, depending on what you want/need.

Just going back to this topic, can you explain just what the Constant Modulator does please, I cant get my head around it.
Whats the difference between connecting to the Constant Modulator rather than the actual parameter you wish to control.

As a side note when I looked at that Fat PWM Bass patch I cant work out what it is actually controlling anyway, can you enlighten me.
thanks

[MuTools]

can you explain just what the Constant Modulator does please, I cant get my head around it.

Simple: It produces a constant modulation value.

Whats the difference between connecting to the Constant Modulator rather than the actual parameter you wish to control.

This way you have a explicit knob that represents the MIDI CC mapping.

when I looked at that Fat PWM Bass patch I cant work out what it is actually controlling anyway, can you enlighten me.

Carefully follow the connection cables. Then you'll see that that modulation controls the filter cutoff.

[bibz1st]

But surely a modulator does just that, modulate rather than be constant.
I'm not seeing why I wouldn't just drag the filter cutoff to the front panel for visual feedback.
Maybe if more than one parameter is being controlled then I can see it would save space on the front panel.
I guess I just haven't needed that feature as yet, I'll dissect a few more patches.

[MuTools]

But surely a modulator does just that, modulate rather than be constant.

The constant changes with the MIDI CC.

I'm not seeing why I wouldn't just drag the filter cutoff to the front panel for visual feedback.

Yes you can do that too. And indeed than you'll see the knob changing too with the MIDI CC, so sorry for my answer above cause it was a bit confusing. Good that you're asking in depth on this.

The difference of doing it this way i.e. use MIDI CC -> modulation -> parameter instead of directly MIDI CC -> parameter is that the MIDI CC now is added relatively to the parameter value instead of being applied absolutely. You could also use a "Controller To Modulation Converter" module but maybe that didn't exist yet at the time that patch preset was made.

[bibz1st]

Ah, so for instance, if I wanted the cutoff not to drop to zero even though my mod joystick springs back to zero, then by putting the Con Mod in between I could prevent that. Is that correct?

[MuTools]

Yes though you can do that too using a direct MIDI CC mapping as it has Min/Max parameters. The essential difference is that a direct mapping is using absolute values, going via modulation is using relative values.

[bibz1st]

I think I get it, maybe...thanks again for your time.

I suppose its one of the pitfalls of being a one man outfit that you end up spending time helping folk on the forum