MDC

[NothanUmber]

Hi everybody,

playing around with Tracktion atm. - very intuitive software (which is good, because there is no manual ).
Support for per note expressions is what interests me the most.
Is there an in depth explanation of the MDC feature somewhere? I would like to use it for my Eigenharp. (EigenD, the software used for Eigenharps is quite flexible. We can even write plugins in C++ or Python for it) - but for that I'd need a description or even protocol spec

Greetings,
NothanUmber

[chico.co.uk]

Maybe I'm not the only one who doesn't know what "the MDC feature" is? What does MDC stand for?

[NothanUmber]

MDC = "multi-dimensional control". It is a protocol invented by Roli for their Seaboard to record three parameters (=dimensions) per key/finger. (Imagine polyphonic aftertouch - but in three dimensions per key). Afaik Tracktion is the first host to support this.
If you want to try it out, click on a note event in the piano roll and go to "type/MDC". There you can chose x, y or z parameters that you can then edit per note. (The interpretation of these parameters depends on the synth and patch. E.g. z could be pressure, x pitch and y a filter for one patch but something different for another).

The Seaboard is not the only instrument where each finger can control several (usually three) parameters at once, so this feature can be useful for quite a number of instruments. (E.g. the Eigenharp, LinnStrument, Continuum, Soundplane - and the Seaboard.)

MIDI only supports poly aftertouch and velocity as per-key parameters. Having additional per-key parameters requires "hacks" like using all midi channels for a single instrument (and then one channel per voice).
So MDC either extends MIDI or entirely replaces it with something more powerful (I can somehow remember I read that they just extended it - but I couldn't find the article anymore).

Currently EigenD, the Eigenharp software supports standard MIDI output, a proprietary high resolution, multi-dimensions event format, the proprietary Soundplane protocol (that e.g. their Alto and Keivo synths understand) etc. If we knew how the MDC protocol looks like we could extend EigenD (which is open source) to produce these kinds of events, too, so we could record and edit the multi-dimensional note events played with an Eigenharp (or any other multi-dimensions supporting instrument that is compatible with EigenD) in Tracktion. Which would be very cool!

[chico.co.uk]

Personally, I can't remember support for this being announced or implemented, although it would make sense, given the Roli acquisition of Juce.

Tbh, you're probably asking on the wrong forum. You'd likely be better asking this on the Juce forums at Juce.com, or maybe by contacting TSC via support@tracktion.com

(I know the devs do check KVR, but it's not the most direct route to get an answer on this, and I'm pretty sure none of the userbase can help answer this one... )

[NothanUmber]

Oh, it's not too hidden, but even adverticed as one of the major new features in T5 in their official anouncement article: "The piano-roll editor has also been overhauled to include a raft of new features such as “Per-note Automation” and rapid “MIDI Learn” for easy integration with hardware controllers. There is even support for next-generation instruments such as ROLI’s Seaboard with MDC (multi-dimensional control)."
http://www.tracktion.com/blog/t5-arrived

As far as I understood MDC support is not a Juce feature but was specifically implemented into Tracktion.
But contacting the TSC support team might indeed be a good idea (thought this would be the right place as kvr is linked as official support forum )

[chico.co.uk]

Ah, okay, must have glossed over that, since I don't have anything that can use MDC.

Put it this way though;

Roli invented MDC.
Roli own Juce. They don't own Tracktion.
You want to implement MDC in different hardware, so need info about how the MDC protocol works.
This is predominantly an end user support forum for Tracktion, not a Tracktion developer forum, or a forum that has anything related to MDC, Seaboards, or Roli.

If it was me, I'd ask on the dev forum for the C++ library that underpins Tracktion, that's owned by Roli, instead of the end user support forum for a DAW owned by a different t company...

[NothanUmber]

Makes sense, at least one member of the Juce forum should certainly know it, being involved with both Tracktion and Roli - Jules himself

[chico.co.uk]

Yeah, and I'm sure they'll pick up on it here too, I just think you might get a quicker response over there