Custom controller (for DIVA and others)

[mi-os]

Hi,

i'm trying to build a custom hardware controller (with btns, pots, encoders, displays ..) to control DIVA and minimum one other digital/wavetable synth. For a final frontpanel layout i have to evaluate which plugins to support.

Here are some thoughts/questions

1. What is the total number of parameters of say DIVA and HIVE? All params are exposed via MIDI CC's, right?

2. I assume i've to use multiple midi channels per plugin instance. That way i'd get a maximum of 1920 (16 MIDI channels * 120 CC's) controllable params, right?

3. Can i have bidirectional communication (controller <> plugin)?

4. What's about OSC or SysEx and other protocols? For OSC i assume some sort of translation/bridge between OSC and MIDI is needed. What pro and cons would that have (latency, accuracy and so on)?

Thank you in advance!

[mi-os]

I thought about another approach.

What if i'd use something modular like Zebra as a custom synth 'engine' with a predefined/fixed setup for a dedicated frontpanel layout. With it i could place say 3 oscillator sections on the frontpanel and have that matched with the 'engine'.

But i've no idea everything would be midi mappable or i'm overlooking something else.

[rod_zero]

3. This can be done by the DAW.

You can see work done for this in existing Lemur templates and M4l stuff like Xmonsta M4L device (which has its own lemur template for Diva).

Most important controls are under 128 parameters, but once you add the trims page it gets higher.

The most difficult part of mapping Diva is the 2 VCO osc, the fact that you need so many buttons for the OSC section.

[mi-os]

Most important controls are under 128 parameters, but once you add the trims page it gets higher.

Is there a way to get a list of all parameters?

The most difficult part of mapping Diva is the 2 VCO osc, the fact that you need so many buttons for the OSC section.

Do you mean the 4 waveform buttons per oscillator? I thought about the use of an encoder/pot with 16 predefined combinations instead of dedicated buttons.

[Jax Pok]

last night I found this a modular controller it works with Adobe and some DAWs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG8gKBeQNM4

[rod_zero]

last night I found this a modular controller it works with Adobe and some DAWs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG8gKBeQNM4

Using that for making controller for synths would get expensive easily.

A cheper option is just to get either a Roland System 1, System 1m and system 8. The last one specially has a lot of controls that can fit the architecture of a juno and jupiter (because of the plug outs) perfectly. One of the main reasons I am considering.

Building a controller with so many knobs is not cheap at all, specially once you add all the extra components and time it is going to take. I once made some budget and for 80 knobs you go around 1000 USD. (using some brains yu can get around, livid used to have and there was another company too).

[mi-os]

A cheper option is just to get either a Roland System 1, System 1m and system 8. The last one specially has a lot of controls that can fit the architecture of a juno and jupiter (because of the plug outs) perfectly. One of the main reasons I am considering.

I thought about the Roland boxes as well. They are not exactly cheap and as a midi controller somehow limited. Beside that you wouldn't be able to setup submenus for secondary or advanced parameters and some logic.

Building a controller with so many knobs is not cheap at all, specially once you add all the extra components and time it is going to take. I once made some budget and for 80 knobs you go around 1000 USD. (using some brains yu can get around, livid used to have and there was another company too).

Yeah, diy is very expensive and time consuming. I like doing it nonetheless.

[mi-os]

last night I found this a modular controller it works with Adobe and some DAWs.

Not a bad system, but will not look like a synth in the end. For other purposes surely nice to have.

[Jax Pok]

I'm thinking of getting Palette Gear with two dials maybe three, a nice big dial for the cutoff and one for the reverb mix just to mess about with while playing a song, it would get some large dials closer to my keys so less reaching. I like working with a cool looking set up too, the price is high though just for three dials.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I was looking for a Diva controller and landed on a System-8. As a VA controller, it's almost prefect. Aftertouch and another octave would've done it. Maybe another LFO too. Diva is a tricky lady to map though. For instance, there's no way to cycle through the oscillator combinations on the Roland modules with a knob. You need buttons. As a result of things like that you either accept compromises and workarounds, or you build a massive Synth Projects style DIY controller. If I had the skill, I would've gone that route. The System-8 was the next best thing.

My hope is that by the time we get to a Diva 2.0 there will be some tweaks to making mapping things like the oscillator waveforms to a single knob possible, while also retraining the option for a button per waveform mode.

[mi-os]

I agree, System 8 looks like a good solution. Do you have a computer screen next to it?

Until now designing the effects section for my custom controller is the most challenging part. There are simply to many different and unusual (eg delay) controls. Beside that i want to have some flexibility to map other synths like Hive or Repro. Unfortunately they have one fx per slot in contrast to DIVA's two multi slots.

Then there is question how many oscillators you'll need. For DIVA that would be 3, but in Hive you have 4 or 2+2 sub oscillators. For now i'd make the third switchable per OSC4 button if i go the 3 oscillators route.

[rod_zero]

I made a Lemur template for hive some time ago, took me lot of time.

For effects I can use Push quite well since 8 parameters is almost always enough and a second page doesn't get that complicated.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I agree, System 8 looks like a good solution. Do you have a computer screen next to it?

Until now designing the effects section for my custom controller is the most challenging part. There are simply to many different and unusual (eg delay) controls. Beside that i want to have some flexibility to map other synths like Hive or Repro. Unfortunately they have one fx per slot in contrast to DIVA's two multi slots.

Then there is question how many oscillators you'll need. For DIVA that would be 3, but in Hive you have 4 or 2+2 sub oscillators. For now i'd make the third switchable per OSC4 button if i go the 3 oscillators route.

If I were building a Diva controller and wanted to get as much as possible on one unit, I'd air on the side of overkill. So if Hive has 4 oscs and you'll be using it for that too, then go with 4. With the effects section I found that each effect could be boiled down to fewer parameters. For instance the delay time for sides and center are combined in my mapping. I lost some flexibility in doing so, but the goal for me was to get the stuff I use the most mapped well enough. Compromise is the name of that game.