DrivenByMoss: Bitwig extension for many hardware controllers (version 26.6.1)

[moss]

OK have to ask, are we getting a Bitwig 5 beta version or are we going to have to wait until it's out of beta?

There is always hope

[moss]

Hi, I'm afraid I have to agree with AFranke. I too own a Push 1 and am experiencing incidental MIDI Port drop outs using the latest DrivenByMoss builds where the Push midi port closes and opens in a very short time. I'm back to an older version (v15.4) and that solved the problems!! It's a pity I can't use the latest and greatest, but perhaps it's a possibility for AFranke to stay here...

Thanks for the info. Will try to talk to the devs, if there is something that could be done...

[sj1]

Hi,

I'm very pleased to see the new ALT clip actions added by Bitwig 5.0. These broaden the live performance capabilities in a big way, IMO.

I do have one concern/suggestion on the subject though, and that is that having to continuously tie up a hand to hold down shift (e.g. on the Launchpad Pro Mk3) is sub-optimal in many scenarios as compared to having a toggle function.

I wrote the following to Bitwig support:

Hi,

I would like to suggest that the new alternate actions for clips be provided with the ability to toggle in a sticky way between Main and ALT clip launching mode.

What I mean is, make it possible so that we don't have to continually hold Shift down (e.g. on the Launchpad Pro Mk3) in order to have the ALT mode be in effect. Instead (optionally) we would have the ability to touch shift once to enter ALT mode and then we would remain in ALT mode until we touch shift again.

IOW, in the Clip Launcher section of the Project Panel, simply add a checkbox (to the effect of): "Sticky ALT".

Thus, users could have either current or "Sticky ALT" behavior for their project as preferred.

Ideally also, "Sticky ALT" could be bound to a Remote and thus the user could go in and out of "Sticky ALT" at will.

Tying up an entire hand to hold down Shift would be desired for some performance scenarios, but clearly not for others.

BW 5 goes very far to give us new live performance capabilities for clips (THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS!).

So, let's not tie up the hand(s) when not necessary to do so, but instead leave them as free as possible (when desired) to attend to whatever aspects of performance the artist considers most appropriate.

Thanks!

and also posted that in Bitwig-talk, where I got a reply that suggested that such a toggle functionality might belong in controller scripts rather than in Bitwig itself. Offhand, I did not think so myself - but who better to ask about this than Moss!

So, if what I've expressed as a goal is clear, what is the sensible way and where is the sensible place to implement a toggle function that would free the hand when/as desired?

[moss]

Hi,

I'm very pleased to see the new ALT clip actions added by Bitwig 5.0. These broaden the live performance capabilities in a big way, IMO.

I do have one concern/suggestion on the subject though, and that is that having to continuously tie up a hand to hold down shift (e.g. on the Launchpad Pro Mk3) is sub-optimal in many scenarios as compared to having a toggle function.

This will be the case in the next update, since I needed to free the Shift button for the ALT functions.

[sj1]

This will be the case in the next update, since I needed to free the Shift button for the ALT functions.

Thanks for your reply!

Sounds like good news, but I'm not clear exactly what you are saying.

Are you talking about the next Bitwig update, or the next DBM update?

Are Bitwig and DBM being coordinated so that we'll have the best of all possible worlds?

Or IOW, how is this all going to actually work wrt. choice of toggling (or not) once it is all sorted?

[thoskan]

Hi everyone and Thx a lot Moss for your amazing works.
I rediscovered the joy of programming music thanks to push 1, bitwig but above all your great programming work.
As a developer, I know how hard it is to keep things up to date, to make changes and I'm sure that will require a daily and constant effort from you and for that, avery big "THANK YOU".

I'm happy to see that open source has joined the computer music world.

Good day to eveyrone and thx.

Thoskan

[mevla]

Here's what I got on the Launchpad Mini mk3 and script version 19.2.1.

I just made some changes in that area, so maybe I fixed this unintentionally. Let's see...

Many thanks, I'll check it out in the next version of the script.

Another question regarding launching and stopping clips. Is there a way to start and stop clips without having to switch modes ? In Session mode it's possible to launch clips, although as far as I can see there's no way to stop a clip. One has to use Mixing mode (User + Session on the Launchpad Mini) to easily stop any individual clip then go back to Session mode to start any other clip. There's seemingly always a switch of mode for starting and stopping clips. I'm certainly missing something.

Wouldn't it be more practical to be able to start/stop them from a same mode ? There's already much extra navigation involved when having more than 8 x 8 tracks.

For instance, the pink/light orange row in Mixing mode that's used to stop a clip could also start a clip if it's not already running. Mixing mode is really useful so far, everything is there for quick access, volume, pan, sends, solo, mute, stop clip ... it only needs to be able to start clips to be complete.

[AFranke]

Moin Jürgen.
Yes, I checked this of course. But the ports are not blocked anyway. They close and reopen immediately, if they were blocked, Bitwig couldn't open then. We all know what's happening if the ports were blocked, we all know the nice warning message that comes up in Bitwig, if so.
And the error is just coming up if the controllers are attached to the extension, as I said so many times before, it has nothing to do with any hardware problem (USB Port or Hub, low power etc). If I use a different script/extension all works fine. What bothers me is, that I can't debug it by myself. And because I'm the only one where it happens, the support has no priority in my case.
So finally, I think I have to go back to Ableton Live, where my setup just works. What makes me really sad, because I hate Ableton Live for many other reasons.

Best regards
Andreas

I am afraid I have no idea what I could do about it.

Maybe it's a problem like this, wich was fixed in beta 3:

Nektar controller extensions: were often crashing instantly [32009]

Just thinking...

Andreas

Hi, I'm afraid I have to agree with AFranke. I too own a Push 1 and am experiencing incidental MIDI Port drop outs using the latest DrivenByMoss builds where the Push midi port closes and opens in a very short time. I'm back to an older version (v15.4) and that solved the problems!! It's a pity I can't use the latest and greatest, but perhaps it's a possibility for AFranke to stay here...

I really feel much better now, since I'm not the only one now with that problem. I tried older versions of the extension of course but not so old ones. Interesting...

[moss]

DrivenByMoss 20 is out!

THIS REQUIRES BITWIG 5.0! This is considered to be a preview version! Handle with care!

Get it from https://mossgrabers.de

• Beatstep, Electra One, Gamepad, Generic Flexi
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used.
• APC40
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button.
  • New: Shift+Stop All Clips button triggers the alternative stop function.
  • New: MkI: Press Shift+Device On/Off button to open/close the browser (was Shift+Stop All Clips).
  • Fixed: MkI: Selecting channel A or B for crossfader did not work.
• APCmini
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button.
  • New: Existing scenes have now the color green. The selected scene blinks green.
• Fire
  • New: Toggling the Birds Eye view in session mode (SHIFT+PERFORM) directly closes the Shift mode and displays an info in the display which mode is selected.
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used. The alternative function is triggered in combination with the SHIFT button. To only select a clip or scene press ALT and the pad of the clip.
• Generic Flexi:
  • New: Added new functions *Clip: Play Alternative
  • and *Scene N: Launch Scene Alternative*.
  • New: Added new functions *Clip: Stop Alternative*, *Clip: Stop All
  • and *Clip: Stop All Alternative*.
• Launch Control XL
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 scene release function can be used.
• Launchkey / Launchkey Mini / SLMk3
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used.
  • New: Mini: The executed functions when Stop/Solo/Mute is pressed are displayed.
• Launchpad
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button. The previous long press function to select a clip had to be removed to make this work.
  • New: The Shift mode has a new button to execute the alternative 'stop all clips' function (left to the normal 'stop all clips' pad).
  • New: If the 'stop clip' row is active in session mode, the pads can be used in combination with the Shift button to trigger the alternative Stop function.
  • New: Pro Mk3: Combine Shift with the track buttons in Stop Clip mode to trigger the alternative Stop function.
• Maschine
  • New: Pattern + Scene modes: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release and alternative functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button. To select a clip/scene use the SELECT button.
  • New: Pattern mode: Shift+PATTERN button triggers the alternative clip stop function.
  • New: Scene mode: Shift+SCENE button triggers the alternative clip stop function.
• Maschine JAM
  • New: Pattern + Scene modes: The new Bitwig 5 clip release and alternative functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button. To select a clip/scene use the SELECT button.
  • New: Select + MUTE + clip pad triggers the alternative clip stop function.
• MCU
  • New: SAVE button LED is off when project is not modified.
  • New: OPTION + press a knob which controls a send level toggles the send on/off.
• MPC/Force
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip release and alternative functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button.
  • New: Shift+Stop All Clips button triggers the alternative stop function.
  • New: (Force only): Use SELECT in combination with a pad to only select a clip or scene.
  • New: (Force only): Use SHIFT+Scene button to trigger the alternative Scene function.
• OSC
  • New: 'launch' has now a parameter to trigger press and release on both clips and scenes.
  • New: Added 'launchAlt' to trigger the alternative launch function on both clips and scenes.
  • New: Added sending: /track/{1-8}/send/{1-8}/activated - Is the send disabled or enabled?
  • New: Added sending: /device/layer/{1-8}/send/{1-8}/activated - Is the send disabled or enabled?
  • New: Added receive: /track/{1-8}/send/{1-8}/activated - Toggle the send disabled or enabled.
  • New: Added receive: /device/layer/{1-8}/send/{1-8}/activated - Toggle the send disabled or enabled.
  • New: Added receive: /track/stopAlt - Alternative function to stop playback on the track, e.g. not quantized.
  • New: Added receive: /clip/stopallAlt - Alternative function to stop the playback of all clips, e.g. not quantized.
• Push
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip and scene release and alternative functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button. The previous long press function to select a clip had to be removed to make this work.
  • New: Use Select+Clip/Scene to select it.
  • New: The birds-eye view in Session mode is now activated by holding Shift+Select.
  • New: Stop Clip button+first row buttons triggers the alternative stop function.
  • New: Shift+Stop Clip button triggers the alternative stop all function.
  • New: Sends can be dis-/enabled. Keep SHIFT pressed, then additionally SELECT and finally touch a knob which modifies a send.
  • New: Added some CLAP devices to the *Add Track
  • settings.
  • Fixed: Birds-eye view in Session mode had a blinking issue.
• SL Mk II
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 scene release function can be used.
  • Fixed: Transport commands did not work in Play mode.
  • Fixed: Display of scene names did not work for non-existing scenes.
• Turn
  • New: The new Bitwig 5 clip release and alternative functions can be used. The alternative functions are triggered in combination with the SHIFT button.
  • New: Hold Select to select a clip without starting playback.
  • New: Shift+stop buttons: Stop the playing clip on the channel using the alternative setting.

Enjoy!

[AFranke]

Moin Jürgen,
if you switch between different tracks with DBM v20 the values in the display of the SLMK3 are "flickering". Screencast:

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AqODDgQzhWl5hZJHa7A ... A?e=d8GZM5

On Push 1 there is always the "Please select a track..." message, even if a track is selected.

IMG_20230416_213500.jpg

If you select the "Device" mode only the "Select a device or press 'Add Effect'..." message occurs, even if multiple devices are on the selected track.

Regards Andreas

[moss]

Moin Jürgen,
if you switch between different tracks with DBM v20 the values in the display of the SLMK3 are "flickering". Screencast:

Not sure, what you mean since the video is a bit blury. Do you mean when you select a different track or is something flickering all the time? In the first case, the SL is a bit slow with updating the display. In the second case, might be a hardware issue.

On Push 1 there is always the "Please select a track..." message, even if a track is selected.

I cannot reproduce that. Is the selected track somehow out of the track page? Did you try with a "clean" Bitwig tempate? Are there any errors in the Script Console?

[Oursoul]

Argh! It's all changed in the 5.0 beta, no option to pin a view anymore (not that i've found anyway).

Controllers are now located at the top of the screen rather than the browser - each have their own settings pages but they all look different.

It took me a while to work out if the Push 2 was still using the Moss script as it's not immediately apparent on the monitor, though the fact the layout on the Push screen still looks correct suggests it is...

Hi,

don't know if this has been answered previously, but does the script work with 2 different controllers simultaneously? Using a Push 2 and APC40mk2, and pressing buttons on one affects the other.

Is that expected behaviour, or is there a way to have the APC in session view while the Push is in drum pad layout?

thanks for your continued work on this lovely script

I did 2 videos about the topic, a bit old but still apply:

[moss]

Argh! It's all changed in the 5.0 beta, no option to pin a view anymore (not that i've found anyway).

Controllers are now located at the top of the screen rather than the browser - each have their own settings pages but they all look different.

It took me a while to work out if the Push 2 was still using the Moss script as it's not immediately apparent on the monitor, though the fact the layout on the Push screen still looks correct suggests it is...

It's the same as before. The settings are still in the Bitwig Settings on the controller page. What you see on the top of the window are the project settings which were before in the right pane.

[nowiamone]

Hallo Jürgen Mossgraber,

thanks for your great work, without you, i wouldn’t even consider changing to Bitwig
I m testing Bitwig since 2 years now, sporadically, based on each update, but still can’t change.
Although many people really love the Bitwig 5 patchnotes, i was really sad to see that my favorite features are still missing.
I really want to change to Bitwig, but this is THE thing i cannot live without: Audio Overdub - or put in other words: A good Looper method.
Now since you are a programmer-master and Bitwig-master, i m asking you if you have any idea if there could be done a work-around, to have audio overdub in Bitwig. Maybe: A way to manage a group-track, in which each individual track is one overdub-layer. Or something like that?
When i think about using a group track as overdub-method, then i stumble upon the following problems:
1 Bitwig has no option to have “record into the next empty slot within the scene” or even better “record into the next empty slot within the group track of current scene” as “post recording action”. This would enable “vertical” recording, to create overdub layers!
2 Bitwig also for whatever reason forces the user to use a fixed “post recording action delay” in order to make use of a follow action like “record into next free slot”, which kills the typical Looper-Workflow, in which you press the main record button again to start the overdub recording.
3 Bitwig doesn’t let the user to do a clip-slot recording, and then have the “post recording action” record clips in the next empty slots with the same length of the first recorded clip! This is also an essential for Looper Workflow.

Usually, the fun of Looper-Workflow is to be able to choose between these modes:
1 having just a simple recording of one loop (pressing record to start recording, pressing record again to start playback) This is Bitwigs normal recording mode, it’s working, haha.
2 having overdub recording of many loops (pressing an “activate overdub” button , which in Bitwigs case would be as mentioned above a vertical follow action within audio grouptracks) pressing record to start recording, pressing record again to determine the length of the first recorded clip and start recording into the next empty clipslot, while this clip will automatically have a fixed length based on the first recording, doing infinite overdub clips with this length, until pressing record again. i guess this awesome Loopermode is the least possible to achieve in Bitwig
3 having overdub recording of many loops with fixed length, predetermined in advance. This should at least work, when somehow a vertical follow-recording is possible.

Now please forgive me for yet another topic, haha: i m very in love with the OSC Touch interface methods, which you make possible! I have huge problems getting OSC-messages out of ableton, but your Bitwig script just works so smoothly out of the box!! Especially the VU meter of Tracks is really impressive. My question right now:
how to show Clip-Playback-Progress within each clip? Is there any chance to have that clip-playback-progress, for example as values from 0 to 100, which could be then put into an OSC Fader which fills up smoothly from 0 to 100 depending on the Clip-Playback-progress?

By the way, your manual says "The ZIP file has a folder resources/OSC which contains example files for Cycling 74s Max, TouchOSC and Open Stage Control.", but i m not finding a touchosc file there. The three files contained in the OSC folder of DrivenByMoss-19.2.2-Bitwig.zip are
OSCTest.maxpat, OpenStageControlEqualizer.json, and OpenStageControl4Bitwig.json. Do you recommend Open Stage Control over Touch OSC anyway for some reason?, then i won't need the touchosc file.

Thanks alot!
Best greetings, Philip

[moss]

Audio Overdub - or put in other words: A good Looper method.

Please ask this in the main forum. I know there are solutions for this but I am the wrong one to ask.

Now please forgive me for yet another topic, haha: i m very in love with the OSC Touch interface methods, which you make possible! I have huge problems getting OSC-messages out of ableton, but your Bitwig script just works so smoothly out of the box!! Especially the VU meter of Tracks is really impressive. My question right now:
how to show Clip-Playback-Progress within each clip? Is there any chance to have that clip-playback-progress, for example as values from 0 to 100, which could be then put into an OSC Fader which fills up smoothly from 0 to 100 depending on the Clip-Playback-progress?

No, sadly currently not in the API.

By the way, your manual says "The ZIP file has a folder resources/OSC which contains example files for Cycling 74s Max, TouchOSC and Open Stage Control.", but i m not finding a touchosc file there.

Forgot to remove this. The file got removed since it was outdated. You can find a pretty advanced TouchOSC example in this thread some pages back by another user (use e.g. Google search).