XY pad software or hardware controllers for the Zebra 2

[Trismos]

I haven't bothered trying the nanopad I have... and I actually have two.... but I'm not sure how you would assign the old itself to a given xy pad in Zebra2. Might be an interesting experiment but I can't imagine having four of those on a surface to perform with.
Maybe i could hack the pads themselves out of the unit and build something if the pads aren't directly connected to a pcb.

[pdxindy]

Use an iOS midi controller app with your iPad... there are a few of them that have X/Y pads

[Trismos]

Use an iOS midi controller app with your iPad... there are a few of them that have X/Y pads

I really haven't bthered with an I-Pad though my wife has a newer one. I was aware their were Xotopad type programs available, but can you hardwire the two or does it have to be over a wireless connection of some sort?

[pdxindy]

Use an iOS midi controller app with your iPad... there are a few of them that have X/Y pads

I really haven't bthered with an I-Pad though my wife has a newer one. I was aware their were Xotopad type programs available, but can you hardwire the two or does it have to be over a wireless connection of some sort?

It can be wireless or via a USB cable.

There are like 3 midi controller apps I recall. One has a default option (from among a few configurations) that has I think 6 X/Y pads. The others I remember you would have to construct a 4 X/Y pad configuration but they have X/Y pads as objects, so not hard. Just gotta get the midi channels and CC values correct. It has been a while since I played around with it. The only iOS controller app I am using right now is Logic Remote which works great!

[mickeyl]

This one is simple, but perhaps does the job: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/midi-xy-pad/id1491657131

Disclaimer: I‘m the author. Please holler, if it doesn‘t work. I put it quickly together as a controller for NI Thrill and similar libraries.

[Captain]

I recently spent some time & energy exploring a similar predicament. I’m using a Mac & Logic, and the challenge was that I had an ancient iPad Mini lying around (=old iOS, doesn’t run all the latest apps), and I really wanted to put it into some productive use.

After trying different options, I ended up using TouchOSC on the iPad, and creating a couple of custom pages, including one with four X/Y pads for Zebra. There’s a couple of ways to handle the connection between iPad & Mac, but in the end I ended using TouchOSC Bridge (I want to avoid all extra software running in the background, but this is quite non-intrusive and worked better than the other options), and a wired connection (since anyway I want to connect the iPad to power, so why not get the power from Mac and handle data through the same connection).

My original naive idea was to have a seamless 2-way connection, so that both the iPad & plugin would be always in sync, no matter if you touch the mouse or iPad, but apparently something like this is still a fantasy... Looks like all the tech is already there, but Logic’s stupidly crippled OSC support means that the whole thing still needs to rely on one-way MIDI CC communication.

Anyway, all in all I’m pretty happy with how the setup works. I also have a NanoPAD2, which gives me one more X/Y pad, but the ability to have four of them on the iPad screen makes it a natural companion for Zebra.

93BFE4F6-D5B4-4201-8B19-7725ABC47DA0.jpeg

[Trismos]

This one is simple, but perhaps does the job: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/midi-xy-pad/id1491657131

Disclaimer: I‘m the author. Please holler, if it doesn‘t work. I put it quickly together as a controller for NI Thrill and similar libraries.

Fool that I am, I clicked on your link and immediately thought, "I wouldn't do that if it was in an email from someone I didn't know..." No offence but I don't know you and shouldn't have done it, but in any case it took me to a page where there was a brief glimpse of something, presumably at the App Store, and then to a page that didn't do anything. Would be interested in a more detailed explanation because XotoPAD and the likes have way more features than I would ever use.

[Trismos]

I recently spent some time & energy exploring a similar predicament. I’m using a Mac & Logic, and the challenge was that I had an ancient iPad Mini lying around (=old iOS, doesn’t run all the latest apps), and I really wanted to put it into some productive use.

93BFE4F6-D5B4-4201-8B19-7725ABC47DA0.jpeg

"My original naive idea was to have a seamless 2-way connection, so that both the iPad & plugin would be always in sync, no matter if you touch the mouse or iPad, but apparently something like this is still a fantasy..."

Yes it seems like wireless is the more complicated solution but here we are, no straightforward bulletproof tethered connection.

I may try this anyways because Zebra is so much fun using the xy pads, but I never would use it in a performance.

[pdxindy]

I recently spent some time & energy exploring a similar predicament. I’m using a Mac & Logic, and the challenge was that I had an ancient iPad Mini lying around (=old iOS, doesn’t run all the latest apps), and I really wanted to put it into some productive use.

93BFE4F6-D5B4-4201-8B19-7725ABC47DA0.jpeg

"My original naive idea was to have a seamless 2-way connection, so that both the iPad & plugin would be always in sync, no matter if you touch the mouse or iPad, but apparently something like this is still a fantasy..."

Logic Remote is a seamless 2-way connection. If I edit on the iPad it immediately shows on the computer screen and if I edit with the mouse on the computer, it shows right then on the iPad.

It can be connected via USB or Wireless.

It would be the same for the midi controller apps

[Trismos]

I pulled out my wifes old iPad and plugged it in to charge. While charging I turned it on for funsies and looked at a folder of items I had on it including something I forgot about called eyeocontrol Mxy. I googled it and found several links including this one here (https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011 ... -the-ipad/ - I know I know - I just inferred these links are a potential problems but it's ME guys!!) where it says
"HEre’s what’s new in eyoControl 1.5:
Local MIDI interface connectivity support: connecting your iPad to your synthesizer through an iPad MIDI interface or a USB to MIDI cable, you can then use mXY, Pad or Keys to control your MIDI instrument."

I am looking into this further but I currently have a screen open with 4 xy pads exactly like what I've been looking for. Now to see what the connection is going to be like, and then figuring out how to assign the pads to Zebra.

[Trismos]

Lol - unfortunately, as good as it looks, between the time I had installed it and now, eyosido.com has become something else, there's no documentation on line, and the links to set up the software in the instructions within the software on the iPad are all 404. I will post another topic asking if anyone has information about it but I'll assume this is a dead end unfortunately.

[Captain]

Logic Remote is a seamless 2-way connection. If I edit on the iPad it immediately shows on the computer screen and if I edit with the mouse on the computer, it shows right then on the iPad.

Yep, that’s what I meant when I said that the tech is already there. But I couldn’t find any way to have 2-way communication with custom iPad templates. Logic recognizes TouchOSC as an OSC control surface, but it only works with a premade template that you can’t edit. Same thing with Logic Remote, no way to edit iPad controls. (It’s been a while since I was working on this, so I might remember some details incorrectly, or something might have changed... but the bottom line was that if I wanted to use a custom iPad template, the only way was to use one-way MIDI CC control. But I’d be very happy to be wrong! )

[pdxindy]

Logic Remote is a seamless 2-way connection. If I edit on the iPad it immediately shows on the computer screen and if I edit with the mouse on the computer, it shows right then on the iPad.

Yep, that’s what I meant when I said that the tech is already there. But I couldn’t find any way to have 2-way communication with custom iPad templates. Logic recognizes TouchOSC as an OSC control surface, but it only works with a premade template that you can’t edit. Same thing with Logic Remote, no way to edit iPad controls. (It’s been a while since I was working on this, so I might remember some details incorrectly, or something might have changed... but the bottom line was that if I wanted to use a custom iPad template, the only way was to use one-way MIDI CC control. But I’d be very happy to be wrong! )

Midi Designer is bi-directional (so they claim)... You can build anything, including 4 X/Y pads

Perhaps it was true on your old iOS?

[mtelesha]

I am ordering a few joysticks to piece together with my Arduino. it would be great to have them in a 2x2 grid. Just hard to find joysticks that don't recenter themselves. Too bad large trackballs are so expensive.

[joris.roling]

ROLI Lightpad Block with this:
https://github.com/jorisroling/axyz-gems