Live Energy Ideas

[jorgen]

eXT doesn't have problems automating those 640 params.

But if you load eXT into Cubase, then cubase only can see 128 params, and can only automate 128 of them.

But thats why you automate them inside eXT instead with lfo's and envelope tracks and stuff



jorgen

[plastique]

how about making this bank of 128 parameters user-assignable ?
like : you have a matrix of 128 x N , where N is the currently available amount of automatable parameters inside eXT (vst(i),comps...),quasi an 'input-mixermap' for eXT.

[lalo]

To me it's not only about doing it live, but being able to set up things quickly and work with "multiple arrangements". Here's an example:

1) arangement 1 - drums
- make 3 tracks with bd, sd and hats (ch + oh)

Go to performer window at bottom and set arrangement 1 to loop forever

2) add new arrangment 2 - bass
- add a few bass tracks with envelope to vst params cutoff and q

go to performer window and set arr 2 to loop forever

3) add new arrangment - chords
- make som heavy chords with 2 x VST's

set to loop in performer

- then I notice the chords is using lot's of cpu.
- simple freeze arrangement 3
- set to loop forever

4) assign midi keys to all arrangements, do some jam'ing, force girlfriend to listen to it

5) set up mute/exclusive/choke groups, sync groups (so that some arrangements always start at the same GCD

6) use the performer as a playlist to make a song, each arrangement is just a small pattern in a big song

7) what about variations within arrangement, I'll try to do that with marker/cue track



and of course, it would be very cool to be able to save arrangement's for later reuse.

cheers
jorgen

Yeah Jorgen this is nice!
Anyway i think it would be good to think things in a
Live-Set fashion too,..a kind of live sampling and sequencing (audio/midi) stuff with as less mouse using as possible...i think your perspective and mine can be to slightly diffrent faces of the same thing
keep it up..i like this thread
lalo

[elfan]

eXT doesn't have problems automating those 640 params.

But if you load eXT into Cubase, then cubase only can see 128 params, and can only automate 128 of them.

Actually, that's not true. Try loading Battery in Cubase SX2 and click "More..." in the automation parameter menu. I stopped counting when I reached 540 parameters and then I wasn't even half way through. You can both see and automate a very large number of parameters. This is an important difference between Cubase and, for instance, Logic. In Logic you cannot see/automate that many parameters (I haven't found out how anyway ) and therefore it is not possible to automate, for example, sample start in Battery, which appears quite a bit down on the parameter list and thus cannot be seen and thus cannot be automated. In Cubase you can see all (?) of Battery's parameters that can be automated, including sample start (which I tend to automate a lot ) and therefore Battery sample start automation becomes possible.

On the other hand, when I load eXT in Cubase SX2 I can only see 128 parameters.

edit:
Oh, sorry, maybe you meant that Cubase has a problem with eXT in particular, and that that problem only allows Cubase to show 128 of eXT's parameters?
But since Cubase can show a lot more parameters than that for other plugins (such as Battery), surely it couldn't be Cubase's fault entirely, right? What could the reason be?

But thats why you automate them inside eXT instead with lfo's and envelope tracks and stuff

True! That's one possibility of replacing the VST automation track of an external VST-host, Cubase SX2 for example, by eXT's LFO:s/automation envelopes. That is, if eXT could handle VST automation as good as midi cc automation, it would be a possibility.

<rant>
Now, some people may say that midi cc automation is as good as VST automation, but that's not true. Midi has a resolution of 7-bit (or is it 8-bit? I keep forgetting ;D) integers (?), VST automation uses 32-bit floating point numbers. The difference is tremendous, especially when automating sample start position in Battery and you wish to have surgical precision when choosing sample start position in a very long sample.

MIDI cc automation:
60 seconds long waveform
2^7=128 sample start positions
-> one sample start position every 0,46875:th second (if this waveform was a drum beat, I'd probably miss the beat that I wanted to offset to because it would fall between two sample start positions)

VST automation:
60 seconds long waveform
2^32=64294967296 sample start positions
-> one sample start position every 9,33200e-10:th second.


You be the judge ;D.

</rant>

Sorry for nagging

Anyway... Using the 128 (or more?) parameters and letting the VST-host worry about the automation problem and just forwarding the automation data, from the VST-host to the plugin within eXT, through some modulation matrix like plastique suggested, is one good solution, I think.
Implementing VST automation in eXT is another solution, that would also benefit all users of the standalone version of eXT that have no VST-host to rely on, except for eXT itself.

Of course, implementing both solutions would be the coolest solution of them all ;DD.


Best regards,
Tomas

[Branis]

I’m not yet an energy user yet, I’m just getting into the demo right now. I hope you wont mind me giving some ideas for the future live upgrade:

1. CC map for the sequencer comps internal mixer including levels, pans, send levels, mutes, solos, inserts on/off. Also midi control of mutes and solos of the mixer comp.

2. A special live play mode: when you select or press play on a new sequencer or arrangement inside the sequencer, the previously played sequence(r) stops and the new one starts in sync on the next bar (it should be configurable – 1, 2, 4, 6, 8…bars). It would be useful, for that mode, to keep the play controls of the sequencers visible when the sequencer itself is minimized in the main mixer.

3. Loop memories for the sequencer comp with direct access for each one (a loop list, or a new button appearing for each new memorized loop).

The next ideas are not exclusively live features but more general ones:

4. When you change a cc number in the midi parts composer mode , the cc view could automatically change to the same number.

5. When you want to change an audio output of a synth or fx, the moment you click on a new output the menu disappears so you have to go one more time to the menu to disconnect it from the previously assigned output. It would be better if the menu would disappear when you move the mouse away from it, so you can switch off the unneeded outputs right away.

6. To place a button for color selection of a part in the rename menu (sequencer comp), so you can rename and select a color with less mouse clicks.

7. Vertical zoom in the cc edit view.

8. A bypass switch for vst plugins in the main view.

9. Comp groups (folders) in the main view, and the possibility to select several comps and move them together.

10. Names for mixer channels.

[waveriderarts]

"v1.27 live stuff"

Yes it is the stuff I have been waiting for! I would love to have a program behave like a groovebox (or a few!) Meaning:

-Real-time MIDI mute of tracks(individual channel) in a pattern (multiple channels)
-Being able to choose witch pattern will play next bar

Additionnally:
-MIDI Muting and level adjust of the effect sends (great for dub effects for exemple)

All that MIDI controllable of course! Add to that all the controller routings to synths and sound effects, and the easy song switching/loading (by remote!) and it starts to be a nice live performance tool.

[Mikael Adle]

1. CC map for the sequencer comps internal mixer including levels, pans, send levels, mutes, solos, inserts on/off. Also midi control of mutes and solos of the mixer comp.

Yes, yes and yes.
At least, in addition to vol. Automation of send levels and pan is needed badly.