Couple of Questions... (re: sequencer plans, midi, and source code)

borfo

Hi - looking forward to hopefully getting one of these things out of the upcoming batch.  I had a couple of questions though:

1) If you adjust a parameter using an external midi controller, does the parameter name and value you're adjusting come up on the LXR's screen?  I have a Shruthi, and it doesn't do this - it just adjusts the parameter in the background...  I think having the parameter show up on the screen when it's being externally adjusted would be a pretty handy feature.  Does the LXR do this?

2) In the MIDI out section of the manual, it says "The ability to send complete sequencer tracks with pitch information on different MIDI channels is

planned for a future release." Could someone elaborate a bit on these plans?  I saw some posts about the work that's been done on MIDI out in the 2.3 firmware (ie: pitched outs for the drum tracks), but I'm hoping there may be plans to add a few sequencer tracks that aren't used for the drums - ie: tracks that you could record arbitrary MIDI information into with a keyboard or control surface or something, and replay that info out to, say, control an external synth, or send timed MIDI CC information.  Would that be possible in a later firmware version?  ...Is there enough memory for that?

3) (never mind this question - I just found the code repo on Github) has the LXR firmware source code been published?  If not yet, will it be released at some point?

...and a suggestion:  I'm kind of new to the hardware building/electronics thing, and have been learning a lot from building kits, but one thing that I think would be really helpful to turn building one of these into a better learning experience would be if the assembly instructions said something about what each part does, so you could learn a bit about what you're putting in and why it has to be there as you're putting the kit together...  Instead of just "solder resistor A in slot B" type instructions.  There are probably a ton of higher priority items to work on, but this would really add to the experience I think.

Thanks - great project, by the way.  Really looking forward to playing with it.

fcd72

to answer 1) and not beeing a MI/SP official:

The Shruthi does this on purpose as you can send manymanymany CCs/NRPNs and you only would see sludge on the Display. + you are wasting precious Computing Time, this being a slightly minor issue on the LXR but a major Issue on the Shruthi. I guess its up to the sending device to display the Value.

2) "Hard to see, always in motion the fututre is." - Master Yoda

and your suggestion on the end: i learned the most grabbing just some MicroController and trying to do a thing of my own. Then read, decipher, understand the schematics of someone else. In the end even OpAmps circuits and analog Filter Design will make some sense. Its not easy to understand but its even less easy to explain and thats a venture most of us would will avoid if its unsure anyone will listen, which means all your reasonable questions will be answered somehow. "How do i design an polySynth with analog Filterers" is not very reasonable btw.

borfo

Thanks for the response - I imagine there would be reasonable ways to design a UI that would show the parameters being tweaked on the LCD without chewing up too many processing cycles or showing useless sludge (like ignoring the second simultaneous parameter if two are being tweaked at the same time, etc.)  Not too many affordable midi controllers are capable of displaying parameter names and values - seems to me that using the built in LCDs to do that would be pretty useful, particularly because so many parameters can be tweaked on these devices...  It's hard to remember how you've mapped a controller when there are 200 parameters you can control.  But I guess that's the beauty of open source stuff - If I want that, I can make it happen...  Just wondering if the LXR currently has that feature or not.

...and on the "what's this component for" suggestion front, I'm not suggesting that the build instructions should provide exhaustive detail on what each part does, or that that should be the only way people learn.  Just saying that everyone who builds one of these kits will read every line of the build instructions, and the more information that's in there, the more each of those people will learn while building.  Even brief stuff like "these resistors control the brightness of the LEDs", or "this component is a crystal oscillator that helps generate LFO frequencies" - not too much detail, but something to give you some idea of what each component is for.  If all you see is "solder this diode in here", then you won't necessarily have any idea why that component needs to be there.

julian

I like the idea of giving a brief description in the build manual for the components.
Maybe just one sentence desribing the general functionality of the part and maybe a link/keyword to get more information. In the end I'm all for learning by kits since this is the way i've learned electronics, too

For full fledged midi recording/sequencing capabilities with extra tracks, there is just not enough available RAM Maybe there will be more space after optimising the sequencer structure, something that is needed (and planned) to speed up pattern loading times, but I can't promise anythign here and advanced external sequencing capabilities are not very high on my priority list for the drumsynth.

showing the edited midi parameters - could be done I think. I think I will put it on the nice to have list.
I thought about adding the detail screen to the display while using the pots to change a value (similar to the shruthi) and when I will include this, I think it would be easy to add the same to incoming CCs.

borfo

Thanks - I assumed as much re: the sequencer.  But that line in the manual was open-ended enough to make me think there might be a possibility...  Would be a very cool feature (even if you just had the option to silence the drum synth on one or more of the existing sequencer tracks, and use those tracks to control something external if you wanted to), but maybe the tracks aren't set up to work that way.  Which is fine, since as you say, it's a drum synth not a full fledged sequencer.  From what I understand, all the RAM is on the chip, right?  I assume there's no practical way to add more?

Yeah, a very brief description of the purpose of the parts would be really helpful - a link would be a bonus.

Details screen for adjusted parameters would be very useful - it would make complex external controller mappings much easier to use, would make it possible to see what the current value is when using encoders, and would help people get acquainted with the LXR's parameters generally.

Anyway, thanks, and congratulations on coming up with this thing - from what I've seen and heard, it's a pretty great device.  Looking forward to building and playing with one.

    

julian

Regarding the Sequencer: you can control external midi gear with the 7 drum sequencer tracks. There just are no additional tracks for midi only. So if you want to use a track for external gear you have to mute the drum track.

julian

About the functional description of the parts I will have to see if it fits in the assembly instructions or if a separate text would be better. I think there is the risk of cluttering the assembly instructions

borfo

Regarding the Sequencer: you can control external midi gear with the 7 drum sequencer tracks. There just are no additional tracks for midi only. So if you want to use a track for external gear you have to mute the drum track.

Oh - cool.  Can the device record MIDI note numbers from a keyboard other than the 7 notes assigned to the voices?

Revok

I wouldn't recommend extending the LXR into a full-fledged MIDI sequencer. Extending the functionality too far beyond the main purpose (a drum machine) would probably demand considerable sacrifices in usability.

I'd recommend to get a cheap, compact pattern based sequencer for your synths instead, like the Alesis MMT8 or Yamaha RM1x. Hook up, sync and you're good to go...
:-c

kyle

For your sequencing needs, how about a MidiAlf? http://midisizer.com/midialf/

Soon it will have a CV board!

borfo

I've been looking at those... will probably build that and an Arpie next.

tb323

@borfo: good call with Arpie! I have two. And of course you should get a Midihub.

borfo

Yeah, I just pulled the trigger on both the midialf and the arpie this morning...  Got a midisplit (I don't need the clock on the hub version) and a "Le Strum" PCB from the Arpie guy as well.

This is quickly becoming an expensive habit.

sammy123

@borfo ;

Just don't get into modular.......$$$$$

youkon

sammy123 wanted to say: just get into modular and it won't be expensive anymore :-D