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Touch screen MIDI controllers...
For me this is still an area where there is plenty of room for improvement. Not many apps have really explored how to make the most of the touch screen for expressive playing, and for taking advantage of all the things that a software controller can do but a hardware controller can't, such as play chords and only display notes in a certain scale.
SoundPrism: really great idea, and I do use it a lot, but it's hampered by the lack of expressive controls. The humanize function isn't responsive enough, I have other virtual instruments that respond far better to velocity. The accelerometer based expressive controls aren't really practical for playing IMO. The other limitation in Soundprism is that if you want to play non-standard scales or modes (such as Myxolodian etc) you have to set them up manually, it really should come with a bank of presets for these. Otherwise though it's a great controller and songwriting tool.
Geo Synth: probably the best approach so far, it's really fun to play with and extremely expressive. Great for melodic playing, and comes with a whole bunch of scales. By design it's obviously a string instrument emulation though, and does not really have a way of dealing with chords.
Thumbjam: pretty well thought out, lots of options and also quite expressive. It comes with a couple of scale presets, but far from comprehensive (unless I have missed something somehwere?)
The other two that I use are Animoog and BS16i, because they are keyboard based and have strengths that I simply can't find in other apps. Animoog has a great keyboard, which allows for very expressive playing, although I can't seem to get it to send MIDI that works as well as the internal engine, it's still pretty good. Comes with many scale presets as well so you can configure the keys very precisely. BS16i has great velocity sensitivity, which it can also send via MIDI to other apps, although it does not have a way to limit the keys to a specific scale, so you have to use the standard piano keys.
So it seems to me there is a gap for a keyboard-based controller that really makes use of the touchscreen, Animoog is probably the best implementation but it does not transmit all of its subtleties over MIDI. Maybe Soundprism should step in, and offer more expressivbe playing and an approach for melodic playing as well as chords.
Comments
It is an old topic, and my comment can sound like an advertising, but maybe somebody will find it useful.
I recently released a MIDI controller app for playing chords. It is called ChordUp. You can check out demo videos here
Ask me if you have questions about the app.
Maybe you haven't looked at Thumbjam in a while but it has too many built in scales to count plus you can create your own so if one is missing you can certainly create it.
Zombie topic - almost two years old. Didn't get much traction at the time, but actually it's still something I'm very interested in. I think Firo (née Fiddlewax) is my favourite now, since it has the most options.
Chordup could be (really) good, but it's not configurable enough for me.
There are a lot of apps missing from this conversation so far. Here's a few I like using as a MIDI Controller:
Lemur
Ondes
TC-Data
TC- Data lets you create your own mind boggling control surface. And looks beautiful as well.
If you spend the time getting your head into it you might find you can design the perfect playing surface for you.
In terms of drums, I'd say DrumJam is pretty unique by the way.
I like the 'velocity response' (however it is they manage it) on the Magellan Jr. keyboard just as much as the BS-16i and have used it the same way the OP mentions, to control other apps.
I'm also pleased when apps allow the Y axis of the keys to act as the velocity input, but the only problem with that is when you are playing a figure that includes black keys and white keys and you want the velocity curve to be smooth -- it's hard to leap from the 75% mark of a white key to the 75% mark of a black key and then back to the same are of the next white key. This is the downfall of Music Studio's Y axis implementation IMO. Looptical has a nice 'harp keyboard' option where sharps and flats alike are all in one row of floor to ceiling stripes and the Y axis is assignable to velocity or filter, but not MIDI out - do any other apps have a control surface of that sort?
Agree that TC-Data is quite a control surface as is DrumJam. Somewhere in referenced thread below is an example I posted of TC-Data driving DrumJam and a couple others. I later posted an example in the same thread for TC-Data (some instructions in the patch itself) of the patch used in the soundcloud track.
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/11070/tc-data-on-sale-for-9-99/p1
I think Ondes : Expressive Electronic Instrument by Olympia Noise Co. is worth a look as it has built in synth and midi out capabilities plus several different scales and turnings you can set.
You all forgot the 'Navichord'. One of the best and stable midi keyboard controller.
And we can't forget Chordion
Try thumbjam, Thor and Animoog
+1
Guys.. Orphion is pretty dope and expressive
At what point (are we already approaching?) will our MIDI interfaces become indistinguishable from psychotronic influence-machines?
ThumbJam... still king!
MIDI CC #19 triggering the private in-your-head revelation (shh, keep it mum) that you are very likely the honest-to-goodness second coming of christ, part and parcel of a new approach to MIDI controller design in which personal hagiography mixes with the latest advances in radionic-symbolist technology.
It is Sunday after all.
Inspired by this thread, I opened up Guitarism and easily set up MIDI out to Animoog and Thumbjam. So cool, I had bass note going out to TJ and chords going out to Animoog. And playing acoustic strumming over that with Guitarisms internal guitar. = full joy eargasm
Guitarism has a very basic form of MIDI out, but very satisfying nonetheless.
Dear thread,
Thanks for all the reminders. You have breathed new life into my projects!
love,
yep, once it gets midi in it will be just perfect!