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Is there a perfect synth controller? Maybe
Well, basically creating patches for soft synths on the iPad is a great improvement over the desktop with a mouse. But when working on a song on the iPad it quickly becomes a hassle to switch back and forth between the synth UI and whatever other apps you are using, AUM, a sequencer, a DAW, other AUv3s, etc. Moreover I really prefer a real knob over a virtual one even if the touch UI is a great improvement.
Yes, I own a MIDI controller with knobs. It has got 8 knobs which might be enough for performance sound tweaking but surely not enough for serious sound design. Anyway with many more knobs I would quickly get lost with the different knob mappings for my countless soft synths. Honestly this already happens to me with the 8 knobs I have now. I tried to use my MicroFreak as a controller and mapped its knobs to similar parameters of my soft synths but it very often does not match the capabilities of the soft synths.
In my search for a better solution for controlling soft synths on the iPad I came across the Electra One and I think it is amazing. It's probably the best solution for this problem so far. A relatively small beautifully designed device with a large touch screen that allows paging through the parameter sections of a synth and a reasonable set of knobs and buttons to adjust the values of the current page. The interface is freely configurable with a desktop app. But it doesn't stop here. It can even parse the SysEx messages of patch dumps from some synths and then set the values accordingly. It supports hi-res 14 bit MIDI values... Man, this thing has everything but it also has quite some price tag around 430 EUR
What do you think of it? Is there anyone on the forum who is using it and could share the experiences? Do you know good alternatives, Faderfox EC4, etc.? Should I better roll my own with Raspberry Pi? What is the best solution you found so far?
Comments
Midi Fighter 3D!
Yes, it's a nice knob fest but still I would get lost with my knob mappings. I need a display that lets me easily navigate the knobs.
The best I've used was a BCR2000, regret I sold it , but nowadays I prefer "true" controllers with feedback and integration which iOS lacks
There was a post somewhere with a list , I'll try to find it .
But check the BCR2000 , it has nice features
Mapping Midi Fighter 3D in AUM is easy and you can save the session as a template to work from!
I’ve run the gauntlet with a ton of these devices. Also have run the gauntlet building them.
Long story short, there isn’t a perfect controller for iOS due to the lack of feedback.
The best you’ll get is something you’ll end up scripting yourself for your workflow. Whether than an off the shelf product or something you build.
As for the Electra one, I sold it rather quickly. Didn’t do anything I already couldn’t with a knob/button box I’ve built for 50$ and lemur/midi designer pro or just plain old mozaic/StreamByter scripts.
Edit: for those that wanna do the roll your own, I still prefer teensy boards over arduino or rasp pis. You could check out this. Basically feed it how many sliders, knobs, displays, muxes, etc you want and it basically writes 95% of the code for you:
https://www.roxxxtar.com/bmc
Yup, I was already checking it out on eBay. BTW, Behringer just recently announced a successor - after so many years:
https://www.synthanatomy.com/2021/01/behringer-bcr32-bcr2000-midi-controller-comeback-with-built-in-zaquencer.html
But yeah as said before... I really would like a display that helps navigating the buttons
Oh, that sounds rather discouraging. I would expect that the huge display would almost be as good as a real synth UI.
Could you also a bit elaborate on your DIY stufff? I'm also considering to create my own. Where can you get some good quality knob/button box. Could you post some links to resources, please. I'm actually wondering if I couldn't build something similar with a knob/button box and a Raspberry Pi with a touch screen. I've seen some really great hardware from a german company but it would quickly become more expensive than the Electra One
https://makehaus.makeproaudio.com/?lang=en
I saw that new BCR and it’s promising at that price point, but you know behringer....
Sometimes it’s years between “look what we have” and an actual release date.
If you’re gonna go the touchscreen route, I’d recommend just getting into midi designer.
Teensy boards are class compliant midi outta the box, so that’s why I use those.
Encoders are the hardest thing to incorporate due to the lack of iOS updating controllers.
(Well that and motorized faders, which might as well act like encoders but with more power and wires)
Other than than, just google a bunch of DIY projects to get ideas. Start with the layout of controls you want, then how to wire it. Build it on a breadboard 1st for testing.
Code wise I’ve been using that link I posted above for the core of everything and stealing bits and piece of code from other people projects and adding my own as needed.
I will warn you, the DIY route can end up turning into an addictive expensive hobby. I don’t have GAS anymore, I just have an insane obsession of building controllers because like the off the shelf stuff....there’s just one thing that can be better or included.
Came here to say this. It’s the bomb.
nektar Panorama P1 was very close , check if there is any firmware update adding the ability to rename the knobs/faders on midi mode
I’d create layouts on PureData and MobMuPlat app using a cheap android table as BCR Screen , although I’d much prefer using 16 knobs of a beatstep.
The 32 knobs and buttons of the BCR would be hard to keep track on a screen individually
The p1 doesn’t remeber values between presets/banks so it’s pretty limited in number of controls you have. You so upend up with value jumping like all the others. Sad they incorporated the remembering of values on the impact and T series, but not the P series
So, you mean getting a second iPad (or maybe iPhone is enough) and run Midi Designer on it to control the soft synths on the main iPad. Then connect a Midi controller to it and voila there is something similar to Electra One. Hmm... I never really checked out Midi Designer. Maybe I should.
Actually this BMC Holly looks great. Probably the small OLED display would be enough to help navigate the knobs and display the values. Thanks for the link.
Wouldn't it be enough if the soft synths send out their CCs? Or at least have a button that would dump the values of the current patch as CCs?
Thanks for the warning
I can imagine....
almost none do.
Yeah, right. But this would be so easy to do. Usually hardware synths can dump a patch or whole bank as SysEx. Anyway, but I don't understand why @AlmostAnonymous blames iOS for that.
I think only Animoog supports it .
With the AU's ,maybe some time in the future , the host could transmit the assigned CC values
Does anyone know if you can add a faderfox ec4 to a faderfox pc12 midi in. Then midi out to ipad so midi and cc behave like seperate controllers. The daisy chain function.
edit. Think I need screen until knowing a synth well enough ( if a synth might only need a certain amount of parameters tweaked ) Probabally.
Sadly, Wim is correct. Hardly any do.
This is where coding so the values are stored when you change banks, or use mozaic/StreamByter scripts to convert relative ccs to absolute ccs.
This is the same case if you are using a touchscreen/iPad as well.... iOS still won’t update midi designer unless they app itself send out midi ccs
Yeah, I believe they have a separate ethernet port for daisy chaining.
Another recommendation for using a second iPad if the choice is for something that has an interface.
And, also Midi Fighter Twister, which I really like and have as well. But yeah, you need to remember what's what.
If you want to control one synth vs many at the same time. Something like a used Novation SL with lots of controls might be better.
But really nothing will be perfect, most synths have tons of parameters and no midi controller will be able to map them all at once.
It’s not iOS itself, it developers. I just classify is as iOS because it’s something you have to deal with overall. Sorry if this created any confusion.
Hardware synths do that because the manufacturer that ability there. It’s no different with an iOS app. The developer has to allow 2 way communication, and 99.7% do not implement this.
For example:
As much as there are better effects out there, I use turnado a lot, because it does output midi data and update controllers. Most sugarbytes stuff does.
+1 for Midi Designer Pro 2.
I find the aesthetic kinda ugly but the functionality is great and it’s actively being developed.
I too used a Panorama P1 but eventually got frustrated with the jumping fader values and sold it. It was perfect for my needs if not for that bug.
Right?
Not sure the faderfox ec4 has the ethernet.
I know. Iv got 4 midi controllers setup and still use screen for synths.
Novation sl looks cool though.
Think maybe a controller with obviously rotary encoders/faders but when you switch banks sends a launch app to aum. Launches another synth. So you can then control a different synth via screen, whislt controlling a synth via midi. Aum records the automation and you would have a mapping on another controller scene. So you can then overwrite the automation via midi.
4 pockets will probably make it. Keep original automation and overwite obviously. Forget about the launch app idea. Just launch with controller.
The Atom SQ integration with auto mapping up to 64 I believe with 8 pages. Pattern per step probability, velocity, changes etc looks pretty neat in the latest Studio One 5.2 update. Would love this sort of intergration with a iOS DAW.
Does anyone use a Circuit as a buttons&knobs controller, for anything (iPad or macOS) ?
Imagine that worked with sb drum in drambo. Rotary encoders linked to sb drum p-locks. Rolls recorded to drambo sequencer. The probabilty functionality of the atom launches the probabilty of drambo per step and some double tap controls probabilty of p-lock.. 16 knobs instead of 8.
I just got an EC4 and enjoying it so far. No MIDI feedback doesn’t matter so much when you 16x16x16 knobs. That’s 4096 parameters so you can set it up as knob per function. It does take bloody ages though. The online editor makes things faster but it’s nice to be able to program it on the device itself too with the lack of web MIDI on iOS.
Novation Remote series has lcd screens above controls that you can name yourself. It’s not mini but it isn’t that big either. All mk 1, 2 and 3 are worth a look. There is keyboard and keyboardless versions. I have mk 1 and it blows my mind how flexible it is. You can program it on the unit or via the pc editor.
I read your first sentence and said YES! And then I read the third sentence.
These guys do a great DIY platform https://shanteacontrols.com/ You can use a super cheap Ardiuno board and flash it with their firmware. The web browser config is really slick now.