image author Alexandre Debiève
latest from madeinmax
slides and command. these two programs were created using max msp software from cycling74, both are presented in standalone applications. in order to run these two applications, you do need to install an add-on from microsoft. slides and command were created on windows, as for apple mac's, sorry, maybe someone out there might help out on apple mac versions, if needed, get in touch, anyway, for windows users, you need the visual C++ Redistributable Package for Visual Studio 2013, to run the two applications. goto the links below, download and install, to get things going.
the package from microsoft is free, slides is available for £9.95, keycommands for £29.95, both available as digital downloads.
slides midi sliders, for controlling external devices, plugins, hardware and other third party software, designed for windows and touchscreen devices. up to 32 controllers from one application, independent midi control, control change and midi channel, global normalising and color coding of programmes, unlimited programming, auto save, save and recall, batch-programming with store and recall. command controllers for Cubase, using a touchscreen monitor or slate, please note, this application was made with bome midi translator pro and bome network pro, in mind.
slides documentation
controllers
the slider function - at the top, a number box. this works in two different ways, firstly it acts as a reference for the slider control position/amount dialed in. secondly, it can also be used to dial in a spacific amount, a manual input control. the slider and number control are connected to each other, either way. both of these controls are connected to the programme/preset system. at the bottom of the controller, there are two numbers, to the left, this is your control change number. set this to any control change that you want to access, ie : cc parameters and functionality for external midi devices, synths, desktop synthesizers, rack synths, drum machines, rack effects or third party software, like the bome midi translator. the number control to the right is your midi channel for the controller and your cc [control change] parameter.
the green slider, or otherwise known, the global controller. this controller is a master for all the other controllers, whatever you dial in, will mirror in all the other slider controls. this controller was designed to input a normalised and default value. useful for a couple of reasons, firstly, to set a default value for your parameters, ie: zero values, in so much, to start from a clean slate, to normalise all things connected. and also create a function where all parameters start from the same start point, to default all controls at 50% or 12 o'clock, [64], or [32] at 25%. this controller is not connected to the programme system, and is independent. the reason for this? well, if it was involved in the preset system, when recalling presets, all parameters would goto the global slider position, kind of defeating the idea of store and recall.
programme system input
the text input control - storing presets, recalling presets, saving batch presets to disk and uploading batch presets. preset management, this is a simple text input box. firstly, you would set your sliders and cc numbers, midi channels, the output midi device, to your proffered settings, once you have done this, you ready to make a preset. to do this, simply type in the input text box, [store 1] and press enter, this sets a preset at slot 1, in the application. next, make some changes on the sliders and cc numbers, midi channels, or just change the slider values, do the same procedure as before, type [store 2] and enter, or any number you want. when recalling a preset, in the text input section, type your preset number and enter. please note, you can overwrite presets by simply recalling a preset, make the changes, and storing over that same preset number.
other functions available for the text input are, viewing the current system presets from a pop up window or monitor. to do this, simply type [storagewindow], followed by enter, this opens the monitor window for all your presets that you have installed in the application. please note, all presets made, in - app , these presets are stored automatically to the default JavaScript file that comes with the program, this is titled [default.json]. storing and recalling batch files. apart from the default auto script, you will probably want to create your own directory of batch presets, a batch preset is a file that contains all the presets that are in the applications system, in other words, all the presets you have created. to create a new batch file, simply type [write] in the text input section, followed by enter, a pop up window will open, asking you save the file. make a folder, name the file and your good to go. to upload a batch-file that you have created, simply type [read] in the text input, followed by enter. a window will open, asking you to choose a file from disk, pick the file you want to load , done. all your presets will now be loaded into the application.
application controls
more or less, self explanitary, firstly, the [connect ports] function, click this button to do a system scan on your device, after clicking this button, a list will be created in the far right menu box, in this case [Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth], go to the menu and choose the output you want to controller to speak to. now all your sliders, control change parameters and midi channels will speak with the device selected. the [preset monitr], clicking this will open the monitor window, as detailed earlier, this shows the current preset batch and all its parameters, it will also show new presets made within the application as you create them.
the [fullscreen] toggle button, clickin this will set the application to go fullscreen, clicking the button again, will escape fullscreen mode. the [color] function. this will open a color palette window, editing this, will change the color scheme for all the slider frames. this function is assigned to the preset system, enabling the idea of color coding for preset setups, ie: each preset can have its own color assigned to the sliders. the last function is the help window, clicking the help button, directs you to this information page.
command documentation
commands for cubase and nuendo
designed for Cubase in mind, and a touchscreen platform for ease of access, instead of the usual mouse interaction and working with the Steinburg planform. an important note, the application was designed to work in conjunction with [bome midi translator pro], and the [bome network pro] software, along with a touchscreen slate or a combination of laptop and touchscreen monitor. in basic terms, using a touchscreen device to run and control all aspects of the Steinburg DAW, and its [key command] functions.
below, is a more in-depth description of how it was all put together, in order for everything to run smoothly, and the help info, in how it works. please note, you will also need to run the microsoft package for non max8 [max/msp] users many thanks to SteveC from bome software, for his help and advice in how the puzzles fit.
an introduction
a brief description on the theory, the idea sprang, and a what if?, tablet or touchscreen monitor, working remotely as a external controller for Cubase or Nuendo, and to create an application in max, for triggering [key commands] and macros within the Steinburg platform. problem one, application focus. if the max app and DAW were running from the same device, there would be an issue of program focus, either one would cancel the other out, and it wouldn't be possible for the two applications to run together in parallel, at the same time. another option, needed to come together, and here enters the fray, the bome software company, and the bome midi translator and network software.
in reality, its pretty simple, two computers, both running the bome midi translator pro, and both connected to each other through the bome network program, with a few files of script, a host script and a slave script. script [a] sends midi messages [cc's] through the network, script [b] receives the messages and translates those messages to key-strokes, and by miracles unbeknown, a remote connection to the daw. And so, an idea unveils itself, creating a remote in max msp for Cubase/Nuendo.
the layout
In its current phase, the application is called [keycommands], and consists of 100 control buttons, spread out in lots of 50, each set of 50 have their own display window, and a toggle function controls what window is currently visible. all midi parameters can be accessed and edited, if needed, through a midi mode function. this lets you control each button, and its assigned control change number and midi channel. there is a function for controlling the color of the button frames, and a full-screen toggle function. as default, all buttons are assigned to midi channel 1, and from [cc] control change numbers 1 to 100, apart from some application orientated functions, these are set to channel 16, and CC numbers, 101 to 105. the main button setup is mirrored in the translator scripts, when editing these parameters in the application, in the translator script, it must correlate. a secondary function, the button [text mode]. in this mode you can edit the text on each button, and setup how your layouts look, i.e. what functions are positioned, where! and what functions in Cubase/Nuendo, you are going to use. the current layout is pretty basic, with all the main functions you might expect, editing buttons, scripts and layouts. functionality and how the user defines them, can be saved to file, and recalled.
In layouts, and the communication to the bome software, i thought it best to work from fixed data, i.e., the commands application works from fixed control changes and midi channels, the bome translator and its scripts also work from the same principle, meaning?, numbers 1 to 100 on channel 1. in this way, the user only has to define what the buttons are to be called, from the [command] application, and the key stroke data, from the slave script, on the system that is running Cubase/Nuendo, to simplify any editing needed, [text on buttons and assigning key commands to the slave device]. i hope this small introduction to the [kcommands] application helps, a full documentation is available to download, below, and comes included when purchasing, as a pdf.
please note : in order for this set-up to work, two copies of the bome midi translator are needed, and bomes network app. install the translator application on two machines and the network application on your master device, [the device that you install the keycommands application on]. load the master script on your master device, and load the slave script on your slave device. both scripts come with the keycommands software download package. for more information about bome software, please goto the bome website, here. overall, the total costs of running this setup, £125 + £29.95, for the keycommand application.