ableton live control surface

MIDIbox HUIs
1

hi,

i’ve started the design work of an ableton live control surface.  it’s pretty heavily based on sasha’s controller (http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,10662.0.html).

edit: this didn’t show up right for me, link to the full image: http://www.sub-version.net/diy/cs/livecs1.gif

this is the initial design, and i’m sure i’ll be changing some things.

each track has 8 rotary encoders and 6 buttons.  their main functionality should be pretty self-explanatory.  there’s no feedback from live in this design (to make things easier), so when you move an encoder on track 3 for example, there will be code to make live display that track so you can see your parameters.  also, each track has a button that looks like live’s plug-in icon.  clicking that will give the encoders a new set of control change numbers, making it an “instrument mode” that gives you 8 knobs to control whatever is on that track.  there’s an led to indicate that this option is selected and another led to show the track is selected.  one problem i’ve found with this is there doesn’t seem to be a way to assign midi to the track view and clip overview, so i don’t know how i can make the instrument or eq automatically show up.

the 9 knobs at the top-right are analog pots that change channels with whatever track is selected, in case a rotary encoder just doesn’t work right for the instrument.

the big black square is a touchpad mouse found here: http://www.ergonomictouchpad.com/

i like the fact that no mouse buttons are required.  i want to put this on an integrated usb hub and put the remaining usb ports on the back of the CS case so i can plug in whatever midi controller i’m using at the time.  perhaps i can use midibox usb and have everything work off a single usb connection.

i’m probably missing some essential controls, but there’s space available.  the idea is to make a simple controller and not one that does everything… the mouse can take care of that.  the lack of a crossfader is intentional and i highly doubt i’ll add one.

any ideas on what i’d need to add?

ultra

2

one more question,

how difficult is it to do the programming for somebody who only knows a bit of c (finishing up a beginners course)?

3

how difficult is it to do the programming for somebody who only knows a bit of c (finishing up a beginners course)?

[tt]

[####--------------------------------]  Required Programming Skills

Newbie                          Expert

[/tt]

Best Regards, Thorsten.

4

awesome, i would have been ok even with this:

[------------####--------------------]

i really look forward to writing a mios app!

5

awesome, i would have been ok even with this:

[------------####--------------------]

Well, technically it *is* like that - you just need to extend the x-axis a bit:

[################--------------------]

ultra    newbie                expert

;D

6

Forgot to mention the Skill/Feature ratio:

[tt]

Required

Skills

^

|         *************

|      ***

|    **

|   *

|  *

|  *

| *

| *

|* <— your application is here

|*

±-----------------------> Features

[/tt]

7

I second that. TK makes it VERY easy on us with MIOS :slight_smile:

8

well i finally sorted out all the mackie vs regular old midi stuff and have “finalized” a panel layout.  it’s more heavily based on mackie control now.  perhaps it’s a little higher on the skill/feature ratio now as well :P.

i dug into the mackie protocol and tested out each feature to see what i would actually use, and it turns out there’s enough control i’d like to have to justify removing the touchpad mouse.  there wasn’t really room left for it anyway.

i’m going to make a 2 core pcb with tk’s usb chip on it, allowing me a mackie input as well as a general midi input.

9

just make sure that you try this configuration out earlier stuffing some pots in a piece of carton or else.

the thing is that you might end up having the pots too nearby each other and they will be difficult to operate.