ForumsHardware ← Soundplane and CV- Expert Sleepers Silent way?

As much as I like the idea of CV output from the soundplane, the fact of the matter is that the control data is derived from DSP operations- meaning that a standalone CV implementation for the soundplane doesn't really make sense fiscally. Given that this is the case, the best way forward for soundplane-generated CV is most likely Expert Sleepers' Silent Way plugin suite- these plugins generate CV to be sent out through an audio interface, generated from MIDI, OSC, and DAW automation/envelopes- making it a rather elegant way of interfacing CV hardware, a DAW, and the soundplane.

So I guess, to summarize, please approach Expert Sleepers about this. I also just have to take this moment to extemporize about how annoying it is that so much of the audio world is limiting itself to MIDI- the Soundplane is the perfect example of how insufficient MIDI is, given what is possible with current technology. as a VJ, I am spoiled in this area- almost all of the big software video mixing programs support OSC- and it is really disappointing that the same is not true of the audio world. On the other hand, mapping a soundplane to mix video will be glorious- I can't wait!

Thanks for the thoughts. I will look at Silent Way.

Some people don't want to use a computer in their setups at all, so a racked CV converter would be a very good thing for them. You might be surprised how little a capable DSP costs.

ESSW would be a good option, but requires a plugin host and DC-capable audio interface. That's a lot of extra links in the chain. The Soundplane will surely be able to generate MIDI and/or OSC, and so it can be patched in without approaching Expert Sleepers for special consideration. There's also the option of having the Soundplane CV go directly to a compatible audio output without using ESSW, thus avoiding the plugin and host where not otherwise needed.

Don't forget existing MIDI-to-CV interfaces out there. If you're considering a DAW plugin and DC-output audio interface, then you can equally consider one of the 12-bit or 16-bit MIDI-to-CV interfaces. I'm not quite sure how to take advantage of the full 16-bit converters in these, but the Soundplane software will attempt to take full advantage of whatever is available, at least that would be the goal.

As for the limitations of MIDI, that's mostly a myth. The most accurate control surfaces for mixing have 10-bit resolution on the faders. I am not aware of any control surface which exceeds 12-bit resolution. MIDI supports 14-bit resolution on each of 512 controls (more if you have multiple MIDI cables), which far exceeds any available control surface. Also, OSC tends to hard-code the control surface name in the message, making it difficult to plug in an arbitrary control surface to an arbitrary program, unless you use monome emulation, which is a bit limited since the monome does not support pressure. OSC just isn't plug-and-play like MIDI, and MIDI isn't really as limited as the 'net likes to think.

In any case, the Soundplane should eventually support as many standards as are useful and compatible. The priority will be workable solutions for CV output.