ForumsSoftware ← Aalto CM Improv Jam

Been having fun with Aalto again. It sure is a versatile synthesizer!

Check out a video i put together of a live improv Jam on Aalto. It's kind of techno based but it was fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJnkrtNANYY

Some things I would LOVE to see in Aalto.

  • A Pattern storage bank that saves patterns with sequencer tempos and a knob to cycle through a bank with a modulation input.

If you need an idea for a good patch bank storage idea check out Propellerheads Matrix. http://www.reason101.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/48-01-matrix-track-build1.jpg

  • an option to turn on tempo Sync on the LFO Freq knob and some kind of snap function for the repeat knob on ENV2 so it could snap to different tempo values.

  • a wave form selection switch on the LFO that lets you choose from Sine, Saw, Tri. I think it would be even better if you turned it into a morphable LFO that lets you cycle through the waveform. This way someone could modulate the morph knob for all kinds of awesome sounds.

nice!

pattern storage would be nice :)

you can work 'around' it, as the seq values and on/off are automatable - so that provides a way. e.g. you can create a M4L device to store/retrieve patterns.

Edit: even better, I just tried with Numerology 4 (five12) , link up a faderbox, paramod to aalto,
and then you can save as presets, and also have quantised morphing between patterns.
ok, this is more N4 functionality, but is possible due to aalto (& kaivo) exposing sequencer via automation.
N4 + Aalto/Kaivo is a great combination, they sort of have a similar philosophy with their modular aspects.

Randy, when using OSC are the automatation values still available, i.e. is it still listening for midi messages within the audio unit? (which messages are processed and which ignored?)

Thanks for sharing the jam and the feature ideas.

I second the recommendation on using Numerology for sequencing. I'm not going to go too deep into saving sequences within my plugins, because that's what hosts are good at... in theory anyway.

I have a few features saved up to add to the sequencer. It's too bad that the VST / AU formats are so limiting when it comes to saving sequences. The only way to automate the sequencer was with a parameter for each value, which is kind of ridiculous.

When Aalto gets t3d messages over OSC, it goes into OSC mode and stops listening to MIDI entirely. If you want to combine both OSC and MIDI I wold recommend converting the MIDI information to OSC somehow.

"When Aalto gets t3d messages over OSC, it goes into OSC mode and stops listening to MIDI entirely. If you want to combine both OSC and MIDI I wold recommend converting the MIDI information to OSC somehow"

sorry, my question was badly worded...

automation, is not midi, and Ive tested, it still seems to respond to host control to when in OSC mode - so thats cool :)

i guess really it was two things:

a) if you are thinking of exposing the automation parameters via OSC.
(I'm guessing from your above response - no)

b) as described in my other FR post, I really would like the equivalent of CC , +1 , +2 outputs when in OSC mode.

Im guessing (b) would be useful for the soundplane too, and would perhaps be linked to the work you have done regarding zones on a soundplane.

Right, automation is not delivered via MIDI, the host calls a function call setParameter() via either the AU or VST wrapper, and then I change whatever I have to in response.

I could see adding code to change plugin parameters from OSC. If in OSC mode there's no reason a certain OSC message couldn't set parameters without breaking anything existing. This should be easy to do.

I can see the need for OSC +1, +2 etc. outputs from OSC data. The problem is, I used up the available bits on the Aalto / Kaivo UI for the x, y, dx, dy outputs. I could add some way to configure these... not hard in theory but as usual the UI would be the tricky bit.