xanadu

Version 2.0 had some errors. I think if fixed them in version 2.1.

This is a complex device and I don't have time to test on other machines than my own desktop Windows 11 PC. Please report (leave a comment) if the device is not working for you.

Willem (AKA Xanadu)

Please load the new version without external dependencies at: https://maxforlive.com/library/device.php?id=12188

With help from ChatGTP I manged to create my own drivers for the Push2 display. The source code is included.

yes from MaxForLive we can control the LCD on the Push2. We can send the frames from Live or a jit.matrix from Max or blend the streams as like, on a pixel by pixel basis. Some work has still to be done before I can publish this solution. It we be free and open source.

Today I've reaches a major breakthrough. I can blend frames for the Push2 from MaxForLive with frames coming from Ableton Live. For every pixel I can set a mask that determines if pixels from Live will reach the Push2 or pixels from MaxForLive. There also is a blend mode that determinse per pixel the brightness for both streams with a factor from 0.0 to 1.275.

This was a major task for me: creating two dynamic link libraries in C/C++. I did not program C++ anymore since about 2000. With the help of ChatGTP I reached success on all critical parts of thsi project. ChatGTP is not a great programmer, but it has an enourmous knowledge of program code that can be found on the internet. It also is a nice buddy that always stimulates me to go on.

This is how it's gonna work. The libusb-1.0.dll file that came with Live is renamed to libusb-1.0.original.dll. I created a new libusb-1.0.dll which comes in between Live and the original one. My libusb-1.0.dll can:
1. blend frames from Live and MaxForLive on a per pixel basis. The brightness for both streams can be set from 0 to 1.275.
2. Send the frames from Live to MaxForLive as jit.matrices.
3. Adjust the blend mask on command from MaxForLive.

There also is a wjl_push2_lcd external for MaxForLive.
This device:
1. Sends jit.matrices to libusb-1.0.dll.
2. It also sends display commands to control the blending for each pixel of the display. You can set the blend mode for any reagin defined by xPos yPos width height or the whole display. Blend modes include Live only and MaxForLive only.
3. Receive the frames from Live as jit.matrices. I don't know if this is very usefull, but using thsi feature we can have parts of the Live stream to the Push2 in our MaxForLive patchers..

I'm sorry this is Windows 10 or 11 only, no MacIntosh/Apple. I don't have a Mac.

I'm so glad I could solve the puzzle after about 2 weeks!

Greetings,

Willem (AKA Xanadu)

On the website Sigabort says P2D will be available for purchase again on 31/01/2025. But today, 02/02/2025 it's still unavailable. So we can't trust the little company. I'm trying to create my own driver for the Push2 LCD screen. It must be coded in C on a pretty low level. No success yet. I haven't touched C or C++ for 20+ years, but ChatGTP is helpfull. If I can get this job done the driver will be integrated into the download. No promiss though.

Willem (aka Xanadu)

Hi, I reached out to Sigabort. They aim to get P2D back on their website https://www.sigabort.co/p2d.html before next tuesday February 4. Willem (AKA Xanadu)

BTW: the link is also in the manual that comes with the device.

Sigabort is still alive and kicking! The url is https://www.sigabort.co/p2d.html . I had to contact Sigabort the other day for another matter and got a reply email within 2 hours!

I would not have published my device if P2D was no longer available. But it is available for 5 euro and it is working with Live 11 and 12, MaxForLive 8 and Max 9.0.

Greetings, Willem (aka Xanadu)

Hi Veisz,

My system is now updated to Ableton Live Beta 12 (Th release is to be expectd any day now) and Max 8.6.0 x64, both for Windows. It created all parameters for the SonicCharge MicroTonic VST. So I think it's still up and running.

Until now I've avoided as much as I coult to expose my face and voice on internet for privacy reasons. Beside that, I suspect my English pronunciation sounds very Dutch. I realize there's no compelling reason for this.

This device seems to be quite popular. I perhaps I shuld upgrade it and do one or more video's.

Sorry topazUK, this device is from 2012. I don't know if it still works with the latest versions of Ableton Live and Max4Live. I've not looked into it lately. I can't answer your question without looking at the device in detail.

Hi Nico Kaniak,

Sorry for the delay in answering.

The AI thing reads all your MicroTonic pad presets and tries to find out what kind of sound they are.

Sorry dutchpitch,

I only have a bunch op Windows machines, no Apple computer. My advice is to buy a cheap Windows machine too, perhaps a virtual machine will do.

Cheers,

Willem.

Hi Julien,

Thanks for your letter. I've begun to rewrite the VST Wrapper to commect parameters to hardware MIDI devices.

First you construct a virtual device that maps to the dials and faders of the real MIDI divice(s). You can assign some knobs of a dial tot choose one of several parameter banks. You can fill the banks with the parameters of your VST.

This works a bit like Push2 handles parameter banks, but is way more flexible.

I hope this description is clear to you.

I've got a basic version of this device working. But finetuning, bug fixing, documentation and making a device working on a computer I don't own myself takes a lot of time.

You can mail your current M4L device to wjlageman2@(NOSPAM)outlook.com to let me have a look at it (you have to remove (NOSPAM)). Please describe again what you want to accomplish.

Cheers,

Willem.

Hi Marcus and Maxanic (and all others). To program the best solution I can I would like to ask a question: What MIDI Controllers are you using?

Hi Marcus and Maxanic. It appears that MaxForLive has no support for MIDI mapping. Cycling '74 is owned by Ableton now, so you have to ask these companies for a solution.

MIDI mapping works with the standalone application Max. Max also supports AMXD files now. I've altered the VST.instument to support audio out and note input from a MIDI port. Forst the plugin is loaded in Ableton with MaxForLive. The parameters are created and the device is saved. This saved device is then opened in Max standalone. Now MIDI mapping can be assigned, but saving is only possible with an additional standalone licence.

Mapping with Push2 is possible and is documented in the manual.

To make midi mapping possible within MaxForLive additional code needs to be written. But that code can be reused for other MaxForLive devices that also are missing midi mapping.

Hi Maxanic and Marcus. I've not used midi-mapping parameters directly (yet). Don't know how to integrate it into this VST project. But I'm gonna take a look.

There is a way to get the first 128 parameters in Live 11 by installing a version of Ableton that supports it. I've got a licence of Ableton 8 Lite that came with some some MIDI device. You should make an Options.txt file containing
-_PluginAutoPopulateThreshold=128
or
-_PluginAutoPopulateThreshold=-1.

When you load a VST you can save it as an .ALC file and load that in Live 11. Then you'll have your 128 max parameters in the latest and greatest version of Live.

Sorry, I've got no Mac.

Bugfixes. Microtonic with XO is now updated to version 1.2.

There was an error in javascript which prevented analysis of Microsonic presets in some cases.

The file creator tried to write files to the folders 'Closed Hihat' and 'Open Hihat'. These folders were named 'Open Hat' and 'Open Hat'. Instead of throwing an error the files were actually written to 'C:/Program Files/Cycling '74/Max 8'. Please remove all .WAV files in your Max installation folder and rename the 'Closed Hat' and 'Open Hihat' folders. Then run the Microtonic Sample Creator again from the updated download version 1.2.

In version 1.1 I've reworked the manual, correcting typo's and making it more comprehensible (i hope). Being a Dutchman, writing in English is somewhat error prone.

Hi dystopiandisco,

Thanks for your remark. I don't have a Mac, so I can't test my devices on it.

I've added a menu with the Microtonic plugins that MaxForLive can find in the default places. There's also an option to select your plug-in manually. I hope this will work for everyone now.

Xanadu.

Please replace the DX10 with anything that makes a sound when it's receiving a MIDi note ;-) A simpler is a good candidate.

Please replace the DX10 with anything that makes a sound when it's receiving a MIDi note ;-) A simpler is a good candidate.

I left it on purpose. I needed to put some instrument there. The dx10 from Image Line is a nice ancient VST instrument that doesn't distract (I thought) from my new love baby.

If you see all LEDs on the SparkLE controller lighting up then the outward connection is okay. If you then push a button or tuns an encoder a LED on the device should blink. If that's the case all your connections are up and running.

The SparkLE.IO.003.amxd connects to the main device using the OSX/UPD network. That should be okay as well when the IO to the hardware works.

The main device can't and shouldn't connect to SparkLE MIDI because these MIDI ports are already being used by the IO device.

There was another reason for using jmidi: Live does nt decode the endless encoders right. I have not solved that one yet. I suppose I have to create a Live Control Surface to do the MIDI IO.

I wonder if Ableton will ever solve these midi IO issues, giving us SysEx, channels and endless encoders.

I don't know what's the problem. I'm on Windows 8, 32 bits. Jmidi works fine for me, except that I had to find out that java is not available in MaxForLive when the SparkLE VST is loaded.

I've added a new version of the device. This version has a SparkLE.through.Live device that must be placed on a MIDI track of it's own. SparkLE MIDI must be enabled in Live and both input and output must be connected to the track of the new device. Monitor In must be lit.

This new device will communicate with the SparkLE.DRUM.rack using UDP channel 9980 and 9981.

Note that SparkLE MIDI must be off when connecting the controller again to the SparkLE software.

Arturia SparkLE VST and jmidi both use the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). But they can't use it both in the same Max instance. Does the problem still exist when SparkLE VST is not loaded?

Cheers

Willem.

Oops...

The devices are frozen now and the abstractions / subpatchers themselves are present as well.

Hi Olson,

This device certainly is a hack. I made it as a proof of concept. I don't think it has much practical use.

I'm programming a 'SynClone FM' device now in MSP. I'm learning a lot on DSP programming from this.

I'll write an email for "randomize seed" and "clone the selected branch".

Cheers,

Xanadu

Oh and yes, Live Session Script now supprts MaxForLive 5 as wel as MaxForLive 6.

This is for advertising my device!

Version 137 is the result of a struggle with unstability. Live Session Script would die at irregular points. Max 5 and Max 6 both had their own patterns. I hope I have overcome the worst of this, but I haven't found the real problem yet. Inserting 'deferlow' at crucial points seems to help.

Besides parameters in racks in the track of Live Session Script, parameters in racks in the group track can be automated now. Automation has a lot more power, allowing for real LFO activity, automated by up to 6 arguments.

Cheers,

Xanadu

In version 099 MIDI CC functionality is disabled because it crashed Ableton Live when more then one scripter was active.

I'm astounded - I thought this was just simple, innocent code.

Cheers,

Xanadu

Hi Synnack,

Start, Compile, Break, CC Through and Variables are available now for MIDI mapping.

Oops.

Thanks Myoko. There are lemur files for iPad and iPhone included now.

Xanadu

@noisedir
Both Novation products Launchpad and Nocturn work in the way you are suggesting. On the Nocturn I find this couter-intuitive: I want to see where I am, not where I can go. But on the Nocturn you can have more than 2 pages, leaving not much choice.

On my Korg nanoKey and Akai LPK25 keyboard a led lights up left for lower keys and right for higher keys. I like that.

So both methods are used on modern Midi devices. I think I can make this choice into a setup option in the next update.

I have my iPad for nearly two month. I bought the full featured Lemur app by Liine. It's incredible. I'm creating this 185 type of sequencer now for the Lemur. I think the touchscreen is a better fit for this sequencer.

xanadu

Well I'm quite pleased with the current version. In december i crossgraded to Max 6 with Gen and an iPad. Then I found that the Lemur has come to the iPad. This really gives me a lot to discover!

But this Launchpad 185 Sequencer and my Launchpad Drum Sequencer really are my love babies.

If someone comes up with good ideas for effects I certainly try to implement them. Perhaps it would be nice to have more patterns that could be swithced by pushing a button.

Cheers,

xanadu

It's found in the help file you can open with the 'Help...' button in the Live window of the sequencer.

These are the effects:
0- Nothing happens
1- One note is played using it's own duration
A- On each step a note is played using it's own duration
D- A note is played during the whole stage
L- Legato mode. Previous stages with a D or L effect will wait to send their note-off MIDI signals until a stage with another effect than L is played. In the L stage a new note is played during the whole stage. This should be used in combination with a mono-synth.
S- A note is played on each step according to the 'Duty cycle' setting.
3- There are 3 notes played, dividing the stage in 3 equal parts
-- Nothinh happens.Anyone with a suggestion?

xanadu

Hello Rosko,

Thanks for your explanation. I think I've got the bug now. Changing the pitch with the mouse *only* worked when the Launchpad was displaying the pitch. Since you are not using a Launchpad, your internal pitch setting was not opdated. In version 134 this is fixed.

By the way, this sequencer was made for use with a Launchpad, so it would be more fun if you could get one.

xanadu

Hello Rosko,

Thanks for your explanation. I think I've got the bug now. Changing the pitch with the mouse *only* worked when the Launchpad was displaying the pitch. Since you are not using a Launchpad, your internal pitch setting was not opdated. In version 134 this is fixed.

By the way, this sequencer was made for use with a Launchpad, so it would be more fun if you could get one.

xanadu

Hi Rosko,

I think you really want to use my little sequencer, but helas without much luck. I'm still trying to figure out what is exactly your problem and what is causing it.

1. Are you using only 1 copy of Launchpad 185 sequencer in your Live song? At this time more than one copy is not tested and probably won't work.

2. When you mention 'tracks' do you mean the Ableton Live tracks or the 16 'stages' in the sequencer?

3. I think order of the initiatlization on your system be hust a little different than on my computer, resulting in uninitialized stages. I have uploaded a new version 132. This one has a better initialization worked out. Does this help for you?

4. Please upload your Ableton Line .ALS song file to LaunchpadDrumSeq@site4fun.nl . Then I can try te recreate the problem at my own system.

Cheers,

Xanadu

Hello Rosko,

Sorry to hear the Launchpad 185 seq is not working well on your system. I suppose it's is a timing problem, but I can't reproduce your issues on my Windows XP system. What system are you on?

Cheers,

Xanadu

This device reaches completion.

I promise will take care of saving / restoring the device with the Live set and an instructing manual.

Your user ratings are welcome now.

The sequencer uses Live's transport so Live must be running. If Live and the sequencer are both running there should be a running light in the sequencer window.

Else please describe your system.

Thanks for the report. Start time and sequencing has been worked over in the new version. It will start quantized correctly. It will keep track of the steps using Live's transport as a master timer.

The sequencer will not take care of changing the meter while playing. It doesn't respond to jumping on the timeline while playing it just goes on counting the beats and looping when it has played all it's steps.

Velocity works, but the synth or the sampler must respond to it. Some presets dont't use velocity or aplly it to open or close a filter.