Re: MIDI sync for tempo-related effects...

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

> Hi Per,
>
> Could you explain the following a bit more...?  (it was from your  
> post on 5/11/06 at 6:49 PM)
>
>> This does not mean that "effect's is stuttering in a static way",  
>> since I have taken care to program expression pedals to "sweep"  
>> the tempo relation (effect vs main tempo, manipulating the tempo  
>> relation coefficient while busy playing).

> On 14 maj 2006, at 18.30, Ken.H wrote:
>>
> I'm really curious about the "pedals to sweep the tempo relation"  
> part of this.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Ken H.


Imagine I'm playing through an FX patch that chains a lot of effects  
on a row. Now, one of those effects is a filter. The filters cut-off  
parameter is being manipulated by a LFO, oscillating by a wave shaped  
curve. If the LFO speed is set to 8th notes it will "stutter in a  
static way". To be able to "sweep the tempo relation" I can set up a  
binding to the LFO Speed from my MIDI cc expression pedal. The more I  
press it at one direction, the faster the filter will go and the more  
I move my foot at the other direction the slower the filter will  
oscillate. I especially like to use musical values to "quantize" the  
relation between tempo and the LFO speed (filter speed change) so you  
can easily use the pedal to find an interesting counter rhythm.  
Typically the filter bubbling of this example will sweep from 1/32T  
down through 1/32-1/32.-1/16T-1/16-1/16.-1/8T-1/8-1/8.-1/4T-1/4-1/4.- 
etc etc until it may land at a 2 whole notes frequency.

In Mobius you can not do this (above) by scripting, but I'm doing it  
with the FireworX (and other devices). A music sequencer application  
that sort of specializes on this type of musical real-time tempo  
based tweaks is the modular MIDI step sequencer system Numerology.  
Any MIDI fader can be set to work the relation between any two (or  
more) parameters (Max is also good at that, eventually resulting in  
note sequences typically heard in music by Autechre etc).

The FireworX has a very well designed system for binding controllers  
to manipulate parameters, in this regard. I use to think about the  
FireworX as a kind of "hardware effect Numerology" ;-)

> Also, it seems like different effects units respond to changing  
> external MIDI clock rates in different ways (and sometimes not too  
> gracefully).  Any thoughts on that, especially with the FireworX?

It depends on which fx patch you are running. I there is reverb or  
delay in the patch a change of tempo may result in crackling noise  
from the FireworX. One patch I set up was particularly vulnerable. I  
had created a send line going back and returning into the effect  
chain at an earlier point - before a harmonizer and a delay - so the  
sound was looping and returning at a different pitch for each turn. I  
could not use this patch with the MIDI clock signal sent out by  
Ableton Live, when Live itself was following the MIDI Clock signal  
sent out by Mobius. So Jeff was kind to put a second virtual MIDI  
output into Mobius and then I could use this FireworX patch - syncing  
to the same MIDI clock that Live as well was syncing to (Mobius  
sending out two identical "clone" streams of the same MIDI Clock  
frequency one into Live and one into the FireworX. Another practical  
example of what MIDI Clock may be good for).

But to round it off, most synced FireworX effect patches don't sound  
bad when the tempo changes.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
http://tinyurl.com/fauvm (podcast)