Two ChucK patches for the monome

Antimon · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:36 am Post subject: Two ChucK patches for the monome

Posted these at the monome forum:

http://post.monome.org/comments.php?DiscussionID=469&page=1#Item_9
http://post.monome.org/comments.php?DiscussionID=494&page=1#Item_1

The first is a sequencer, concentrating on playing MIDI notes. There is a kind of piano roll sequencer spanning 8 octaves with configurable length and MIDI channel, and a big layout where you can store 16 x 15 of these piano roll sequencers, and run them alongside or in various "big" sequences. See the first link for more info. Each note's velocity and gate (enabling a kind of pseudo-poluphony) can be configured.

The second is a MIDI keyboard that is inspired by the layout of accordeons, the kinds where you have several keys for a single note so that you can play chords and arpeggios easily. As you push a key, all other keys that correspond to the same note light up.

The images show the key layout for each of the two programs. Each is made for the 256, but I've added some constants to facilitate configuration of keys for the note sequencer. The accordeome can probably be useful as well on the other monomes, but it will take some more hacking.

/Stefan

accordeome_layout.jpg

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monome key layout for accordeome.ck

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m_n_s_big_layout.jpg

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monome layout for monome_note_sequencer.ck

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accordeome.ck

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accordeome.ck

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monome_note_sequencer.ck

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monome_note_sequencer.ck

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Kassen

Dr. Spankenstein · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:57 am Post subject:

This sounds interesting, shame I can't try it out as I don't have one.

I checked out the website and they seem very similar to those Yahama Tenori-Ons, awesome!

Antimon · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:

Thanks.

I don't think the accordeome is an accurate reproduction of an actual accordeon key layout (for starters, the accordeons I'm thinking of have hexagonal layout). It's fun to play with, though. Although there tends to be some contact jumps due to poor contact if you don't press the keys hard enough.

The difference between the monome and the Tenori-On (I think - haven't tried the Tenori-On hands-on) is that while the monome hardware is a dumb interface that only can do two things - detect key press/release or accept commands that turn individual key lights on or off - the Tenori-On contains a synthesizer and customized sequencer in the box. I think you can send key presses from the Tenori-On via MIDI, but I'm not sure if you can send light commands the other way. For the monome, the functional emphasis lies on a heap of apps that have been developed by the people at monome, or anyone who cares to contribute to the community.

Also, the OSC protocol that monome talks is brilliant, compared to how it works in MIDI. The marriage between the monome and ChucK (or any other OSC-talking software) is perfect, in my mind.

/Stefan

Kassen · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:16 pm Post subject:

I did some fixoring on a bug in the monogrid code a while back and I thought that looked like a very good structure, yes. It's a very cool idea as well.

Oh, and thanks for your research into ChucK midi clock stuff, I'm going to borrow from that and see if I can get that reset pulse to work that looped sequencers use to make them all loop at the same time. I'll report back on my findings.