How to create a fade routine for an iOS looper

Question

MIDI Target Manufacturer(s): Other/Unlisted Maker

Friends,

Enso is an amazing and unique looper (AUv3 for iOS). But it doesn’t have a fade function. I've tried to create one in MD; I get pieces working but when I try to automate the whole sequence, I just get a mess.

Here's what I need help with:

I want to create a button that will 1) Trigger the track level (slider) to travel gradually from current on-value to zero, then 2) send Stop to Enso, then 3) reset the track level to default (approximately 0 db on the AUM slider). In other words, emulating the fade of almost all other loopers I know.

A variation on this routine would also send a Clear command after the Stop.

Generically, for any slider in MD:  1) fade to zero, 2) send one or two or three momentary commands, 3) reset level.  

Any suggestions appreciated.

[Midi Designer Pro 2 and IAP; AUM (iOS); Enso looper (iOS) on an iPad Air 3. I'm running MD on a separate iPad 6 dedicated to MD and connected via bluetooth].

Steve

ThinAirX

Answer 1

Need five controls as follows:

Button 1 is the one you press to start the fade.  Off value 0, on value 127, super control, knob 1 and 2 below are sub controls, options as sub - snap to value - up to 16 sec (max value).  Default value - off

Knob 1. Enso Fader knob - set up so the Maximum value is full fade (prolly midi min of 127, midi max of 0, but depends on the Enso).  Default value - 0.

Knob 2. Intermediate knob - two ticks, min 0, max 127.  It has one sub control - button 2.  Default value - 0

Button 2. Enso Stop Command - this has the stop command as the on value.  Choose send on only.  Default value - off

Button 3.  This is the reset button.  On all four controls above, select button 3 off sets to default.  Choose a dummy command for this button, like Sysex with no values.

Press button 1, starts the fade, sending the knob 1 values.  At end of fade, knob 2 toggles, sending the button 2 command to stop the looper.  Double press button 3, all are reset for next cycle.  Knob 1 sends the min value, which is zero fade.  Since button 2 is send on only, it does not send anything on reset.

Knob 2 & Button 2 ensure no command is sent from the stop button on reset.  A button can have send on only, a knob doesn't.

You could make an additional sub control of knob 2 to send the clear command.  Same sort of setup as button 3.

Comments

JK Hiser, thank you for this detailed response. I tried everything, though, and couldn't get it to work. I have time today to go in and try again. If still doesn’t work, I'll detail what's happening.

One thing I know has stumped me is that I'm having trouble "select button 3 off sets to default" for all four controls. It's only available for a couple of the buttons.

I also get a lot of jiggling. I should post a separate question, because this happens a lot, even when the super/sub relationships are simple.

Steve

---

Ok, I did finally get it to work. It's complicated. The "button off sets to default" was new to me and I had it backwards the first time around. Got that to work. And I learned a lot in the process of struggling to understand what was going on.

Edit: I just now saw your attached demo layout. Excellent! I'll download it and compare it to the one I built.

One thing I noticed when I got it to work was that the Stop command was sent out immediately while the fader was fading. As a practical matter that's not what I want, because that means it will stop the looper before the fade is completed--and I intend this to be a long fade, maybe the whole 16 seconds. I played around, in a new setup, with having two knobs fade at different rates, the faster one fading the track level and the slower one triggered the Stop. That works.

Edit: After downloading your example and studying it, I see that a difference is you had "buttons are send on only" under Supercontrols Options. I don't understand why, but that made the difference.

Can somebody explain to me what "Buttons are send on only" is for? Which buttons? In this case the subs are knobs, not buttons. I'm confused.

Thank you again for your guidance. I have what I need now.

Steve
ThinAirX

Answer 2

Need five controls as follows:

Button 1 is the one you press to start the fade.  Off value 0, on value 127, super control, knob 1 and 2 below are sub controls, options as sub - snap to value - up to 16 sec (max value).  Default value - off

Knob 1. Enso Fader knob - set up so the Maximum value is full fade (prolly midi min of 127, midi max of 0, but depends on the Enso).  Default value - 0.

Knob 2. Intermediate knob - two ticks, min 0, max 127.  It has one sub control - button 2.  Default value - 0

Button 2. Enso Stop Command - this has the stop command as the on value.  Choose send on only.  Default value - off

Button 3.  This is the reset button.  On all four controls above, select button 3 off sets to default.  Choose a dummy command for this button, like Sysex with no values.

Press button 1, starts the fade, sending the knob 1 values.  At end of fade, knob 2 toggles, sending the button 2 command to stop the looper.  Double press button 3, all are reset for next cycle.  Knob 1 sends the min value, which is zero fade.  Since button 2 is send on only, it does not send anything on reset.

Knob 2 & Button 2 ensure no command is sent from the stop button on reset.  A button can have send on only, a knob doesn't.

You could make an additional sub control of knob 2 to send the clear command.  Same sort of setup as button 3.

Answer 3

Here is a demo layout

Using the method I discussed.

Downloads: 271
Demo 1.00
Downloads: 271

Images

Screenshot 2020-07-26 at 12.59.56.png

Comments

Missing one note - set all the controls default values to the desired reset value.  MDP2 sometimes chooses a mid-range or max value.

---

This is actually two demo layouts. You snuck a second page in there with a relay chain of faders to double the 16 second built-in Supercontrol time. Very cool! But, when I tried to duplicate it on my own, I couldn't get it to work. Of course I went in and duplicated all your settings. What's the trick to get one subcentral knob to trigger in sequence after the first: in this case, Pt 2 Relay 1 triggers after Command Pt 1? I looked everywhere and can't see the trick. AFAIK the "sequential" common only shows for buttons.

Steve

---

They are not sequential - they are both just sub controls of the start fade button.  The end toggle has only two ticks, so it doesn't get triggered until the end of the time selected under snap subs to value.

---

Thank you for your quick reply. I did miss the two ticks setting. So I fixed that but still get the Relay knob (two-ticks button) jumping immediately to full while the first know is still rotating (I set at 800ms). I'm still missing something.

This is worth learning because it's something I can probably use a number of different places.

Steve

---

Hmm.  I would have to look at the layout to see what is happening, if you want to post it.  Might be something subtle.  But checked the demo version again, and it seems to work properly.

---

@jkhiser, I've been working on this and still can't get my version to work like yours, even when I try to copy all the settings. I've saved a page with my attempts. How do I post it so you can download it?

Steve

---

Start a new comment under this question and it will give you the option to attach a file, either as an upload or directly from the MDP2 app.

---

Ok, I clicked on "comment" hoping to see an option to add attachment.

---

I'm not seeing any options at all, except "Add comment" I'm on a Mac, not my iPad.

---

Sorry, should have said new "answer" - look under your original question for "answer"

Answer 4

Here is a demo layout

Using the method I discussed.

Downloads: 271
Demo 1.00
Downloads: 271

Images

Screenshot 2020-07-26 at 12.59.56.png

Answer 5

My flawed attempt at creating this fade -- MD page attached.

Here's my MD page. I included attempts at both ideas. In general, I'm interested in a sure-fire recipe for getting two knobs to fire in sequence. I'm sure other MD users would too.

James, thanks for your help with this.

Answer 6

My flawed attempt at creating this fade -- MD page attached.

Here's my MD page. I included attempts at both ideas. In general, I'm interested in a sure-fire recipe for getting two knobs to fire in sequence. I'm sure other MD users would too.

James, thanks for your help with this.

Answer 7

Trying again to upload

I tried the upload-coupon method. Apparently it didn't work. Here's the file I emailed to myself.

STeve

Downloads: 274
2020-07-30-fader hack.mididesignerpage
Downloads: 274

Answer 8

Trying again to upload

I tried the upload-coupon method. Apparently it didn't work. Here's the file I emailed to myself.

STeve

Downloads: 274
2020-07-30-fader hack.mididesignerpage
Downloads: 274