New MPE synths...

[tiantong]

Can you explain how you dislike Pigments other synth engines?

I don’t want to take up the space here but you can find a discussion about Pigments in the Instruments forum (the long thread that was locked). In short, though I love the granular engine, I just don’t always love the sound character of Arturias synths for some reason. Just personal taste.

[Roger_Linn]

Hydrasynth firmware update 1.3.0 brings MPE support!

Thanks. I've added it to the Recommended Sounds page, "Hardware MPE" tab.

[TigerBalm]

Oh that’s awesome to hear about Hydrasynth. Does Hydrasynth have a USB host port?

[John the Savage]

Sadly, no.

To that end, can anyone here confirm whether or not DIN MIDI can even handle full-on MPE operations? The only times I've used the DIN connection on my LinnStrument, it has just been to control non-MPE synths. For example, I tried using my Tempest as an expressive mono, a while back, but it just choked on all the data...

This is where my technical knowledge of MIDI runs aground. Would that be the speed of DIN MIDI in general, or the Tempest's pissant processor pussing out?

Cheers!

[Tj Shredder]

No problem so far, I used Midi to Bluetooth adapters and it works nicely with iPad and Mac. The problem you encountered seems to be on the Tempest side of things...

[SteveElbows]

Sadly, no.

To that end, can anyone here confirm whether or not DIN MIDI can even handle full-on MPE operations? The only times I've used the DIN connection on my LinnStrument, it has just been to control non-MPE synths. For example, I tried using my Tempest as an expressive mono, a while back, but it just choked on all the data...

This is where my technical knowledge of MIDI runs aground. Would that be the speed of DIN MIDI in general, or the Tempest's pissant processor pussing out?

Cheers!

I've choked some traditional DIN midi routes in the past with too much data, but only when I was using an MPE controller that spat out way more data than it needed to (long story for another time or place, certainly nothing to do with Linnstrument!). All the same, it demonstrated to me that the limit was there and vaguely within reach. USB is a bit more forgiving but obviously playing style, number of simultaneous notes etc affects volume of data in all of this too. Linnstrument is so well implemented that this would not be the controller I would reach for if trying to find the limits, but maybe it can still hit them - older devices that were near their midi limits at the best of times struggling on the receiving end is a thing, yes.

If there did turn out to be DIN limits with a hydrasynth MPE setup, it should be possible to use a USB host device that can support more than one USB device. Its on my list of things to test in the coming days, although we should start another thread for this stuff.

The Hydrasynth firmware with MPE support came out last night Not tried many controllers with it yet, will report back on that too, but again in another thread.

[Roger_Linn]

Logic’s synths have very fast response and low CPU overhead, so that’s a good test platform. When I play LinnStrument with MPE chords over DIN MIDI into my Mac running Logic, I have no problems even with moving 5-note chords. I think there’s a lot of misinformation about speed limitations of DIN MIDI, caused mostly by years of manufacturers blaming MIDI for their slow software. In the case of Tempest, the CPUs (9 of them) are actually pretty fast, but the software is optimized for drum events, not continuous expressive control.

[John the Savage]

Thanks for the answers, gents... Much appreciated.

Anyway, Steve, if you're so inclinded, by all means, please do plug your LinnStrument directly into the Hydra, via its DIN connection, and beat the crap out of it for me, eh! Let me know what you find out.

Using a third-party USB host would be useless for my needs.

Cheers!

[t-IB]

I've used DIN midi with all of the hardware mpe synths I've used without issue. (Xpander, micromonsta and NF1m)

[John the Savage]

Good to know. Thanks, t-IB.

Cheers!

[tiantong]

Mononoke, by Bram Bos, iOS drone synth, out now with MPE support.

http://ruismaker.com/mononoke/

Mononoke is an unconventional 8 voice polyphonic, 2 part multitimbral synthesizer, designed to compose evolving soundscapes and musical textures.

A tale of two engines
The synthesizer engines (each of the two sections has its own independent engine) have relatively simple controls, which influence a complex system of many invisible, interconnected LFOs. You never ‘control’ Mononoke, but rather steer it in a certain direction. The result is a constantly evolving sonic entity, yet with a distinct signature sound (in other words: this is not your bread-and-butter general purpose synthesizer).

Feedback routing
What sets Mononoke apart from other synths is that its voices (4 in each section) can be routed back into each other in multiple ways, creating all sorts of overtones and pulsating resonant frequencies. Sometimes harmonic, sometimes weirdly atonal. Sometimes clear and delicate as icicles, sometimes harsh as metallic blades, sometimes soft as fresh snow. This interaction between voices helps fuse all layers together into a coherent musical landscape.

Expressive pads
Complex soundscapes can be created live, using the 8 performance pads which let you modulate each voice independently in several dimensions. Your interactions with the pads will also be sent out as MPE/MIDI (when loaded as an AU plugin in a compatible host) so you can record and tweak your session. The onscreen pads can be latched individually so some voices can be used as drones, while others as can be added and removed as extra sonic layers. The pads are fully integrated in the Audio Unit plugin.

Connectivity
Mononoke is designed as an AUv3 plugin, with advanced Audio Unit features such as MPE input and output (!), a fully exposed array of AU parameters for automation and all the connectivity and scalability you can expect from modern plugins.

The standalone mode is basic (just meant for jamming and creating presets) and does not offer any connectivity, so if you want to use Mononoke in conjunction with other apps and effects you’ll need to load it into a host, such as Garageband, Audiobus, AUM or Cubasis.

Summary:
Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin
8 voice polyphony, 2 independent engines with 4 voices each
Compatible with MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and MIDI
MIDI Input and Output (only available when used as an Audio Unit plugin)
Limited standalone mode for jamming (full screen, no connectivity)
8 independently tunable performance pads for expressive interaction
Universal, fully scalable to any screen size, supports fullscreen mode in AU hosts
Freely tunable voices, or quantized to semitones (with overall finetuning)
iOS10 (MIDI/MPE output from the plugin requires iOS11) or higher

[Tj Shredder]

Does that mean I cannot play the standalone with my LinnStrument?
What are your preferred hosts for just playing (no sequencer)?

[SteveElbows]

Personally I just use AUM for all that sort of AUv3 stuff.

[tiantong]

I haven’t tried stand alone. Neither hooked up the Linnstrument. Honestly I’m not using the iPad so much anymore but when I do, yes, it’s with AUM.

Really nice sounds coming from this one but I must say it doesn’t respond to incoming midi notes. Or I should say notes are forced to the notes set up in n the pads.

[Tj Shredder]

How could this be called then MPE???