The CS80 fitted the age.
It had a stage gravitas unmatched at the time, and it made some fantastic noises.
Early guitarists speak of the reverence reserved for guitarists with Strats imported from the States. The CS80 did something similar. You have to admire Yamaha’s aprroach and dedication to improving the human machine interface.
A total bastard to lug onto a stage.
Vangelis used two of them…
What do people think of pitch ribbon implementations in regard to this thread?
MIDI is the absolute lowest common denominator.
It even comes with it’s own physical layer.
My favourite hero, the disinterested musical user, likes 5 Din pin connectors.
By the time you’ve booted the PC and discussed Macs versus PC versus Roland, versus Korg…,
the Rig is done.
We build superb devices, cheaply, repeatably and with massive attention to detail.
The open source element is how, outside of two engineers talking in a pub you avoid Manufacturers, understandable, vested interests.
Hello there !
Here is a new mpe device (master keyboard ( : the Hexboard
https://shapingthesilence.com/tech/hexboard-midi-controller/
Roli is taking ‘pre-orders’ for this MPE supporting, smaller (than Rise), two octave keyboard that can be connected together to get more octaves. In the US it is bundled with software for $349.
i’ve got a few of the older blocks, and while certainly they are imperfect, they also are all the various different kinds of nifty. One of the best small form factor MPE controllers out there, and after a period of a bit of fun, they seem to be back on top with customer support again 
(i recently had to get in touch regarding an out-of-support seaboard grand stage, and they just outright sent me everything, technical support manual, the lot, quite impressed)
I’m completely new here. Ended up here after scanning the market for inexpensive small hardware synths that support MPE. I didn’t find anything that I like. Zynthian seems exactly what I am looking for… except for the lack of MPE support.
I have both LUMI and Seaboard Rise 2 keyboards, and the added expressions make wonders in software synths like Equator2, Pigments etc. Now I’m hoping that MPE will be added to Zynthian in a not too far future. I could wait for it, or just jump right in today while waiting for a future MPE update. Anyway, the project is interesting enough even without MPE. Too bad the 5.1 kit is sold out.
By the way, I understand that poly-aftertouch is already supported. I’m not sure how that works without MPE… so I better read up on it first.
Following this thread with interest. Maybe one day i will get my hand on an Osmose or a Seaboard. So please continue to write about what you find out, as my understanding of PolyAftertouch/MPE is quite insufficient
Is the Surge XT -Synthesizer on Zynthian V5 not MPE ready? I can play it with my Striso-board in MPE mode…
To me, MPE is just a marketing buzzword.
Actually, keyboards and other instruments just send Midi CC at high rates, many times calling for trouble with DIN-Midi due to baud rate limit.
I’m using MPE keyboard and other grid-like controller, without thinking about MPE. Just define the CC and learn the control that shall be modified by keypress, aftertouch, rotation, … whatever. Many so-called MPE controllers simply lack the ability to modify the sent CC for a specific action and call this a “standard”. Luckily, every control sensitive to Midi can learn the “MPE standard” CC.
One next thing is the new buzz with RPN and NRPN, it would be nice to have this functionality in Zynthian (if it is there already, I have not found it yet). This is the new hype in “customer lock-in”, as some pieces of equipment can only use the full set of features, if thy understand the “standard” xRPN defined my the vendor.
Do you mean that you have things like polyphonic glide etc. with Surge XT in Zynthian already today?
Is there any development in Zynthian towards MPE support happening today? Is the ball already rolling?
It seems like more and more DAWs and synthesizers, both hardware and software, embrace the MPE protocol these days. It’s way more than just a marketing buzzword.
…will try with my roli 25 and let you know
On a polyphonic patch with rolling channels, there is 16-fold polyphonic glide.
And that’s exactly what MPE does to stay compatible. Understanding Midi is mandatory, in contrast to “MPE standard” plug and pray.
Or it uses xRPN, if the “MPE standard” of a few license-payers-lobbyists is wanted in order to give the most comfortable “user experience”, which means “keep the user from knowing and asking and leaving our arena” in other words.
This is what MPE does aside from buzzwording:
Looking at the project in GitHub I don’t see anything at all regarding MPE support. Maybe this is still really far away. I’m a developer too, but I have no dev experience in real-time audio, synthesis, or MIDI. Otherwise I could help contributing.
Have you tried it yet, Klangchmied?
Not yet, busy with another project
It’s easy to buy into a branding and believe it will make the next step in the perpetual journey forward, just that little bit easier.
From the perspective of the zynthian community it’s probably better to look at any controller, be it an AKai 25 note weighted piano keys, via a CS80 out to the foothills of Rola and beyond, as merely a source of MIDI. Because anything outside of that is going to get complicated very quickly.
As such zynthian, which is simply a JACK controlled MIDI router, can take chunks of MIDI data and throw it at awaiting Jack Audio Engines, generating more or less discordant sound.
The trick is the configuration of a Zynthian snapshot which is context of the zynthian as configured , in that it will contain all the carefully established mappings between controller and Engine.
The zynthian also makes the task of mapping musical gesture, easy. If the controlling element sits within some fairly tightly defined controllers. But there is a control device software interface that allows more complicated device interface to be constructed.
It is unlikely that an ‘MPE’ thingy is going to drop out of the sky, unless of course someone does something about it. In truth we hear several calls to arms on particular subjects. These are welcomed because it confirms that our community is addressing some genuine needs. It’s just that little tiny feature that could, if altered . . . . .
There is also a rhythm to things and as with any musical amalgamation of like minded individuals, it pays to play at a similar tempo.
It’s easy to discuss, but having a device and plugging it into a zynthian is really the best way to get going. That really only involves a Raspberry Pi & a USB audio device.
The true joy comes from the performance of the idea.
MPE has only fairly recently been picked up by keyboardists with their fancy 3D controllers but it has effectively always been available and us guitarists have been using it since the 1990’s. My Rolan GI-10 (1995) can send note on/off and pitchbend for each string on a different MIDI channel which is the mode l like to use because it allows per-string pitch bend. MPE is more than just buzz words, it is a useful performance aide.
Zynthian supports MPE, e.g. adding Surge-XT to a chain with “ALL MIDI Channels” enabled and enable MPE from VNC. MPE configuration does not seem to be exposed as a parameter so is not controlled by zynthian UI but is saved with the preset so enabling MPE then saving as a new preset will allow access. (The opposite is not true! So once a preset is loaded with MPE enabled, MPE remains enabled when other presets are loaded.) Surge-XT uses MIDI channel 1 as its global channel so MPE fun starts at MIDI channel 2.
So, MPE is a matter of sound engines, not Zynthian behavior.
But how can we know witch engine is able to use it or not ? 
-same question for after touch, breath and other fun things -
Research, discussion, use & inquiry.
There is no general agreement to present consistently, and it is amazing the depths of ideas and motivations out there. Hopefully consensus can emerge and zynthian could unify it.
But these are possibilities.
Now, if we could get Beyonce to mention MPE, we might get some real traction, but I would content myself with our project’s involvement in forward moving processes like MIDI 2.0 which might well take a developed view on interfacing to such technologies.
