Hello there…
I remember using a breath controller with my (now dead) Yamaha DX9, and all the fun I had, and all the dimension it would add to some of my presets…
I would like to use one with Zynrhian…
I still have my BC1 and BC2 (they are breath controllers) but they are analog devices… Maybe I’d better sell them back (they reach a good price by now) and buy a digital one…
Ok ok, let’s go to the question:
One of those digital breath controller is a TEControl model…
It works on computer, with Windows and MacOS… There’s no utility software developped for Linux… I asked if I could simply plug it into my PrenFm2, or into my Zynthian…
Concerning the Zynthian, Tom (seems to be a nice guy) from TEControl, answered :
“Just watch a video of the zynthian and it looks like they have a MIDI controller keyboard connected to it.
If this works it indeed has a MIDI class compliant USB host port and you should be able to use our products.”
So you guess what the question is…
Any comment, advice, warning, is welcome…
Have a nice day… And enjoy the sun, if you have some…
Thierry
Yes, Zynthian is a “MIDI class compliant USB host”.
It should work with any “MIDI class compliant USB device/peripheral” connected to any of the 4 x USB host-ports.
I suppose the actual question is rather whether any of the softsynths/patches respond to midi CC breath/expression/pressure or whatever the TECcontrol is configured to send. (I have the BITE version of the TECcontrol and it has a PC/MAC app for configuring the firmware)
There’s an interesting tangent - I hope to get a Zynthian cobbled together eventually to run with my MPE controller (Linnstrument), and technically that’s all well and good but only really meaningful if there’s a substantial amount of patches/soft synths set up for MPE…
You’re totally right, when you say that the actual question is to know if any of the present synth respond to CC2… (Breath controller)
Or almost right… Cause once Zynthian is able to “read” the data sent by the TEControl when we blow inside the tube, then it would be up to us (I mean, up to some of you, cause I’m not a programmer) to wrtie the code lines for a small app/utility which would be usable on Zynthian…
The utility could for example, convert the CC2 (breath) to CC1 (modulation) or CC7 (volume) or CC11 (Expression)…
DEXED is a virtual clone of the DX7 and despite that, doesn’t respond to Breath controller… I even read, on DEXED forum, a "(LOL)’ just after mentioning this device…
“On a real DX7, amplitude LFO can be applied (programmable in %) from 5 different source : the mod wheel, foot controller, breath controller (LOL), aftertouch and the AMD static setting on the patch.”
We’re not much helped with such @!#@@& (censored)…
I don’t know how hard it would be to build an utility for Zynthian… Would it be enough to plug the TEControl breath controller into a PC, running MIDIOX, and see what is displayed ?? I suppose the device simply sends the CC2 infos…
Or should I write to the manufacturer and ask for more infos about the data sent by the device ?? Ok, I’ll do it now…
Enjoy the last day iof summer… Autumn is a delight…
Thierry
I have written the LV2 wrapper for Dexed (the one we are using on Zynthian - there is another one around written by falkTX) and I know this problem. Current problem is also that the modulation wheel is not working. As far as I understood the code, there is something written for modulation, but I got it not to work. I have to dive in deeper into Dexed. If the code will work in future, you can advise any MIDI controller (with MOD-UI MIDI learn) to modulate every parameter in Dexed (in fact this currently works - but not for modulation - sorry).
Can anyone tell me if the modulation wheel is working on the “normal” Dexed installation (e.g. VST on Windows)?
Hello There…
I tried the DEXED VST on windows, using savihostx86…
Yes, the mod wheel is working…
Be sure you have selected a depth <0 anddestination, in the “param” menu…
The “param” menu is called by clicking ont the “param” button just below the “DEXED” logo…
I suppose you already know this menu, I didn’t… (I’m just discovering the plugin in fact…) And now I see that this menu includes Breath controller, aftertouch and pedal parameters… SO it might be that they are efficient DEXED ?? If only they could be working on Zynthian…
"if the code will work in future, you can advise any MIDI controller (with MOD-UI MIDI learn) to modulate every parameter in Dexed "
You mean that one could control op3 rate2, or feedback, or whatever, with the mod wheel or the pedal ?? If yes, that sounds good…
Many thanks for testing. So the problem is my code. I will take a look at this the next weeks (I hope).
When working with MOD-UI: yes. You can MIDI learn for every parameter and you can also setup the range for the parameter (this works without fixing modulation - try it slight_smile:
No thanx needed, I was feeling concerned, so… testing…was a pleasure…
Try it… try it… That’s so easy to say… But for now, my zynthian is not built yet… I don’t know DEXED that much, even if I’ve had a DX9, a TX81Z, for years, been programming a DX7 for one afternoon, and am using Caustic/s FMsynth for one year…
I’m discovering ZynAddSub… And I still ignore much (I should even say, I know nothing) about MOD-UI, which I guess is full of promises, but I don’t know which ones exactly…
All those things will come with time, and sure when I can I will make this test…
What I now have understood, thanx to TOM from TEControl.se, but also thanx to a few videos here and there, is :
Plugged into one of Zynthian"s USB, TEC breath controller will send CC2 data (Unless we have previously set up to another CC number) corresponding to the strength of our blowing…
WHen plugged into a computer (mac or Windows PC) it is then possible to set up the parameters such as sensitivity curve, midi channel, smoothness (attack, decay, which would better be called rise/fall or increase/decrease), CCnumber…
(And from the same manufacturer, BBC2 which donsn’t mean a national British radio, but Breath and Bite controller, will also be “plug and play”. on Zynthian but will work on several CCnumber at the same time…)
And those settings are 'permanent", means that they will remain on the module/device when you disconnect it from the computer, to use it on your favorite synth, and this, until you change them again using a computer…
Unfortunately, for now, there’s poor chance that any of zynthian engines could obey in any way to those BC-CC messages… (This I’m not totally sure)… But it can happen that this would change sonner or later… And might be already possible unsing MOD-UI…
When plugged on the single USB socket of my PreenFM2, it will work (as Xavier recently implemented CC2 to his synth, at my request) but this synth having only one USB socket, where will I plug my USB keyboard ?? I will then have to use a MIDI-DIN keyboard…
But this is off-topic…
The fact that I understood that, doesn’t mean that it('s true… Most probable, but not 101% sure…
I also understood that, for now, there is no “Utility” software running on Linux Debian…
My reasons to stop smoking are increasing everyday…
Hello @mheidt… Not sure I understand fully what you mean…
I checked “mew midi filtering system” on google, but I think it has more to do with moisture than electronic music…
Hello…
I use the latest version of Dexed… 0.9.4…
I control it with external keyboard (Studiologic SL88)…
I tried the foot pedal, the breath controller, the mod wheel parameter, and the after touch… They all work…
The only thing is that, on the parameters screen, the labels for breath controller and foot pedal have been inverted…
Nothing really impoortant, just confusing… In fact, it’s almost a private message to Hodger, in case those info would have some importance when he wants to work a little more on it…
See you…
Thierry
Thierry
slight_smile:
google