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Old 11-24-2016, 03:19 PM   #19
airon
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Justin and Schwa might provide a better framework, but they're not going do the grunt work that a major force of users could.

Ok here goes.

Some groundwork.

Plugin parameters need to be sorted by the user in to a prioritized list.
The plugin parameters most important to the user come first. Call them Plugin Parameter A, Plugin Parameter B and so on. Past the user assignments, the rest of the parameters are just strung along. Maybe the user should be able to keep some of them out as well for those unwieldy mega beast plugins with hundreds of parameters.

This will come in handy later.
It has to stay simple. You have a bunch of resources and need to setup how they ought to be used.

At our disposal is stuff like
  • MCU controllers
    which is a bunch of motorized faders, a few endless knobs, a slew of buttons and a jog wheel.

    Indicators include lights on some buttons and a set of scribble strips.

  • Midi knob/fader boxes like the Akai Midimix, Midi Fighter Twister, with or without indicators. This also includes the Behringer X-Touch mini, which has a midi mode with two layers.
  • Button boxes
    They all usually have indicators, like the Midi Fighter 3D or the Novation Dicer (6! colours).

  • OSC Touchscreens


Now for some ways of using it. This design work is by far the hardest part I find.
  • Custom Zones
    It's a specialized mode, that some folks are likely to spend most of their time in.

    This is akin to the Custom Zones on consoles like the Avid Icon(good, older Protools-only controller).

    Here is how it works:
    • A bunch of control resources are designated a custom zone

    • The user can switch this custom zone on and off. Some control resources (faders, buttons, knobs...) might still be used to select tracks and control vanilla stuff like track volume.

    Zone types:
    • Custom plugin control
      "Show Plugin 1 in custom zone" and so on. Each plugin can be given its own custom layout. Bank functions to page through plugins and parameter banks can be assigned too.

    • Custom Track Setup

      A refined way of focusing on stuff on a track. For example:
      • Send 1 Volume, Send 2 Volume, Send 3 Volume, Send 1 Mute, Send 2 Mute, Send 3 Mute

      • Plugin Zone 1 Bank Left button
      • Plugin Zone 1 Start:
        Plugin 1 Parameter A, Plugin 1 Parameter B, Plugin 1 Parameter C, Plugin 1 Parameter D, Plugin 1 Parameter E, Plugin 1 Parameter F
        Plugin Zone 1 End.
      • Plugin Zone 1 Bank Right button

      • Plugin Zone 2 Start:
      • Plugin Zone 2 Bank Left button
      • Plugin 2 Parameter A, Plugin 2 Parameter B, Plugin 2 Parameter C, Plugin 2 Parameter D, Plugin 2 Parameter E, Plugin 2 Parameter F
      • Plugin Zone 2 Bank Right button

      • Track Mute Button, Track Solo Button, Track ARM button, Track cycle monitor modes button

      Can you appreciate how big this can get yet ?

    • VCA Masters whose selection spill the slaves in to the zone

    • Group Members of group 1, 2, 3,etc.

    Access to this custom zone mode is done via actions. Each action also takes you out of the mode again when executed the second time without another Zone action having been triggered. So you hit the "Custom Track Zone" button, then hit it again to get out again. Hit the "Custom Plugin Control", then "Custom Track Zone" and then "Custom Plugin Control" again to end up in "Custom Plugin Control". You'd need to hit that again to turn the zone thing off again.


    That's a fair start and a fair warning of what this could end up being.

    Remember that each state also needs indicators if possible.

    Indicators are another thing entirely. Control knobs could be assigned default indicators. But what happens if that clashes with another default assignment. Knob Z might want to show the state of the parameter it controls as does Knob A. Who knows. Let's get there first is my moto.

    Let's get there.

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Last edited by airon; 11-24-2016 at 04:42 PM.
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