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Eurorack Knob Idea

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Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#71

Post by moffkalast »

csours wrote: post #54

Ok, but why stop here? You've effectively created a rotary potentiometer in one dimension, you could add two more dimensions like an analog thumbstick on a game controller. Do any controllers have a twistable thumbstick? Also, like other commentors have stated - this could be a jack too, so you could have a jack knob analog stick. BUT WHY STOP THERE? You could mount it on a linear pot/slider. BUT WHY STOP THERE?! (he…

Sanity wants you to stop? Just say no, sanity legally cannot stop you without your consent.

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#72

Post by m463 »

csours wrote: post #54

Ok, but why stop here? You've effectively created a rotary potentiometer in one dimension, you could add two more dimensions like an analog thumbstick on a game controller. Do any controllers have a twistable thumbstick? Also, like other commentors have stated - this could be a jack too, so you could have a jack knob analog stick. BUT WHY STOP THERE? You could mount it on a linear pot/slider. BUT WHY STOP THERE?! (he…

reminds me of The Parable of the King's Toaster...

it ends with:

The king wisely had the engineer beheaded, and they all lived happily ever.

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#73

Post by mrandish »

robotresearcher wrote: post #53
Q6T46nT668w6i3m wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great idea and I’m shocked this doesn’t exist.

It would likely be very, very expensive. A compromise that is affordable and does exist is programmable response curves to key velocity and aftertouch pressure. It can make sense to have different curves for eg. piano vs harpsichord even if you can’t change the mechanical key impedance. I haven’t seen it in the wild, but using this you could make the wrong notes quieter/louder or even play a different sound. But I th…

> key velocity and aftertouch pressure.

Just a tangential note to say whenever I see these terms in discussion of MIDI keyboards it reminds me how disappointed I am the vast majority of MIDI controller (and multi-thousand dollar flagship synth) keyboards still don't fully support per note velocity or polyphonic aftertouch. It's only been 40 years kids... (sigh).

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#74

Post by recursive »

m_kos wrote: post #70
recursive wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's an ios app. IMO it's really good. I own exactly one apple product, and it's an iPad that only runs Loopy Pro. Here's a section from the manual that loosely explains the concept[1]: > Adjust a slider or dial’s value by dragging up and down, or left and right for horizontal sliders. For finer control, move your finger away from the dial. [1]: https://loopypro.com/manual/#sliders-and-dials

Thanks! This link is really great! My only Apple product is also an iPad, and I mostly use it to make music with Auxy Studio:) Do you use any fun apps on Android? Currently, my favorite apps are Digitron and Nanoloop. (No affiliation, but Digitron's upgrade was gifted to me.)

The only other music or audio app I use with any regularity is Reaper on Windows. I tend to do more performance-oriented stuff, and I try to keep everything outside the computer as much as practical. I don't use any software synths. I like the constraints and UX of dialing patches into my one keyboard/drum machine. I record some, but mainly I like to play in real time and not fiddle with VSTs and plugins.

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#75

Post by mrandish »

diggan wrote: post #3

Interesting idea for sure, but how is the feel of actually turning the knob? Seems to offer short to no resistance, which would make fast but precise movements pretty hard, something that is important for things like performances. What would be a huge bonus point (but maybe unrealistic? I don't quite understand how the current implementation actually works) would be software-configurable resistance (physical, not ele…

> the right process to adjust the resistance of my existing knobs

I too have "a thing" about the feel of tactile control elements ranging from the tensioning of knobs and joysticks to the dampening on sliders, the force on my emulation arcade cabinet buttons and, of course, the keyswitches, o-rings and lube on my computer mechanical keyboards.

However, I don't really feel a need for software control of the tensioning feel. For example, I have a few different high-end dual-joystick radio control transmitters for RC aircraft. These have fairly pricey hall effect joystick mechanisms and the good ones have a tensioning adjustment for each axis on the bottom. Whether on these RC transmitters, my arcade cabinet or high-end console game controllers I find it's sufficient to simply set the tensioning to my preferences once and I don't feel the need to change it again.

So for the EuroKnob, I agree having no tensioning would be pretty awful - as there's little worse than a floppily loose knob wiggling about - but for me a simple friction-based drag adjustment would be fine.

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#76

Post by smj-edison »

Tangential idea, but I've wondered if it would be possible to make synthesizers a lot cheaper by only having a couple rotary encoders. You could have hundreds of parameters on the panel, but each parameter would just be a neopixel LED and button. You could link the rotary encoder with a parameter by pressing it and the parameters' button at the same time. Certainly not as nice as a dedicated knob for each, but you'd also get an interface that is ~$40 instead of ~$600...

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#78

Post by nine_k »

BlandDuck wrote: post #49
kennywinker wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another common pattern is jack + offset. The most useful is when you have jack + offset + attenuator… but most modules pick one or the other for space reasons.

Totally. Also, an attenuator is easier and cheaper to implement, because it just requires normalizing V+ into the jack plug. An offset requires an adder. My preference is: attenuator < offset < attenuator + offset. I see no benefit of having to remove the knob to get to the jack as proposed in the article.

The benefit is saving space. Imagine a 10x10 grid of such jack / knob inputs.

Re: Eurorack Knob Idea

#79

Post by mdpye »

smj-edison wrote: post #76

Tangential idea, but I've wondered if it would be possible to make synthesizers a lot cheaper by only having a couple rotary encoders. You could have hundreds of parameters on the panel, but each parameter would just be a neopixel LED and button. You could link the rotary encoder with a parameter by pressing it and the parameters' button at the same time. Certainly not as nice as a dedicated knob for each, but you'd…

There are loads of systems where every button and encoder has many functions, with modal or paged interfaces. But I'm trying to stick to a model of no hidden or ephemeral state with my modular, just for fun, I guess. Mostly analogue, so no non-volatile memory to store settings, the positions of the patches and knobs set everything, and the test is that if I power it down and back up it must come back doing what it was doing when the power went out (very long cycle lfos notwithstanding!)

When a laptop can simulate anything, the physicality of the interface is most of the attraction, so might as well go all the way...

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