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 Forum index » Clavia Nord Modular » Nord Modular G2 Discussion
Control Pedal and/or Knob Input for the G2 Engine
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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:34 am    Post subject:  Control Pedal and/or Knob Input for the G2 Engine
Subject description: Alternative control input besides MIDI
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Over at this thread about adding a low cost control pedal solution for the Micro Modular:

http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-32416.html

I suggested this idea that should also work for the G2 Engine:

varice wrote:
...If you have one input and one output available - here is a wacky suggestion:

Use a Volume Pedal (instead of an expression pedal). Patch a steady audio signal to a MM output. Connect that to the volume pedal input. Connect the pedal out to the MM input. Patch an Envelope Follower module to that input. The output level of the envelope follower will track the volume level set by the volume pedal.


For a steady level audio source, an LFO (for low DSP cycle load) set to max high rate (392Hz) square wave works fine. Be aware that changing the Patch Level will also affect the audio source level.

BTW - of course, you do not have to use an Engine output - you could use any steady audio level as an exciter source...

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Last edited by varice on Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:08 am; edited 4 times in total
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iPassenger



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Cool idea, I don't have a volume pedal but theory sounds...erm...sound. Smile
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Wout Blommers



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Knowing the Engine has four Ins/Outs three knobs can be created by somebody with basic skills handling a solder iron.

Wout
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ark



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Personally, I would buy one of these and one of these and be done with it. Oh yeah, I might need one of these too if the G2 engine doesn't provide power at its MIDI input.
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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:45 am    Post subject: Knobs Too Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Wout Blommers wrote:
Knowing the Engine has four Ins/Outs three knobs can be created by somebody with basic skills handling a solder iron.

Wout


Yes, if you have a free hand or two and would rather tweak the Engine with your fingers instead of your toes Exclamation Laughing

For those who are not so handy with a soldering iron, attenuators are used for hardware modular synths. You might be able to find an off the shelf stand alone solution somewhere.

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Wout Blommers



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Knobs Too Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

varice wrote:
... BTW - of course, you do not have to use an Engine output - you could use any steady audio level as an exciter source...
But using a G2 Oscillator would be very convenient, because the source(s) will be there as soon the Patch is opened.

Just before the moderators (which I am too Smile will move this post to the DIY forums, one needs only one output feeding three potmeters, although four is also a possibility when no Audio In is wanted.

Although I'm not in the opportunity to try it right now, but a modulated signal, maybe a rhythm, could be fun controlling four Morphs Very Happy

Wout
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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:28 pm    Post subject: Broader Application Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

My first post about using a volume pedal was aimed at the specific need of a guitar player using a Micro Modular or Engine as a signal processor - but Wout's suggestion of also using pots with the Engine broadens the scope of this application. I'm going to edit the title of this thread to reflect this...
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Wout Blommers



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Using a PatchBay its quite easy to make a configuration in which one output is fed into the bay and distributed into four front outs, which go via four pots back into the Engine. When AudioIn is needed just switch the cables on the front. Using splitter cables to distribute the constant signal only six bay modules are used (Neutric wise) So just a little box with four knobs and four In and four Out jacks.

Wout
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rhombus



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I'm still using my Behringer FCB1010 MIDI pedal board. 10 foot switches, bank switches, 2 expression pedals, completely configurable. I've got it hooked up to my MOTU MIDI Express XT and have used it to control both Ableton Live (foot switches for scene changes) and the NMG2 (expression pedals for morphs)

Moog Music has a new product called the MP-201 that's just a single foot pedal but it has some interesting features. Besides MIDI it also has 4 CV outputs. It also has clock sync'able LFOs that can be pushed out through MIDI or CV. It's a very unique product. http://www.moogmusic.com/controllers/?section=product&product_id=21141

Finally, there's a pair of guys in Germany called Ruin & Wesen that are building a MIDI box called the Minicommand. There's no footswitches to it, it's 4 knobs, small LCD display, 2 MIDI ins, and one MIDI out. I'm pretty certain it's built on an Arduino system and they've written lots of MIDI libraries for the firmware. Oh it also has 1gb of storage memory. For the most part I don't have a need for one of these because the NMG2 provides a ton more MIDI capabilities than pretty much anything besides a PC. However, recently I've been working on a video game and I have a tool called a "curve editor" that creates files that describe curves (used for many things such as animation, control input scaling, etc). I was thinking I could write some firmware for the minicommand that would read a curve file and output it as a MIDI control signal, perhaps if it received a trigger pulse, that way I could make my own custom envelopes. Their intended use and firmware is geared towards extending the expressiveness of a Machinedrum but they provide everything you need to write your own firmware. Integrate the thing with more controllers and it'd be a badass little MIDI box.

http://ruinwesen.com/
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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:16 pm    Post subject: Another idea... Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

And of course, volume control pedals and/or pots are not the only source for external control of the G1 or G2, *ANY* level modulation of audio signals should work as well, including using VCAs on “real” modular synths as described by “funtykigs” here:

http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-39870.html

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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:31 am    Post subject: Re: Knobs Too: Off the shelf 4 knob box Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

varice wrote:
Wout Blommers wrote:
Knowing the Engine has four Ins/Outs three knobs can be created by somebody with basic skills handling a solder iron.

Wout


Yes, if you have a free hand or two and would rather tweak the Engine with your fingers instead of your toes Exclamation Laughing

For those who are not so handy with a soldering iron, attenuators are used for hardware modular synths. You might be able to find an off the shelf stand alone solution somewhere.


The ART SPLITMix4 was suggested on the Moog Music forum for use as an attenuator box.

http://www.artproaudio.com/products.asp?type=90&cat=13&id=155

It is a low cost passive 4 channel mixer/splitter. In the splitter mode, a single signal source (like the G2 audio exciter source) can be patched into the splitter input and then 4 output signals would be available, each one with an independent attenuator knob (for up to four G2 control knob inputs).

But there are a couple of issues. The 4 knobs are packed tightly together on the front panel, which may not be ideal for live tweaking (would be better to have the knobs on the top of the box with wider spacing), and although the specifications don’t mention it, the pots are probably audio taper. Linear taper would probably be better in most cases, but that could be fixed with a static shaper module before the envelope follower.

If anyone knows of a more suitable off the shelf non-MIDI product, please post.

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varice



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PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Another good recommendation from the Moog Music forum, the DOD 240 Resistance Mixer:

http://www.dod.com/accessories/accessories.htm

It too can also be used as a low cost signal splitter with 4 independent attenuator pots. The knobs are on top and separated a bit more than the ART SPLITMix4, much better for live tweaking, I would think. Cool

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