Signal Monitor Module

statler · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject: Signal Monitor Module

Like in Logic Audio, a simple window that displays the current signal value that can be stuck in the path at any point. I imagine there is a hidden module included for debugging that does something similar but it would be a very useful tool.

Similarly a graph module or application even so we can monitor signal over path and figure out what's going on with modulation on more complicated patches.

[editor's note: I added the poll queston -- mosc]

ik · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:52 am Post subject:

mosc · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:10 am Post subject:

This has been discussed elsewhere. Seems like an essential tool to me. I could imagine a little volt meter or something. It would really make patching easier.

Fozzie · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 2:25 pm Post subject:

I agree too, but there are some issues here. Should the monitor device show peak values? Current values (these might change too quick to monitor / read)? Selectable? At intervals?

Robby

If you're running Windows & have a sound card you could use this...

http://polly.phys.msu.su/~zeld/oscill.html

Robby · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:51 pm Post subject:

I agree that better visual monitoring would be nice ...

Something as simple (and presumably quick) to develop as a larger version of the level monitors they already have on some of the mixer modules would help a lot.

To make this work really well, it would be nice to display minimum & maximum signal levels hit within a certain amount of time. This would
let you determine if your audio has a DC offset or something.

There are ways to do this now, but they're a bit clunky.

mosc · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 4:31 pm Post subject:

The oscilloscope programs let you look at waveforms and do spectrum analysis, but this monitor module would be good for looking at control voltages when you are working out a patch. Sorta like a digital volt meter you can put in to see what's going on in the middle of a complex patch.

varice · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:20 pm Post subject:

Yes - a control signal "voltmeter" module would be very handy. It should also display maybe three decimal points of precision (not just integer values -64 to +64 or 0 to 127).

Kassen · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:41 pm Post subject:

If this is going to be there it´ll *need* a option to perform a rms operation on the signal with a intergral time and meter inertia based on standard v.u. meters. If at all possible I´d like it to be able to switch between three modes; "volt meter", "guitar tuner" (like the last one, except with a dynamic scale and output based on what the pitch would be if the signal in qeustion would be patched into a osc) and "rms". Clearly those modes would need to be able to output to the keyboard version´s lcd diplays too.
Perhas with another "meter"/"digits"

This is going to eat usb bandwith.

It might be worth it considdering that some set of utility patches might make a big difference for the social position a keyboard player would have within his band. Back in my band engineering days I would´ve loved to be able to read the tuning of two guitars and a bass from seperate lcd´s on the same machine....

Varice; It should display as many decimal points as the G2 uses itself if it displays any, I´m not obsessed with numbers but there is a huge difference between "1" and "rougly 1, could be a little more or less"

varice · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 8:34 pm Post subject:

Kassen,

Good point about the module's display precision. The G2 has 24 bit DSPs, so in theory there could be over 16 million different control levels between -64 to +64 units. That would make the minimum step value be about 0.00000757. In that case, the display would need to have at least 6 decimal places of resolution.

It appears that the G2 keyboard LCDs only display module parameter values with at most 1 decimal place of precision! Each display is currently split to display two different values. To implement a high resolution level module display on a G2 LCD, a special provision would need to be programmed to allow this one module to take the full 16 digit dot matrix display available.

An additional feature for this module - max and min value captures - with manual reset.

jksuperstar · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:12 pm Post subject:

It seems like this has become two requests: 1 for an editor based monitor, a 2nd for a LCD (on the G2) based monitor (not good for you engine owners).

But, if there was a USB-editor based monitor, couldn't we just get a VST plug-in instead? There's lots of VU, oscope, bit-width, spectral display, and waterfall chart monitors/analyzers in VST form. Just chain whatever analysis engine you want, and you're golden.

Kassen · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 4:05 pm Post subject:

jksuperstar · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject:

Kassen · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 1:45 am Post subject:

That´d be nice but that won´t fit, bandwith-wise.

mosc · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 1:04 pm Post subject:

It's a good idea, but not for the G2. It would take USB2 or Firewire which the G2 doens't have.

jksuperstar · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:42 pm Post subject:

As I've said before, I would honestly settle for just MIDI over that USB interface. Then I could take the G2 & laptop out for jams, using something like Ableton Live along side the G2 (while using the G2 for sounds & as a controller), without any other gear. That'd be tight, and tight is nice.

Rob · Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2005 1:25 pm Post subject:

rhombus · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:29 am Post subject:

Perhaps there could be an option to set the compiler to ignore the signal monitor module when storing to the G2. That way it could be used for debugging your patch during design time, it would only be active in the editor. Since the editor gets values from an attached G2, it could maybe hook into that data stream so you're using your CPU to do all the monitoring.

Axiom · Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 12:17 pm Post subject:

well, as I've said in my previous thread, can be very handy an oscilloscope and an FFT analyzer.. I use them on SynthEdit for every patch I make and are a MUST if you are working on acoustic emulations.

Luca