Synthagora

Download Midichi here - see end of post for download CRC hash. Yet another one-finger chord interface for my Arturia Keylab 49 Mk1. Previous versions were console based and used python here and here . Their replacement, Midichi, is written for Windows in C# offering a GUI in a self-contained package that’s available for free download here . It should work with other keyboards as long as you use the same MIDI pad/control mapping, see below. Midichi’s only dependency is a pre-existing virtual Midi port. I use Tobias Erichsen's loopMidi here . Midichi provides a bridge between an input device eg keyboard, and the output device, the virtual Midi port. Once Midichi has been installed and run it should find all the running Midi interfaces. Use the scrollable lists to select input and output then click ‘Select Devices’. Midichi will save this selection so the next time it will select those devices (if they are still running) by default. Midichi will display ‘MIDI Devices Selected –

Its a straightforward process to map midi controllers to VCV controls. Add the VCV MIDI-MAP module to your project then set the Midi Driver mode and device. Then click on 'Unmapped' and rotate or slide your physical control, then click the associated control on the VCV module. Here's a short video that maps BeatStep knobs to filter cutoff and resonance.

Following up on my 2018 post I’ve taken a further look at Cabbage. Back in 2018 I could only get the standalone examples to work and they suffered from long latencies. The latest version 2.7.0 has installed reliably without long latencies. Furthermore, its packed with goodies not least ‘Export as VST and VST3’ and notably ‘Export as VCV Rack Module’. I’ve just played with a couple of standard paraphonic examples so far but everything worked and the VST export process is so simple and fast. The Cabbage scripts combine the UI with Audio processing so its really easy to maintain and see the relationships between controls and processing. The GUI graphics are tolerable and there are extensions that look like they may improve the imagery further. Signal flow is easy to follow in the scripts. Here’s a classic Analogue synth core; VCO, LPFilter, and LFO modulating filter cutoff, with ADSR modulating stereo output amplitude: and here's the relevant script: kADSR1 madsr iAtt, iDec, iSu

Now being a devotee of Cakewalk (Sonar) I looked at adding a Control Surface in the form of an old Korg nanoKontrol (version 1). Long story short it worked and I now have a preset saved as a Cakewalk Generic Surface. The story for what its worth is as follows. The Korg nanoKontrol initially proved to be a problem in that it would not install correctly when using the Korg signed driver for Windows 10. You need to uninstall the Korg driver in Programs and Features, disconnect the nanoKontrol and restart. After restart check there is no app for Korg Driver in Windows Control panel. If the app persists then in Device Manager delete the driver again and restart. Now connect the nanoKontrol and it should now appear in Midi device lists for example in Midi-Ox. Now that the nanoKontrol was usable I mapped the Control addresses using Midi-Ox. Here’s the midi messages displayed by Midi-Ox after pressing RecArm and Mute buttons. The Data1 column displays the controller address in this case 0x17

Arturia's Pigments 3.0 has been released. A major upgrade to previous versions providing even more outstanding features. Try out the new Harmonic engine and Utility engines along with new effects, the Multiband Compressor and Pitch Shift Delay. Here's an example of Harmonic engine and Pitch Shift Delay. Great new tutorials here.

I've just discovered the amazing Aparillo, a textural synthesizer from Sugar Bytes here. A very different kind of synth offering a cinematic quality with complex dynamic modulation. I'm only just finding my way around its many possibilities and it has already become a firm favourite. Here are some example presets.

 Due out October 31 2020 could be an anthem for all us Knobheads