Griffin Powermate as Midi controller

Solves focus problem.

thumb_griffin-powermate_sq

By Johannes Hoffman

http://www.net-artworks.de/articles/en/Powermate.php

I used this method as an alternative frequency controller for the remote radio project. It uses Applescript and Midi-pipe http://www.subtlesoft.square7.net/MidiPipe.html

The left and right encoder values are assigned to MIDI control messages.

update 2022/10/18

Implemented on Mac OS Monterrey (M1)

Downloaded most recent drivers from https://app.box.com/s/m9rrdlqdnoh8uf3utxdaswvep4cgogek

Implemented Applescript/Midipipe as described above. Had to make a few mods to get both CCW and CW motion working and change name of IAC driver in Midipipe script.

Local scripts in tkzic/griffin powermate scripts/

Applescripts entered using applescript editor app. Links to the applescripts should be entered in the powermate.app which sometimes only appears visible in the top bar after a reboot.

To start:

  • run powermate.app (if not automatically started on login)
  • run powermate2midi.mipi (this is midipipe)
  • you should be able to read cc messages now from iac driver 1
  • example max program: max teaching examples/griffin powermate test.maxpat

 

 

Remote controlled shortwave radio system

Under construction…

The first in a series describing a system for internet remote control of a shortwave radio station. Its not something new. There are commercial products that provide remote operation of amateur radio transceivers. The purpose of this project is to make it possible to use shortwave radio sounds in musical performance, without the need of an antenna system.

Features:

  • Max/MSP for USB serial control of radio, OSC remote interface, user interface, Midi device handling, and an SQLITE database of preset frequencies.
  • Low latency, good quality audio using Soundjack by Alex Carot.
  • Hardware control of radio using Midi controllers (CDJ-101 and Launchpad)
  • Bi-directional OSC and VOIP using Logmein Hamachi VPN
  • Additional hardware control of AC power and antenna selection using Arduino and a WeMo switch.
  • TouchOSC Ipad audio mixer control using MOTU Cuemix
  • TeamViewer remote desktop software for logging into to base station compuer
  • Optional radio user interface control with Ipod TouchOSC, Griffin Powermate dial, and Korg Nano-kontrol.
  • Optional VOIP backup using Mumble.

System diagram

base station:

remote-radio-sys1

remote control:

remote-radio-sys2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glacier Sounds

Overlapping loops of varying duration to represent natural cycles.

glacier1

In October I collaborated with Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen P. Nguyen to compose and perform the sounds of a glacier for their installation at the Gem theatre in Bethel, Maine. The glacier was made from paper.

Wade and Stephen:

wadeandsteven

A time-lapse video of the project:

A time-lapse video of a similar project they did in Minnesota 2005:

The approach was to take a series of ambient loops and organize them by duration. The longer loops would represent the slow movement of time. Shorter loops would represent events like avalanches. One-shot samples would represent quick events, like the cracking of ice.

It took several iterations to produce something slow and boring enough to be convincing. I used samples from the Ron MacLeod’s Cyclic Waves library from Cycling 74 https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/cyclic-waves/. Samples were pitched down to imply largeness.

Screen Shot 2015-12-21 at 1.09.59 AM

Each vertical column in an Ableton Live set represents a time-frame of waves. That is, the far left column contains quick events and the far right column contains long cycle events. Left to right, the columns have gradually increasing cycle durations.  I used a Push controller to trigger samples in real time as people walked through the theatre to see the glacier.

The theatre speakers were arranged in stereo but from front to back. Since the glacier was also arranged along the same axis, a slow auto-panning effect sent sounds drifting off into the distance, or vice versa. Visually and sonically there was a sense that the space extended beyond the walls of the theatre.

In the “control room” above the theatre… using Push to trigger samples and a Korg NanoKontrol to set panning positions of each track:

glacer2

The performance lasted about 45 minutes. Occasionally the cracking of ice would startle people in the room. There were kids crawling around underneath the paper glacier. Afterwards we just let the sounds play on their own. A short excerpt:

 

Photographs by Rebecca Zicarelli.

Cakewalk VS-700c drivers

The VS-700c runs as an unsupported Midi control surface in Ableton Live on Mac OS 10.9.

update for Yosemite 6/2015

In Yosemite, disable the restriction on loading unsigned kext’s: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/163059/how-can-i-disable-kext-signing-in-mac-os-x-10-10-yosemite

Type this command into terminal:

sudo nvram boot-args=kext-dev-mode=1


Original post…

An open source development project for the Cakewalk control surface SDK: https://github.com/Cakewalk/Cakewalk-Control-Surface-SDK

 

MIDI specification document:

https://github.com/Cakewalk/Cakewalk-Control-Surface-SDK/blob/master/Doc/Guide%20to%20the%20Cakewalk%20Control%20Surface%20Interface%20and%20Framework.doc

And here – in the code: https://github.com/Cakewalk/Cakewalk-Control-Surface-SDK/tree/master/Surfaces/VS700

 

Guitar Hero controller installation Mac OS

Running the 0,08 driver in Mavericks. Also did a successful test install in Mac OS 10.8.

But later versions of the drivers don’t work.

instructions

1. download the following

2. If you need to un-install previous failed driver, what the video linked below for instructions. You will need to start a shell in terminal by typing:
sudo sh

Then drag the uninstaller file into terminal and run it. Note, you may need to make the .sh file executable by doing a: chmod +x on the file.

3. run the .dmg file for version .08 of installer

4. drag the controller list file into the controller list installer app (enter admin password twice)

5  restart computer

6. Plug in Guitar Hero controller. It should show up in system preferences xbox 360

Helpful hints from a previous post

http://youtu.be/OwMpV8p26xc

The above video was the key to doing a nearly impossible install. Here is the text from the Youtube info just in case the video disappears…

Uploaded by  on Feb 12, 2012

A tutorial on installing the Tattiebogle v0.08 drivers on Osx Lion

http://www.mediafire.com/?hnevrtloi5q
Controller list installer

http://www.mediafire.com/?mydit3c5195nmcu
Controller list

http://www.mediafire.com/?t4h08aixhar9oob
UnTattie – Uninstaller

http://www.mediafire.com/?wwjwqzyyzn5
0.08 version of TattieBogle drivers that will overwrite other versions
(May or may not work)

Tattiebogle’s page for getting v0.08
http://tattiebogle.net/index.php/ProjectRoot/Xbox360Controller/OsxDriver

Link to the forums containing tons of help on getting these drivers running right!
http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/updated-360-controller-mac-drive…

Location of the files for manual deletion.

/Harddrive/System/Extensions/360Controller.kext
/Harddrive/System/Extensions/Wireless360Controller.kext
/Harddrive/System/Extensions/WirelessGamingReceiver.kext

/Harddrive/Library/StartUpItems/360ControlDaemon
/Harddrive/Library/PreferencePanes/Pref360Control.prefpane

And this last one may or may not be there but make sure and check just incase.
/Library/Receipts/Install360Controller.pkg

Here’s also another video I made teaching how to update the .plist yourself so assure you’re controller is compatible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqiMkjjKkxI&feature=g-upl

It’s also good to note that it may help if after you run the uninstaller and/or manually delete the file that you do a secure trash empty with can be done from the desktop if you click Finder at the top there should be an “Empty Trash” and a “Secure Empty Trash” BE WARNED THOUGH this will permanently delete the files in your trash bin!

a Max patch

Fretbuzz by the guitarzeroes: https://reactivemusic.net/?p=1082