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MIDI in GeoShred [PRO][Studio][Control]

GeoShred supports both MIDI In, MIDI Out. MIDI controllers can be assigned to performance controls on Control Surface. The MIDI Inspector, Menu > MIDI, is where devices, both real and virtual can be configured. Since the MIDI specification does not specify a protocol for publishing/querying device capabilities, GeoShred has MIDI Configurations to quickly set up common uses cases.

GeoShred supports MIDI Modes 1-5 for both MIDI IN and MIDI Out.

Generally you use either MIDI In or MIDI Out, it is not possible to use both at the same time, unless MIDI Thru is enabled for the device in question. In this case you can play MIDI In to GeoShred from an external controller and have it play notes in GeoShred while simultaneously sending notes to MIDI Out.

MIDI Inspector

MIDI Configuration Editor

In the MIDI Configuration Editor you specify parameters for MIDI Input and Output

Global Parameters

MIDI Out

MIDI In

Bluetooth Inspector

Menu > MIDI > Bluetooth Icon - here you can connect to a Bluetooth device (for both input and output). Once a connection is made the device will automatically be enabled for Note Input and Note Output in the MIDI Devices Inspector.

Bluetooth connections can be tricky, especially when connecting from GeoShred to a Mac. Here's a way you can always get it to work:

MIDI Devices Inspector

Menu > MIDI > DIN Button: Here you will see a list of MIDI sources (devices that send MIDI to GeoShred) and MIDI destinations (devices GeoShred can send MIDI to GeoShred). By default, Note Input for all devices is enabled when a device is first discovered. It is your choice to decide whether you want MIDI Clock or MIDI Thru, these are left off by default. You can (and should) turn off devices you are not using as this will lessen MIDI traffic. The Input/Output configuration is persistent across GeoShred launches.

Each device may have it's own idiosyncrasies regarding input and output. In general, you have to understand the settings on each device, as plug and play is only partially possible with MIDI.

The device labeled "Network Session 1" by default in particular requires a great deal of configuration to get going. From a Mac, what you typically do is connect your Mac and iPad to the same WIFI network and then use the Audio MIDI Setup app to connect your iPad to your Mac. A good description on how to do this can be found here

Having said this, we do not recommend using MIDI over WIFI for any serious production work or live performance, there can be timing problems and lost data. It is fine for experimenting though.

Pitch Bend, Temperament and MIDI

If you are using scale that has non-even temperament, and if you are using MIDI In/MIDI Out or recording/playback in a DAW, there are some things to be aware of, which are explained below:

An adjusted pitch bend is a pitch bend that takes the temperament into account. Say for example you defined a -50 cent temperament (also known as an ETDIFF) on the 2nd degree of a custom scale. Further say the C. Now, when you play a D, GeoShred will apply the -50 cent temperment to the note and you will hear a D flattened by 50 cents. MIDI does not operate with fractional key numbers, so GeoShred compenstates for this by sending a pitch wheel change message to adjust for the 50 cents flat before the note on is played. But it does not end there - as you move your finger the pitch wheel change messages adjust according to the temperament on that D but also taking into any temperament on the note you are moving towards There are several cases where it is important to understand the consequences of this.

Inputs

Outputs

MIDI in the Control Surface Editor

You assign MIDI controller mappings from the Control Surface editor. This enables GeoShred to send and receive MIDI controllers from the Control Surface. On MIDI Input, controls will "fly" in response to MIDI messages.

Trace Window

In addition to using your ear to determine proper behavior, the Trace Window (Menu> Show Trace) will tell you if note/parameter values are being properly sent/received from MIDI and/or sent to the GeoShred synth engine.

IMPORTANT: Trace can affect performance, please turn it off before trying any fast playing experiments. The easiest way to turn off trace is to simply close the Trace Window, or Menu> Show Trace > Options > Reset. Nothing will be written to the trace log file if you close the Trace Window or reset trace options.

If you find a problem, please try to make it repeatable and demonstrate what is wrong both with the trace output and an audio recording, which you easily make with the Record button in the Trace Window.

We also very much appreciate video bug reports. You can just use your phone to make an informal video to send to us.

Everything that goes to the Trace Window is written to the trace log file, GeoShredTrace.log which is in the GeoShred Documents folder. If you tap the Clear button in the Trace Window, the file is reset. You can access the Documents folder with iTunes file sharing. We also like an app called Phone View for this purpose. Again, nothing is written to the trace log file if the trace window is closed or no trace options are active.

You also can copy the contents of the Trace Window (Menu > Show Trace > Copy) into an email message if device running GeoShred is not connected to a computer. Using the Notes app is another way to do this.

If you want to analyze trends in trace messages, most trace messages are written as tab-delimited text, which is good for use in Excel.

You can also open audio recordings in sound editing applications such as Audacity or Adobe Audition to do analysis on sound files. If you expect there are strange things going on with the sound (most commonly clicks, incorrect pitch bends etc.), this sort of analysis can help diagnose problems.

See the Options button on the trace window for all the things you can monitor in the trace window.

MIDI Recording and Playback

For the best timing use a digital Audio/MIDI interface to connect your iPad to your computer.

NEVER use a WIFI network connected to the Internet, or you will get very poor timing. In a future release we may integrate Ableton Link to address this issue - but there will be more latency -

You can use Bluetooth or an ad hoc network but the timing will not be as good.

MIDI Port Aliases

GeoShred has a concept of "MIDI Port Aliases". This provides a way to refer to actual MIDI ports that appear in the MIDI devices list in the MIDI Configuration Editor without having to worry about the actual ports disappearing or changing. These ports are named Port 1 - Port 32.

Examples

MIDI In

MIDI Out


[00000] 0.00000 1 7 62 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00001] 0.03501 1 7 66 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00002] 0.04886 1 7 67 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00003] 0.06439 1 7 68 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00004] 0.08363 1 7 69 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00005] 0.10295 1 7 69 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00006] 0.12933 1 7 70 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00007] 0.13910 1 7 70 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00008] 0.15135 1 7 69 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00009] 0.16948 1 7 67 midiOutController ThumbJam
[00010] 0.18492 1 7 65 midiOutController ThumbJam

Multi-device MIDI Out

GeoShred can send MIDI Out to multiple virtual (or real) devices at the same time, but it can also assign each device to it's own range of strings

MIDI Recording

Trouble shooting

While you are trying the steps above, take note of what is happening in the MIDI recording. Look at both the Event window in Logic and the Trace window in GeoShred. Notice for all moves you do on the control surface and the expression pad, MIDI controllers are sent and received.

You can move seamlessly between arpeggiator playing mode, play mode and gliss mode without the sound stopping. Beware when you switch from Mono Intervals/Mono play mode to String play mode or Poly play mode. If you do that, running voices will decay keep ringing out until you hit the string they were ringing out on.

Sometimes you might have a problem having Logic see MIDI control change messages. If this happens, sometimes you can reset all preferences in Logic. Do this by going to Logic -> Preferences -> Reset All Preferences Except Key Commands.

Mono Mode and MIDI recording

There are several cases of Mono Mode that you can experiment with. Be sure to try pitch bending in each mode (except Piano Gliss) and also try restriking keys that are already sounding.

Reference

MIDI Implementation

GeoShred implements a subset of the MIDI Specification, along with MPE Extensions. For full technical details on MIDI/MPE, see The MIDI Manufacturer's Association

Received

Sent

RPN Support

Whenever a MIDI Configuration is loaded or a parameter in it changed, the relevant. RPNs are updated

MIDI Program Change

When GeoShred receives a program change message it switches to either the next or previous preset in the setlist. This means program change is relative, not absolute.

MIDI Panic Button

The MIDI Panic button is your friend. Use it if there are ever stuck notes or anything else you don't want to hear. You can record the panic sequence into the beginning of MIDI recordings if you like if you want to be sure the previous state of the GeoShred is cleared.

Interval Separation Time and MIDI Clock

In Performance Settings > Perform > Config, the Separation Time for successive notes of a chord can be slaved to MIDI Clock by enabling Performance Settings > Perform > Control > Master Rate > MIDI Clock.

The value of the Separation Time is in seconds, and it is the inverse of the bpm of the MIDI Clock times 60.0. Example: If bpm is 120, then a note occurs every half second. You can further multiply the Master Rate by a factor specified using the pop-up menu below Performance Settings > Perform > Config > Master Rate.

Key Y handling, Controller 74 in Poly Expr

MIDI In: Typically listen to Brightness (74) and apply the controller value to the stack of controllers on Key Y

MIDI Out: Typically use a MIDI Out controller to send to Brightness (74)

Initial Key Y values send before noteOn

Key Z handling, Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) in Poly Expr

Poly Expr assignment is used for any c

MIDI In: Typically listen to Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) and apply the controller value to the stack of controllers on Key Z

MIDI Out: Typically use a MIDI Out KeyZ controller to send to Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch)

Initial Key Z values are sent before noteOn

Poly Expr, KeyY/KeyZ and MPE

Poly Expr can be used to map KeyY and KeyZ expression to the MPE equivalents CC-74 (KeyY) and Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) (KeyZ) for MIDI Out

The "MIDI Out" Performance Control should be used to send KeyY to the MPE's CC74

The "MIDI Out KeyZ" Performance Control should be used to send KeyZ to the MPE's Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch)

Because Poly Expr handles both KeyY and KeyZ, the "Exclude" mechanism found on the "Midi Out" and "Midi Out KeyZ" inspectors should be used to insure that KeyY only sends CC74 and KeyZ only sends Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch). That being said, a patch designer may opt to have KeyY send both CC74 and Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) so that KeyY motion is sending both MPE controls

Common Controller Mappings for the Guitar Presets in GeoShred

GeoShred's new preset template and most of the factory presets use a similar set of controller mappings.

In order to have an expressive experience for standard MIDI controllers, devices that only have a Pitch Wheel and a Modulation Wheel, for factory presets, CC-1 (ModWheel) is often mapped to (ExpressionPad-X, ExpressionPad-Y and Modulation), the diagonal of the expression pad. For example for "Shred Lead", the XY expression pad has Feedback and Amp Distance and performers move a finger around on this pad to find feedback harmonics.

By configuring CC-1 (ModWheel) to control all 3 dimensions: ExpressionPad-X, ExpressionPad-Y and Modulation, a single continuous controller like a ModWheel can express a portion of the multi-dimensional expression space.

Common Controller Mappings for the GeoSWAM Presets in GeoShred

Here are some of the common controller mappings for the GeoSWAM presets

All of the GeoSWAM presets have a button in the bottom third location of the control surface labled "Finger/MPE Expr". This button switches between Expression being done on the keyboard (either KeyY or KeyZ) or on the Y Expression axis of the Expression Pad. You can perform Expression on the Keyboard or the Expression Pad, but not both at the saem time. There is a lable in the Expression Pad area that illuminates as blue to indicate which mode is active. The "Finger/MPE Expr" button is usually mapped to CC22, but sometimes to CC21 or CC23.

Common Controller Mappings for the Naada Presets in GeoShred

Here are some of the common controller mappings for the GeoSWAM presets

All of the Naada presets have a button in the bottom second location of the control surface labled "Finger/MPE Expr". This button switches between Expression being done on the keyboard (either KeyY or KeyZ) or on the Y Expression axis of the Expression Pad. You can perform Expression on the Keyboard or the Expression Pad, but not both at the saem time. There is a lable in the Expression Pad area that illuminates as blue to indicate which mode is active. The "Finger/MPE Expr" button is usually mapped to CC22, but sometimes to CC21 or CC23.

The Naada Presets are designed to work with Conventional MIDI Controllers and Breath Controllers. There are two ways that the Naada presets respond to CC2 (Breath) controlling Expression. If the preset is in "Finger/MPE Expr" ON mode, there is a MIDI Configuration called "Single Channel Naada Breath" that remaps CC2 to Channel presssure. If the preset is in "Finger/MPE Expr" Off mode (aka Pad Expression mode) CC2 can be sent directly to the preset

Additional Special MIDI Controller Mappings

Also, GeoShred is using specific controllers for some special functions:

MIDI controllers for the ambiX Ambisonic plug-in suite

WARNING: Experimental/Unsupported, use at your own risk!

Some digital audio workstations (DAWs) support the ambiX Ambisonic plug-in suite. We have used Reaper on Mac OS with these plug-ins.

In order to make spatialization using the JS: ATK FOA Transform Dominate effect, (Transform Dominate) easier, we created a special expression pad feature Expression Pad Mode.

Expression Pad Mode is set from the global preferences.

By default you setup Transform Dominate to listen to MIDI controller 87 for Azimuth, and MIDI controller 86 for gain. This means that as you move a finger on the Expression Pad closer to the center the gain will decrease. It also means circular motion on the Expression pad will map to Azimuth. This becomes clear once you actually set up the plugin, speaking about it the abstract is a bit hard to visualize if you never saw it in action. One final note, these controllers are always sent on MIDI channel 1, regardless of which MIDI preset you are using

There are 3 possible values for Expression Pad Mode: Rect, which means the Expression Pad only processes what is mapped on its X and Y axes, Ambi, which means the Expression Pad only send out the Ambisonic MIDI controllers, and finally RctAmbi, which means the Expression Pad processes what is mapped on its X and Y axes, and sends out the Ambisonic MIDI controllers

MIDI Configurations

Because many devices have subtle variations with how they want to communicate with MIDI, it's possible setup a configuration that works well for that device. A MIDI configuration can be used to configuration MIDI to work in a particular way. For example, MPE or for a Single Channel.

There are also MIDI Out presets in the setlist "MIDI Out" that are used to setup MIDI controller mappings for specific Synthesizers or Controllers

At the present time:

For the stand alone version of GeoShred there is a switch that appear at the bottom.

For the AUv3 version of GeoShred there are two switches that appear at the bottom.

MIDI Out Presets

The setlist "MIDI Out" contains presets for various synthesizers with specific controller mappings setup.

There are a number of MID Out presets that are relevant to MPE as well as Multi Mode. Here is further information:

MIDI Out MPE Mode 3 CC74
MIDI Out MPE Mode 3 Channel Pressure
MIDI Out MPE Mode 3
MIDI Out MPE Mode 4 CC74
MIDI Out MPE Mode 4 Channel Pressure.
MIDI Out MPE Mode 4


MIDI Out Multi Mode 3 CC74
MIDI Out Multi Mode 3 Channel Pressure
MIDI Out Multi Mode 3
MIDI Out Multi Mode 4 CC74
MIDI Out Multi Mode 4 Channel Pressure
MIDI Out Multi Mode 4

MIDI Configurations

Under "Menu> MIDI" a number of Pre-defined MIDI configurations are availble. Note that you can always edit these with the "Edit" button". Here is a list of the MIDI configurations and what they are intended to be used for