Install PD extend on Ubuntustudio
I just installed Ubuntustudio 15.10 Wily Werewolf 32bit on a thinkpad and I am trying to upgrade PD to extend. I am fairly new to linux but it seems like the instructions on https://puredata.info/docs/faq/debian fails.
This is the log from executing the commands. Any suggestions and help will be appreciated
myuser@machine:~$ sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://apt.puredata.info/releases `lsb_release -c | awk '{print $2}'` main"[sudo] password for zoundart:
myuser@machine:~$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key 9f0fe587374bbe81
Executing: gpg --ignore-time-conflict --no-options --no-default-keyring --homedir /tmp/tmp.beJyKhm5Lr --no-auto-check-trustdb --trust-model always --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --primary-keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key 9f0fe587374bbe81
gpg: requesting key 374BBE81 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: key 374BBE81: "Hans-Christoph Steiner <hans@guardianproject.info>" not changed
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: unchanged: 1
myuser@machine:~$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key D63D3D09C39F5EEB
Executing: gpg --ignore-time-conflict --no-options --no-default-keyring --homedir /tmp/tmp.BDfXAe3l5j --no-auto-check-trustdb --trust-model always --keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --primary-keyring /etc/apt/trusted.gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key D63D3D09C39F5EEB
gpg: requesting key C39F5EEB from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: key C39F5EEB: "Launchpad Pure Data" not changed
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: unchanged: 1
myuser@machine:~$ sudo apt-get update
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily InRelease
Get:1 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates InRelease [64,4 kB]
Get:2 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports InRelease [64,5 kB]
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security InRelease [64,4 kB]
Ign http://apt.puredata.info wily InRelease
Ign http://apt.puredata.info wily Release.gpg
Ign http://apt.puredata.info wily Release
Get:4 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/main Sources [17,0 kB]
Get:5 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/main Sources [24,1 kB]
Get:6 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/restricted Sources [3 741 B]
Get:7 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/restricted Sources [2 854 B]
Get:8 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/universe Sources [6 112 B]
Get:9 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/multiverse Sources [1 922 B]
Get:10 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/universe Sources [3 691 B]
Get:11 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/main i386 Packages [59,3 kB]
Get:12 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/restricted i386 Packages [13,4 kB]
Get:13 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/multiverse Sources [1 922 B]
Get:14 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/universe i386 Packages [31,0 kB]
Get:15 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/multiverse i386 Packages [6 052 B]
Get:16 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/main i386 Packages [43,4 kB]
Err http://apt.puredata.info wily/main i386 Packages
404 Not Found
Ign http://apt.puredata.info wily/main Translation-en_US
Get:17 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/main Sources [750 B]
Get:18 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/restricted i386 Packages [10,8 kB]
Get:19 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/restricted Sources [28 B]
Ign http://apt.puredata.info wily/main Translation-en
Get:20 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/universe Sources [833 B]
Get:21 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/multiverse Sources [28 B]
Get:22 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/main i386 Packages [606 B]
Get:23 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/universe i386 Packages [24,8 kB]
Get:24 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/restricted i386 Packages [28 B]
Get:25 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/universe i386 Packages [714 B]
Get:26 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/multiverse i386 Packages [6 052 B]
Get:27 http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/multiverse i386 Packages [28 B]
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/restricted Translation-en
Get:28 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/main Translation-en [23,2 kB]
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/main Sources
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/restricted Sources
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/universe Sources
Get:29 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/multiverse Translation-en [2 536 B]
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/multiverse Sources
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/main i386 Packages
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/universe i386 Packages
Get:30 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/restricted Translation-en [2 666 B]
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/main Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/restricted Translation-en
Get:31 http://security.ubuntu.com wily-security/universe Translation-en [15,2 kB]
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily/universe Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/main Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-updates/universe Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/main Translation-en
Hit http://no.archive.ubuntu.com wily-backports/universe Translation-en
Fetched 496 kB in 7s (70,7 kB/s)
W: Failed to fetch http://apt.puredata.info/releases/dists/wily/main/binary-i386/Packages 404 Not Found
E: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
myuser@machine:~$ sudo apt-get install pd-extended
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Package pd-extended is not available, but is referred to by another package.
This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or
is only available from another source
E: Package 'pd-extended' has no installation candidate
Pd crashes at startup (after working fine for days)
@Hightower On windows it is most likely an audio settings problem...
Try this first....... Pd Fix (Windows).zip
It will just reset the audio-settings dialog. If it does not start Pd then it will change nothing.
When you say crash...... does the terminal (main Pd window) window start and hang, start and crash, or not even start?
David.
Pd-extended 0.40.3 released, dedicated to Jamie Tittle
@hans said:
Finally, it's done! The most polished release of Pd yet. We are further refining Pd into a truly powerful and usable programming platform.
http://puredata.org/downloads/
This release is dedicated to Jamie Tittle, aka tigital, who recently died of cancer. He was a long time and key contributor to Gem and Pd in general, even while he was in the hospital undergoing treatment. He is sorely missed in this community, and I am sure by many others.
Some highlights of this release:
* more functional namespace tools ([declare] and [import])
* new appearance designed to enhance readability
* GLSL shader support in Gem
* usability improvements
* on Mac OS X, you can now build "standalone" applications
* standard locations for user-installed externals
* many bug fixesHere's the rough changelog:
next visual appearance designed for readability
default locations for user-installed externals, helpfiles, etc.
GNU/Linux: /usr/local/lib/pd-externals and ~/pd-externals
Mac OS X: /Library/Pd and ~/Library/Pd
Windows: %ProgramFiles%/Common Files/Pd and %UserProfile%/Application Data/Pdlots of standard key bindings added:
Enter/Return for OK
Escape for Cancel
Ctrl/Cmd-W closes all windows
on Mac OS X, Cmd-` cycles thru open windows
on Mac OS X, Cmd-m minimizes windows
Ctrl/Cmd-R raises/lowers Pd window
Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-R shrinks/grows Pd window
Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-L clears Pd window's text console
Ctrl/Cmd-B opens the Help Browseryou can now use "~" in all paths to mean home folder, and on Windows you can use environment variables, lie %UserProfile% in paths
improved Cut/Copy/Paste support for working in object and message boxes
fixed Cut/Copy/Paste for the Pd window's console
[declare] and [import] now sorted out for loading (but much work needs to be done before there namespace support is complete)
"File -> Save As" defaults to the Home folder (~/) on Mac OSX
new patches default to the folder last saved in
included pgp_opengl aka 3dp on GNU/Linux and Mac OS X
'hardware' and 'deprecated' removed from libraries loaded by default
On Debian/Ubuntu, the packages now install into /usr rather than /usr/local
On Mac OS X, you can now build "standalone" applications from the File menu.
bug fixes and clean up of [hid] and mapping externals
included config in Info.plist for the Spotlight Importer
KNOWN BUGS
check http://puredata.info/dev/bugtracker before reporting bugs
Escape, Enter, and Ctrl/Cmd-W don't close the Path and Startup preferences
pdp_opengl is alpha and will definitely crash Pd
loading pdp_opengl will crash Pd if X11 is not open before trying to load it
the GUI runs slower in some situations
The new visual style is very nice indeed,
Multiple mice and keyboards as \[hid\] not for X input
@atarikai said:
I know I can target individual mice and keyboards with [hid] but is there a way to keep the linux Xserver from using them as input?
Old thread, I know, but for anyone else who stumbles upon it...
I think what you want is the `xinput` command. First, find out what devices you have:
$ xinput list
⎡ Virtual core pointer id=2 [master pointer (3)]
⎜ ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer id=4 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Logitech USB Trackball id=8 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Wacom Intuos3 6x8 eraser id=9 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Wacom Intuos3 6x8 cursor id=10 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Wacom Intuos3 6x8 id=11 [slave pointer (2)]
⎜ ↳ Logitech USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse id=12 [slave pointer (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard id=3 [master keyboard (2)]
↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard id=5 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=6 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Power Button id=7 [slave keyboard (3)]
↳ Unicomp Endura Keyboard id=13 [slave keyboard (3)]
You can detach the device, preventing it from controlling the X pointer/keyboard, by using `xinput float`, e.g.
$ xinput float "Logitech USB Trackball"
(or use its numeric ID.) The control stream will still come through via HID. In fact, you can use `xinput` to access the control stream as formatted text as well:
$ xinput test "Logitech USB Trackball"
motion a[0]=1176 a[1]=607
motion a[0]=1177 a[1]=608
motion a[0]=1177 a[1]=609
motion a[0]=1177 a[1]=610
button press 1
button release 1
The `xidump` command from the Linux Wacom Project can be used in a similar way.
To reattach the floated device and regain control of the X pointer:
$ xinput reattach "Logitech USB Trackball" "Virtual core pointer"
You can detach keyboard devices as well, but watch for the Enter key getting (virtually) stuck!
Beatmaker Abstract
http://www.2shared.com/photo/mA24_LPF/820_am_July_26th_13_window_con.html
I conceptualized this the other day. The main reason I wanted to make this is because I'm a little tired of complicated ableton live. I wanted to just be able to right click parameters and tell them to follow midi tracks.
The big feature in this abstract is a "Midi CC Module Window" That contains an unlimited (or potentially very large)number of Midi CC Envelope Modules. In each Midi CC Envelope Module are Midi CC Envelope Clips. These clips hold a waveform that is plotted on a tempo divided graph. The waveform is played in a loop and synced to the tempo according to how long the loop is. Only one clip can be playing per module. If a parameter is right clicked, you can choose "Follow Midi CC Envelope Module 1" and the parameter will then be following the envelope that is looping in "Midi CC Envelope Module 1".
Midi note clips function in the same way. Every instrument will be able to select one Midi Notes Module. If you right clicked "Instrument Module 2" in the "Instrument Module Window" and selected "Midi input from Midi Notes Module 1", then the notes coming out of "Midi Notes Module 1" would be playing through the single virtual instrument you placed in "Instrument Module 2".
If you want the sound to come out of your speakers, then navigate to the "Bus" window. Select "Instrument Module 2" with a drop-down check off menu by right-clicking "Inputs". While still in the "Bus" window look at the "Output" window and check the box that says "Audio Output". Now the sound is coming through your speakers. Check off more Instrument Modules or Audio Track Modules to get more sound coming through the same bus.
Turn the "Aux" on to put all audio through effects.
Work in "Bounce" by selecting inputs like "Input Module 3" by right clicking and checking off Input Modules. Then press record and stop. Copy and paste your clip to an Audio Track Module, the "Sampler" or a Side Chain Audio Track Module.
Work in "Master Bounce" to produce audio clips by recording whatever is coming through the system for everyone to hear.
Chop and screw your audio in the sampler with highlight and right click processing effects. Glue your sample together and put it in an Audio Track Module or a Side Chain Audio Track Module.
Use the "Threshold Setter" to perform long linear modulation. Right click any parameter and select "Adjust to Threshold". The parameter will then adjust its minimum and maximum values over the length of time described in the "Threshold Setter".
The "Execution Engine" is used to make sure all changes happen in sync with the music.
IE>If you selected a subdivision of 2, and a length of 2, then it would take four quarter beats(starting from the next quarter beat) for the change to take place. So if you're somewhere in the a (1e+a) then you will have to wait for 2, 3, 4, 5, to pass and your change would happen on 6.
IE>If you selected a subdivision of 1 and a length of 3, you would have to wait 12 beats starting on the next quater beat.
IE>If you selected a subdivision of 8 and a length of 3, you would have to wait one and a half quarter beats starting on the next 8th note.
http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/820_am,_July_26th_13_window_conception.png
Problems going fullscreen on external projector
I got a response from the creator of Gridflow on the mailing list, which I'll reprint here in case it can help people
I've made a simple video mixer in Gridflow (9.13) and I want to send the output to an external projector. I've set up my computer so that I can drag windows to the second screen, but when I attempt to go full screen using [#out sdl] and then pressing Esc it goes fullscreen on both screens.
Sounds like the kind of problem that can't be solved in GridFlow. It's a SDL issue.
If I use an [#out window] object, which I believe is an x11 window, there's no way (that I can find) to go full screen, so I'm stuck at with an 800x600 window on a 1366x768 screen. I did attempt to use a [#scale_to (768 1366)] object to emulate being full screen but the scaling causes a massive drop in framerate.
Changing the screen resolution is a sure way to avoid even having to scale.
[#scale_to] is a simple abstraction not meant to be fast or fancy. It would be a good thing to make a much better software scaler for GridFlow (interpolating and faster), but it wouldn't be as fast as a hardware-accelerated scaler, or simply changing the screen resolution.
Changing screen resolution also gives you the best image quality when using a CRT, whereas on a LCD it just means you're getting the LCD monitor to do the scaling for you.
Can anyone suggest how to go fullscreen on only one screen, how to go fullscreen using an x11 window or some other way to do this?
There is the "border" method for removing the border, the "move" method to put a window wherever you want (compute window coordinates to match the way the mouse travels from one screen to the other).
DJ/VJ scratching system
First my story: (you can skip down to END OF STORY if you want)
Ever since I saw Mike Relm go to town with a DVDJ, I've wanted a system where I could scratch and cue video. However, I haven't wanted to spend the $2500 for a DVDJ. As I was researching, I found a number of different systems. I am not a DJ by trade, so to get a system like Traktor or Serrato with their video modules plus turntables plus hardware plus a DJ mixer, soon everything gets really expensive. But in looking around, I found the Ms.Pinky system and after a little bit, I found a USB turntable on Woot for $60. So I bought it. It was marketed as a DJ turntable, but I knew that it wasn't really serious since it had a belt drive, but it came with a slip-pad and the USB connection meant that I wouldn't need a preamp. And so I spend the $100 on the Ms.Pinky vinyl plus software license (now only $80). This worked decently, but I had a lot of trouble really getting it totally on point. The relative mode worked well, but sometimes would skip if I scratched too vigorously. The absolute mode I couldn't get to work at all. After reading a little more, I came to the conclusion that my signal from vinyl to computer just wasn't strong enough, so I would need maybe a new needle or maybe a different turntable and I didn't really want to spend the money experimenting. I think that the Ms. Pinky system is probably a very good system with the right equipment, but I don't do this professionally, so I don't want to spend the loot on a system.
Earlier, before I bought Ms.Pinky (about two years ago), I had also looked around for a cheap MIDI USB DJ controller and not found one. Well, about a month ago, I saw the ION Discover DJ controller was on sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $50. They sold out before I could get one, but Vann's was selling it for $70, so I decided that that was good enough and bought one. I had planned to try to use it with Ms. Pinky since you can hook up MIDI controllers to it. But it turns out that you can hook up MIDI controllers to every control except the turntable, so that was a no go. If I had Max/MSP/Jitter, I could have changed that, but that's also way expensive. So, how should I scratch? My controller came with DJ'ing software and there's also some freeware, like Mixxx, but none of this has video support. So I look around and find Pure Data and GEM.
And I see lots of questions about scratching, how to do it. And there are even some tutorials and small patches out there, but as I look at them, none of them are quite what I'm looking for. The YouTube tutorial is really problematic because it's no good at all for scratching a song. It can create a scratching sound for a small sample, but it's taking the turntable's speed and using that as the position in the sample. If you did that with a longer song, it wouldn't even sound like a scratch. And then there are some which do work right, but none of them keep track of where you are in the playback. So, whenever you start scratching, you're starting from the beginning of the song or the middle.
So, I looked at all this and I said, "Hey, I can do this. I've got my spring break coming up. Looking at how easy PD looks and how much other good (if imperfect) work other people have done, I bet that I could build a good system for audio and video scratching within a week." And, I have.
END OF STORY
So that's what I'm presenting to you, my free audio and video scratching system in Pure Data (Pd-extended, really). I use the name DJ Lease Def, so it's the Lease Def DJ system. It's not quite perfect because it loads its samples into tables using soundfiler which means that it has a huge delay when you load a new file during which the whole thing goes silent. I am unhappy about this, but unsure how to fix it. Otherwise, it's pretty nifty. Anyway, rather than be one big patch, it relies on a system of patches which work with each other. Each of the different parts will come in several versions and you can choose which one you want to use and load up the different parts and they should work together correctly. Right now, for most of the parts there's only one version, but I'll be adding others later.
There's a more detailed instruction manual in the .zip file, but the summary is that you load:
the engine (only one version right now): loads the files, does the actual signal processing and playback
one control patch (three versions to choose from currently, two GUI versions and a MIDI version specific to the Ion Discover DJ): is used to do most of the controlling of the engine other than loading files such as scratching, fading, adjusting volume, etc.
zero or one cueing patch (one version, optional): manages the controls for jumping around to different points in songs
zero or one net patch (one version: video playback): does some sort of add-on. Will probably most commonly be used for video. The net patches have to run in a separate instance of Pd-extended and they listen for signals from the engine via local UDP packets. This is set-up this way because when the audio and video tried to run in the same instance, I would get periodic little pops, clicks, and other unsmoothnesses. The audio part renders 1000 times per second for maximum fidelity, but the video part only renders like 30 or 60 times per second. Pure Data is not quite smooth enough to handle this in a clever real-time multithreading manner to ensure that they both always get their time slices. But you put them in separate processes, it all works fine.
So, anyway, it's real scratching beginning exactly where you were in playing the song and when you stop scratching it picks up just where you left off, you can set and jump to cue points, and it does video which will follow right along with both the scratching and cuing. So I'm pretty proud of it. The downsides are that you have to separate the audio and video files, that the audio has to be uncompressed aiff or wav (and that loading a new file pauses everything for like 10 seconds), that for really smooth video when you're scratching or playing backwards you have to encode it with a codec with no inter-frame encoding such as MJPEG, which results in bigger video files (but the playback scratches perfectly as a result).
So anyway, check it out, let me know what you think. If you have any questions or feedback please share. If anyone wants to build control patches for other MIDI hardware, please do and share them with me. I'd be glad to include them in the download. The different patches communicate using send and receive with a standard set of symbols. I've included documentation about what the expected symbols and values are. Also, if anyone wants me to write patches for some piece of hardware that you have, if you can give me one, I'll be glad to do it.
Keith Irwin (DJ Lease Def)
BECAUSE you guys are MIDI experts, you could well help on this...
Dear Anyone who understands virtual MIDI circuitry
I'm a disabled wannabe composer who has to use a notation package and mouse, because I can't physically play a keyboard. I use Quick Score Elite Level 2 - it doesn't have its own forum - and I'm having one HUGE problem with it that's stopping me from mixing - literally! I can see it IS possible to do what I want with it, I just can't get my outputs and virtual circuitry right.
I've got 2 main multi-sound plug-ins I use with QSE. Sampletank 2.5 with Miroslav Orchestra and Proteus VX. Now if I choose a bunch of sounds from one of them, each sound comes up on its own little stave and slider, complete with places to insert plug-in effects (like EQ and stuff.) So far, so pretty.
So you've got - say - 5 sounds. Each one is on its own stave, so any notes you put on that stave get played by that sound. The staves have controllers so you can control the individual sound's velocity/volume/pan/aftertouch etc. They all work fine. There are also a bunch of spare controller numbers. The documentation with QSE doesn't really go into how you use those. It's a great program but its customer relations need sorting - no forum, Canadian guys who wrote it very rarely answer E-mails in a meaningful way, hence me having to ask this here.
Except the sliders don't DO anything! The only one that does anything is the one the main synth. is on. That's the only one that takes any notice of the effects you use. Which means you're putting the SAME effect on the WHOLE SYNTH, not just on one instrument sound you've chosen from it. Yet the slider the main synth is on looks exactly the same as all the other sliders. The other sliders just slide up and down without changing the output sounds in any way. Neither do any effects plugins you put on the individual sliders change any of the sounds in any way. The only time they work is if you put them on the main slider that the whole synth. is sitting on - and then, of course, the effect's applied to ALL the sounds coming out of that synth, not just the single sound you want to alter.
I DO understand that MIDI isn't sounds, it's instructions to make sounds, but if the slider the whole synth is on works, how do you route the instructions to the other sliders so they accept them, too?
Anyone got any idea WHY the sounds aren't obeying the sliders they're sitting on? Oddly enough, single-shot plug-ins DO obey the sliders perfectly. It's just the multi-sound VSTs who's sounds don't individually want to play ball.
Now when you select a VSTi, you get 2 choices - assign to a track or use All Channels. If you assign it to a track, of course only instructions routed to that track will be picked up by the VSTi. BUT - they only go to the one instrument on that VST channel. So you can then apply effects happily to the sound on Channel One. I can't work out how to route the effects for the instrument on Channel 2 to Channel 2 in the VSTi, and so on. Someone told me on another forum that because I've got everything on All Channels, the effects signals are cancelling eachother out, I can't find out anything about this at the moment.
I know, theoretically, if I had one instance of the whole synth and just used one instrument from each instance, that would work. It does. Thing is, with Sampletank I got Miroslav Orchestra and you can't load PART of Miroslav. It's all or nothing. So if I wanted 12 instruments that way, I'd have to have 12 copies of Miroslav in memory and you just don't get enough memory in a 32 bit PC for that.
To round up. What I'm trying to do is set things up so I can send separate effects - EQ etc - to separate virtual instruments from ONE instance of a multi-sound sampler (Proteus VX or Sampletank.) I know it must be possible because the main synth takes the effects OK, it's just routing them to the individual sounds that's thrown me. I know you get one-shot sound VSTi's, but - no offence to any creators here - the sounds usually aint that good from them. Besides, all my best sounds are in Miroslav/Proteus VX and I just wanted to be able to create/mix pieces using those.
I'm a REAL NOOOB with all this so if anyone answers - keep it simple. Please! If anyone needs more info to answer this, just ask me what info you need and I'll look it up on the program.
Yours respectfully
ulrichburke
VisualTracker - request for participants
Here is some more info:
This is development info of VisualTracker for pd (pre alpha 100404)
What is it:
VisualTracker is sample sequencer – it triggers loaded samples in times defined in time line in editor window. Samples can be played in their default speed / length or can be fitted in tempo. In “fit mode” you can define number of bars to fit in and also multiplication of file. All changes have visual interpretation in sample canvases.
VisualTracker for pd (pre alpha 100404) was developed in Pd version 0.41.4-extended, on Windows XP
How to make it work:
- Open VisualTracker_(pre_alpha_100404).pd in pd.
- Editor and Samples window are automatically opened.
- Preset currentstate.vtp is automatically loaded – this preset is saved before closing the patch.
- After first run there are 3 empty sample boxes in samples window and 3 corresponding sample canvases in editor window.
- Load any wav (44100 Hz) by pressing „load“ in selected sample box. No space characters in path or filename are allowed. Loading of these files is aborted and error message appears for several seconds. Name of the successfully loaded sample including full path appears in sample box and also sample canvas in editor window. Size of sample canvas is changed according to the sample length. Try to change global BPM – size of sample canvas is recalculated.
- Check „fit“ to fit sample in current BPM. Set length of sample in bars and multiplication.
- Add another sample by creating object [sample] or just copy existing sample box in samples window.
- Switch to editor window, press CTRL+E to switch to pd edit mode and drag and drop sample canvases to desired position on time line. Sample canvases are automatically snapping to bar columns and rows.
- Switch back to normal mode by CTRL+E
- Press PLAY to replay your sample composition. Samples are played only if corresponding sample canvas is placed in track 1-6. If sample canvas is above the tracks sound is muted.
- Press „save“ in main VisualTracker window to save current preset to a text file. Any name and extension with no spaces is allowed.
- Before closing VisualTracker press „save state & close“. It saves current state to preset named currentstate.vtp and delete all sample boxes from samples window and all sample canvases from editor window. Now you can turn off and eventually save VisualTracker patch. This is important to avoid double appearance of sample canvases because information about samples and composition is stored independently from pd patch and should not be saved inside patch. If there are still some „orphaned“ sample canvases hanging delete them manually.
Components:
- Sample window: place for unlimited amount of [sample] abstractions. Once abstraction is created (by copying or creating the object) corresponding sample canvas is created in editor window. [sample] abstraction is sending data to sample canvas (name, color, size, snapping) and receiving back position. Triggering of sample playback is based on position of sample canvas.
- Editor window: place for sample canvases composition on the top of timeline grid. Sample canvases can be moved by mouse in pd edit mode (CTRL+E). Timeline grid will be extended and improved in next versions.
- Preset save/load: saves and loads presets to/from a text file using [coll] object. Preset contains global values (number of samples in composition, bpm) and local values for each sample box (filename, position, track, multiplication, number of bars, fit switch, color and two unused values).
- Sequencer: located in program subpatch. Very simple - functionality will be extended and improved in next versions
- Other: located in program subpatch. Contains some other patches as colortable, BPM manager, output etc.
From a consolidated dev env to a consolidated music env.
I will attempt to precise the architecture I'm thinking of to ensure we'll really be talking about the same thing.
Layer 1.
The music production environment GUI. Featuring the usual stuff: multi-track classical/midi partition editor, instruments bank, pre/post processing effects chaining, etc. Most importantly, controls should be displayed and respond in a uniform way, there also should be a high level script-language/gui application for designing the interface of new instruments/effects/etc.
Layer 2 (i.e.: Pure Data)
A Self like programming language, highest level as possible, for quickly designing and prototyping new instruments/effects, to be incorporated into level 1.
Layer 3.
An application framework for extending the capabilities of layer 1 and 2.
Now what I find appealing in this model, is that every significant level of the music creation process would be sufficiently organized to be tempered with while remaining on the level one is addressing (i.e.: Although the possibility remains, a musician interested only in composing melodies and stuff, won't have to cope with the low-end technical details of the instruments he's using; the instrument designer won't have to care about the underlying programming framework, etc, etc.)
Now to address some of you comments:
"it's difficult to integrate PD into other music production environments"
- I don't see the need to integrate PD in other music production environment, as to me, PD shouldn't be a mere plugin but the foundation of a music production env.
"to make complete works in pd alone requires fairly significant knowledge and effort."
- As stated above, PD shouldn't be the place for making a complete musical work, but rather for designing one's instruments.
"pd's gui is incredibly primitive" and
" i would love to build a basic multitrack DAW in pd, but the gui would be maxed out way too quickly."
True, and this is why the layer 1 is really needed.
Now, I certainly don't consider the instrument engineering part of music as to be a waste of time; although it would be a waste of time if those instruments couldn't be used by anyone except their makers - and the same goes for any program. I know these suggestions I'm rambling about are probably not new nor would they probably cause any revolution in linux audio, I only hope it could stand as a direction the ones interested in developing PD a little further might seriously consider.
Cheers to Moog and Scott.