@happilylazy You should investigate TUIO .... https://www.tuio.org/
and you will find quite a lot of information about how it can be used with Pd here....... https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pdpatchrepo+tuio+site:forum.pdpatchrepo.info&complete=0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjzvL6VuOreAhWixoUKHR8fBk8QrQIoBDAAegQIBRAM&biw=1440&bih=844
Most of the posts are about problems of course, but there are a lot of links and plenty of info.
and here......https://github.com/teo523/pd-reactivision-wekinator
The communications can be done in pure vanilla (without mrpeach) using newer objects.
It will give you x and y position in the image, and angle (orientation of the blob)..
It is built to recognise and identify fiducials, but I remember that it can also return data for "blob"s.
David.

It might be an idea to look at Modular Grid or M4L to see what kind of thing is out there.

Personally I like Hermut Lobby's BeatSurfer app. I made a version of his MonkeyFader in PD. It works well. I prefer to have more real time and immediate control over my sequences.

any chance tof/pmenu will be fixed in the future?
https://git.purrdata.net/jwilkes/purr-data/issues?scope=all&utf8=✓&state=opened&search=pmenu
i notice it is included in the release but does not work.
i also see you have a dropdown object in the put menu. but it would be great to have options. (that work on vanilla also.)

pd-l2ork-2.4.9-raspbian_stretch-armv7l

When running dmesg from the terminal to print out the kernal buffer it reads

.271124] usb 7-1: new low-speed USB device number 3 using uhci_hcd
[21052.428183] usb 7-1: New USB device found, idVendor=0079, idProduct=0011
[21052.428191] usb 7-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[21052.428196] usb 7-1: Product: USB Gamepad
[21052.454234] input: USB Gamepad as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.1/usb7/7-1/7-1:1.0/0003:0079:0011.0006/input/input23
[21052.505271] dragonrise 0003:0079:0011.0006: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Joystick [USB Gamepad ] on usb-0000:00:1d.1-1/input0
[21057.059115] usb 6-1: new low-speed USB device number 5 using uhci_hcd
[21057.216253] usb 6-1: New USB device found,****** idVendor=0079, idProduct=0011******
[21057.216260] usb 6-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[21057.216265] usb 6-1: Product: USB Gamepad
[21057.242315] input: USB Gamepad as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb6/6-1/6-1:1.0/0003:0079:0011.0007/input/input24
[21057.242781] dragonrise 0003:0079:0011.0007: input,hidraw2: USB HID v1.10 Joystick [USB Gamepad ] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-1/input0

So both devices contain the same idVendor=0079, idProduct=0011 tags that [hid] can find. Is there a way to differentiate between to two devices by another serial number so I can create seperate mappings for them in Pd?

@tobyclbain Hello Toby......
This will give you an idea of the principles and the maths for a radio tracking system...... including how to calculate the "space coordinates" for the dmx values...
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjMkfPNse7QAhVDfxoKHWwxD44QFgg6MAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprojects-web.engr.colostate.edu%2Fece-sr-design%2FAY08%2FRAMbox%2Fdocuments%2FSemester%20Report%20Fall%202008%20ver%201.1.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFS7JZhvZC-JmdoV3uFPTy3Ga7WLw

IR is a bit more delicate because there is generally so much interference......... from other heat sources.... like people, amplifiers, lights etc...... onstage. There have been quite a few posts on this forum about using the xbox kinnect camera, as it has an infrared camera built into it....... but there will be interference problems. A lot of work has been done on "object" / face recognition. And "bone" recognition as well using targets (comes from the car crash test dummy research).

The reactivision system uses amoeba patterns to recognise objects.......... see......
http://reactivision.sourceforge.net/
It can track objects using the kinnect.......
http://tuio.org/?software

Professional systems use triangulated radio, or IR body worn transmitters, pulse modulated for ID.

Of course, once you have the data inputs into Pd all of the logic and maths can be done, and the dmx can be sent through a comport.
David.

@tobyclbain Sorry, on windows...... but did any software come with the device?
If not you might need an ftdi driver at least?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTDI
How to install here........
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjMlMej9c3QAhXLzRoKHXaZDgkQFggiMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftdichip.com%2FDocuments%2FInstallGuides%2Fmac_os_x_installation_guide.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEAOHx_TtAWX-nh1D2OHt-n4jdatQ
David.

@Monetus @kevinschlei
Could you elaborate a little Monetus...... I have been looking at this but I came to the conclusion that the cord colour would have to be set as the objects are traversed and the window is drawn. I was thinking (never tried before!) of re-compiling vanilla, putting back into g_canvas_c the cord variables ($signal_cord and $msg_cord) that were present in extended.......
But of course a plugin is preferable...
vanilla

static void canvas_drawlines(t_canvas *x)
{
    t_linetraverser t;
    t_outconnect *oc;
    {
        linetraverser_start(&t, x);
        while (oc = linetraverser_next(&t))
            sys_vgui(".x%lx.c create line %d %d %d %d -width %d -tags [list l%lx cord]\n",
                    glist_getcanvas(x),
                        t.tr_lx1, t.tr_ly1, t.tr_lx2, t.tr_ly2, 
                            (outlet_getsymbol(t.tr_outlet) == &s_signal ? 2:1),
                                oc);
    }
}

extended

static void canvas_drawlines(t_canvas *x)
{
    t_linetraverser t;
    t_outconnect *oc;
    int issignal;
    
        linetraverser_start(&t, x);
        while (oc = linetraverser_next(&t))
    {
        issignal = (outlet_getsymbol(t.tr_outlet) == &s_signal ? 1 : 0);
        sys_vgui(".x%lx.c create line %d %d %d %d -width %d -fill %s \
-tags [list l%lx cord]\n",
                 glist_getcanvas(x), t.tr_lx1, t.tr_ly1, t.tr_lx2, t.tr_ly2, 
                 (issignal ? 2:1), (issignal ? "$signal_cord" : "$msg_cord"),
                 oc);
    }
}

David.

I never used a mixer (usb or not) to output signal to an guitar amp, but there could be a problem of signal level and/or impedance mismatch between the two. A "line level" output for instance is simply not suitable for such a connection, it results in a much too heavy signal coming into your amp pream stage, hence a distortion. If you listen to the output of pd with the headphones and the sound is clean, then the problem is located between pd and your gtr amp.

I personally do use pd as a effects processor using a "regular" soundcard (http://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/9692/cubie-pd-pedal), but this is only possible because I have another guitar pedal that accepts "line" input signals, and has a the right output stage to "talk" to a guitar amp.

The keyword used when talking about sending line levels to guitar amps is "reamp(ing)", you can find passive or active reamping interfaces that do the job very well...but you'll pay for it I also think there exist soundcards with dedicated "to guitar amp" outputs, but I never tested it.

Nau

@Gaspar Maybe?...... https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/midi-program-change-messages-in-fm8.48421/

and so (page 106)......
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjivvmeiMHMAhUJ6xoKHRNJAakQFggjMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crosstalk.arizona.edu%2FData%2FFM8%20Manual%20English.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEDWQzzTIkUor2CHO6Abejpw-sGpw

David.

@alexandros No, the one in my original post plays the file at regular speed and loops/fades into itself repeatedly, which means any irregularities will produce a rhythm (which I don't want).

Alright, I've done a search for "phase.vocoder" and there are 90+ results... I wonder how I could refine the search.

Maybe thus, but I'm not sure what you mentioned is here: http://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/search/phase.vocoder stretch?in=titlesposts&categories=2&sortBy=timestamp&sortDirection=desc&showAs=topics&_=1459142117256&page=1