Bidirectional Feedback for MIDI controllers

I've seen this brought up here and there but I wanted add my voice to the choir in support of this! I'd love to be able to use midi controllers with led encoders to toggle between different patches with the similar parameters mapped and see the values for that particular instance indicated on the controller.

This would also be really great to use if/when the sequencer parameters can be mapped. I'm imagining, for example, selecting a step on a grid and seeing the values for the parameters on that particular step shown by the LED encoders. This would really help with giving a performative, hands-on feeling to sequencing elektron style.

I don't know how this would play out with different controllers but I've seen talk about the BCR32, the MIDI Fighter Twister, etc. It would be a dream to make a controller from Yaeltex with a bunch of the LED encoders and use that as a control surface for Drambo.

Speaking of hands on MIDI control, I also recently saw this and hey, its fun to dream. https://youtu.be/taQFeYINIXE

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Comments

  • +1

    This can be done somewhat in Drambo currently. I have some mappings set up for my APC 40 but it required a lot of futzing and is pretty hacky/limited. I know having this integrated would improve my workflow extremely!

    That midi modular is awesome btw. Not sure how we'll it'd apply to Drambo (because Drambo's design chooses performance over feedback routings) but it is fun to dream :).

  • This has been requested quite often and it's still on the list.

    With new controllers like the excellent BCR32 soon to come this would be even more fun.

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  • edited July 2021

    I highly value your unbelievable work @Gravitas.

    I don't think that it can replace MIDI controller parameter feedback though. Users want button and knob values on the LEDs and LED rings of the controller as well, and without built-in support for that, things get awkward fast 😉

  • edited July 2021

    My approach has been to send the values for my controller's switches and knobs on load and then disable Drambo sending any updates, because I was running into midi feedback issues (well I actually send 5 seconds after load because I use Streambyter to massage some messages and have to wait for it to start). This gets my controller into a state where I can use it. It scales ok but takes a lot of effort.

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  • I have achieved something similar, but of course a bit limited, using Mozaic scripts as an intermediary that remembers the state for presets or the whole project. The limit is that you can’t achieve “bi-directional” MIDI directly, you always need to use e.g. Mozaic knobs and not touch the original knobs. It’s good for sort of “macros”, but of course not that instant and clean as native implementation would be.

    I am also using APC40 as other guys here mention, it's great all-in-one controller for Drambo.

  • Incase someone is looking for something to help with bidirectional midi, this Mozaic script is really helpful

    https://patchstorage.com/controller-feedback-and-restore/

    It remembers all the ccs inputted into it and spits them out on project load. So not truly bi-directional but very helpful if you are using a controller mainly to control parameters.

    (Before finding this script wrote my own version in StreamByter, but ran into an issue with its data saving functionality. wim is great at this stuff and I'm glad they already tackled it!)

  • Hey @quartzite I just uploaded a variant that adds the ability to store and recall up to 16 snapshots of the controller values. It also now also handles the last Bank Select, Program Change, and Pitch Bend if present. It's currently marked "In Progress" until tested more extensively than I've had time for so far.

    Aside from the added Bank, PC and Pitch Bend capture, if you ignore the snapshots feature, it should work just like Controller Feedback and Restore above.

    https://patchstorage.com/controller-tracker-and-snapshots/

  • That's awesome! Also I somehow did not put together that you are wim until now 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️.

    Now we just need to get @giku to add a project option to not have midi mappings remove those messages from the midi stream.

  • Just want to add my +1 to this feature request.

  • +1 for this feature. I suggest looking at NI traktor’s method of mapping to LEDs. Very well thought out and comprehensive, custom maps for specific devices are possible and templates can be shared.

  • Plus one for this. I use Midi Designer Pro to control Drambo but without bidirectional MIDI it’s not ideal…

  • While I agree on the need to implement this I’d steer clear from controller specific automaps. Drambo being semi modular can be used in so many different ways.

    I’d vote for a switch that enables the feedback back to the place of origin. It’s probably not as simple but I’m feeling optimistic 😉

  • Any updates on LED feedback mapping for controllers? This is my current most wanted feature for Drambo to be honest. Full bidirectional MIDI feedback would be AMAZING.

  • A big +1 from me.

    Neither my controllers nor Touch OSC get any information back.

  • @DrConflict @HarlekinX

    What controllers do you have?

    Do they respond to midi notes, cc’s or Sysex?

  • I own a Faderfox UC4, EC4 and a Midi Fighter Twister. All with endless encoders and value display or value led rings. Furthermore I try to implement TouchOSC on my secondary iPad.

    When they are mapped, they should get the value of the parameter send back to them on the same mapped CC/Channel/Note.

    This should happen when

    • I load a project
    • I change the parameter/knob in drambo
    • and probably (I'm not sure) when the encoder of the controller send midi to drambo, as direct feedback
  • @HarlekinX I've noticed that you've found an answer

    to your question in regards to scaling and using MSB + LSB.

    It looks good and will certainly come in handy in the future.

    I'm leaving a link for it here.


    14-Bit MIDI input;

    https://forum.beepstreet.com/discussion/2217/14-bit-midi-input#latest

  • Drambo 2.21

    "Added: Internal MIDI feedback port"

    What's this? Found it in the settings. How can it be used? Has it something to do with this thread? Can I be excited or not yet? ;-)

  • Yup you can get excited.

    It opens the ability to record midi between tracks with less hassle

    when it comes to auv3’s and some more out there designs.

  • Hi there !

    Found the perfect drambo controller, the livid ohmrgb ;-)

    Is sending of midi data to controller (active step, triggers) possible at this stage ?

    Cheers !

  • Does it respond to midi or cc messages to light up the pads?

  • Yes it looks like. There have been some crazy scripts for max so I guess yes ;-)

  • Reflecting the sequencer status to the controller isn't supported natively.

    You can build a rack that does it though, and @gravitas is certainly your best bet regarding reference projects 😉

  • So, I'm confused. Is bidirectional feedback supported now since 2.21? I'm trying to set up a control interface using Loopy pro as an auv3 inside 💕Dreambo 💕.

    I can control parameters easily with LP in this setup, but I'm not getting any feedback.

    Is there extra steps to set this up, or is feedback to auv3 not supported, or did I misinterpret the 2.21 update?


    Thanks for your help

  • @Tentype No built-in MIDI feedback yet.

    There are quite a few possible workarounds though until this feature will be implemented one day.

  • There is no bidirectional controller support in Drambo.

    A Feedback port was added not too long ago, which is a workaround that enables you to record your favourite AUv3 midi seq into Drambo without 3rd party app. This also enables a bidirectional-like communication between Drambo and a controller, however it requires a significant effort to get anything meaningful out of it.

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