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Comic Life is great for sharing those funny little moments from school, in the office, or while on worldwide progressive-rock-legends tours.
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Routing and Multi-Outputs... - 2005/03/27 10:30Okay, here's a quick choice between two theoretical options: is it better for one to build every conceivable function into a piece of software, or do they instead construct an modular architecture where "small tools" can be integrated into and taken out of the core system as required?
Frankly, my preference is for the latter, and I think implementing a functionality like creative output routing is a good first step toward this.
After all, why try to reinvent the wheel over and over again. Songcarver, you've mentioned DestroyFX's Transverb previously. I also think it's a great piece of software (aside: in fact, I think all the Smartelectronix guys are kewl beyond belief -- dfx and Bram being not the least among them). But why would you want to recode that particular functionality into Musolomo when they've already done it quite well?
Instead, I recommend coding functions into Musolomo that would let you take advantage of other plug-ins. You could do that by turning Musolomo into a VST host itself, but I'm afraid that would be really kludgy -- a VST host within a VST host, hrmmmm -- and it would probably throw the CPU usage through the roof besides (hey, I'm using a 1.3 Mhz Powerbook -- small and lite is good).
Rather than going that route, I think it would be simpler to implement a system that could route the samples to multiple outputs within whichever VST host you are already using.
For example, let's say that I'm using Bram's SupaTrigga (highly recommended, BTW), but I only want it to affect my drums. I record my drum loop. Now, I press-and-hold the "Assign to Output 1" key, then press any key assigned to my drum sample. My drum loop is then pulled from the main outs and re-routed into the first output. In my existing VST host, I assign Musolomo Separate Output #1 to its own mixer channel, and then apply SupaTrigga to that channel. Thus, only the samples assigned to the extra channels are treated by external effects.
Taking the idea further, you could get creative with assign/deassign to *multiple* outputs (first MIDI note keypress assigns a sample to an output, second keypress takes it back out again). With that scheme, not only could you have a single sample routed to many outputs, but you could have a lot of fun with sequencing the assignments. You want reverb applied to only the notes hitting on beats 2 & 4? Whip together a quick and simple MIDI sequence in your host to route those notes to a different output only on those beats. You're into glitch? Hack together a similar reassignment that hockets between four different outputs using 32nd notes.
Also, a "null/mute" assignment might be quite useful for times when you wish to insert silences into a loop without stopping and restarting it. All the above rules could apply here too. One good example of this would be ad hoc trigger-gating by manipulating null assignments.
Taking it further still, why not apply the routing assignment idea to some of the functions already implemented in Musolomo? Want to play back three samples, but only apply re-pitch or timestretch to two of them? Merely assign whichever samples you wish (or de-assign the ones you don't) to that particular function.
Anyway, I think implementing a simple(!) routing architecture inside Musolomo would greatly expand the capabilities of what you could do with it, while still keeping CPU usage down and not forcing you guys to recode someone else's previous work again and again.
Re:Routing and Multi-Outputs... - 2005/03/27 21:29Thanks Mech for the idea.
fortunately, , independent voice routing already exists in musolomo, thanks to Airy's genius. It's just not currently available to the UI. It will come. Thanks for your idea about assigning voicing, we will consider that.
We're currently working on some better looping control (it's very cool)..and then a few things before we even consider controlling voicing. But we understand the need for it, and rest assured the architecture to do it already exists in musolomo.
Also, regarding FX, I wasn't hoping to emulate the work of the fine DFX guys, just offering suggestions of how cool stuff can be.
have a look at the proposed minilooper system, perhaps that can be useful to you to. Let us know
Re:Routing and Multi-Outputs... - 2005/03/28 12:15Excellent news, Songcarver! As you said, Airy is a freakin' genius. I'm glad you might be able to grab a tip or two from the assignment stuff, too.
As I mentioned in a separate post, I'm starting simple then moving up. I've still got three or four more suggestions that I need to get put into words. However, the idea of the micro-looper sounds really cool(!), so I'll find the post regarding that one then try rolling it around in my head for a couple days too.
And I didn't mean to suggest that you'd try to reinvent dfx's excellent work; I was just using that as an example. The point merely being that you're going to get hit with a lot of different requests. Don't neglect to ask whether a function really needs to be incorporated Musolomo itself, or can it be done with work already out there. (And that also includes any of the boneheaded suggestions you may get from me, too!)
Anyway, I'm off to write up another whacked out idea. Thanks again!!!
-- and it would probably throw the CPU usage through the roof besides (hey, I'm using a 1.3 Mhz Powerbook -- small and lite is good).
, independent voice routing already exists in musolomo, thanks to Airy's genius. It's just not currently available to the UI. It will come. Thanks for your idea about assigning voicing, we will consider that. 
I'm glad you might be able to grab a tip or two from the assignment stuff, too.
