Re: MIDI "Controller" Support (was: Rationale for ignoring
Re: MIDI "Controller" Support (was: Rationale for ignoring
- Subject: Re: MIDI "Controller" Support (was: Rationale for ignoring
- From: Glenn Olander <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 23:11:21 -0700
I can offer two perspectives/rationales:
First, the whole idea of the midi CC assignment list is outmoded.
That list was designed to accomodate synths with non-existent
or (by today's standards) laughably primitive user interfaces.
It was extremely tedious to assign some input device such
as a knob or slider to a function (e.g. filter resonance). So,
by agreeing to some prearranged definitions the user could be
spared the task of performing the assignments themselves.
Today, that rationale no longer makes sense since using MIDI
learn with a GUI is far superior to having standard
controller-to-function mappings. If I've got 10 knobs on my
midi controller, I want to specify what they control by simply picking
a function from the GUI and twirling a knob.
Second, almost all of the functions listed in the table (the table
has always been an awkward combination of controllers, like
"modulation", and function, like "chorus level") do not make sense
for today's synths. The functions only make sense on the most
trivial GM modules. If I'm drawing in controller info with
a mouse, I want to pick from the functions specific to a synth
(i.e. the parameters) instead of some list that hasn't matched
the features of any synths for over a decade.
The result, not suprisingly, is that program change is about the
only CC to which synths universally assign a particular function.
(even volume and pan are often ignored since it is generally better
to handle those in the host).
- Glenn
Bill Stewart wrote:
There is a list of controls that all "GM compatible" synths are
generally required to support. I think a similar regime should be
imposed on software synths for a degree of consistency that has served
the users of hardware synths rather well. Some controls may not make
sense of course, but many/most do...
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