FX – send and return.

Im trying to mix an FX VST.

now my understanding was send was how much is sent to VST, and return is how much of the return signal is mixed in.

Now what I want, is for 100% to be sent to the VST &, 100% to be used as return (i.e. only the return signal not original) as I think the return already has the ‘mix’ of original + effect (so I want to control the mix in the VST not signed)

but it appears what ever I set it to, I always get the original audio, and return just says how much of the FX i get as well, so then need to turn down the main value to compensate. 

bascically, Im struggling to get the levels right, and I think im getting delay (induce my mix original signal + return, which will be delayed due to VST processing)

Also in some configurations, im finding I get the effect if I go to speakers, but not headphones (in alpha) BUT ive already checked that the headphone pre fader is NOT enabled.

thoughts?

Backaround. my access virus has VST control, so hardware can be used as an instrument VST, but it also supports effects processing via the VST i.e. I can use it to add effects to EigenD instruments or other VSTS. the only limitation, is I can only have one instance of the VST.

So to do this, ive made AU rig 1, also compatible as an effects unit.

seems to work, except slight issues as above!

Midi device not ‘appearing’ – factory setup 3 (saved)

Ive got a weird thing going on in EigenD and a midi device, which only happens with the Alpha (i.e. was doing the same thing with the Pico and never had an issue – ever!)

a) im using factory setup 3, I selected my midi output device, and all is fine. so I saved the setup. Now SOMETIMES when I load the setup, it doesnt work. if I look at  in eigenbrowser, I cannot even see my midi device… though its there and working!

b) If I power down the keyboard, and repower it up, Eigenbrowser shows the midi device, and I can select it.

BUT now eigenD is unresponsive, no notes play, and even the menus are frozen (e.g. I cannot select say sample 1)

I know midi device is fine, as Pidule (etc) can see and use it.

If I restart EigneD sometimes it works sometimes not…

(sometimes again it cannot see midi device again)

so it looks like, initially load has an issue with midi driver, and reconnecting the driver puts eigenD in a non responsive state.

Strange thing is, this all works absolutely fine with Pico.

anyone seen anything similar?

(im thinking possible corrupt setup, as scale browser is also not working!)

anyone played with cfilter::changed()

ive posted on eigenlabs forums too

http://www.eigenlabs.com/forum/threads/id/1297/

… basically I cannot get a callback to allow me to updated lights,

not sure if its the python wrapper, or just my (mis)understanding 🙂

The meaning of Decimation 

A continuation from Erik Fichtner thread, but I didnt want to hijack it further. and I think its an interesting topic for anyone that uses AUs.

Because we might mention times, lets get a few things into perspective, the Eigenharp is 10bit resolution, and 2000samples/second. i.e. a sample every 0.5ms

Therefore the minimum 10ms decimation, potentially drops 20 messages.

Also, if we assume 120 bpm, then a 1/32 note, is ~15ms

so a 30ms decimation ~ 1/16 note @120bpm

Now first interesting point, is why is decimation not quantization?

by this i means, why is it not based on clock tempo? 

(the misalignment of time, will mean you get events coming thru out of sync with clock)

Next, I had a quick look at the code, as far as I can tell in midi_from_belcanto, is it doesnt quite work as ‘described’.

what it does is always sends immediately the first value, then won’t send subsequent values until the decimation time has passed.

(hence you dont get latency effect on first event, has some other side effect which i wont go into :))

Now, next bit… I cannot find where it checks this decimation time for anything other than the pitch wheel!!!

For pitch_wheel is very clear, its done in set_pitch_wheel in midi_from_belcanto, but I cannot find it for other values.

Geert Bevin , I know I must be missing something… 

but all i can find is the pitch wheel check, using check_time_status, which looks like a generic function but is only used in the one place, similarly the last_time_status although big enough for all midi messages, is not used other than above.

( note: im pretty sure its doing it somewhere, as I’ve used Reaktors oscillscope on the midi messages and can  see decimation, just unsure where it is in the code!)

anyway, perhaps only interesting to me… but thought id share 🙂

Multiple Audio agents? 

Ok, silly question of the day 🙂

Id like to take an input from an audio interface, and send it to macs audio output (on audio 1) – but cannot do it!?

 I thought the way to do this, would be to create a new audio agent (audio 2) ,  and then link it to the audio interface, and takes its inputs and then feed them into the mixer, which would then outputs to audio 1, which outputs to mac.

but workbench, doesn’t allow me to create a second audio agent.

(we dont have source for audio agent, so I cannot check to see whats going on!)

Obviously I cannot change audio 1, to the audio interface, because if I do then the output is to that audio interface.

I probably can workaround using Jack OSX, DAWs etc, but Im seeing how far I can get with just EigenD… as I like to minimise the apps in use… and I like pushing EigenD :o)

side note:

I wondered how the alpha did this with the mic, but it looks like the alpha hardware exposes this directly, rather than thru an audio interface.