bpm hardware (update)

[b-righteous]

as for my "inventions" not working with it, i can catagorically tell you it is 100% compatible with all of bpm's feature set.

Translation:

Global CC support being added to BPM.

The wait is killing me.

[ssp]

one small pebble in a pond full of ripples....

[ssp]

late night last night!

ok well im hoping to show you something a little more this week (hoping)

im waiting for some special connectors for the main board to turn up, once they do i can make the final link cables and test which will take all of 2-3 mins with the core unit and then place back in the casework.

this has been a challenging build to say the least and its not quite finished but its at a point where it is useable with the software.

i cant do any more testing with bpm at the moment simply because i dont have it anymore, i had my laptop and a bag of software taken recently, and one of the bits of software i carry with me is my bpm and ilok along with my waves and other plugins on another ilok.

luckily the laptop has been replaced and i have bought a new ilok for my waves etc, the one thing i never got round to was registering my bpm etc, my own fault i just never had time , i was to busy using it and making the controller!

so its going to be a while until i can make any preset patches or offer cc# information etc. bear with me it shouldnt take too long and then i can get back upto speed.

in the meantime i will test it with guru and some of the other drum machine software i have.

once its finished i will give more info on kits, case work etc and more information about the unit and editor.

[ssp]

teaser, gfx overlay check before print.

[b-righteous]

Looks sweet!

Surprised the encoders are not endless though. Or is the markings on the knobs just cosmetic?

[ssp]

endless encoders, the markings are for asthetic reasons, its a replica and the bpm knobs are marked.

[ssp]

ok, some fantastic news and also a need to do update as well for the hardware.

tonight i spent a few hours fine tuning the controller, so much so that everything worked as i needed it too. i mapped a load of controls to the software, saved the kit and samples down. i then closed bpm, reloaded it and all my controller settings were saved for that kit and mapping.

i then applied a sample to a pad and assigend the solo, and mute to buttons on the controller in a different group in the banks, i also did the same with the volume and balance for a few pads. using this method i was able to control each contol in the software easily.

plans: prehaps a little expander unit for the balance and volume, solo ,mute for each pad, i have room to do the buttons on the tp panel but not for the faders, i cannot get them small enough, however i have seen some faders that if i change the pads and the fsr strip underneath it would allow me to position them as per the software. this is omething i am now going to look into over the next few weeks as soon as this is finished. the secend version of the controller is going to be a little better than this one i think.

i need edit the pads for note on/off as they are only sending on at the moment. but thats done in the editor and takes a few seconds.

i will do another vimeo tomorrow, showing the filters going over samples in realtime with the controller and using the faders etc.

all in all a very productive day today and the response from the software with the controller is instant!!

can you tell im a little excited

[chrisma]

This is great news! I really needed some good news today. Been a rough day. Thanks for the update and I'm looking forward to the video.
Keep it coming!

[ssp]

almost finished, i just have to sort the graphics for the front and buttons out this weekend, and finish the side cheeks and wrapping them in the buffalo vynil cloth as per the ones in the software.

everything is working with the software, the groups are working also.
one thing i will revise are solo mute buttons per pad and also a balance, volume per pad multiplexer.

in the meantime heres the unit almost finished, once again the knobs and the grey pads are the test ones and not the final lined knobs or black pads.

[bobbybland]

ssp, good stuff on this build,you've proved it could be done.I'm curious to what version of Bpm your running though,as you mentioned cc's are all working??

Earlier,you mentioned the next hardware version you plan on making would be with a screen with the GUI of Bpm? Just curious,what would something like that cost? Ballpark
It looks like you got something most Bpm heads would go for even with the first gen. controller here. Perhaps this could help finance the second build? Btw Congrats,surely Motu has to see the potential here,as this would be a direct competition for NI.

[ssp]

hi bobby

thanks for the words.

the hardware is running as expected now, as you can see its just the gfx and the end cheeks and its done.

the second revision will add the mute solo buttons for the pads and the balance, volume for each pad as well, thesewould be run through a multiplexer.
it would take a bit of code to do and some extra boards but it is acheivable.

the second revision would have the whole thing self enclosed, i was looking at an atom board however i have found some nice mini atx boards that i can use which will allow some very good processing power, a decent audio interface including optical. the other option is to have the cpu in a single rack unit and link it too the controller via usb. i have various ideas and i will see where i take it shortly.

im currently using version 1.05 available from the motu website, the same version that everyone else is using, the only difference is that i can make this controller do anything i want via the editor, learn or by programming it into the asm files and compiling then uploading to the core.

the problem with most off the shelf controllers is that they just dont do this.

im starting on my console control surface after this, its specifically designed for me to use in digital performer, you see i would rather spend $800 and build something thats better in function than an off the shelf unit.

best thing is i can totally customise it to do anything i want.

i have always used motu products, simply because they have never let me down, having used dp for years i know it inside out now so i know how i want the control surface to look, the feature set and layout.

thanks again bobby, more pics and info on the hardware to follow.

[bobbybland]

I want one! Keep up the excellent builds and quality, I'm very eager to see where this take's off to.

[ssp]

well the hardware is finished, its all ready for me to begin the mapping to the software and making a default global hardware setting.

as its a generic controller i have been using it in dp7 and on other applications and plugins and i have to say its performing flawlessly.

the new revision case is already being cut and this will be the self enclosed bpm system i havent decided on if i will stick a pc mini board in or strip down a mac mini and put that inside with a 90 degrees pci riser and then fit an internal high end sound card, we will see.

planned inclusions for the next one are:

1: solo mute for each pad, along with balance and volume.
2: built in 10" screen as per the software version.
3: sd card slots for saving controller data to and for loading sounds.
4: cascade port for connecting expander controllers. the expander will have all the balance, volume and a bank of rotary encoders all assignable to the other various controls in bpm. ( render of the expander to follow shortly)

the second revision will allow complet global assignability to pretty much all of bpms other suite functions in various windows. once the hardware set up has been programmed and saved as the default load then all you would do is load the global performance for that in bpm.

it would be nice if i could save that setup for all controls as a default setup and not have to load it.

more to follow.

[bobbybland]

Insane,a 10" screen would be madness.You don't say,when you get the next build finished is there a possibility of selling it,or maybe I missed that one?

[ssp]

assembly day tomorrow, only thing missing is the vinyl for the end cheeks still but they will be done next week. here is a low res piccy for now , sorry all i could do in the time i had.