[sdiy] Control Interfaces (was Wakeman)

[Rainer Buchty]

> Yes, but my point was, you cannot do this with only one knob.

Which brings us back to the original question: why do we usually stick
with the knob?

Because it's the more or less only universally assignable controller which
we can use to reproduce a value exactly. This makes it suitable for
editing, but also a poor controller as the real life examples (string &
wind) have shown.

Sorry if my previous posting could be misunderstood that I actually
believe that there's just two parameters which can be controlled by the
bow, plucking the string, blowing etc. -- I'm fully aware that these are
highly complex controls and require a fair amount of training to even get
a steady note out (I once tried with my g/f's clarinet and she was quite
amazed that I indeed got a note out instead of a screech -- something
which I kept on producing by my further attempts.)

But what these and the vocoder example show is, that you can either create
a very expressive controller, which is then mapped to a certain "class" --
or something very flexible, which in term becomes quite limited in terms
of expression (e.g. the bend/mod wheels, foot pedal etc.) If such a
"primitive", i.e. 1-dimensional, controller should become somewhat
similarly expressive, then it's on the sound program(mer) how to map that
controller to certain parameters -- like the aforementioned "brightness"
knob. Still very limited and no comparison to the natural controls.

Any "universal" multidimensional controller in term becomes almost
unplayable -- that was my 4-touchpad w/ pressure-sensitivity example -- or
you need to concentrate so much on the control, that playing will be more
reduced to a very limited polyphony or even monophony. Or, you optimize
for polyphony for the lack of expressiveness as the comparison between
piano keyboard (velocity, pressure, staccato/legato depending on type of
instrument; everything else requires additional controllers like foot
pedals, mod wheels etc.) and wind & string (vast number of expression as
pointed out by Ian, Don and you) instruments show.

Rainer (sticking with keys and 1-dimensional controllers for now)