The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Hello all, I am a PLG Owner, but I am interested in the techniques you
guys use for the ribbon controller.  I am also interested in how it is
set up.  Is it set up automatically, or do you have to assign Z and X
via the Matrix?

What sort of functions do you guys usually assign to them?

The reason I ask is that I have a Playstation joypad hooked up to my PC
at the moment, and I can hook it up to Midi via some smart software that
then allows me to assign the X and the Y Axis to CC's, I know it's not a
ribbon controller, but it will give me something reasonable to be
getting on with as the Playstation analog pad is pretty sensitive with
thumb control.  It seemed to work very nicely with Cutoff and Resonance
on the PLG AN, so I get the feeling it's going to do the job quite
nicely :¬)
See ya,

Reggie

Reggie,

>Hello all, I am a PLG Owner, but I am interested in the techniques you
>guys use for the ribbon controller.  I am also interested in how it is
>set up.  Is it set up automatically, or do you have to assign Z and X
>via the Matrix?

The ribbon does nothing unless programmed in the Matrix.  The range of 
functions which can be programmed, however are extensive.

>What sort of functions do you guys usually assign to them?

I tend to use the RibbonX for pitch bends, sync frequency, and filter 
cutoff.  Often, I'll assign both the PB wheel and the RibbonX to pitch 
bend, with a milder setting -- somewhere between +/- 2 and +/-5 to the 
wheel, and a more radical amount (2 octaves?) to the bender.  I've also 
assigned the ribbon to a low setting (ex: a half step), which allows adding 
violin-like vibrato.

I use the RibbonZ for stabs of vibrato and sync frequency change.  A good 
example is the Farfisa-like setting in Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer":  It 
breaks into a very heavy vibrato at the end of each verse break; the Mod 
wheel could suffice, but the vibrato has to end quickly, and if the wheel 
is not fully returned to zero, the high level of pitch modulation will 
leave a vibrato residue.  The ribbon, with it's automatic RTZ, is just the 
ticket.

The fast response of the Z-axis allows for "talk box" like effects when 
programmed to change the sync frequency.


Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions"
www.ashbysolutions.com
CloneWheel Support Group moderator
978.386.7389  voice
978.964.0547 fax
bruce@...

--- In AN1x-list@y..., Reggie <reggie@t...> wrote:
> Hello all, I am a PLG Owner, but I am interested in the techniques 
you
> guys use for the ribbon controller

Good subject. I enjoyed Bruce's post which gave me some ideas to try 
out. Here what I am using it for:

X axis- 

- small pitch bend (+3 up and -2 down) to allow a violin like bend 
(as opposed to a guitar bend). The pitch wheel is doing 1 octave up 
and 1 octave down. This sounds so similar to Bruce's implementation I 
was surprised. I haven't used it for vibrato yet, though. On patches 
where I am doing this I typically map the x axis to oscillator pulse 
width as well (value = direct) this cause the pitch bends to sound 
pretty organic.

- sync pitch  for thin, nasally sync things, where I don't mind if it 
steps a little.

- Pitch envelope depth. I have a pitch envelope time set to 40 and 
pitch depth set to zero. I then map pitch envelope depth to the x 
axis with a value of direct. I try to make sure the patch has a lot 
of ring modulator and only one osc is being swept by the envelope. 
When I am playing if I tap the ribbon to the right of the center, I 
get a downward explosion sound. Tap it to the left and it explodes 
upwards. This can't be done on a wheel, but it is perfect on a ribbon.


Z axis- 

- Filter resonance to cause the tone to change

- Filter cutoff for talk box, or wah pedal effects.

Well, I am off to try out some of Bruce's suggestions. 

Cheers,

Jerry

--- Reggie <reggie@...> wrote:
> The reason I ask is that I have a Playstation joypad hooked up to my PC
> at the moment, and I can hook it up to Midi via some smart software that
> then allows me to assign the X and the Y Axis to CC's, I know it's not a
> ribbon controller, but it will give me something reasonable to be
> getting on with as the Playstation analog pad is pretty sensitive with
> thumb control.  It seemed to work very nicely with Cutoff and Resonance
> on the PLG AN, so I get the feeling it's going to do the job quite
> nicely :\ufffd)

What software lets you do this? Does it wok with a Gravis GamePad? This sounds
kinda cool.

Sayer

=====
Sayer's music: 
http://mp3.com/sayer (Electronica, Trance & Techno)
http://mp3.com/dreamquest ("Classic" Electronic Music)

Sayer's studio: 
http://www.sayersweb.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

I am using V-MidiJoy by Vellocet, it works with all game pads as far as
I know.  I have a problem with the Joypad that I am using, I have it
running through my printer port, which interferes with my VST dongle.  I
don't know exactly why, but I can think of 2 things, there maybe? Extra
resistance from the dongle causing problems, or the Dongle has some odd
routing of wires?

Anyway, apart from all of that, thank you guys, for your advice, I am
interested in trying all of the tips, I am particularly interested in
how you guys use the Depth for each function in the Matrix?  I noticed
that some of you have it set so that it is in direct, but how do you
work out what you are going to need to set it to?

I know that it is different depending on the Function, but can someone
have a go at explaining this for me, I'd really appreciate it if there
were a couple of different examples, I know that some values are added
or multiplied can some explain these 2 types of depth control?

Thanks :¬)


With this type of PSX controller, I get 2 lots of X and X, plus 8
buttons that can be programmed with sysex strings, it looks like the
author is about to add further Sysex support so that the Sysex strings
can be made variable, and some extra button support, so that they can be
used as an inc/dec type of control for a CC or a sysex string.   It will
be a lot more powerful when this is added, as it opens up all of the
deep sysex stuff for everybody!

So, now I need find a decent analog Playstation style joypad, any clues
anyone?  BTW. I played with the Resonance and cutoff and it works very
nicely, So, it will be interesting to see how The matrix and a Pad that
doesn't hassle my Dongle reacts with VST.



In article <20010711120335.32998.qmail@...>, Sayer
<sayerseely@yahoo.com> writes
>--- Reggie <reggie@...> wrote:
>> The reason I ask is that I have a Playstation joypad hooked up to my PC
>> at the moment, and I can hook it up to Midi via some smart software that
>> then allows me to assign the X and the Y Axis to CC's, I know it's not a
>> ribbon controller, but it will give me something reasonable to be
>> getting on with as the Playstation analog pad is pretty sensitive with
>> thumb control.  It seemed to work very nicely with Cutoff and Resonance
>> on the PLG AN, so I get the feeling it's going to do the job quite
>> nicely :)
>
>What software lets you do this? Does it wok with a Gravis GamePad? This sounds
>kinda cool.
>
>Sayer
>
>=====
>Sayer's music: 
>http://mp3.com/sayer (Electronica, Trance & Techno)
>http://mp3.com/dreamquest ("Classic" Electronic Music)
>
>Sayer's studio: 
>http://www.sayersweb.com
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail
>http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
>
>Community email addresses:
>  Post message: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com
>  Subscribe:    AN1x-list-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>  Unsubscribe:  AN1x-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>  List owner:   AN1x-list-owner@yahoogroups.com
>
>Shortcut URL to this page:
>   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AN1x-list
> 
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
>
>

See ya,

Reggie