It’s build around a plugin they released prior and that floated around the MAX community for a good while before being launched as its own plugin later on.
I’d love to see this implemented in the mod platform at some point since it could work really well as a sequencer with very simple ways to change the midi events with 3-4 rotary controllers and would fill in the blank spots insofar as midi sequencing goes.
But would love to know if the community and developers could imagine it as a plugin.
Speaking for myself, I in the context of midi maneuverability in the mod eco system have been limited to either 1) the step sequencer, and 2) using midi to control parameters in other plugins in the mod eco system.
In regards to 1)
the step sequencer has very little tweakabilty, after the onset of setting it up when using a pc.
In regards of how a different demographic of non- stringed instrumentalists ie. Synths and dawless users are using the platform.
Not being able to interact with their device for usage as a controller for midi, when the platform offers so much connectivity is a big shame and in my world is a missed opportunity.
In regards of how I use my device, I both use the midi/in/out and the USB to power my USB midi devices, separating them in channels and using the midi capabilities of my dwarf to control a large array of different midi synths and drum machines across channels.
I have other sequencers I used to love using (polyend tracker/1010 blackbox) but lately my needs and what have pulled my legs the most, Is being able to jam along my friends. I’d rather spend my time focusing on modulation and phrasing than on making sequences for my drummachines or synths. And I’m starting to enjoy leading a lot more with generative approaches which I feel could be utilized a lot better.
in regards of controlling parameters internally on the platform using midi. It works perfectly, and Im happy how it works.
For what my wishes could be, a chance based midi event generator, eucledian sequencing, ratcheting could be cool to have.
I understand the need for more MIDI tools, but can you explain explicitly which functionality/modes in the Ngen device you’d like to see as a plugin?
This would make it a lot easier to discern on what needs to be worked on.
I’ve been thinking a lot about making MIDI effects/generators/manipulators in PD, but I’m still not sure which direction to go for. So some specific ideas (not just: “make it better”) would be helpful
I think NGEN could easily be ported to the platform. AFAIK it was originally built in max msp and the developer is open to try and port it. (I contacted them prior to making this thread) perhaps someone (@jon@falkTX@gianfranco) can check out their product and give them a hello?)
the controls are seemingly very simple, and hands on that can easily be mapped to the rotary controllers, as the midi event generation is based on an algorithmic approach, instead of inputs in a browser. Question is whether the display can provide visual feedback detailed enough to select the different modes accurately.
I believe NGEn can be a powerful midi sequencing tool that could become a mainstay and a prolific plugin on equal terms of how pitch cv, lp3 and the cabinet emulation has been part of the appeal and selling points so far.
A stand alone midi generator/sequencer without the hassle of having the browser open or preprogramming sequences will be a great addition.
Ngen is a 16-track MIDI sequencer that lets you combine 12 different generators and 10 MIDI FXs to algorithmically generate drum / percussive patterns, basslines, melodies, chord progression, arpeggios, and much more.
So from the standpoint of mod, all those algorithms (12 different ones) and midi fx could be released as stand alone midi plugins for the platform.
I can’t really justify the cost of the ngen hardware, but I’d pretty happily toss the dev €10-20 for a paid plugin to see where this goes, and it would be more useful to not need a separate box anyway.
I’d love to see, from a utility perspective, some of the stuff that the blokas midihub can do. For instance, I’ve got a faderfox uc4 that I use to control my bluebox mixer. It’s great, but the bluebox applies midi ccs linearly to gain, which is really annoying. I can use the midihub to apply a logarithmic conversion between the uc4 output and the midihub input. Similarly, something that took a key, input on one channel/port, and then harmonized a note stream coming in on another channel/port would be nice. Etc. Etc.
A different category of example night be a simple one track euclidian sequencer with repeats, velocity patterns, and randomness. To go with it, a midi port/channel mute.
