SparkLE Drumrack170

Comments (11)

• kleine · October 16 2013
  Interesting, thanks. Please up a frozen version of the Simpler_rack - it misses some dependencies..
• xanadu · October 16 2013
  Oops...
  The devices are frozen now and the abstractions / subpatchers themselves are present as well.
• jksuperstar · November 09 2013
  On windows 7 x64 pro, with Ableton 9, Max 6.1.2
  I tried installing the .jar and .maxpat into
  .../Cycling '74/Max6.1/patches/user
  And set my path in max to point there. The device loads, and no warnings pop up, but it doesn't seem to detect my SparkLE. So I dug up some info on jmidi.jar, and saw some outdated recommendations to install into
  ..../Max6.1/java/lib
  But still no go. From the command line, java -version reports
  "1.6.0_21" (Java SE runtime, 64-bit server)
  Any ideas? I love the idea of this patcher, especially with Mira support!! Thanks for putting in the time to make this sequencer...the Arturia sequencer is a pig on CPU if I just want it to control other devices.
• jksuperstar · November 09 2013
  I moved jmidi.jar to:
  Program Files (x86)/Cycling '74/Max6.1/Cycling '74/java/lib
  and jmidi-demo.maxpat to:
  Program Files (x86)/Cycling '74/Max6.1/patches/extras
  So no need to hack the max path. This seems to work.
  However, the live.object doesn't return a valid object (I enabled debugging to see this, and confirm the java stuff is found in the classpath). So it doesn't look like my SparkLE is found. The MIDI port is disabled for everything in Ableton, and the Arturia VST works fine. :(
• xanadu · November 09 2013
  Arturia SparkLE VST and jmidi both use the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). But they can't use it both in the same Max instance. Does the problem still exist when SparkLE VST is not loaded?
  Cheers
  Willem.
• jksuperstar · November 09 2013
  I didn't have them open at the same time, I only opened the Arturia VST to double check that the SparkLE was ok.
• xanadu · November 10 2013
  I don't know what's the problem. I'm on Windows 8, 32 bits. Jmidi works fine for me, except that I had to find out that java is not available in MaxForLive when the SparkLE VST is loaded.
  I've added a new version of the device. This version has a SparkLE.through.Live device that must be placed on a MIDI track of it's own. SparkLE MIDI must be enabled in Live and both input and output must be connected to the track of the new device. Monitor In must be lit.
  This new device will communicate with the SparkLE.DRUM.rack using UDP channel 9980 and 9981.
  Note that SparkLE MIDI must be off when connecting the controller again to the SparkLE software.
• xanadu · November 10 2013
  There was another reason for using jmidi: Live does nt decode the endless encoders right. I have not solved that one yet. I suppose I have to create a Live Control Surface to do the MIDI IO.
  I wonder if Ableton will ever solve these midi IO issues, giving us SysEx, channels and endless encoders.
• jksuperstar · November 13 2013
  I opened the SparkLE.IO.003.amxd file, and that seems to connect! I can click on "Get SparkLE MIDI port", the whole SparkLE will light up, and then is selected in the drop-down. The drop-down list shows all the MIDI ports available to Ableton. The activity light blinks for "MIDI from SparkLE" when I turn the encoder, etc. "MIDI to SparkLE doesn't light up.
  However, if I then open the Editable version, the drop-down list is all MIDI ports I've ever used on Windows. Every device ever connected (and registered in the registry), is listed. "Get SparkLE MIDI port" button doesn't seem to work. If I select SparkLE manually, all LEDs will blink once, however knobs and button hits don't show "MIDI from SparkLE" activity.
  I didn't have time to debug the difference between these versions yet. I'll try to get more time with them this week.
• xanadu · November 14 2013
  If you see all LEDs on the SparkLE controller lighting up then the outward connection is okay. If you then push a button or tuns an encoder a LED on the device should blink. If that's the case all your connections are up and running.
  The SparkLE.IO.003.amxd connects to the main device using the OSX/UPD network. That should be okay as well when the IO to the hardware works.
  The main device can't and shouldn't connect to SparkLE MIDI because these MIDI ports are already being used by the IO device.
• jksuperstar · November 19 2013
  Ok, I got it. I can use the Spark.IO module next to the Editable version. I just have an issue with the frozen one for some reason.
  It also helps to have a clip selected ;)
  It doesn't detect the drumrack automatically like it says, so I need a MIDI pitch shift to get it into range.
  I like how it can jump from 1 8 step sequence to another in 1 button push. And it seems more responsive than the software from Arturia. Anyway...good work!