Pole One

I have reached stalemate in the project I am currently working on. The idea is to use a XBOX controller that will trigger notes. For that, I want to create a sort of instrument fingering (like a flute or oboe woud have to seal the holes) with the buttons on the right of the controller. This idea would correspond to use a kind of a """standard""" fingering for a digital instrument.

I figured that maybe it would be playable to set C on the A button, E on the X, G on the Y and B on the B (to make an arpeggio). To make the middle notes (D, F and A) I was wondering if it could be possible to assign them with multiple button pressed. To do so, A and X would trigger D, X and Y would trigger F & Y and B would trigger A.

I tried multiple stuff to achieve this idea, and the most convicing one was to use the [if] object. You can check the patch atached to this post to look at what I tried. 

1) why does the [sel 0 1] object coming from the X buttons bang the two outlet at the same time everytime I try to do a D ?

2) did I missed an object that would simplify what I'm trying to do ?

3) I have the strange feeling that everytime I am close to the answer, I missed something and everything seems to be nonsens afterall. Like I can finally press A and X to trigger D BUT the A triggers the C at the same time which leads to hear two notes at the same time... 

If someone has a clue that might help me solving this problem I'd be thankfull !! (please excuse my english, I'm a foreigner)

How to get one note from various bang inputs ?

how-to-get-one-note-from-various-bang-inputs

you have number of button states which you want to recognise and use to trigger something.

but flute you mentioned uses more than few holes open or closed,

there is a trigger - blowing which executes hole states.

how would you prevent button A to trigger note C  

when you actually want buttons A and X pressed together to trigger note D ?

And which of them would need to be pressed first ?

Would releasing one of the buttons trigger single note

to combine buttons into multipress states check such stuff

At the end you need to also check what your fingers are capable off,

can you pin that 4 buttons so well to play a scale using another

"but flute you mentioned uses more than few holes open or closed,

which you don't have but must create." -> Yes exact, I did thought about that a few days ago. It would simplify to have the top right of left trigger of the controller to "mimic" the air blowing in the flute. 

"And which of them would need to be pressed first ?" -> This was my nightmare lol to be honnest I was wondering if it could be bypassed ; like the computer "understands" whether I press the A button or the X first. The problem doesn't come from the PC at the end but from what's between the chair and the keyboard haha

"to combine buttons into multipress states check such stuff" -> sure I'll keep you in touch when I try your suggestion ! 

"At the end you need to also check what your fingers are capable off,

button or stick as a trigger ?" ->the idea is to try eventually. as humans, we have to adapt to music instrument in order to play them, it could be similar in this situation 

that is easy to organise, the question is would you use

one jostick to mimic air pressure, which could end up as either velocty for midi

later would match closely blown instrument.

umenu is filled with all 16 possible states, that can be used to recall

uses number keys 1 - 4 to mimic 4 xbox buttons.

(one could use 4 bit binary order to fill the menu instead of

or singles first, then all doubles, tripples and quad at the end ...) 

Slider mimics joystick, resets to zero when mouse released.

 is the input, and you want that to decode to 

, you are basically performing a binary number to decimal number conversion (followed by + 1), which is how i would solve this for 4-8 buttons (or a few more buttons in 64-bit max)

but you can also combine s.a.´s [&&] example to work with 4 inputs and possibly find a dozen other logic or math solutions.

if it should work like a flute, you can not count on the extra trigger to fetch the latest state of the buttons. 

, which means that the buttons also may change the frequency while an existing note is still held. so you do not come around using [pak] or similar to keep track of the button states 

sure you can,  just enter notes into coll or any other

storage and  trigger recalled note using joystick level.

one can limit button states to less than 16 too, and use 

only easy-to-press combinations on that gamepad

Thanks a lot for your help and advises, you surely gave me a big one today ! Source Audio, yu are a genius 

Here's what the patch looks like now (it is s.a's without the mouse to controll the volume ; it's the axis_left_trigger instead). It took me some times to understand the patch but eventually, it is so obvious right now lol. How convinient this solutions are. I did learned some objects in the path 

I droped the idea of pressing multiple buttons at the same time to make different notes. Now, a, x, y and b are a C7 arpeggio & those same buttons with the "button_right_shoulder" make a D7 arpeggio, so that all of the white notes are possibe. It is more convinient to press the RB button instead of multiple letters button

Now I'll try to manage the idea of lauching modes (ionian, dorian, etc.) to use them in music compositions. Playing over a drone and have fun basically. I'll keep you in touch. 

One quick question : have you maybe some books to recomand to someone like me who needs some technical ideas to implement ? I have Desining Sound by Andy Farnell but I'm looking for something written for Max

Here's an exemple of the patch running over a drone : 

steiner would have given you something to breath into.

not only to switch between notes, scales, chords or to progress through

yes it seems really powerfull in terms of possibilities, thanks again for your time and help :))

i'll try my question again : do you have some books about using Max to recommend ? I will try : How to Program Max4Live Devices Volume 1: Effects ; but maybe you do know a book which act as a bible 

no, I have no recommendations for any books, sorry

No prob ! thanks for the reply anyway :))