Jonno Wilson

I am trying to work out how to create a device that will retrieve the drum pad names from a drum rack and display them in a large floating window, laid out visually to match my Roland SPD-SX drum pad. 

I intend to use Drum Rack devices triggered via MIDI from my Roland SPD-SX drum pad. This would be my preferred workflow, as opposed to simply loading the SPD-SX with samples (Ableton workflow is so much better for me).

The reason I want this device is that a normal drum rack device is visually quite small, especially if I am just using my laptop. If I am using multiple drum racks, it will be difficult to remember what is one each "kit" or drum rack, and difficult to see just from looking at the drum rack device.

This should be possible, as there is a DrumPad object in the LOM. I have been testing the Max Patch from this post: 

https://cycling74.com/forums/get-drum-pad-names 

and have been able to get pad names to appear in the Max window. However my Max skills are pretty much non-existent, and the logic of coding is very illogical to me. I am unsure how to move forward and get the pad names to appear in a floating window, or indeed if this example patch is the best way to achieve what I am wanting to achieve.

Any advice or pointers on how to make this idea a reality would be greatly appreciated!

Drum Pad Displayer mockup.png

I will attach a visual mockup of what I am hoping the device will look like.

 I am trying to work out how to create a device that will retrieve the drum pad names from a drum rack and display them in a large floating window, laid out visually to match my Roland SPD-SX drum pad.  
I intend to use Drum Rack devices triggered via MIDI from my Roland SPD-SX drum pad. This would be my preferred workflow, as opposed to simply loading the SPD-SX with samples (Ableton workflow is so much better for me).
The reason I want this device is that a normal drum rack device is visually quite small, especially if I am just using my laptop.  If I am using multiple drum racks, it will be difficult to remember what is one each "kit" or drum rack, and difficult to see just from looking at the drum rack device.
This should be possible, as there is a DrumPad object in the LOM. I have been testing the Max Patch from this post: https://cycling74.com/forums/get-drum-pad-names and have been able to get pad names to appear in the Max window. However my Max skills are pretty much non-existent, and the logic of coding is very illogical to me. I am unsure how to move forward and get the pad names to appear in a floating window, or indeed if this example patch is the best way to achieve what I am wanting to achieve.
Any advice or pointers on how to make this idea a reality would be greatly appreciated!


I will attach a visual mockup of what I am hoping the device will look like.

 I am trying to work out how to create a device that will retrieve the drum pad names from a drum rack and display them in a large floating 

display-drum-rack-drum-pad-names-in-floating-window-m4l-device

You need to learn how "patcher" works, which is one of the ways to load a patch inside a patch in Max.

Then you learn how to use "thispatcher" or "pcontrol" to open that patcher as a window.

Live has a Pack called Max for Live Building Tools (M4L Building Tools in the Browser) that has several example M4L devices, Lesson Devices>API Navigation Tools has examples of how to use the API and they all have a button that opens a window, you can check those to see how it works, and to copypaste from them.

Live has a Pack called Max for Live Building Tools (M4L Building Tools in the Browser) that has several example M4L devices,   Lesson Devices>API Navigation Tools has examples of how to use the API and they all   have a button that opens a window, you can check those to see how it works, and to copypaste  from them.

Display Drum Rack Drum Pad Names in floating window M4L device