MIDI control of floating point values
Hello Everyone-
If I want to use a midi fader (which sends integers between 0-127) to
control the speed of an LFO (which receives floating point values
between 0.0 and 20.0 Hz), what is the best way to make the 2 data types
"match"? I would like the fader to yield a smooth transition between
values (i.e. no zipper/quantization noise)....
Thank you,
-Tim
There are lots of ways to do this in max and your chosen method will depend upon how your LFO works and if you want a linear response.
I suggest the humble "*" object with the value 0.157480314961
(when you save and reload the patch this number will be truncated to 0.15748) This will scale your input to between 0. 20. It's easy to calculate the number needed for other ranges.
hi output / hi input = scaling factor
If you want more options you could always check out the scale object and help file and search through the tutorials it has all this info and much more!
As for eliminating zipping noises it depends on your lfo you could investigate line or line~
j.
Here's an easy way to do it - adjust to suit particulars.
On Feb 25, 2007, at 11:06 AM, Tim Flood wrote:
> Hello Everyone-
>
> If I want to use a midi fader (which sends integers between 0-127)
> to control the speed of an LFO (which receives floating point
> values between 0.0 and 20.0 Hz), what is the best way to make the 2
> data types "match"? I would like the fader to yield a smooth
> transition between values (i.e. no zipper/quantization noise)....
>
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
SFIFEM
Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
At 1:06 PM -0500 2/25/07, Tim Flood wrote:
>If I want to use a midi fader (which sends integers between 0-127) to control the speed of an LFO (which receives floating point values between 0.0 and 20.0 Hz), what is the best way to make the 2 data types "match"? I would like the fader to yield a smooth transition between values (i.e. no zipper/quantization noise)....
This doesn't address any quantitization/zipper issues, but I don't think that those are really an issue when controlling LFO speed, anyway.
--
Chris Muir | "There are many futures and only one status quo.
cbm@well.com | This is why conservatives mostly agree,
http://www.xfade.com | and radicals always argue." - Brian Eno
On Feb 25, 2007, at 6:28 PM, Leafcutter John wrote:
> I suggest the humble "*" object with the value 0.157480314961
> (when you save and reload the patch this number will be truncated
> to 0.15748) This will scale your input to between 0. 20. It's easy
> to calculate the number needed for other ranges.
>
> hi output / hi input = scaling factor
This only works when the low limits are equal in both the input &
output ranges, otherwise it's a little more complicated.
In the case where they're not equal, an algorithm is:
1) subtract lower limit from input (remove input offset)
2) divide this result by ((input upper limit - input lower limit)*
(output upper limit - output lower limit))
(i.e., divide by (input range * output range))
3) add output lower limit (add output offset)
in other words, in Max-land:
[expr ($f1 - $f2)/($f3-$f2)*($f5-$f4)+$f4]
where $f1 = input; $f2 = input lower limit; $f3 = input upper limit;
$f4 = output lower limit; $f5 = output upper limit
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
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Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
Two things. First, your 0-127 control will create only 128 different values
and even though the final output this patch is float, there will be only 128
different floats. This is perhaps not fine enough. Some stepping may be
heard although less likely in an LFO. Second, your output is frequency so
you should be using an exponential interpolation. Of course your minimum
can't be zero. You can figure out a value for the last arg of scale to
create the right shape or use this cludge that does its computations with
midi key numbers with fractional parts. (MIDI is a logarithm of frequency.)
My sliders are scaled to 1000 steps to get a finer resolution.
Cheers
Gary Lee Nelson
Oberlin College
www.timara.oberlin.edu/GaryLeeNelson
Since the frequency in this case is perceived not as pitch but as
rhythm/speed/tempo/whatever, is the log interpolation necessary?
Given that time is perceived linearly rather than logarithmically,
this seems to be an extra unneeded step, doesn't it?
On Feb 25, 2007, at 12:27 PM, Gary Lee Nelson wrote:
> Second, your output is frequency so
> you should be using an exponential interpolation. Of course your
> minimum
> can't be zero. You can figure out a value for the last arg of
> scale to
> create the right shape or use this cludge that does its
> computations with
> midi key numbers with fractional parts. (MIDI is a logarithm of
> frequency.)
>
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
SFIFEM
Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
Tempo IS a frequency and is perceived logarithmically. 120 is twice as fast
as 60 bmp (2/1 an octave) but add 60 again to get 180 and the speed
increases by 3/2 - the third harmonic of 60.
Here is an expression/technique that I use for tempo. 0 is 60, 12 is 120
(up an octave) and -12 is 30 (down 8va).
On 2/25/07 2:59 PM, "Steven Miller" wrote:
> Since the frequency in this case is perceived not as pitch but as
> rhythm/speed/tempo/whatever, is the log interpolation necessary?
> Given that time is perceived linearly rather than logarithmically,
> this seems to be an extra unneeded step, doesn't it?
Cheers
Gary Lee Nelson
Oberlin College
www.timara.oberlin.edu/GaryLeeNelson
Well not really - I don't know exactly how you are using it, but -
1Hz vibrato to 2Hz is twice as fast - 2Hz vibrato to 4Hz vibrato is
twice as fast as that - ie if 1Hz is a quarter note, then 2Hz will be
an eighth note and 4Hz will be a quarter note. The ratios are what
counts, just as with pitches. If you slowly increase your LFO
frequency to make an accellerando, the speed increase will actually
be perceived logarithmically. You might be doing something where this
doesn't matter, but I rather doubt it.
Best
L
On 25 Feb 2007, at 19:59, Steven Miller wrote:
> Since the frequency in this case is perceived not as pitch but as
> rhythm/speed/tempo/whatever, is the log interpolation necessary?
> Given that time is perceived linearly rather than logarithmically,
> this seems to be an extra unneeded step, doesn't it?
Lawrence Casserley - lawrence@lcasserley.co.uk
Lawrence Electronic Operations - www.lcasserley.co.uk
Colourscape Music Festivals - www.colourscape.org.uk
You're right - I hadn't really thought of it that way. Thanks!
On Feb 25, 2007, at 1:50 PM, Gary Lee Nelson wrote:
> Tempo IS a frequency and is perceived logarithmically. 120 is
> twice as fast
> as 60 bmp (2/1 an octave) but add 60 again to get 180 and the speed
> increases by 3/2 - the third harmonic of 60.
>
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
SFIFEM
Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
Yeah, good point. I was thinking about LFO speed as generally faster-
slower, not synchronized to a tempo per se.
On Feb 25, 2007, at 1:57 PM, lawrence casserley wrote:
> Well not really - I don't know exactly how you are using it, but -
> 1Hz vibrato to 2Hz is twice as fast - 2Hz vibrato to 4Hz vibrato is
> twice as fast as that - ie if 1Hz is a quarter note, then 2Hz will
> be an eighth note and 4Hz will be a quarter note. The ratios are
> what counts, just as with pitches. If you slowly increase your LFO
> frequency to make an accellerando, the speed increase will actually
> be perceived logarithmically. You might be doing something where
> this doesn't matter, but I rather doubt it.
>
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
SFIFEM
Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
Hmmm, now we're getting some sophisticated LFO control going on! And
to think I'd been happy with the plain old knob on that analog
modular system all this time... ;)
On Feb 25, 2007, at 2:41 PM, Peter McCulloch wrote:
> Also, you might want to consider using the left inlet of function
> to remap the signal before sending it to the pack and line~
> controlling the LFO speed. Function will allow you better
> resolution where you need it (and less where you don't) than just
> standard arithmetic means, and it's significantly easier than
> finding the appropriate power scaling coefficient. Also, you can
> do things like ease-in and ease-out for your faders, etc.
>
> Peter McCulloch
>
>
----
Steven M. Miller
Home
SFIFEM
Atrium Sound Space
OVOS
As said, the function / bpfunction would be helpful, as you can set the domain (x range) to 128 total points, then draw in your desired values (y values) that you want your 0-127 input values to access. Graphical representation of your scaling function, very nice, not to mention that preset works with bpfunction... as does pattr (with lots of interpolation!) etc...
The same goes for the almighty Multislider... use a 128-point one and just draw in your data. You could also use a divisor of 128, like 16... then you'd have only 16 different values that your 0-127 maps to, which would give some "stepping", but this may be interesting too (and can be smoothed by line on the output anyway). Also presettable, and pattr-able.
Table will do this for you too, though I personally don't like dealing with external table files, would rather use a bpfunction or a multislider, with presets / pattrs.
Don't forget *mtr*! Hook one up to the desired values and record your changes until your heart's content (which seems to be never in limitless Max land).
-CJ