MIDI controller resolution
hi -
i was trying to find a good solution to this and unable to do so, so i thought i'd ask here.
i have a nanokontrol and i'd like to really finely tune across an octave - much finer than the 0-127 afforded by MIDI.
to try and solve this problem, i split the steps up across 6 sliders... so the first slider goes from a MIDI value of 40 to 43, the second slider goes from 43 to 46, etc...
the only problem is that switching sliders creates non-linear jumps in the notes..
does anyone have any suggestions for how to solve this problem?
I think this is what your looking for...
Note that all MIDI controllers do not limit themselves to 0-127. Some interfaces use 14-bit values for sliders or pots instead of 0-127 (I'm thinking Mackie Control, BCF2000, and others). Usually though, the actual resolution is most of the time not 16,384 (14-bit) but 1024 (10 bit) - I am not aware of a controller actually giving 14-bit real resolution. I guess it is because to actually give 14 bits of resolution, you would need a greater (i.e. more expensive) ADC (analog-to-digital converter) in your micro-controller, and that might not be worth it.
Another option is to go with two sliders or pots, a coarse and a fine one - as is the case in some analog synths as well.
An idea:
Next to each slider you have buttons.
When no button are pressed, the slider moves freely without tuning.
When you press one button when moving the slider you corse tune.
When you press another button you fine tune.
That would mean, put slider in the middle. Press corse button, corse tune. Release button, put the slider in the middle. Press fine tuning button, fine tune.
Another idea, if you are in the hacker, maker thing: savage a old radio that has endless rotation potentiometer, and use it with an Arduino, serial communication.