Multiple control streams from a single controller/parameter

Rodrigo's icon

I remember seeing something about this on the forum ages ago, but I wasn't really able to search/find it.

Basically I'm curious what kinds of approaches people have taken for creating multiple data streams from a single controller input. Specifically I have a DIY DJ-style crossfader that I'm using to control things in Max, and I wanted to see how much I can get out of extracting the data from that.

Some simple/obvious ideas are various types of smoothing, and extracting speed-of-movement from the controller:

Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.

What are some other approaches or ideas you've come up?

Holland Hopson's icon

I like to track direction of motion, high peak, low peak, range of motion, rate/regularity/irregularity of direction change. I often run data into a "leaky" abstraction that slowly ramps from higher values down to 0. This approximates energy in the system, as if winding up a spring in a clock.

Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.

Rodrigo's icon

That's a great idea! Kind of what I was going for with the [p speedOfMovement] subpatch but it wasn't tuned right.

I've made some improvements to the initial patch:

Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.

Including a schmitt trigger for change of direction.

Holland Hopson's icon

The Schmitt trigger is clever for hysteresis. Looks like at high thresholds it could be useful for detecting abrupt changes to the input.

Rodrigo's icon

I found I needed the schmitt since I'm driving this with a 14-bit MIDI controller, which created some chatter if I just rested my finger on the fader.

brendan mccloskey's icon

I knew I had this tucked away somewhere!
https://cycling74.com/forums/mapping-strategies-one-to-loads-an-loads

(ps, I was such a dork back then)

Rodrigo's icon

Oh awesome, it was that thread I was thinking about but couldn't find.

brendan mccloskey's icon

(ps, if you are anything like me, don't have a nostalgic trip down 'old posts' lane - I posted some REAL drivel back in the day, with only the odd little gem once or twice. I suppose these things accumulate!)

CrossingParalells's icon

Don´t like to take space without adding anything real to the discussion but i Just had to thank your awesomenesss!!!