Eigenharp Google+ Community Archive

Hi, I've been learning to play Alpha for a month and there is some thoughts to share and questions to ask. I began by trying every layout available through Mark's Creator utility (thank you very much, by the way). My goal was to find a layout that is most suitable for playing chords and which could accommodate the grand staff. I ended up with 4xn and 3xn to choose from. As a test case I used a small piece consisting mostly of four note chords. Initially, I wanted to use 4xn but found it to be really uncomfortable with chords containing seconds. On the other hand 3xn was much better in that respect, moreover the chords were accessible with both hands. The reason for it was that it's very convenient when a chord aligns along a diagonal and they do that in 3xn. The main disadvantage of 3xn is that is less compact than 4xn so one needs flexible hands to play jumps in legato. I'm not a musician on any scale, so I wonder maybe there are some crucial disadvantages that I misse...

"kay, Dumb Question Friday!    For the EigenD mixer, where in the heck is the wet/dry mix for plugin FX1/2?   I can send/return signal from a plugin, but I also get 100% dry from that channel as well, which limits the utility. I do have a workaround, by going into Workbench and deleting the wires from the rig to the mixer and re-attaching them directly to the plugin FX, and using the plugin's wet/dry mix control, but...  this seems wrong to me.  Have I just been missing the point of MFX all this time?

1 Eigenharp Alpha Purchased. :D Woop woop.

For those of you looking for more Music Theory knowledge, check out the link below. http://www.musictheory.net/

creator update v 2.1.2 - diagonal keygroup support  been discussed a bit, so thought Id add diagonal layout support to key group layout in creator its the 12th parameter (true, false) see diag4n.conf for example. supports: - N diagonal, e.g. 2,3,4,5  across , 3-5 are most interesting - normal or reverse horizontal (left to right and right to left) - normal or reverse vertical (top to bottom, or bottom to top) these options are useful, as they change redundancy usage which in turn provides different fingerings at expense of range. currently assumes a 1:1 ratio, i.e ~45 deg, i could add support for others (2:1 i think would be interesting), if there is sufficient interest/feedback etc. note: this obviously works with scale illuminator (the way id suggest to practice ... its the way i do :o) ) , but has the 'eigend' issue of courses > 24 not illuminating correctly (same issue as wicki formats).  again, if a real issue I can solve... but for me a non-issues as i tend to use in c...

EigenFreeD update just a quick updates as been a bit quite recently. Unfortunately (?) ive been a bit busy recently with family visits and working on house, so not too much progress. (hope in a week or two thing will quieten down a bit) anyway, I have tidied up the code a bit, which was required for next steps (probably acceleration, led, and (perhaps) basic keymapping support) also, Ive been looking  how to write a mac (only) USB midi driver i.e. you plug in your alpha and it a proper midi device in macosx. seems not to difficult, but a a fair bit of work, as reuse of some existing code I don't think is possible. (the driver works at a lower level) .. I can't decide yet if its worth the effort or not. finally, Ive also taken a look at the idea of making a VST, i.e you insert the VST into your project, and it outputs Midi ( similar to integration ive done with Max4Live), this looks not too tricky. I would just need to work out if I do directly against Steinberg SDK, or use some...

Ample Guitar any one tried this VST?  they do a bit of a range of acoustic and electric. im quite interested in classical guitar version, Id prefer over OT as doesn't require kontact which i dont have. features and sound seem good, though doesn't have midi channel per string (yet) - so no use for strummer. im in no rush, lots of other things to experiment with still, but maybe for the future

EBAY: - There is an ALPHA for sale (not mine!) http://www.ebay.com/itm/111173769415?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648 http://www.ebay.com/itm/111173769415?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

Hangouts: I'm going to let someone else schedule the next round of Hangouts. It's getting into the time if year when I'm going to be less regularly available to 'hangout'.

Have been playing around with the diagonal chromatic layout Mark Harris  and António Machado proposed. Very interesting! For some things I still have to find a good fingering - but it's definitely a possibility... Jim Self might like the chord shapes (many adjacent keys :) )

how do i  set custom (other) scales in the "midi only" pico setup?  Since it seems that the eigenbrowser  only has the midi port setting. I am assuming it requires belcanto...

is there a way to map the  lower unused keys to midi cc`s or even buttons? im using 1.4 btw

Last year private Luxembourg event...

Try this scale:[0,2,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12]. This gives you access to the blues notes and major/minor 7th if played from root. Try shifting the root to the 2nd and 3rd note of the scale. Opens up some tonal possibilities. Of course, don't try just playing all of the notes. The 1/2 steps are there for embellishment and producing other harmonic progressions. So an 8 note scale might be: [0,2,3,4,7,8,10,12] or [0,2,3,4,6,8,11,12], etc. Let me know what think.

I can't believe I can't find documentation for this, but... how do I change to a custom scale on the Pico? It's defined in my user scales file, but that documentation doesn't say how to select one. Obviously it's not mapped in the scale selection functions of the default setup because that wouldn't know about it. I found a page on Belcanto which suggested I could say something like "sampler 1 hey scale to (whatever) set" but I always get "Invalid arguments for verb set" back, even with built-in scale names and actually examples from the documentation. And I can't find anything that even reminds me how to get hold of the scale browser. I know it's mode key, something, something, something, maybe something else, but a load of red and orange and green lights doesn't really tell me very much. And I'm not quite sure where my factory setup reference card is right now. Probably in the Pico's box, under a pile of other boxes, in t...

Transforia - From my live set at Electro-Music Festival, Huguenot, NY, September 2013. https://soundcloud.com/simple-not-simpler/transforia-live-performance-at

Here's an improvisation between Paul Harriman, Geert Bevin and myself (Randy Brown).  Three Eigenharp players meeting on the East Coast of the US for a unique music festival.  Never playing together before, they met and enjoyed the music, playing off each other's riffs and ideas.  A once in a lifetime musical experience.  One which I hope to get to share again. https://soundcloud.com/simple-not-simpler/eigenharp-trio-electro-music

Improvisation between Harrison McKay and Randy Brown at the 2013 Electro-Music Festival in Huguenot, NY. https://soundcloud.com/simple-not-simpler/harrison-brown-at-em2013

Some more Picts from EM2013.

My next Eigenharp project is to fully explore the parameter mapping on a few choice plugins, I.e.: Omnisphere, Alchemy and Zebra. This is an area that I know offers a lot of promise on the live performance space but is one I've hardly touched.

I know that some of you have the original version of the iConnect MIDI for connecting to the iPad (Geert Bevin and several others).  The smaller of the two new ones - the iConnect MIDI2+ - is now shipping and there's a cracking deal flagged up on Discchord.com, giving $20 off if you order via MusiciansFriend.com and use code FALLSALE13B.  I've just ordered and, including import duty, taxes and express delivery to the UK, it came to 77 quid with a guarantee of nothing extra to pay on import.  I had one on order from Thomann.de, who weren't expecting stock until the end of the month, and they wanted 92 quid including delivery.  The new version looks really nice, as it lets you use the ipad audio feed direct to your DAW.

Creator 2.0 questions (Mark Harris ) 1) How can I get the single Belcanto statement output (line-by-line) during run instead of block output? I prefer this to see what statements have failed. 2) I could not get course offset to take hold in a setup (basicaudiounit.bc).  Changed to full keymap still with no luck.  Saved setup and reloaded with same result.  Alpha. 3) KeygourpLayouts conf's: Do I run these on existing setups? TIA

From the Three Eigen-Migos performance at Electro-Music NY 2013.

Can someone score this for eigenharp?  http://i.imgur.com/kCNMKAn.jpg http://i.imgur.com/kCNMKAn.jpg

This course starts again in mid October. I found it quite challenging.  It teaches a modern Jazz improvisation technique that goes beyond just using the song scale. Instead you learn to select a scale based on the chord in use at the moment together with melody notes from surrounding bars. To do this you need to know 10 scales (each at 12 possible root notes) and be able to select and visualize them on your instrument as the chords come along in the song every few seconds. Daunting indeed! However, while learning you can work through a song in advance and, over time, come to know all the usual suspects. This is the course that sparked the discussion with Mark Harris that resulted in the scale illumination agent. Obviously to do this kind of playing, you need full a chromatic keygroup. The illuminator means that you do not need to be able to visualize thos 120 scales in an instant, they get coloured for you.  https://www.coursera.org/course/improvisation

On yesterday's #eigenwarriors Hangout I showed the guys a Pico setup that I am currently (re)discovering and liking quite a lot. On popular demand here a repost of the setup on the main Eigenharp G+ stream ;) This Pico setup allows to play (e.g. chromatic), monophonic lines over several octaves (more than five for chromatic scale), while being relatively easy to grasp for Eigenharp players used to the standard layouts (for Pico, Tau and Alpha). To get started just download and unzip this setup and put the files into your EigenD setups directory. (/Users/ /Library/Eigenlabs/2.0.74-stable/Setups on Mac). In the likely case that you already have a "user 1" setup, you can change the number arbitrarily, so it is unique in your setups folder. http://fstrixner.de/files/EigenD/PicoFingererSetup.zip Keys: pp pp pp pp ss h1 h2 h3 00 p: Playing keys (work like the first upper 8 keys for Pico standard layout - the individual notes are defined by the scale you choose - as usual) s: ...

The EigenFreeD project.... a video :o) EigenFreeD here I present what EigenFreeD is and what it is not, and of course a demo. sorry about talking, but need to be clear about goals and where im going with it :o)  #Eigenharp   #EigenFreeD

Glowing Paul Harriman performing at Electro-music fest 2013

Sorry I missed the hangout, and on such a 'hot' Eigenharp weekend.... performances from Geert Bevin , Randy Brown , Paul Harriman , Tim Roberts and António Machado performing at the Castle .. really hope you guys can get some video up. I cant contribute to performance yet... oh I wish I could...  but ive not been idle... tomorrow(afternoon) I will post something that I hope might in some way lighten the monday blues ;o)

I'll try to connect to the Hangout today from EMF2013. WiFi is iffy. If able, I'll try to give you an idea of what's going on.

Soon

Hope you had a chance to listen. Those in attendance roundly approved.

From earlier tonight. Originally shared by Tim Roberts Looks like this was the weekend for gigging with the eigenharp.

grey day and change of plans means today could be an eigenharp day ... hopefully :o)

Geert Bevin performed well tonight. 4 or 5 pieces. People really enjoyed it. Many we're in the hall afterward talking about it.

Three Eigen-Migos.

Question... how does EigenD transfer the 'polarity' (ie blowing or sucking) of the breath input to VST/AU instruments?  Or are soft-synths 'blow-only'? I've got used to blowing and sucking the cello, and it saves stopping for breath every so often :)

Tried loading Silent Way into EigenD last night, latest version of Silent Way and EigenD on OSX. The AU version seems to hang when I try to load any of the AUs. When I install the VST version, I'm only seeing the Silent Way DC, and none of the other plugins.  Has anyone else tried this? Geert Bevin ? Failing that, where in the EigenD code are the plugins handled?

Got Sample Modeling's new SWAMEngine saxes for my birthday.  They feel really natural and playable using my Pico, with one slight niggle... the note carries on after you've stopped blowing if the key is held down, which means you can't control the note all the way to zero, and you have to remember to release the keys to get silence, which is very non-wind-controller-ish (maybe it's natural to keyboard players?).  Does anyone else use this software and have the same problem?  Or even better has fixed it?  Am I missing some detail of the config? Thanks!

Got my new laptop set up with EigenD and my Pico. Dead pleased with performance and latency compared to desktop, now I need to get it hooked up to the amp I just bought and get playing! Exciting times ahead probably involving more purchases. Some kind of foot pedal seems like a good idea in the medium term. Especially if I can get it to control EigenD.

EigenFreeD by TheTechnobear Watch this space ...

Ordered an Expert Sleepers ES-3 today. And a few other bits n pieces. Pictures in a month or so.

odd (& useless) fact of the the day...  the lock button on the alpha has pressure,roll, yaw :o)

Silly question of the day :) We were talking about layouts during the G+ hangout. So after I thought I'd have a play with the factory layout again. But I couldn't figure out for the left hand in chromatic mode how you can do more than 1.5 octaves of a scale ( say c maj) legato - is there a fingering that let's you move down the keygroup ? im sure there must be but couldn't figure it out - I kept running out of keyboard, fingers or reach :)

Hmm, this will have an impact on EigenD. I wonder how big the development effort is? On the plus side, it might mean getting sidechain support. http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/09/03/vst-2-format-is-dead-steinberg-focuses-on-vst-3/?utm_source=feedly

Ableton have a 25% sale till 5 sept, and also there is a cross grade offer to full Max 6.1 25% discount AND you get Gen for free. ( which now has a VST/AU builder !) I'm very tempted as really getting into Max - and unfortunately, thinking its the eigenD fallback route if eigenlabs don't sort things out :(

has anyone had any luck with usb extension cords for the pico? what is the longest cord anyone has gotten to work?

Mike, will I require Workbench to use your scale lighting feature? Is there any way to use this without Workbench? The file comes as a PKG so I cannot open it up in Win only in OSX. Do you have a Win installer/zip file for non-OSX users?