MMM comments

[mikail]

Hi Collin, first off I'd like to say how much I appreciate your apps and the way they work, really useful tools.
Next, I've been reading through all of your posts about the various tools you/CM Soft have created and have a few comments/questions and some wishes.

* Do you have an actual time frame for the next release of the MMM that will include assignable note values & name labels for the pads?
For me this is a must have update in order to make the best use of this most useful app, plus I have a series of upcoming live concerts where I hope to use the MMM as one of my main controllers.
I would prefer to use MMM over the iTouchMIDI "Matrix" app as I really prefer the extra control and preset map layouts that you offer.
But back to my main point, without the labels and assignable note values I find it is quite hard to fully utilize it's functionality and not have to always rework all of my existing samples and instruments to fit the current layouts you have preset.

Below are some of my wishes for a future rev of MMM
And btw, though you offer MMM for free (which is very kind of you) I for one would be more than happy to contribute some extra $$ for a newer more advanced revision such as a possible MMM Pro version.
So please don't think these requests are just more work with no reward other than a cordial "thank you". 

* wish: I noticed you said you plan to add Pitch Bend to the IXY app, but I see no mention of also including it as an option for MMM?
Any chance of that happening? Sure would be useful to be able to use PB as one of the parameters in place of a CC message.

* wish: allow each PAD to have it's own MIDI CHANNEL - this is a must for sending note on/off & CC messages to multiple MIDI devices.

* wish: please add a user definable VELOCITY amount for each pad - as it is now I find I constantly need to readjust many of my samples and note values so they do not over-play into ranges that don't work as originally intended. All of which brings up yet another wish...

* wish: please consider adding a SHIFT button somewhere next to the HOLD button that would allow each pad (when pressed) to send out a 2nd preset velocity value. This way the user could define multiple values for live work that give more nuanced playing ability.

* wish: could you add an ALL NOTES OFF PANIC button somewhere next to the or near the HOLD button.
There are many reasons for this, but mostly due to the fact that I've found on occasion that some NOTE ON messages sent from MMM do not get turned off, that is they get stuck and short of going back tot he device itself to either reset it or change presets etc. you are pretty much stuck with notes ringing on - no fun!

* wish: when using the HOLD button to keep a note ringing out it would be useful to have that cell of the PAD being HELD highlighted so one can see what note it is actually playing - also, how does one TURN OFF a note when the HOLD function has been used? I assume it would be by pressing the same pad again, but this does not always seem to work.

* wish: along with labels and starting note assigns it would be great to be able to assign individual colors to each of the cells to make it easier to see areas of particular note values & groups etc...

Well thanks very much for listening and btw, if it is not already obvious, I really like your concepts and find MMM to have the makings of a very powerful MIDI controller with tons of potential!!! I think once some of the issues above and what others have had to say happen, well lets just say you have the makings of a real classic.

Thanks very for the great tools, I look forward to your reply...   

mikail

ps: if you care to check out any of my work (a bit on the odd side it tis...) please check out the following links:

MUSIC & SOUND
http://mikailgraham.com/MyLife/MusicSound.htm

FILM & VIDEO WORK
http://mikailgraham.com/MyLife/FilmWork.htm

[Collin Meyer]

Hi,

Thanks for the nice comments, it's always great to hear both positive and critical feedback .

As far as the update, it is currently in progress.  Some work has been done, but labels and pitch bend are not yet finished.  I don't really have an ETA for when they will be finished.   In the next release of MMM I intend to have:

* Pitch bend
* Labeled, assignable button matrix (as opposed to the current static one)
* ALL NOTES OFF Panic feature (as you specified).
* Separate X and Y holds.  Instead of HOLD/TeachX/TeachY it will have just HOLD X, HOLD Y.  If you HOLD Y for instance, the X is only sending values and this will MIDI teach X.   This is really helpful in Logic as Logic doesn't just learn your CC #, but also a range for the controller. 
But like I said, I have no ETA on when I will finish up those features .   

The HOLD feature applies to the Accelerometer controller ONLY, it does not hold a note.  It is mainly intended to help in doing MIDI Teach as it's near impossible to accurately MIDI teach values with the X and Y accelerometers changing constantly.

A tip for if you get stuck notes in MMM - This is generally because of the type of network data MMM sends.  It is "lossy" so to speak in that a message that MMM is sending to your machine may get lost.   I used the network method I did because it's the only way to get such low Latency between the controller and what you're controlling, but as such it has this one disadvantage.   It's not as visible when you are using the Accelerometer control because it is sending continuous messages, so the response is sort of smoothed even if a few messages get lost here and there.       ANYWAY- one way you can improve performance in this respect is to use MMM with an Ad-hoc connection, as described in the Tutorials section of my page under "Using our MIDI Software Live".

I have been considering reviving the idea of attempting to make some money on this software and am considering my options for that.  In the meantime, updates will be slower than they were since I really have very limited time to work on this. 

Cheers!

Collin

[mikail]

Hey thanks so much for the reply Collin, I appreciate it.

Your additions to the next version are great but I forgot to mention one very important wish which is:

* please add the ability for each pad to transmit on it's OWN MIDI CHANNEL
this is imperative to allow for multi-mode instruments, that is to say instruments/samplers/devices that support multiple instruments and receive data on individual MIDI channels.
example: a sampler like the EXS 24 or the Native Instruments Kontakt sampler where you can have piano on channel 1, bass on channel 2, drums on channel 10, etc...

worst case if this is too much work (I sure hope not!) then at least allow for each of the 5 preset pad groups to transmit on their own respective MIDI channel.
it's not ideal but at least would allow for using MMM as a true wireless multi-timbral MIDI controller.

Btw the iTM Matrix app does allow for each pad to have it's own MIDI channel, note #, color and label, but does not allow for the X/Y mapping control that MMM offers and it sells for $5.99.
My point being that I think you could easily get the same o make it more affordable and just go for half of that at $2.99 for a MMM Pro which I think users would really enjoy and hopefully support.

But perhaps this is already similar to what you are already planning and meant when you said: "* Labeled, assignable button matrix (as opposed to the current static one)"

One other question, what made you choose a default velocity value of 100 rather than adding a Pref for choosing your own?
I ask because many instruments (such as those within Logic) have velocity crossfades that kick in right around that value which makes it tough to use MMM as a controller without first editing them to a higher value.

And one last comment, I'm sure you already know this, but when MMM is open and the iPhone "locks" and then you unlock it, MMM is no longer active and has to be restarted, certainly not a deal breaker but I thought I should at least mention it in case you are able to change this behavior in a future update.

Collin I'm sure it is tough to get so many requests and gripes when you don't have a lot of time or $$ coming in to support it all, but hey you have the makings a classic here so I will keep pushing (& as gently as I can) to make MMM as good as it can be 

Thanks very much for your time and for the useful tools.

peace

mikail

[mikail]

- one way you can improve performance in this respect is to use MMM with an Ad-hoc connection, as described in the Tutorials section of my page under "Using our MIDI Software Live".

I forgot to mention that I am already using MMM this way as many of the performance spaces I work in do not have WIFI, nice tip and one that should be included on the CM Software APP STORE pages me thinks. 

And last, if you ever need a beta tester for new revs do let me know as I have been doing that sort of thing since the late 70s and also have written many reviews and articles for EM, Keyboard, EQ, audioMIDI.com etc...

mg

[Collin Meyer]

Thanks Mikail, it sounds like you've got quite a bit of experience and knowledge.

Since reading your ideas I have been thinking about the design of the Note and MIDI channel selection feature for the note pads.  In some ways it's simple like you are expecting, but the thing is that I want to keep the interface fairly immediate.

Originally I was going to make the pads assignable as a range, that way you only selected 2 note values for the pad matrix, and it filled in each pad with a note in that note range.   I have to think about it this way because this is a small touch device and I really want to preserve the immediacy and ease of use over customization.   If I'm going to do per pad note and midi channel assignments, I may make an edit screen of sorts.  You press edit, and then you have either the option to fill the pads with a range of notes and a single MIDI channel, or you can tap each pad and assign it an individual note and midi channel.

As far as why I chose 100 as the velocity value... in the beginning the note pads were tacked on as an afterthought, I considered this to be an accelerometer MIDI app where I happened to take a little extra time to add note pads in order to make use of the screen real estate that was available due to the accelerometer not needing any .

As far as making these apps a business, I may or may not try to take MMM and iXY back into being paid apps... it depends on how much value I think I can add to them for the consumer.   But what I'm really thinking about for making money is to make a modular midi controller app with a controller designer for PC/Mac, allowing you to upload custom controller layouts with knobs, sliders, x/y's accelerometer, note triggers etc and be multitouch capable.   Sort of a very small jazzmutant lemur type of thing   THAT I think would be highly marketable.