I’ve been using a Korg nanopad with my ETC for live shows. It needed a small amount of easy setup with Korg’s free software. I mapped the MIDI to saved scenes, it allows me to jump between 64 scenes in any order.
I also discovered that the controller’s touchpad will alter the values of knobs 1 and 2. It’s an X/Y pad, x axis = knob 1, y axis = knob 2, but you can control both simultaneously. It opens up some really fun possibilities. It has me wondering about other controllers and maybe sequencers with the ETC.
All very cool @chrisk - thanks. I didn’t realize you could reassign that touchpad, but it makes sense. I also want to investigate some of the other controls on the nanopad with the ETC. I wonder what the arpegiator can be made to do with it, for example. I will dig into those links and videos, thanks!
I use a Nanocontrol with my laptop installation of ETC. I also modified midi.py and etc_setup.py so I can use any CC. I don’t have the system here, so I can’t post the changes, but I may do so this evening.
The transport-controls are next/previous, screenclear-on/off., OSD and so on.
Next steps are, that I want the modes to recognize the device on which the mode is running. So I can use the same mode on a standard ETC, a modified one, or a laptop.
As promised my changes to the python-files to make all MIDI CC’s available:
All files are in the directory /root/ETC_Mother/.
1.) midi.py
I kept the original definition of the variable “cc” and added a new variable midi_cc. New code is marked with “###”
[...]
# channel messages
if ( (msg_channel == (etc.midi_ch - 1)) or (etc.midi_ch == 0)) :
#
# CC original
if (msg_type == 0xB) :
etc.new_midi = True
for i in range(0,16) :
if (midi_msg[1] == 21 + i) :
cc = midi_msg[2]
if cc != cc_last[i] :
etc.cc_override_knob(i, float(cc) / 127)
cc_last[i] = cc
# CC new version ###
if (msg_type == 0xB) : ###
etc.midi_new = True ###
etc.midi_cc[midi_msg[1]] = midi_msg[2] ###
#
# note OFF
if (msg_type == 0x8) :
[...]
2.) etc_system.py:
All the new code marked by an “###” at the end of the line
[...]
# midi stuff (CC gets updated into knobs
midi_notes = [0] * 128
midi_notes_last = [0] * 128
midi_note_new = False
midi_cc = [0] * 128 ###
midi_cc_last = [0] * 128 ###
midi_cc_new = False ###
ctrl = 0
midi_pgm = 0
[...]
# check for new notes
for i in range(0, 128):
if self.midi_notes[i] > 0 and self.midi_notes_last[i] == 0:
self.midi_note_new = True
# check for new CCs ###
for i in range(0, 128): ###
if self.midi_cc[i] != self.midi_cc_last[i] : ###
print ("CC" + str(i) + "; value: " + str(self.midi_cc[i])) ###
self.midi_cc_new = True ###
[...]
def clear_flags(self):
self.new_midi = False
self.audio_trig = False
self.run_setup = False
self.screengrab_flag = False
self.midi_note_new = False
for i in range(0, 128):
self.midi_notes_last[i] = self.midi_notes[i]
for i in range(0, 128): ###
self.midi_cc_last[i] = self.midi_cc[i] ###
and finally:
3.) main.py
[...]
midi_led_flashing = False
#
osd_is = False
#
midi_cc_last = [0] * 128
#
while 1:
# read keyboard keys to as buttons:
for event in pygame.event.get():
if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN:
#left cursor selects previous mode
if event.key == pygame.K_LEFT: etc.prev_mode()
#right cursor selects previous mode
if event.key == pygame.K_RIGHT: etc.next_mode()
#ESC-key exits the program
if event.key == pygame.K_ESCAPE: sys.exit()
#the "t"-key and the period key act as trigger button
if event.key == pygame.K_t: etc.update_trig_button(1)
if event.key == pygame.K_PERIOD: etc.update_trig_button(1)
#the "p"-key toggles the OSD-display
if event.key == pygame.K_p:
if (osd_is) :
etc.set_osd(False)
osd_is = False
else :
etc.set_osd(True)
osd_is = True
#the "r"-key reloads the mode.
#this is helpful if you are logged in with SSH and edit
#the mode on the USB-stick with an editor
if event.key == pygame.K_r: etc.reload_mode()
#
#the "p"-key toggles the OSD-display
if event.key == pygame.K_c:
if (etc.auto_clear) : etc.auto_clear = False
else : etc.auto_clear = True
#
#Korg Nanopad sends CC's from the buttons.
#next mode by FFWD-Button
m=44
if midi_cc_last[m] == 0:
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 127:
etc.next_mode()
midi_cc_last[m] = etc.midi_cc[m]
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 0:
midi_cc_last[m] = 0
#
#previous mode by REW-Button
m=43
if midi_cc_last[m] == 0:
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 127:
etc.prev_mode()
midi_cc_last[m] = etc.midi_cc[m]
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 0:
midi_cc_last[m] = 0
#
#toggle the autoclear by the STOP button.
m=42
if midi_cc_last[m] == 0:
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 127:
if (etc.auto_clear) : etc.auto_clear = False
else : etc.auto_clear = True
midi_cc_last[m] = etc.midi_cc[m]
if etc.midi_cc[m] == 0:
#
# check for OSC
...
Can I ask how are you modifying ETC? I was thinking of two hardware mods: summing stereo input for onboard converting stereo signals and gate to pedal circuit for using modular gate signals (+5V) in pedal input.
With modified ETC I meant an ETC with changed system python files. The idea is to establish a variable in the main.py which contains the branch- and version-number. So the mode would check these variables and then could be enabled to use extra features.
Regarding hardware mods: I indeed modified the pedal input to read gate signals. You have to solder a transistor with emitter-collector across the switch and feed the gatesignal over a resistor to the gate. You also simply may use an external switched-trigger to gate converter like FAQ General
The other idea was to add voltage inputs which replace the voltage coming from the knob-potentiometers. But it is tricky to assure that the voltage is not too high (3.25V max) and also the pcb is not easy to modify (very fine tracks, narrow neighbourd, difficult to split, difficult to solder…).
