Configuring MainStage with Midi Bass Pedals

[arkieboy]

So I finally pressed the button on a set of Ketron K8s (nearly new and half price! Arrived this morning ) so I'm now trying to work out how best to programme MainStage to work with them.

I have Hollowsun's Taurus samples* which I had previously converted into an EXS preset so the bass-ic (ehem!) use case is pretty much covered. However MainStage also has a midi plugin for chords which seems damn useful - I play in a three piece (guitar/bass/drums) and there are loads of places we could do with a pad to lift a chorus or to fill out a solo.

Any tips about triggering technique, note priority, polyphony setting, release envelopes etc that would help me play them smoothly would be gratefully received.

There is also an arpeggiator - can you chain that with the chord plugin?

Steve

* we got into correspondence about his Newtron Bomb CD and he sent me a set of samples out of the blue with (as you would expect), perfect 3-4s loops. Sorely missed

[The Elf]

Can't help you with Mainstage, but just thought I'd drop you a hint as to who created Hollowsun's Taurus samples... Ahem...

[Chevytraveller]

Not entirely sure what you are asking..

Yes you can chain the arpeggiator after the chord generator..
In terms of the note priority, are you talking about for the ESX Taurus soundset or for other instruments?..

[MarkOne]

You will be able to add a 2 octave controller in Layout mode, and tell mainstage what MIDI interface it comes in on.

Then everything you can do with any other controller, is going to be available to you.

I.e. layers, splits, chord triggers on defined keys, arpeggiators,

But mostly you will be able to do Mike Rutherford Suppers Ready bass pedal lines

[arkieboy]

Thanks, guys.

Elf: Steve did say that the samples came from 'a friend'. Did you loop them too?

I've been a bit of a nunce here, actually. What I guess I was trying to get at was that I wanted the key I pressed to continue until I pressed another key. I had played around with release envelopes and polyphony without getting exactly what I wanted. Then I realised that my bass pedals have a sustain pedal input.

So I just need a FS5L and set the polyphony appropriately so none of the notes from the last pedal pressed hang over. Simples!

[The Elf]

Elf: Steve did say that the samples came from 'a friend'. Did you loop them too?

I spent a long time recreating the preset patches inside the Taurus' synth section, so that I could isolate each oscillator and create the detuning outside of the instrument. That made looping much easier, and detuning more flexible.

[arkieboy]

I think its about time to revisit this.

I played around with a lot of stuff here - sustain pedals into the bass pedals, FC300 into MainStage, MainStage latching controls ... but nothing quite worked how I wanted it to.

You might know I'm a software engineer in my day job but I had steered clear of programming scripter myself because its JavaScript based (9-times cursed bastard hybrid language with lazy typing and a horrible syntax) and I do SQL/XQuery and data modelling anyway. But I rolled up my sleeves, went hunting for some code to hack and ended up with this.

Basically it will latch a key when pressed until either (a) you press another key which it will play instead or (b) you press the same key again, when it will unlatch that key.

Hope its of use to someone

//Bass pedal latch by arkieboy 2017
//Hacked from CavemanLatch by LogicScripts 2016
var notes = [];
for (var i = 0; i < 128; i++) {
notes = -1;
}

function HandleMIDI(e) {
if (e instanceof Note) {
if (e instanceof NoteOn) {
for (var i = 0; i < 128; i++) {

if (i!=e.pitch) {
if (notes==1) {
f = new NoteOff();
f.pitch = i;
f.channel = e.channel;
f.send();
notes = -1
};
}
}

notes[e.pitch] *= -1;
e.killed = 0;
}
if (e instanceof NoteOn && notes[e.pitch] == -1) {
f = new NoteOff(e);
f.send();
e.killed = 1;
}
e.killed == 0 ? e.send() : false;
}
}

[Martin Walker]

Well done arkieboy!

Reminds me of that famous song 'Baby it's code outside'

Martin