Very Nice Looper! But .... a request.
I perform live and have traditionally used a hardware looper (Boomerang III), but have dabbled in using a MacBook for audio and using Mobius as my looper. More lately, Loopy HD on an iPad mini.
I just bought Everest to check out, and am very impressed. However, I have a request! The ability to use foot switches to serve two functions (tap for function 1, and hold/release for function 2) is extremely valuable for live performance, to minimize foot switches required. However, the note on/off functions for Everest are currently fixed. It would be VERY useful if a user could also customize the bindings/functions for MIDI note control to suit their personal needs.
As an example, the following would be ideal for my performance needs, and close to what I do with a Boomerang III pedal:
FOOT SWITCH ONE (Master Loop/Loop 1)
Tap: Rec/Overdub (If loop is blank, record. If recorded, overdub.)
Hold 1/2 sec: Undo last record.
FOOT SWITCH TWO: (Master Loop/Loop 1)
Tap: Stop/Start. (If playing, pause. If paused, play from loop beginning)
Hold: Delete loop.
A foot switch 3 would be similar to switch 1, but would control recording on Slave loop 2. Foot switch 4 similar to switch 2, but for stopping/starting Slave loop 2 (in sync with Master loop 1).
The current CC bindings are useful, but I'm not always able to watch my iPad while performing, so am unable to see which loop is active. Therefore, the note on/off MIDI control has the best potential, because I can dedicate foot switches to specific loops (and also get two functions per button via tap vs hold).
I realize that trying to serve all user needs is challenging, but I think providing the ability for performers to customize their foot switch functions (tap vs hold) would go a long way to really opening up the great looping potential that is already in your app. It would allow musicians to recreate the functions available in various hardware pedals (Boss, Boomerang, Digitech, EH, etc....).
I just bought Everest to check out, and am very impressed. However, I have a request! The ability to use foot switches to serve two functions (tap for function 1, and hold/release for function 2) is extremely valuable for live performance, to minimize foot switches required. However, the note on/off functions for Everest are currently fixed. It would be VERY useful if a user could also customize the bindings/functions for MIDI note control to suit their personal needs.
As an example, the following would be ideal for my performance needs, and close to what I do with a Boomerang III pedal:
FOOT SWITCH ONE (Master Loop/Loop 1)
Tap: Rec/Overdub (If loop is blank, record. If recorded, overdub.)
Hold 1/2 sec: Undo last record.
FOOT SWITCH TWO: (Master Loop/Loop 1)
Tap: Stop/Start. (If playing, pause. If paused, play from loop beginning)
Hold: Delete loop.
A foot switch 3 would be similar to switch 1, but would control recording on Slave loop 2. Foot switch 4 similar to switch 2, but for stopping/starting Slave loop 2 (in sync with Master loop 1).
The current CC bindings are useful, but I'm not always able to watch my iPad while performing, so am unable to see which loop is active. Therefore, the note on/off MIDI control has the best potential, because I can dedicate foot switches to specific loops (and also get two functions per button via tap vs hold).
I realize that trying to serve all user needs is challenging, but I think providing the ability for performers to customize their foot switch functions (tap vs hold) would go a long way to really opening up the great looping potential that is already in your app. It would allow musicians to recreate the functions available in various hardware pedals (Boss, Boomerang, Digitech, EH, etc....).
Comments
By my reading, there are couple of ideas here (echoed elsewhere too) :
1) Flexible non-fixed MIDI assignments are very useful, if slightly bewildering for non-expert users.
2) The interface to assign new assignments doesn't _have_ to be MIDI learn, certainly not for a v1.
3) Assigning Tap vs. Hold functionality for each MIDI "button" is useful as well.
With respect to #3, the current hold functionality is limited to just a few functions. I would need some time to make most (if not all) combinations effective (despite how weird those combos _could_ be).
An additional rub/issue for the first 2 points is the following: There is no standard/across-the-industry way of mapping physical hardware switches to MIDI messages.
For example, some midi controllers only output data on a release, others only on press, still others on both. Some output different CC values for the press and release, others the same one. The matrix of possibilities is frustrating for me as both a musician and as a developer. I have yet to come up with a clear user experience that maps to all of the common MIDI input devices. The current implementation seemed like the best compromise at the time. A very frustrating experience indeed...
A good user interface graphically showing all of this would help. It is, of course, the most difficult/expensive route, in terms of development.
In the meantime, have you tried using the Record/Reset MIDI Note control? I use this all the time; with a 4 footswitches, I can record and erase the 4 loops. Pressing and holding that button is a very clean way of erasing the loop, and being able to chain one loop recording after another is very helpful for recovering from mistakes or trying new ideas.
I’ve used numerous controllers, so am aware making a “one size fits all” function set is even more challenging given the differences. CC vs Note; toggle vs momentary, etc. However, some of the better pro pedals provide the ability to use a foot switch as momentary, giving the ability to provide note on/off timing, and that (of course) is where your nice ability to provide dual function buttons comes in.
I did try your Record/Reset note control, and it works great. But since I perform using (usually) two loops (the first is my master “timing” loop; the second an in-sync slave loop), and also need the ability to overdub and stop/start the loops, it takes up too many buttons with Everest to do what I need: each track needs switch functions for record, overdub, stop, play, and erase/reset. I could ideally achieve this with these dual functions:
Record/Overdub (one switch per track)
Stop/Play (one switch per track)
Erase All (one switch for all tracks
So, for two tracks, only 5 buttons. Not too bad!
For folks needing lots of tracks, your increment/decrement CC control method is ideal. However, it requires that the user watch the screen to see where they are. I can’t, so prefer the note control.
All that said, perhaps rather than offering an open smorgasbord of dual functions for users with adequate controllers (which could get messy and conflictive), provide only useful pairings such as those commonly offered by popular hardware loopers. For examples:
Record/Reset
Record/Stop
Record/Overdub
Overdub/Undo
Toggle Stop-Play/Erase
Stop/Play
Thanks, and I look forward to updates to an already impressive app.