Programming your Code to work with the iElectribe

April 27, 2011

Hi, this Hawk the intern here at Livid and I’m here to teach you how to use a Livid Code midi controller to manipulate the iElectribe app for your iPad!  You can download the code editor mapping preset here, or follow my tutorial and program it yourself.  Then you can try customizing it to your preferences and if you have a Livid Block too, you can plug into a multi-usb hub and program both to get maximum control. But let’s start with the Code first.

In this tutorial I am using a prototype code controller with a built in iPad dock, but this will work with any code.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial:

Plug your Code into the computer and then open the code editor. For reference you can go here for the complete midi mapping instructions.

It’s important to know that iElectribe uses channel 10 for all messages, so you’ll need to reassign all of the controls to channel 10 when you do your mapping. You can either follow the mapping instructions below, or just go here to download the preset for Code editor that does it for you.

Now to start mapping buttons and knobs, you can click on them with your mouse or touch the corresponding button/knob on the actual code.

I began by assigning the bottom row of buttons to correspond to the instruments of the drum machine.  From left to right: synth 1, synth 2, synth 3, synth 4, HH closed, HH open, cymbal, and clap/snare.   To do this, assign code buttons 38 – 45 to note values 36, 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 49, and 39 (respectively from L to R).   Also, assign all the channels of these buttons to channel 10.

Make sure to press update each time you assign a button, and at this point hit “send” and “save to code.”  You can also hit the “store” button to save these settings to a preset in the code editor.

If you want to, you can unplug the code and plug it into the iPad via a powered usb hub (the iPad alone doesn’t power the code) and test it out.  Each time you press a button on the bottom row, it should activate the corresponding drum machine button.

Now let’s plug back in to the computer.  *Note that you might have to restart the code editor and pick back up from your saved preset.

Next, begin to assign each of the knobs or ‘encoders’ of the Code.  Each column of knobs will affect the drum machine instrument below it and the row will designate the type of change which will occur.  I have programmed mine to affect pitch, mod depth, mod speed, and decay.  (I might also suggest substituting decay for level but for this example, we’ll stick to decay).

The top row (Code knobs ENC1-ENC8) will be mapped to control the pitch of each instrument.  Make sure to set the ‘type’ to ctl and the channel to 10.  From the left to right, the values should be 15, 28, 42, 55, 68, 81, 94, and 107.  Hit “save”, “send to code” and “store” at this point if you have not.

The 2nd row (Code knobs ENC9-ENC16) will control mod depth.  Set all as ‘ctl’ on channel 10 and assign values 17, 30, 44, 57, 70, 83, 96, and 109 from L to R.

The 3rd row (Code knobs ENC17-ENC24) will control mod speed.  Set all as ‘ctl’ on channel 10 and assign values 18, 31, 45, 58, 71, 84, 97, and 110 from L to R.

The 4th row (Code knobs ENC25-ENC32) will control decay.  Set all as ‘ctl’ on channel 10 and assign values 20, 34, 47, 60, 73, 86, 99, and 112 from L to R.

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New code for Code: firmware 101

March 24, 2011
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Part of our mission is to create “living controllers.” What this means is that over the course of what is hopefully a long relationship with your Livid controller, we will consitently provide new ideas, new capabilities, and new ways of being creative. While the industry at large focuses on single purpose and disposability, we think you deserve better.

The Code controller has a bootloader in it, which means you can update the firmware over USB. The firmware is also open source, so if you know how to program a PIC chip, you can alter the source, and update it yourself. But we have our own ideas, and want to incorporate some of the suggestions we’ve gotten over the past 6 months, so we’ve made an update for everyone.

With that in mind, we have a new firmware for the Code controller that adds some cool new features that we think you’ll like.

  • Dual Speed Encoders: You can set 2 different speeds for encoders, where this shifted speed is accessed by assigning one of the buttons on the Code controller as the speed shifter. Any button can act as the speed shift, and a convenient macro is in the Encode panel in the CodeEditor to set the Logo button as the speed shift.
  • Prettier Lights: LED rings have the options of working as “walk” or “fill” mode. The “walk” mode (default) illuminates only one or two leds to indicate value. The “fill” mode will illuminate all LEDs that precede the current value, eventually lighting all LEDs at the maximum value.
  • More pretty lights: The LEDs for the button LEDs have 3 modes for illumination controlled by velocity values.  1-31: LED Blink, 032-063: LED Blink Fast, 064-127: LED On. Velocity 0, of course, turns it off.
  • Roll Your Own: Sysex command for independent control of all LEDs in the encoder LED rings. This is a feature that will be enjoyed mostly by programmers and those writing custom software.
  • Local Control for Encoder rings lets you take over the LED rings with your own illumination designs.
  • Relative mode (inc/dec) has been changed to better integrate with Ableton Live and Native Instruments Traktor.
  • Feedback Friendly: The encoders work better with Traktor.
  • A new CodeEditor software gives you access to all these new features in the Inspector and the new Encode panel. See the wiki manual for more information http://wiki.lividinstruments.com/wiki/Ohm64_Editor
  • Complete technical details of implementation can be found here http://wiki.lividinstruments.com/wiki/Code#Code_Sysex

So how do you get this? First, you have to have a Windows, Intel Mac OSX.5+, or Linux computer. You can download the update zip from our downloads page, then follow the simple instructions in the ReadMe. Here’s a video that show how it’s done:

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Now that we’ve made it seem so simple, there’s some things you should know. If you DON’T follow instructions, or lose power during the few seconds this process takes,  you’ll brick your Code, and have to send it into us to re-flash the firmware and bootloader (or find someone with a PICKIT2 programmer, take apart the Code, find the programming pins, and DIY!). We don’t want to do that, and you probably don’t want to lose your Code for the several days it has to travel to Austin, Texas.

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Kapture Pad and Code

March 21, 2011

Our friends over at Liine, makers of touch apps for Ableton Live, just released their latest app Kapture Pad. Kapture Pad extends Ableton Live by allowing you to take snapshots of all mixer and device parameters in your set and recall them instantly. The inclusion of snapshot morphing makes Kapture Pad not only an indispensable live performance utility but also a mindbending sound design tool.

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How can it be used with Code?

- Be more daring: In the Global Snapshots video you can how Kapture Pad can allow you to be bolder in your live performance with Code. “Perfect settings” of devices controlled by Code can be Kaptured. You can then let loose with Code and try things that you normally wouldn’t risk in a show – knowing that one tap on Kapture Pad is all it takes to jump right to that perfect groove. Of course, Code will track these parameter jumps perfectly! Video example.

- Performance and sound design: Use Code and Kapture Pad in partnership and get acquainted with morphing. Jam with Code and Kapture a killer sound in one corner of Kapture Pad’s Morph Pad. Twist Code’s encoders into 3 more wildly different sounds, Kapturing each in one of the other corners. Then discover new sounds by morphing smoothly between them with Kapture Pad. Video example.

- For other use cases see liine.net

Liine are a group of people passionate about music and technology. They are responsible for creating professional Ableton Live controllers for iPad and iPhone such as Griid Pro and Kapture Pad (as well as the Remiix series of interactive records). Liine are passionate about the possibilities offered by touch technology, but also have a deep understanding of why tactile, hardware control is of utmost importance to many musicians. They aim to develop touch tools which interact with and complement hardware solutions. Kapture Pad and Code is a great example.

 

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Aurex and All of Our Controllers

January 31, 2011

Our distributor in Belgium Turnlab just churned out this awesome video with Belgian Techo / Minimalist DJ Aurex. Aurex shows his skills on all three of our controllers as an artist and as a programmer. His sequencers are awesome, I am especially looking forward to the Code sequencer and he has made them available for anyone to use for free. You can download the sequencers from his site, and even though they are free he does take donations.  Check out the video below, it does a great job of illustrating what his sequencers are capable of.

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Livid Instruments Code MusicRadar.com

January 25, 2011

“Code’s a beautiful thing, a good tactile experience, with a lot of visual feedback from the LEDs – there’s also enough room on the case to label the controls if you want to.”

Read the entire review here - Livid Instruments Code | Music tech reviews | MusicRadar.com.

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