I hope so, can’t wait to see your result

Thanks!

Hi everyone

I just managed to get sound without any external device nor a specific/professional sound card:
(I will explain this one for Windows 7, don’t know exactly if it also works for other OS)

First you have to download these 3 programs (they’re all free):

VST Host: http://www.hermannseib.com/vsthost.htm
This is used to be able to run a vst instrument (you can choose whatever you want to, I picked up the one below.).

VST Synthesizer: http://www.superwavesynths.co.uk/product_p8.htm
A vst synthesizer - used to produce the sound out of MIDI data. Disadvantage of this specific synthesizer: pitch-bend value only goes to a maximum of 12 semi tones…

MIDI Loop Tool: http://nerds.de/en/loopbe1.html
This tool represents a virtual MIDI device with one input and one output. The input is looped directly to the output of the same device.

1. Installation:
First install the MIDI loop tool, it automatically runs after finish.

2. VST Instrument setup:
Extract the VST Host tool and the VST synth (the file that we are looking for is the P8.dll. Start the vst host. You’ll see a nearly empty window in which you now drag the .dll file.
You should see a new brick that represents your synthesizer.
Now follow the steps in the attached image:
-> 1: that was our drag-and-drop operation
-> 2: connect the little yellow points from left to the P8 synth. Thats the MIDI connection
[EDIT]: Now, select [Geräre] -> [MIDI...] from the menu bar and activate the LoopBe Internal MIDI by clicking on it.
-> 3: click on the MIDI input selection icon
-> 4: on the appearing dialog, choose the LoopBe Internal MIDI
-> 5: click OK
-> 6: here you can open the synthesizers GUI itself. What’s actually very importent here, is to choose the Pitch Bend value as high as possible (12 semi-tones in my example) --> This wil be your maximal bend range up and down, so if you find another good sounding and free virtual synthesizer which features more than 12, please let me know…

3. Icarus Touch setup:
You can now start the IcarusTouch. I just commited a new version where the pitch-bend values will not exceed the range of 0-16383 anymore (which would cause an overflow and thus being interpreted as the total opposite value).
Here you have to set up two values in the application settings panel:
-> 1: under [MIDI], the pitch bend value has to be matched with the one set up in the synthesizer (e.g. 12 in my example).
-> 2: under [MIDI], the output device has to be set to the LoopBe Internal MIDI which will then loop back the MIDI information to his own output. And this one is connected to our synthesizer inside the vst host.

Then let the synthesizer speak!

One more word: I noticed that with the ultra-new version of Kivy (1.0.8, released this morning), both panels for the apprearance settings aren’t scrolling anymore… But on the other hand the new version seems to cause the kivy-settings to be stored correctly in the ~/.kivy/config.ini file now (see the now closed issue #23 on github).

Please tell me if you got it working.

yours,
Cyril

I have two problems (very strange):
1. The Loopbe1 run as background but can not find it in Engine Input list of VSTHost
2. After extracting, the P8 Syth does not have a GUI, just the dll

Do I need to buy anything in your software list or they are all free?

Robert

Hi Robert

2. This is right. Just drag the DLL file in the vst host and click on the icon labeled (6) on the newly appeared brick.
3. No, they’re all free.

Hi Everyone

I just updated the instruction post obove. There had to be done another setting so that you’d be able to select the LoopBe1 as an input.

Enjoy
yours,
Cyril

stocyr - 25 October 2011 12:48 PM

Hi Everyone

I just updated the instruction post obove. There had to be done another setting so that you’d be able to select the LoopBe1 as an input.

Enjoy
yours,
Cyril

Yeah, I played around with it and just got it work also.
One more thing: need to copy over your P8 GUI config, although I don’t underdstand it much

But when I slide finger on one key, the sound are the same?
Still need to config P8?

Robert

Oh, I just realized my screen resolution is 1366 x 768. The height is not enough to go to the top of the key. May be this is the problem.

Hi Robert

I just found another, better synthesizer: the Xhip. Advantage: up to 24 semitone bendrange and a bunch of cool presets. Disadvantage: No effects included, so you have to download another tool (e.g. a reverb and delay vst-plugin) and connect it between the synth brick and the machine output brick.
Link: http://xhip.presetexchange.com/xhip/

Where to set the bend range here: on the left there’s a knob labeled “BD RNG”.
Mapping the finger y-movement to a control: you have to set the IcarusTouch to “volume modulation mode”, then, in the synth-GUI, click on the “MAP CC” button below the red labeled button. Now move the know which you want to change (e.g. output volume, filter frequency, waveshaping or whatever). To activate the MIDI control mapping, you have to change the midi value once in IcarusTouch - to say, just move your finger on the y-axis. So now, the y-axis should be controlling the assigned knob in Xhip.

As reverb effect, you can probably take the one here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4063301/epicVerb_1.5.rar
As a delay, you may take this: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4063301/NastyDLA_1.0.1.zip

You can find other free plugins here: http://www.delamar.de/musikproduktion/free-vst-plugins-800/

yours,
cyril

Hi folks

I attached some screenshots of my new “standalone” setup.
I also included two files: a Bank for the Xhip synth (you can load the bank by clicking LOAD BNK on the top) and a performance for vst host (which won’t eventually work because my directories aren’t the same as yours).

In the Xhip bank i already mapped the y-axis of IcarusTouch to change the filters frequency. Just leave all setting in the icarustouch as they where, and you’ll get a result (to reset to default settings, just delete the icarustouch.ini and restart).

yours,
Cyril

Thank Cyril,

And how to bring the keyboard down a bit. Right now it hits the ceiling of my laptop screen, so I can not touch the top of keys.

Reduce the 2nd value on the line 139 in the main.py file.

Hey folks

Today my 27” PQ-Labs screen overlay arrived
As soon as I get it set up with the projector and all, I’ll show it to you!

yours,
Cyril

Downloaded it just now to have a play around and it’s brilliant! I have it running through some of the synthesizers I have from FL Studio and it’s really cool to play with - even if I can only use a mouse

I really look forward to finishing my table and having a play with this - great work!

For all of those who are interested: I did another Kivy application - A game for a programming contest. Here’s the link: http://nuigroup.com/forums/viewthread/13600/

Cyril