#129281 - dub3000 - Mon May 21, 2007 2:08 pm
update: v1.0b is out - lots of new stuff. easier to try it than to explain it.
--
i've put together a little drum machine/sequencer ds app (using devkitpro + palib).
(edit, latest screenshot:)
[Images not permitted - Click here to view it]
you can use the touch screen as four drum pads, with four different WAV sample sets and four different patterns. i also chucked in my old theramin code which kicks in if you hold the left trigger.
download link and full instructions at: http://remaincalm.org/nds/
please read the instructions carefully - you probably need to DLDI patch it (the supplied version is patched for R4DS) and the files have to be placed in a particular location on your flash card in order for the program to start up. also, pretty much every button combination does something :-)
there's no save file support yet, but it's coming. backup your card first anyway, it's usually a good idea.
development is continuing, so let me know if you can think of any good features to add. dsmidi support and additional sample/program selection will go in first after the load/save, but after that i'm not sure what else it needs.
cheers
--dan
Last edited by dub3000 on Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:56 am; edited 3 times in total
#129411 - SCPR - Tue May 22, 2007 5:09 pm
Great work man! Took me a few minutes to figure out but its a pretty cool program. I hope to see more instuments and maybe some effects to play with future versions.
I'm not sure if this is a bug but you can get some crazy sounds to the left of the top left kitties head. Well I'm using it either way.
thanks
#129416 - shovsori - Tue May 22, 2007 6:08 pm
thanks goin to try it right now ! i 'm running a music label in Paris (France) ;)
love to try that kind of pogram and now i have two DS so woooow
THANKS
#129459 - dub3000 - Wed May 23, 2007 12:48 am
| SCPR wrote: |
| I'm not sure if this is a bug but you can get some crazy sounds to the left of the top left kitties head. Well I'm using it either way. |
you mean when you hold down the L trigger? yeah, it's a bug - but i liked the way it sounds so i not planning on fixing it :-)
couple of things that are cool for live performance - you can switch pattern playback live (L+pad) - i'm going to change it so that the pad by itself picks a pattern, but L+pad lets you edit a pattern without affecting playback. the other things i'm toying with are a "program" selector - so you can have sets of samples, and being able to have a different sample set for the sequencer playback and manual entry.
you're right though - it's a little tricky to get started on but once you memorize the keys you can really do some crazy stuff with it. cheers!
#129495 - dub3000 - Wed May 23, 2007 8:12 am
here's an mp3 of some stuff i just threw together with it, so you can get an idea of what it sounds like:
http://www.remaincalm.org/nds/beatpad%20-%20example.mp3
this is direct output, except for some compression/reverb added. one tiny edit in the middle because my rhythm sucked for a moment there.
#129497 - shovsori - Wed May 23, 2007 8:43 am
agghh it doesn't work with my Ds linker :(
#129499 - dub3000 - Wed May 23, 2007 9:14 am
what hardware are you running? have you DLDI patched it? it needs access to a FAT filesystem to load samples.
#129503 - shovsori - Wed May 23, 2007 9:46 am
i havent patched it ? is there a DLDI patch for DS LINKER ?
#129507 - dub3000 - Wed May 23, 2007 10:25 am
is that the 'dslink'? there's three on http://chishm.drunkencoders.com/DLDI/ - the v3 one is the most recent
#129558 - dantheman - Wed May 23, 2007 7:19 pm
I think the DS Linker is one of those clone cards, so the "NEO Flash MK5 (NAND Flash)" should be the DLDI file to use. The DS Link is a different device from what I can tell.
#129744 - naiyma - Fri May 25, 2007 10:33 pm
Great idea; well made. Love the little program.
Cross-posted on the R4DS forum to encourage other people to download it.
Thanks,
Naiyma
#129751 - dub3000 - Sat May 26, 2007 1:17 am
stuff that's coming in new version, probably in the next couple of days
- new name, cleaner graphics
- tweaked key set (done)
- play/edit different patterns at the same time (done)
- menus for loads of stuff (done)
- load/save patterns (done)
- choose sample sets from menu
- dsmi midi over wifi support (receive data is done)
#129783 - dub3000 - Sun May 27, 2007 5:20 am
updated:
http://remaincalm.org/nds
still beta, let me know if anything weird happens
#129786 - SCPR - Sun May 27, 2007 5:58 am
Awesome! Thanks! Downloading now.
Edit: Wow cleaned up quite nicely. I especially like the tap tempo feature.
#129794 - dub3000 - Sun May 27, 2007 12:36 pm
fixed a couple of little bugs and re-uploaded:
http://remaincalm.org/nds for download
edit: updated again to 0.9c
#129974 - Sweater Fish Deluxe - Tue May 29, 2007 5:26 pm
This is superb!
I didn't try out the earlier versions but 0.9c is really excellent. I'm not very musicaly inclined, but I always love playing around with drum machines and keyboards, yours is no exception.
I have two suggestions that I think would really make it great for live playing. First, it would be cool if you could compose and begin playing a beat sequence in the sequencer and then change to a different sample set on the touchscreen without changing the samples being played in the sequencer. That might involve some complicated changes to your code, though. A simpler suggestion is providing some different instrument effects for the "theramin." Are you using the PSG to create the theramin sound? Even with PSG, it should be possible to create effects that sound (vaguely) like flute or saxaphone or things like that.
...word is bondage...
#129998 - dub3000 - Tue May 29, 2007 11:31 pm
that first one is on the list - the code is super clean, that won't be hard to do
i can actually set it up so that two completely separate songs, both with their own sample set, tempo and swing settings, are playing at the same time - would probably take about 20 lines of code. the problem is getting it working in the user interface. my main goal with this thing is to keep it really simple to use.
same thing with pattern size and number of instruments - there are no fixed limits in the code. i can actually do different tempo per quarter note (that's how the swing feature works).
there's a strong chance bliptracker isn't going to evolve very much (apart from some really basic pattern sequencing options, including a randomizer) but i may use the codebase to build a new sequencer with a lot more capabilities.
i'm happy to release the source if anyone wants to see it, mail me and i'll send it through.
#130327 - dub3000 - Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:55 am
v1.0b is out... check the docs for what's new
Please let me know if anything weird happens. Should be pretty stable though.
Link: http://remaincalm.org/nds
Cheers
--dan
#130391 - dub3000 - Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:10 pm
i'm getting sporadic reports about it dropping beats. if this is happening to you, please let me know.
#130396 - Devil_Spawn - Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:50 pm
i think its great :D
any chance you could add a playback mode that plays all 4 patterns in a row
#130397 - dub3000 - Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:16 am
| Devil_Spawn wrote: |
| any chance you could add a playback mode that plays all 4 patterns in a row |
there's already a playback mode that does that - i think it's the third option down. i might rename it to something more sensible...
i've just uploaded a new version (1.0c) that switches off some compiler optimizations . if you're having trouble with beats not playing sporadically, this might fix it.
#130400 - dub3000 - Sun Jun 03, 2007 12:49 am
hmm... i just did some tests on the time resolution, and sometimes a beat is delayed by 16.7ms (one vblank).
might have to start dredging through palib code to see what's going on under the hood... ugh.
#130455 - clrFog - Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:44 pm
Great work =)!! I'm looking forward to follow the development of this one. Any plans of increased control over sound/level and recording of the theremin?
/ClrFog
_________________
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#130473 - dub3000 - Sun Jun 03, 2007 10:57 pm
i'm going to do something with the X button. not sure if i'm going to use it to toggle pitch, volume, or something else.
most important thing at the moment is getting the arm7 to play notes independent of the screen refresh, which might mean lots of plumbing work. until i do this the tempo is going to be a bit shonky.
#130475 - tepples - Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:20 pm
| dub3000 wrote: |
| most important thing at the moment is getting the arm7 to play notes independent of the screen refresh, which might mean lots of plumbing work. |
Vcount interrupt and Bresenham control of tempo are your friends for this.
_________________
-- Where is he?
-- Who?
-- You know, the human.
-- I think he moved to Tilwick.
#139618 - mawpaw - Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:48 am
i havnt tried it yet, but it looks very promising! can you load your own .wavs?
#139620 - dub3000 - Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:59 am
yep (gotta be mono 16 bit, though, 33kHz ones sound best) - but they have to be named a particular way and put in a named sample folder - check out the default install to see how it's done.
i haven't touched the code in ages because i'm trying to finish my album, but i'm nearly there - i expect to get back into it in the next month or two.
#139621 - mawpaw - Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:29 am
also, does the bliptracker directory need to be in the root of the card?
**edit**
ive got it all worked out. thanks! looking forward to using this!
**edit**
i just... wow, this is amazing! i can definitely see using this in my live stuff!
![[Images not permitted - Click here to view it]](http://remaincalm.org/nds/bliptracker.jpg){kind=link}