little phatty DIY coolness enhancer

godzilla · Post by **godzilla** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:53 pm

ok, i don't mind the whole "there isn't a knob for every function" thing, and i think the way it does work is really cool

but there is one thing that i don't like, which is that you can't scan the front panel to see exactly what's going on in each patch, which is something you can't do with more expensive synths anyway (like the voyager) but at least you can use the live panel mode to create sounds using the panel as a visual reference.

i think this is an important aspect when programming synths and after thinking about it a lot i have realised how much this could limit the potential of the synth

never fear though because i have come up with a possible DIY solution, but i'm not sure if it would work or how hard it would be.

ok so the LP transmits CC messages for all its parameter via MIDI right?
so what if you built a box that just has one midi input and a column of 16 LEDs for each parameter that would track the CC values (so each time the CC signal rises by 8 another LED lights up).

couldn't be that hard to make could it?

position it next to the LP and.....you can view all the positions of all the parameters of every patch! in real time!

any thoughts?

babamoog · Post by **babamoog** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:21 pm

Not a bad idea! Unfortunately, the LP does not transmit it's state after a preset or program change. It transmits CC values only when the user adjusts knobs or buttons.

Ted3000 · Post by **Ted3000** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:26 pm

I'd love a desktop/rack phatty - a knob for everything, no keys, with noise and ring mod, and a grid of buttons for a really in depth mod buss (multiple sources and destinations.)

godzilla · Post by **godzilla** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 1:50 am

babamoog wrote:Not a bad idea! Unfortunately, the LP does not transmit it's state after a preset or program change. It transmits CC values only when the user adjusts knobs or buttons.

nuts!

ah well, as for the rackmount idea, i still think they could make an awesome connection between the keyboard version and a future rackmount where you end up with a duophonic synth that has 2 "analog edit controls" per section rather than just the one.
they could make a special optional (as in selectable on/off) program that if you choose "wave" or "level" of one of the VCOs on the keyboard, the rackmount VCO section would automatically change to the same control but for the other VCO
that way you could change the settings of VCO1 in reference to VCO2

i can imagine that the LP would work really well as rackmount anyway, you wouldn't have the problem the RME has of cramming all those knobs into a rack cause there would only be 4.
All the parameter seletor buttons would line up nicely together as well
it would ne great if they could house the 4 inputs on the front panel.