Transport Controls on Stand Alone (and Hello!)

[SLiC]

First Post!

So, turns out you can never have to many modular toys (500hp Eurorack addition and VCV/Reaktor/Bitwig on the soft side). The generous free starter edition and upgrade deals from there hooked me in...now a full user and all ready bought a few new modules

I am used to being stand alone (VCV) but the having VM as a plug is is next level, some great individual modules in the mix as well and great sound quality.

As a 'new user' I was surprised there was no transport controls on the stand alone GUI (as everything else is there), be a simple way of controlling all modules with a 'play' function, especially with the new busses (could even have an option to auto-bus, if that's a thing ?

Anyway, I believe its true that as a new user I get to say what module will be made next, I vote Make Noise Rene MK2 please

(I would have asked for the MI modules to be ported, but I see there is already a thread on that!)

[JayBee6244]

Impossible to agree more with what you’ve just said.

And also, Hi!

[cherryaudio Greg]

Hi,

A Play button wouldn't work with a bunch of layouts. I mean, only a subset of all patches is a sequence. If the patch is a sequence, there will likely be a play button on one or more sequencer modules.

If there was a Play button in a transport, what would it do? Which module would would the Play button control? For example, if you had 5 sequencers in your patch, which of the 5 sequencers would the Play button control? What you could do right now is map buttons in the Perform controls panel to Play and Stop on a sequencer.

In regard to your question, starting with Voltage Modular, there is the possibility of "normalled" modules. Currently, we have the Synthvoice and DCO-60 which just automatically connect to the I/O Panel Pitch and Gate CV. You can just connect the output of these modules and then start playing them. If you connect them with a cable, the normalled connection is overridden.

Going forward, any module maker can use this feature.

Greg

[JayBee6244]

@greg

For Standalone users (myself included) then in this context most patches would be clock driven. In actual fact, in VCV almost ALL of my patches start with a Clock generator, distributing divided/multiplied clocks to sequencers, S&H, drum modules, LFOs and delays. I've already documented my struggles to get VM to work from an external (non DAW) sync pulse - and to get this sort of use-case working, you need a clock/sync module with play/stop/reset. Just look at VCV's Clocked module by Impromptu - pretty much the basis for every patch I've made there (and I'm not alone).

So, with VM being used as a DAW plugin, or as a synth or FX patch - then run/stop isn't a deal-breaker - but for most other use-cases in standalone it is.

[cherryaudio Greg]

Hi,

Either way, you'd have to map the run/stop buttons to the clock generator, and the perform control panel already has four buttons waiting to be mapped, right?


Greg

[schoekah]

Hi,
as a relative noob standalone user, I'm not aware that there's a need for transport buttons. I use 8 step seq for everything.

(1x8, 8x1 switch, octal switch, amp, 6 input mixer, would also be good clock killers.
Tons of gate/trigger modules by Bernard, AMacaulay - pmoon has some nice free buttons that would work with an amp, someone 6 months ago was announcing some nice large fat buttons) -

speaking for myself, I'd rather use modules rather than have a cluttered i/o panel - assembling modules to improvise new devices is one of my favorite bits about VM
Cheers!

[SLiC]

It is definitely perfectly OK without transport/master clock; there are lots of ways around it, but then you you also don't need a buss...its just for convenience to save lots of common cabling to get to the sound faster.

I had assumed a transport/clock would work the same way, sequencers/clocked devices could be attached by default to the buss (obviously you could still use clock dividers etc to get all your different tempos, but we all tend to start with a master clock). Again, like the current buss system, every could be discovered/overridden for more complex patches or for more experienced users who like lots of cables

Regarding a 'cluttered top panel' I am currently finding it 'dead space' to the right of the control panel when full screen on my monitor (32 inch HiDPI) it takes up about 40%, so I have 60% of the space 'dead' that I cant use for modules or anything else (be nice if you could put the perform panel there or make it a little wider (when you add clock and transport ) so that the space to the right can be used for modules!

Alternatively, What do the 4 CV's for transport control do in the stand alone version? If you are not taking play/clock from the DAW, this is where I would expect a master clock and play/stop 'option' or its just redundant?

I found someone has done a 'Rene' like sequencer! 'Matrix Sequencer' by Benard (took me a while as it isn't in sequencers its in 'controllers' same with multi sequencer). I thought there didn't seem to be many sequencers in VM, seems some are classed as controllers?

PS- I bought the vintage synth bundle, very nice indeed!

[doublestop]

Yes, I have to agree with other replys to this message. I have a eurorack system (I believe is ultimately what VM is modeled after .. correct? ) I don't have a "Transport" Module... I challenge anyone to find one! It would be a waste of money and rack space! If I want to start a sequence, I either start a clock (if it's separate) or start a sequencer if it has its own clock. I believe however there are "Trigger" modules... Just a simple module with a button ... it sends out a single pulse. with several of them in a row.. you could make your own transport if you had to have one.

[schoekah]

Just a simple module with a button ... it sends out a single pulse.

The envelope generator module, all by itself, all sliders at 0, works great as a trigger, using the gate button on it.

[SLiC]

Yes, I have to agree with other replys to this message. I have a eurorack system (I believe is ultimately what VM is modeled after .. correct? ) I don't have a "Transport" Module... I challenge anyone to find one! It would be a waste of money and rack space! If I want to start a sequence, I either start a clock (if it's separate) or start a sequencer if it has its own clock. I believe however there are "Trigger" modules... Just a simple module with a button ... it sends out a single pulse. with several of them in a row.. you could make your own transport if you had to have one.

I have about 500hp of Eurorack and I use Shakmat Modular Clock O´Pawn as a master clock and it has stop/start/pause as do many clocks. Sure, it’s a module, but I have over 50% wasted space on my monitor after the top fixed control bar where nothing can be added, just dead space - seems like a good place to put a clock with stop start...this would save rack space as a clock module wouldn’t be needed and could open the option of having everything linked to a master clock by a buss to save a ton of cabling.