Happy to hear that it is musically very similar to the Linnstrument. With regards to question 2. This has to do with the pitch bend ranges that can be selected in the Sensel app. When having 13 notes per row the pitchbend would be a little out of sync with the note fields. Would be nice if the sensel app would allow a custom number in mm to improve this. I can imagine that 1.5 octaves also could work really well. Two octaves is personally to small for my taste.
To my knowledge, the Linnstrument is configured to have the Y-axis control cc74. This setup does the same. Maybe if you turn that off you could strum the notes but I’m not sure.
That’s really nice to hear, great what the sensel team has been able to create.
Y axis does control cc74, within a given cell. But, leaving one row and entering the next ends the note from one row, and attacks the note from the other. I think that’s what rdorsche felt was missing from this layout.
Visually, the relief looks to match the Linnstrument itself fairly well. (it’s meant to be subtle)
Have you tried the other layouts? Are you looking to share those in another thread? (I also own the Soniccouture hang drum, albeit probably the Ableton version, which won’t be so great with MPE. I need to contact them and beg for a license transfer on several of their instruments…)
Super cool! I recently discovered Ponoko will laser cut/etch silicon. You can get 3 overlays out of the 15x15 sheets, but they seem pretty thin (.06 in/1.5 mm). I suppose you could buy some raw silicone that is thicker and use it as a backing material. Neoprene could also work as a backing material, but might be hard to bind to silicone (cyanoacrylate or super glue might work).
Depending on the design (aka machine time), it would probably be around $100.
I haven’t used the service yet, but good to know about.
Same! Ultrasuede looks like a great compromise between haptic and visual differentiation, at least from the description.
Searching some laser cutting forums for it, people seemed to feel it wouldn’t hold its shape rigidly enough. (The word they used was “floppy”) So, you might end up wanting to affix it to some kind of stronger backing material. Or, that comment might prove irrelevant, as they were looking for a leather substitute, not a silicone replacement.
Also, their material might not have been thick enough.
But, yeah. In that other context (using ultrasuede as a leather substitute), it was recommended we try this instead:
That grid with the laser cut texture looks fantastic! maybe I missed something, but how is it attached to the Morph?
I would be OK with the 12 x 6 layout, but I would start on a low B rather than C. that allows scales in all modes with the same set of finger patterns. That’s how my Artiphon Instrument1 is set up.
it would be nice if the SenselApp allowed for arbitrary pitch distance, so a 13-step grid would be feasible.
Oh, and hello @rdorsche ! seems I can’t join any forum these days without you chasing after me. Which sucks, of course, because you’re so much better on these instruments than I am.
The grid layout is a little smaller than the others pictured, and it looks to be sitting atop the Innovator’s Overlay. One could glue those together, if they’re feeling ambitious.
@mrspiral at this moment they aren’t attached. The smaller version sits on top of the innovators overlay and stays in its position quite well with normal playing. Normal double sided tape doesn’t work very well with silicone so i’m thinking about using more specialized tape like VHB or silicone tape by 3m for a semi permanent bond.
For the full size overlay I made top layers that could house magnets. Would be nice if Sensel could explain where to buy the right type or make them available for sale because opening another overlay just for the magnets is a bit too expensive.
@ybr RE: the two-octave comment.
Have to be careful about our lingo here.
I was referring to having the pitch bend be two octaves, defined by your softsynth’s patch.
I was referring the the layout having 13 notes, referring to having a range of one full octave from left to right on the layout.
You can’t achieve an intended slide of any octaves without a full octave being present on the layout.
All of that said, I might have to make a 13-note layout.
BTW excellent job on sourcing the materials and getting a prototype going. Very ambitious, and it looks great!
@mrspiral waitaminute… are you saying the SenselApp does NOT allow for arbitrary pitch distance?
If that’s the case? limitation noted.
I’m gung-ho on making a 13 note layout now.
It doesn’t make sense to me musically to not have that available.
I just noticed their factory piano overlay… I just don’t get the C-to-B layout.
Otherwise this is a neat controller, truly.
I’m also wondering how many hardware synths I can bang out a programmer/controller for.
I’m looking at my JX8P for starters. If not in the Mrph itself? then at least using simple CCs to control a programmer VST as an intermediary from the Morph to the synth.
Roli does the same thing on their Seaboard Block. The reason for this is modularity – you can put a second unit next to it for additional octaves, where going C-to-C wouldn’t allow that.
But the Morph overlay adds a C, in the bottom-right corner. It works better than you might think. (and you can disable it in the editor, if you are using multiple units)
a spray-on adhesive might also be sound, though I don’t know that I’d go there. I worry about damaging the morph.
At this moment you can’t have an arbitrary pitchbend range. Only multiples of an octave in millimeters. So 230mm is one, 460 is two and so on.
For me personally I don’t really mind the C to B as I’m never sliding that far. I think that a third is about the largest interval that I slide. You could double the pitch bend range so you can do a full octave in half of the width. But then hitting a new note or sliding is out of sync. Or you could edit my file and give it that 13th box :).
Very impressive topic here. I just discovered it and am following with great interest. I can see both sides of the 13 vs 12 question. So nice to have the general flexibility to go either way / both ways!
I found a picture of the aforementioned optional C key, but I don’t understand it. (Note: I don’t have my Morph yet). Is this another sensor area on the side of the unit instead of the “top”, or is it an on-top key that isn’t necessarily a note, or what?
