[Sticky] TouchOSC, Lemur, etc.

TouchOSC - What it's good for - Cross Platform, wireless, inexpensive software, extremely configurable MIDI/General Controller.

• Compatible with iOS and Android.  Can work via USB or wireless on PC and MAC.
• Has out of the box support for many major DAWs, including Reaper.
• Can completely customize your Controller interface how you want. 
  • Want 24 Rotary Dials and 16 Faders? 
  • Want an interface that's a digital version of Maschine Jam?
  • Want to have buttons that launch shortcuts in your DAW via keyboard commands?
• Can have multiple pages of controls to click through so whatever control you need you can have.
• The configuration software has some quirks, but overall isn't too hard to program.

TouchOSC - What would be nice for Unify to support

An OSC configuration, such as some DAWs have.  Could have a text file that is accessible from Unify that explains the control surfaces and keypresses available and perhaps has Bank Selection. 

This would allow a user to create or modify their own configuration control board for live play and be able to control Unify mostly through TouchOSC.

If the user had setup the MSB selection and all of the keyboard commands for Unify on TouchOSC it would allow for a live play ability where you could load your patches with a button press and be able to play a session without ever touching a laptop.

An example:

In Unify being able to go to Options/Preferences/Control Surfaces, and adding a new control surface. Select OSC as the control surface mode. The control surface settings dialog will open allowing you to enter in the OSC Controller settings.  

A popup appears that displays a map of all Keyboard Commands for Unify and all mapped CCs. You can call up this mapping from the menu in Unify at any time. (similar to how you can view MIDI CCs in Unify for ease of reference)

Sadly, there is no TouchOSC for Windows tablets. Presonus provides their Studio One Pro users with their remote control app. I'm using it and it is great (I can touch-control the Unify parameters that I assigned in Studio One channel editor), however, TouchOSC looks way more advanced, more performance-oriented and from what I see it even has some sort of clip launcher. I was using https://www.xmmc.de/touchdaw/ few years ago - it has some performance modules but I used it mostly to control my DAW. It would be nice to have a Unify touch-remote app. with transport functions, preset browser and performance module (ie. 8 faders, 8 knobs, 8 butons to mimic our physical midi keyboard controllers). And maybe a clip launcher connected to the Unify MidiBox (so you could touch-select which MIDI files to play)

I never used TouchOSC but I did use something called "TB MIDI Stuff".  Wonderful little tool.  Set up sliders/buttons for live use.  This tool also allowed SysEx so you can access the fine details of your hardware.  I started making an editor for the Yamaha Motif-Rack XS and later expanded it for the Yamaha MOXF.  Has bi-directional communication, too.  It was really powerful, but the app never really took off.

I also got Lemur, but I was already moving away from the iPad by that time, so I have not used it much.

I moved from the iPad to a Surface Pro in the hopes there would be similar tools on Windows, but never found much.  My hope has been for a nice touch controller on Windows.  Sliders.  Buttons.  X/Y Pads.  OSC.  SysEx.  Scripting.

@robert-p, @ssquared

Thank you for pointing out the need for Unify remote-control programs to be available for PC and Mac as well as iPad. I hadn't been thinking about all the Windows tablets and touch-capable PCs out there. I'll make sure to write any remote program using JUCE, so it can run identically on all these platforms!

I'm very optimistic about that. Native instruments has discontinued my beloved Kore line in 2011 and I had to wait nearly 10 years for a good replacement - nothing comes close to the Unify now in terms of speed, usability, stability. I'm pretty sure that your remote app will become an another multi-platform masterpiece:)

By the way, I thought it was a good start that the Unify macro knobs are multi-touch enabled.

Posted by: @ssquared

By the way, I thought it was a good start that the Unify macro knobs are multi-touch enabled.

I wish I could take credit for that, but this behavior is inherited from JUCE. JUCE giveth, and JUCE taketh away, but on balance, it giveth more.

Hi Just joined the Party - Picked up Ex demo Jam last week for $190  - Amazing tool - Any tips in Forum. Looking into the online Vids in YT this beast is underrated - I searched but couldn't find any info in the forum. Had been looking out for one since I witnessed Wizard of Oz stuff from Skippy on YT UNIFY live training.... Amazing & looking forward to tips to enter the Universe of the sound cosmos & mind bending midi recording 🙂

BTW I also bought the Komplete 32 keyboard (Again amazing value as you get a lot of software with this) which works in perfect tandem with Jam/Maschine DAW (Allows touch sensitivity missing from Jam pads, etc) & controls in Reaper. So much fun....

I've just setup TouchOSC and using that in conjunction with an expression and sustain pedal.  It's INCREDIBLE!!! 😊   For the solo violin (dynamics, vibrato and expression) and solo flute (dynamics) I'm controlling independently via TouchOSC while for the full strings ensemble, I'm using the expression pedal and the sustain pedal for the piano. It opens a whole dimension of realism.

Made a TouchOSC "template" for iPAD to control UNIFY standalone.

- Sliders for Macro 1-8
- Controls for Layer 1-8 (Enable/Disable, Volume, Pan, Direct send, AUX 1 send)
- Controls for AUX 1 level and Pan
- Control for Master level

Screen shots (pdf) and download https://www.dropbox.com/s/l6a9ch5cj5lsi6q/UNIFY%20-%20TouchOSC.zip?dl=0     

@thsve

Wonderful, thank you. I will email you directly with some more advanced thoughts.

@thsve

Thanks Thomas, I will give it a go!

@thsve  Thanks for TouchOSC "template" for iPAD, I've used it in the past with Embertone Libraries. I added the Unify template to my TouchOSC Editor but it's not showing up in my ipad when i try to add it. I'm using Windows 10/ Cubase 10.

Any thoughts?

@anto

Are you using the sync feature in the editor? I haven’t succeded with that. I am using ITunes to transfer layouts to the iPad, see  https://hexler.net/docs/touchosc-configuration-layout-manage-itunes.

@thsve Yes i am and updated the editor for desktop.

@anto

I'm not shure what your problem is? Can you not see and select the layout("template") in your iPad?

See attached pictures. You should be able to select the layout and then click done in the upper right corner. 

@thsve No , it's not there, all my other templates are shown, maybe i'll try a reboot 

@anto

Then the sync/transfer from the editor is not working. I have no idea why. Sorry, but can not help you with that.

@thsve

It's working great here, thanks Thomas. 👍 

The sync feature also worked for transfer to my iPad.

I might even prefer it to using my controller keyboard.

@thsve Hi, got it working! I had a vpn running in the back round so i was getting different wi-fi addresses.

Thanks again .

@anto

👍

Added an updated version of the TouchOSC "template"  for the new version of TouchOSC.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/st7j004ra01073i/UNIFY%20-%20TouchOSC%202.zip?dl=0  

Just minor changes in functionality, so see description in linked pdf above.

The previous version of the template is still working for the old version of TouchOSC "rebranded" as "TouchOSC Mk1". 

TouchOSC is great!  Both the old version and the new version for different reasons.  The old Version has a beautiful simplicity that in many cases is more then enough to do what I need.  The new version is not out that long but I think capable of some very powerful opportunities for this willing to figure it out.  The new Canvas widget opens a lot of potential, but it will be some time until motivated people make use of it.

I also want to recommend an open course solution: Open Stage Control, which is open source, runs through a web browser so that you can basically use ANY touch pad with it, including windows, android, iOS or anything you want...or run it on your computer or any other place with a modern browser.  It runs as a web server on your DAW machine and serves up the touchpad interface to your touchpad of choice.  I think this tool may have a bit more capability possibly, compared to TouchOSC...but I haven't spent any time with it, i just know about it and a lot of people seem to have moved on from Lemur/TouchOSC to using this open source app instead.

Another OSC program worth looking at is OSC/Pilot, which was developed for, and in close collaboration with, Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5, who uses it extensively in his live performances.

I've published a short demo of an iPad TouchOSC controller I'm working with. https://youtu.be/wy3yNvzGVF0

The controller has the following fuctionality(so far):

4 "pages":
1. Main controls (16 layers (scrollable) , 4 aux busses, master
2. Macro. Faders for all controllers.
3. Navigation. "Trackpad", Mouse buttons etc.
4. Macro setup. Setting of cc for the Macro faders (internally at the moment)

This is still a work in progress and highly experimental. I will probably develop this further with more and more advanced features.

At the moment it utilizes:
- Built in support for OSC in UNIFY 1.7
- BOME Midi Translator for navigation
- TouchOSC mkII

EDIT: I've downloaded Open Stage Control and done some initial testing. Will probably try to make a simular controller with it to see how capable it is.

Posted by: @getdunne

Another OSC program worth looking at is OSC/Pilot, which was developed for, and in close collaboration with, Joel Zimmerman aka Deadmau5, who uses it extensively in his live performances.

I've never heard of this one before and it looks pretty nice!  Does it use a web browser for the UI so that you can put the interface on a  touch pad?

The plugin they sell that transmits OSC messages could definitely be useful too.

Posted by: @dewdman42

Does it use a web browser for the UI so that you can put the interface on a  touch pad?

I don't think so; you would have to ask the developers to find out for sure. I'm pretty sure it's only for Mac and Windows. The Windows version works very nicely on touchscreen PCs.

I developed a UNIFY CONTROLLER for the latest version of TouchOSC.

Screenshot attached.

You can download it at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10ziIACu56LFk0XuYg7pS8pbLT7hb6oAD/view?usp=sharing

I have been playing around with my Unify Controller for TouchOSC and touch control is really a game changer.  It is really cool to manipulate several CCs at the same time, especially for live performance.  TouchOSC is a great platform as it allows you to create, change, adapt, expand, and improve your creations very quickly and quite effortlessly.

Yeah.  I might invest in TouchOSC some day.  Lemur was really nice, but there is no Windows native app.  You can design/build everything in Windows, but you can't control anything.  You need to save it to an iPad or other device and I don't use my iPad anymore.