Hey!
Hot Topic! Instead of getting frustrated, that I would like my Digi* and Model:* Devices to have a Songmode, I tried to build one myself.
It is based on Adafruis NeoTrellis M4, thats a Microcontroller with 32 RGB LED illuminated Buttons. I bought it for my own Euclidean Sequencer, thats basic version is also already running, but needs some Ideas to come around the UX-Restrictions due to nothing more than those 32 Lights.
I built a kind of 1-Track, 24 Step-Sequencer, that can hold a Pattern-Number and a Length per Step. All it does is sending a constant MIDI Clock over USB-Midi and triggering a Program-Change 1/16th before the pattern ends.
Currently I can setup the Pattern number (1-24 … That is A01 to B08) and a Length as a 1/4 note factor.
This is my prototype and its running fine, but I have still some open points:
- The Microcontroller has a local storage. I need to find a way to access it, so I can store projects on it. As I have the first row as basic buttons, that leaves 24 projects on the device.
- I already have an idea, on how to be more flexible in Sequencerlength, Number of patterns as well as be more flexible with the length of the patterns. Currently I just use 3 Rows of buttons to directly access the steps and patterns. I could use one row for Pages for Sequences, that would make a Song 128 Patterns log and be able to access all 128 Patterns by choosing the same pattern format, that Digi-Devices use.
- Make the MIDI-Clock timing more accurate by completely understanding the hardware timer works, currently my 120bpm are 119.4bpm.
- Make a way to change the bpm.
- Make the device able to read MIDI, so I could not just program the song, but also record it.
- Maybe add features like change bpm on pattern basis to add another layer of complexity to songs
Here is a little video, presenting it in action. Sorry for my bad english tho.