I don’t use soft synths much but thought I’d post this.
MP midi controller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=YSZYFmAlA-Q&feature=emb_logo
Have you guys seen this!!! 
Looks like it could be an iPad they are using 
if so will be super expensive 
https://mpmidi.com/
I don’t think so.
I think it’s just a standard interface non-touch screen second screen, 21.5" in this case, with slim 32 three wire endless encoders glued onto the surface around the perimeter. You can see the three wires in the photo below.
There is some software to breakout the VST display and put the control legends on the screen and add the position ring image.
It’s a very good idea – and should be i guess in the $500 - $600 kind of price range, and potentially less. They look to be a year off or so from shippable product, judging from the state of this proof-of-concept.
Nice that is general purpose and adapts to various DAWs and plugins (VST, AU).
So i’ve been considering the relative merits of this kind of approach:
Using some of the screen as background and gluing encoders on to it
–VERSUS–
Putting multiple LED ring encoders around the outside of a screen, and showing labels on the screen
–VERSUS–
Using a large (21") touchscreen computer and having the controls directly accessed on the screen, with perhaps some improvement to the touchscreen interface.
There’s something very nice about having only one screen to deal with, but on the other hand the haptics of an encoder is hard to resist, especially having it in the same field of vision, rather than two things, a screen and a separate control surface.
This wouldn’t have to be limited to encoder dials, it would be easy enough to do buttons, or perhaps small pressure sensitive pads.
So this is now available for pre-order. Take a look (very short video):
This takes you a long ways along toward making whatever plugin you’re running into hardware. It’s a little strange in that it’s only rotary encoders, and they’re detached from the screen image, but I’d guess you’d get used to that after a while.
Plenty of controls here, so everything should be there under your fingers.
It works on both Mac and PC. No price shown, but you can contact them to pre-order.
CORRECTION: They show the pre-order price is €650.00 plus VAT.
More detail at their web-site.
EDITED.
I feel like this isn’t really better than knobs around a screen vs having them off the edges of that same screen.
What would make it interesting to me is if the whole screen was covered in knobs and certain areas became active for different plugins. Sort of a custom layout that was similar to the virtual instrument or effect.
The one bonus is that you are looking at the plugin and the knobs near each other. But you can arrange your controllers in way that works similar.
It’s a decent idea (even if it’s not original) but I think it’s sort of gimmicky in its current state.
Not trying to put it down BTW. I think with some clever software behind it marking things out better it could still click with certain people really well. Everybody is different and it could be perfect for some.
2 Likes
I seriously like the idea of this, it looks brilliantly adapted and very promising. Very expensive but that was to be expected. This can potentially be an extremely useful tool or a very costly buggy fail. Will wait for reviews, won’t preorder - too risky for now.
It sounds good having the screen filled with knobs but depending on the plugin used, you would have some knobs greyed out/inactive. I think that could result in some awkward user experience. I guess they could do some thing like toggling entire regions of knobs active/inactive instead of separate knobs.
1 Like
You can do your own mappings, so it would be possible to align the controls to your liking.
I’d think i’d choose to use this with more complex plugins, so using the multiple screens to get more than 32 controls would be more the case, and organizing those controls would become important. I see using this and getting familiar with just a few larger plugins rather than switching between lots of different ones. I’m not sure though.
It’s nice how they can keep everything synced so you can see what your settings are.
Only one plugin at a time on the controller as i understand it.
I guess it’s all relative, but the price is pretty close to what I predicted up thread, so i wouldn’t call it very expensive, considering all the parts it includes. That said it’s not so inexpensive as to be a no brainer decision either.
We’ll see how buggy this is, it does sound like they’ve done a lot of testing with various DAWs and plugins. But on the other hand it is a pretty hazardous landscape, and they offer so many different options, i’d agree having this run reliably will be a challenge for them.
1 Like
I really like this thing. It can also control and display the daw mixer. I was thinking about a faderport, but this would prob make that obsolete.
1 Like
Yeah, It should be great for a lot of different functions.
One thing to note, from their FAQ description, it won’t handle “native mode” plugins, that is anything built into a DAW that doesn’t run as a VST or AU plugin.
It’s fun to think about all the possibilities though.
ADDED :
From the FAQ on “native plugins”:
Can I host DAW’s native plugins?
The only plugins that can be hosted are VST2/VST3 and AU. Native DAW plugins (ie Logic’s plugins or Ableton’s native) cannot be hosted as they are proprietary plugins and designed to be hosted only in their DAW.
this is from their FAQ. to me that sounds like you can have the mixer in the screen and control it. its probably just another simple monitor in this case. would be cool if it were somehow implemented so that it maps like a mackie
1 Like
Good that you emphasized this loopdude.
So you don’t have to always use the MPH software at all, but can use the controls like a regular MIDI controller, and put the graphic image of the thing you are controlling on the screen. I’d like to see more information on this aspect, perhaps in a demo video, but this sort of approach could potentially open the MP MIDI to all sorts of other uses too.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
In the image of the box i put in post #5 above, i see in the lower left and right of the screen, what looks like definable buttons, like for going forward and backward. Are these part of this too ?
I dont think its a touchscreen, so I dont think these will be buttons. it would be cool if these were buttons to skip through things. I think that would be a pretty good idea. potentiometers and buttons. I also hope the potentiometers are pushable. that would activate a set of 32 extra options. thinking about things like solo function of fabfilter EQ bands. or activating EQ bands… whatever. would be cool
are their developers on this forum?
I’m sure it’s not, but the image shows they are clearly button shaped arrows and it would be possible to do some sort of button or control along the edge there. I don’t know what exactly is in the picture.
They talk about four sets you can switch between for a total of 128 controls, there has to be a control somewhere to do that — this might be a reasonable place for that.
I like your idea of having the encoders be push encoders too, but the earlier prototype photo shows a three wire connector.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I started out interested in the technology of the MP MIDI but not strongly interested in owning it. Now the more i look and think about potential uses, and the moderate price, i’ve discovered there might be a little “GAS” under this product too.
For what it’s worth i’m a hardware/software engineer and new product developer with manufacturing background, though i’ve never done any musical equipment. But i do have the time now to do other things.
They sent out an EMail today. They will be using touchscreens. No extra cost.
They also answered my EMail. There will be buttons on the side.
The touchscreen is an amazing upgrade. With it, using fabfilter EQ and sorts will be so much better. Buttons on plugins will be easily switchable. Great move on their side imo
1 Like
They added detail of this in the NEWS. portion of their web-site.
The price will be going up 100 Euros, unless you order by November 1st. So now the price is 750 Euros.
The screen is now considerably smaller 15.6 versus 21.5 inches. But because they’ve moved the encoders from sitting on top of the screen to being around the periphery of the screen you get some, but not all, of the lost space back. The screen resolution is exactly the same.
15.6 is still pretty good sized for a single plugin control, They say it’s a little more portable now.
With the Mac it is currently single touch, they hope to change that, but it is multitouch with Windows 10.
They have a demonstration video showing the different ways to use this now on their prototype.
So you can use the encoders, or touchscreen the on-screen position display rings, or the controls in the image.
This change must have been being considered for a little while. This sort of technology innovation is hard work, so i give these people credit for that. They’ve still got more work to do.
thanks, guess I missed alot of infos reading through it quickly. thanks for clearing that up
No you found a lot of info, i would have missed this entirely without your post !
1 Like
New version !
With u-he Diva
They have upgraded the touch display with higher brightness and more vivid colors and added native Mac OS touch screen functionality. They now have over 1000 presets to work with a large variety of plug-ins, and all the major DAWs. The display stays in sync with the plug-in parameters, even when opening a new plug-in. Four pages of 32 controls, for 128 controls total. Each can be set to control multiple parameters at the same time.
Seems like a good option if you’re in love with one of the block-buster soft synths, but want more of the hardware experience.
I want to see a video of this new version with Pigments.
1 Like
This was recently updated to allow control of stock Ableton and M4L devices, so I guess I will have to be the guinea pig 
.
I’m really leaning into DAW controller devices with the with this, a Push 3 and the SSL UF1. I really hope I can finally achieve my desired goal of almost compromise free hands on control of Ableton and my VSTs.
1 Like