Yes the Morph as an add on to the iPad is nice, like using the QWERTY keyboard, and then change it out for the midi stuff too. Enjoy your Morph when it arrives.
I want to be very clear for everyone my post of the Sensel screen device (above) is NOT the Morph – it’s some future new device that Sensel is working on.
It’s a great device to have around if you like tinkering with semi-diy/homebrew coded electronics like axoloti, bela, norns etc. Would love a version with a custom luminescent surface - even just dark/mid/bright.
And I wish they made the custom overlays a bit easier to get created.
Like an online editor and hit a button and then it is being shipped.
Should be easy enough given their global footprint of 18 manufacturing facilities.
Also ordering from Europe should be easier given it is ultimately a French manufacturer and could keep shipping and taxes lower (for european buyers)
Have you used the Innovators Overlay?
You could use luminescent paint with that. I haven’t specifically done that but i don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Paint that glows under blue-light should work too. ADDED: That overlay does dull things up a little.
They’ve published some more really helpful instructions on using the Innovators Overlay, i don’t have the link with me but i can publish the link in a few days if you’d like.
This woman made a video of using the Innovator’s Overlay for her performance art.
The surround panner is cool too.
I have only used the innovators overlay and I print out my own maps.
I meant a v2 with micro LEDs on the touch surface. Who knows maybe they’ll consider that. Sort of a monomorph monome! monomerph?
thanks for the link
Hi jukka and mokomo
I’m debating between selling my morph or ordering new overlays.
Which are worth ordering? Is the innovator easy to set up?
I bought mine to use with Adobe but haven’t used it. I used the keyboard with the iPad but found it easier using the built in keyboard for typing and not used it again.
I know I’m not using it at its full potential so thought I’d sell it on.
I’ve an iPad though so it good as a midi controller with iOS apps? Worth keeping and getting the overlays?
Thanks
My 2c is I like the morph because it is a dedicated device that can just sit there doing its thing - midi usb out and simple (once you’ve set it up) - rather than take up your whole ipad as a control surface.
It is great with an axoloti for example where you can design your own UI on a piece of paper to match a totally custom axoloti patch and away you go - rather than soldering a custom button, fader and knob controller.
However with the mididesigner/touchosc etc on iPad though you have a bunch of other options which will given you a similar experience for many use cases.
If you haven’t warmed to it yet though, or even just like to have it around as a dedicated option, it might not be for you …
I haven’t yet tried it (as I don’t have the overlay) but it looks like it might be a nice option for a superslim drum pad if you are a light traveller and don’t want to bulk up your briefcase.
I don’t have a lot to add to what mokomo just wrote.
Which overlays do you already have?
Do you have software you can drive with MPE – that’s a big plus for the Morph, imo.
I’m definitely don’t like the piano kyboard overlay – it’s just too small for me, i don’t like mini-keys on any synth. But it might be OK for someone else. I do like a bunch of the other overlays though.
ADDED: Yeah i have the Music Production Overlay that mokomo added to his post. I have the yellow Drum Pad Overlay and like that even more. And the Buchla Thunder one is the one i play the most at the moment.
I only have the qwerty, gamepad and video production overlays. Haven’t used it for music as bought it for adobe and iPad with idea of adding music overlays if I liked it.
For mpe I have reaktor and softube modular which I guess the buchla and piano would work with?
I’ve few iOS mpe apps also
What software do you use the drum pads with?
Thanks
Oooh that would be nice. Hack around with that.
I’ve often output to the RYTM through my computer – i never got on so well with the drum pads on the RYTM, but the Morph can be drummed well. It’srugged enough to use sticks – though i would try to be Buddy Rich on it. I use Live most often.
And what do you use the Buchla with?
Thanks
UVI Falcon – i’m thinking about getting Madrona Labs Aalto, that i mentioned earlier.
Ordered the buchla overlay
Thanks for your help 
Thinking of getting the drum and buchla myself - there’s a sale on!
Sensel is promoting for the Morph a new Pure Data Sensel Object. This allows you to customize the use of the Sensel Morph into a synth or interface created with Pure Data. (Pure Data is an open source graphical programming language very similar to Max.) This video shows some of the options. They are using the Sensel Morph with no overlay, something I never do, but the same applies to use with an overlay, or custom overlay.
This demonstrates the parameters available in this interface. Note how this allows you to go beyond the parameters available on many other touch interfaces, such as an iPad, allowing the sensing of multiple individual pressures. Previous to this Sensel had developed their MPE interface. This takes things up one more notch.
Here is a short article on this in SynthAnatomy.
For all you creative thinkers, I’d love to hear about some specific way you might use this.
I just ordered one of these to try as a percussion controller to compare with my LinnStrument. One issue with the LS: despite its relatively hard surface, a totally hard surface with no play at all is best for controlling velocity when playing percussion. When I heard you could customize yourself a 7x13 grid and play on the Morph’s hard surface with no overlay, I decided to give it a try because it’s not too expensive.
The LinnStrument doesn’t respond well to tapping–it just can’t be set up hot enough–but it’s very musically useful with percussion as a way of expressively mixing effects in and out. The core function of percussion, though, is to just have velocity controlled triggers. The way it’s set up, the LS is great, but rather a challenge to play with BFD, my standard 64-stereo velocity layer drum software. And I only get limited and basic use out of any expressive FX modulation from Sugar Bytes’s Artillery2, which is by far the best FX plugin I’ve found for this purpose… So if I can get 91 triggers on the Morph laid out in a 7x13 grid, then that’s almost exactly the size of my LS’s 100 pads per hand split layout, but in a super-portable more appropriately responsive (for percussion) package with a hard(er) surface for better tapping.
Since I’m totally new to the Morph, I’d appreciate any guidance as to how to configure this 7x13 layout.
Here’s a LinnStrument user with a Morph. Might be some useful info in his posts:
Cheers!
You’ll be using the Overlay Designer — you should find that pretty straight forward. If not ask when you get to it.
The grid you describe is just a tad larger than the pads on the lower right of the stock Music Production Overlay (MPO), so that should work. For drumming it would feel small for me, the larger pads on the left of the MPO, feel very comfortable for drumming, but you’re used to the Linnstrument so perhaps it will feel right to you.
I’m not sure how you will hold to position without an overlay, especially to a small pad sized grid. I think you will want to use the Innovators Overlay, and print your layout for that. It still will work well for drumming, if that’s your concern, the Morph is incredibly sensitive.
Great link JohntheSavage !
I assume everyone has scrolled down and read the comments from Roger Linn !
Cool he used the TouchCo to proto the LS.
In my case, adjusting my technique to non-standard percussion controllers has been my thing for years, so I’m totally OK with that aspect. The much smaller pads are worth getting used to for the sake of getting so many more pads under your hand than, for example, my Zendrum controllers. This is all about comparing with and replacing them if possible. I compensate for the stroke roll issue by placing the same kit pieces on two----sometimes more pads----which is no biggie when you have like 100 pads to work with. But yes, hand position with such small targets will be an issue. The LinnStrument has a bit of tactile feedback plus the lighting to orient you. Is there nothing to be done with the Morph’s surface? If I could at least use some sort of marking pen to place dots in the middle of the targets, that would help a lot. Otherwise, I think I’d have to go to a lower resolution grid where muscle memory is more achievable than a grid of fingertip-sized targets. I think a grid of down to perhaps 30 targets may still offer significant advantages over a Zendrum if the Morph will respond nicely to finger trills to achieve dynamically controllable stroke rolls. The Zendrum’s triggers are big enoughto be stroke-rolled individually, by the way.
I do hope this works out because, as good as my LinnStrument is at percussion control, it’s of course great for MPE. So I really want to have two such controllers simultaneously available; I’m this close to purchasing a second LinnStrument. In fact, over in the Lumatone discussion, I was going to float my observation that two LS’s offers so many advantages for high-EDO microtunings that at this point I’ve written off the Lumatone entirely. The Lumatone’s sole advantage are its 10 hardware preset buttons, a bigger deal than it seems because an LS microtuning setup with accompanying lighting scheme will require several third party software adjustments every time you change EDO.
The Morph is all ready for experimentation so I’m sure you’ll work out something you’ll like.
Sensel is somewhere along developing a screen version with their technology, I wouldn’t be surprised to see something along this line from them coming some time.
Good luck, have fun.
This is besides the developments with the Morph, like the PD support.