Using NRPN interest over CC controllers?

maxoche · 2022-08-31T20:25:36.330Z

Hello,
I wanted to give the NRPN controllers a try on the DT.
But reading from the manual it seems that NRPN LSB only is used for parameter controls value.
Essentially, this means it has no advantage over CC as the resolution is identical.
what do you think ?
thanks
Max

Humanprogram · 2022-08-31T23:11:53.464Z

I think it depends on what you want to do. I was recently working on Syntakt-style effects via MIDI loopback on DT, and wound up using NRPN for chorus effect—to modulate the delay time by .2 on the DT dial, CC only has 127 resolution so sending and receiving NRPN via cc’s 99,98,6,38 (and modulating the fine, LSB, value was necessary).

Are you controlling Digitakt from a daw or other machine? And with what goal?

dialectrics · 2022-08-31T23:56:46.715Z

dude I didn’t realize that’s what NRPN was!! and you’re telling me it works with midi feedback? amazing stuff the DT is the gift that keeps on giving.

Humanprogram · 2022-09-01T01:27:30.346Z

Yes— here’s NRPN-loopback chorus in action on DT in a video I did the other day, cued to time-stamp .

I’ve been wondering if there are other uses it might be put to…

dialectrics · 2022-09-01T04:09:27.667Z

Next level shit brother. Kudos to you for figuring that out. I always wanted to try out the free stereo chorus/flanger/ensemble effects that are hiding in plain sight.

U ever tried usb midi feedback before?

maxoche · 2022-09-01T08:33:26.563Z

From the manual, it seems that only lsb is used for modulation as the msb is already used for parameter identification .
If that’s correct, nrpn are used in the DT at the same resolution as Cc ie limited to 128 steps.
But maybe you have other experiences with it …

maxoche · 2022-09-01T08:34:31.817Z

That’s a great video ! I’ll dig in that for sure

Humanprogram · 2022-09-01T14:53:33.697Z

dialectrics:

. I always wanted to try out the free stereo chorus/flanger/ensemble effects

Yes, by time, the delay is just right for chorus (20-50ms = ~1.00-3.50 @ 120bpm), but a little slow for true flanger (5-15ms) unless you kick up the tempo close to 300 (tried this on Syntakt for science here )—and scale the pattern down, same strategy as the “Karplused” DT factory pattern.

Haven’t tried with MIDI-USB except to test out polyphony on Syntakt via a Drambo mono to poly module. I think it works fine and frees up the midi in port to use a midi controller.

maxoche:

From the manual, it seems that only lsb is used for modulation as the msb is already used for parameter identification .
If that’s correct, nrpn are used in the DT at the same resolution as Cc ie limited to 128 steps.
But maybe you have other experiences with it …

Not sure I understand here, but the labels on the SEL values are confusing:

99, 98 say MSB and LSB on the labels, but it’d be clearer if they said ADDRESS 1 and ADDRESS 2. The corresponding VALs, [2, 0] are the address of the parameter, like the number of the CC number, but for NRPN. 6 and 38 are the MSB and LSB “DATA” (and one of the labels is weird), and both have a 127 resolution. You can modulate the LSB to get “fine” values (.00-.99) … the MSB slot, corresponding to 6 and to coarse values (0-127, whole numbers). You can modulate MSB … but I can’t see that there would be a difference from just using CC…

Around the 5:00 mark in the video above I try to point to the values on the machine, because it took me a while to figure out, as well.

maxoche · 2022-09-01T16:02:50.909Z

thanks for your reply Human,
I’ll give it a try to figure it out !