Modality | SuperCollider 3.13.0 Help

The Modality toolkit simplifies using controllers in SuperCollider. It was created by a team of developers and users of SuperCollider.

see http://modalityteam.github.io/, or in browser:"http://modalityteam.github.io/".openOS;

Features

Modality allows creating highly personal performance instruments with a wide variety of controllers. A common code interface, MKtl, is used to set up controllers from various sources and protocols like HID, MIDI and OSC.
With Modality, the same set of physical interfaces (sliders, buttons, motion sensors etc.) can control many different processes. Modality allows a highly modal approach to mapping and on-the-fly remapping to make setups much more flexible, powerful, and interesting to play. For example, when improvising, highly modal interfaces allow much faster changes of overall musical direction.
Modality allows quick substitution of controllers for others, whether for experiment (how do the sounds in my setup feel when played with a gaming joystick instead of this faderbox?) or in emergencies (My faderbox broke and my show starts in 30 minutes!).
Users can add description files for their own controllers locally and are welcome to contribute them to Modality.

SCDoc

Tutorials, how-tos, examples

Begin here (or jump to Modality: First Steps below):
ModalityTutorial
Supported Devices are:"https://modalityteam.github.io/controllers/".openOS; // or in SC: MKtlDesc.postLoadable; MKtlDesc.web;
Tutorials for special modality features:
Creating_Named_Groups
Creating_Custom_Elements_and_Groups
Creating_Presets_for_MKtl_Values
Using_Hardware_Pages
Substituting_MKtls
Coding_for_Modal_Flexibility
CompMKtl - Composing an MKtl from several MKtls
PagedMKtl - Paging by using multiple MKtls for the same device
Practical issues:
Fix_Missing_hutDirectory_osx
Connecting_generic_devices
Connecting_multiple_identical_devices
Connecting_external_MIDI_devices
Connecting_multiport_MIDI_devices
Connecting_OSC_devices
Find many tutorial files and examples of common use cases of MKtl here: https://github.com/ModalityTeam/ModalityWorkshop
Also, some description files have little examples for each device:MKtlDesc.openFolder; MKtlDesc.loadDescs.choose.openFile; // generate code to test a device: MKtlDesc.loadDescs.choose.openTestCode; MKtlDesc("*icontrols*102").openTestCode;
Longer examples for some specific devices are here - please contribute examples for your device:(MKtlDesc.defaultFolder.dirname +/+ "DeviceExamples").openOS;

Advanced Tutorials and further reading

Adding your own controller(s) to Modality:
How_to_adapt_a_description_file - to be written
How_to_create_a_description_file_for_MIDI
How_to_create_a_description_file_for_HID
How_to_create_a_description_file_for_OSC

First Steps

This section is intended as a rough and quick overview. For more detailed information, see ModalityTutorial.

In Modality, an MKtl represents a supported hardware controller, and one assigns functionality to its controller elements. To find your device, evaluateMKtl.find;

NOTE: You may have to install drivers before MKtl.find is able to find your device. Some devices may show up in multiple protocols. For example, the ICON IControls show up as both MIDI and HID.

Each MKtl contains MKtlElements, which represent the hardware elements of the controller, e.g. the sliders or knobs on a faderbox. You can assign actions to these elements and to groups of elements. They will get evaluated every time the value that element is activated.

Example NanoKontrol2

// plug in a NanoKontrol2 and evaluate this line.
// ( if you don't have one at hand, do it anyhow :)
k = MKtl('nk2', "korg-nanokontrol2");

// alternatively, you can evaluate
MKtl.find(\midi);
// grab the last line pasted, and change its short name:
k = MKtl('nk2', "korg-nanokontrol2");

// If no controller is connected, use its gui instead:
k.gui;

// turn on trace, then move some elements to see that it works
k.trace;
k.trace(false);

// the elements (knobs, sliders, buttons) are in hierarchical groups
k.elementGroup;
k.postElements;

// elements can be accessed by hierarchical names or indices:
k.elAt(\kn, 0);
k.elAt(\kn, \1);
k.elAt(\tr, \play);
k.elAt(\bt, 1, 4);
k.elAt(\bt, \M, \5);

// make sure there are no current assigned actions
k.resetActions;

// boot the server
s.boot;

(
// play a sound
x = {
    Splay.ar(
        LFSaw.ar([
            \freq1.kr(700, lag: 0.3),
            \freq2.kr(150, lag: 0.3),
            \freq3.kr(100, lag: 0.3)
    ])) * 0.2
}.play;

// add a spec for the controls
Spec.add(\freq1, [100, 1000, \exp]);
)

// set actions to the first three sliders
(
k.elAt(\sl, 0).action = {arg el; x.set(\freq1, \freq1.asSpec.map(el.value)) };
k.elAt(\sl, 1).action = {arg el; x.set(\freq2, \freq1.asSpec.map(el.value)) };
k.elAt(\sl, 2).action = {arg el; x.set(\freq3, \freq1.asSpec.map(el.value)) };
)

// after testing, free sound
x.free;

// and free the device
k.free;

Example BCR2000

// plug in your BCR2000 and evaluate this line.
k = MKtl('myBCR', "behringer-bcr2000");

// If there is no controller connected, use its gui:
k.gui;

// turn on trace, then move some elements to see that it works
k.trace;

// make sure there are no current assigned actions
k.resetActions;

// the elements (knobs, sliders, buttons) are in hierarchical groups
k.elementGroup;
k.postElements;

// elements can be accessed by hierarchical names or indices:
k.elAt(\kn, 0);
k.elAt(\kn, 0, 0);

// all knobs of the first row
k.elAt(\kn, 0); // -> MKtlElementGroup

// elements have a type:
k.elAt(\kn, 0, 0).type;

// select elements by their type:
k.elementsDict.select { |x| x.type == \encoder };

// perform an action on turning knob [0,0] (upper left)
k.elAt(\kn, 0, 0).action = { |el| [el.name, el.value.round(0.001)].postln };

// boot the server
s.boot;

// simple sound example
x = { Splay.ar(RLPF.ar(Saw.ar(\freq.kr(440, 0.1), mul: 0.1), 1000))}.play;

// .action overrides previously set actions
(
k.elAt(\kn, 0, 0).action_({ |el|
    x.set(\freq.postln, el.value.linlin(0.0, 1, 300.0, 600));
});
)

// after testing, free sound
x.free;

// send data back to the device
k.elAt(\kn,0,0).value_(0.5);

// remove all assigned actions
k.resetActions;

Bonus: Knob rotation demo

Adding More Controllers

If your controller is not supported yet, you can add it by yourself! See How_to_adapt_a_description_file or How_to_create_a_description_file.

Acknowledgements

Modality and its research meetings have kindly been supported by BEK in Bergen, Norway, and STEIM, Amsterdam. The ModalityTeam is, in no particular order:["Jeff Carey", "Bjørnar Habbestad", "Marije Baalman", "Alberto de Campo", "Tijs Ham", "Wouter Snoei", "Till Bovermann", "Miguel Negrão", "Robert van Heumen", "Hannes Hoelzl", "Tim Blechmann", "Amelie Hinrichsen", "Dominik Hildebrand Marques Lopes"].scramble;

helpfile source: Modality/HelpSource/Overviews/Modality.schelp
link::Modality-toolkit/Overviews/Modality::

ModalityExtension

Modality
Extension