Roland TR-8S Managerby jkhiser

Question

Gold

MIDI Target Manufacturer(s): Roland
Summary: Unleash the full potential of your Roland TR-8S with this expertly crafted MIDI Designer layout. Enjoy a traditional mixer view that provides instant access to key track and kit parameters, with the current kit name and number always in sight. Effortlessly manage your effects with a functional flow view and quick-setting buttons, including a DRY option to disable all effects. This layout serves as both a heads-up display for live performance and offers direct touch-screen access with your ten fingers. Transform your TR-8S experience with this powerful and intuitive layout.

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This is the same layout at the TR-6s, with the additional five tracks for the TR-8s.

See https://mididesigner.com/qa/10061 for more information.

For ease of maintenance, the layout is built with the TR-6s model ID, then SB is used to remap to the TR-8S model ID.  This makes it easier to add functionality once to both layout versions.  If you borrow controls to use in other layouts, you may want to change the model ID on the controls from 6D to 45 instead of relying on the SB translation, especially if you have other TR controls.

Dan and I have been bouncing ideas around as we build these TR layouts.  One question is can you do an auto-load after kit changes?  Yes, but how do you know the user has finished scrolling through kits?  You don't want the settings scanner to start while the kit is still scrolling, potentially loading 1/2 of one kit settings, 1/2 of another.  You can set a timer, but you might not want to always wait for the timer, or again you might start scrolling again.  So we just do a subtle prompt.  If the layout detects a kit change, but LOAD has not been activated, the LOAD button changes color as a prompt.   initially had an arrow appear next to the button, but the color change is more subtle.

If you knew that only a single kit change would come in, such as under DAW control, you could automate the LOAD.

Downloads: 65
TR-8S Mgr 1.1.mididesigner - Ver 1.1 adds the Effects summary page. Overview of sound chain. One-touch DRY button removes all instrument and master effects.
Downloads: 26

TR-8S Mgr 1.0.mididesigner
Downloads: 39

Images

Main Mixer Page

Color change indicates LOAD required to update KIT settings

Effects Pages

Comments

Hmmm... so we need a "debounce?" A debounce is the typical solution for "If you knew that only a single kit change would come in"

This is so awesome and timely (for me) I can't even! Big ups on completing this, I'll be playing with it and videoing that.

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re: debounce - but you don't know what the human is going to do next.  Are they through spinning the kit dial?  Or just getting adjusted for another spin.  And now that I have the load prompt figured, now just include that engine for each page.  I didn't put it on the 6s layout, will catch it in next update.  Trying to keep two versions of the layout sync'd is going to be interesting.

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You add a 200ms delay, which postpones fire if another signal comes in. It’s fast enough

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That’s how a debounce would work on the MD side. It mostly prevents overwhelm.

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While I'm excited about the 1.2 version, this one is amazing. Gold! I had some really fun time with it last night... videos to follow, thanks thanks!