Beginner - where is CLDS? Struggling already

#1

Hey gang,

I just got my Axo the other day, and I gotta say that I am absolutely struggling with it. As a beginner with not much coding experience (did some PD way back), I'm finding it super frustrating. The "user guide" is literally useless, and the idea of "dig through these patches and work out what is going on" is incredibly frustrating. I've gone through all the tutorial patches, they didn't really help at all.
I'd really like to learn basic stuff, like:
- How to simply map a midi controller to a parameter (can't find a guide on this). I tried doing this through both the DIN port and the USB port using two different midi controllers, no luck at all. Matched the CC's, etc. I was trying to map a pot to control one of the library fx patches (Bass_fx) FWIW. Just couldn't get it working. Seems like it's a multi layered patch?
- How to patch a midi keyboard to play synths. Some of them work by default, some of them just don't work at all
- How to use it as a USB host for my OP1, so I can sequence external synths with OP1. This was the initial reason I bought it, but it doesn't seem to do this as plug n play. Is there a patch for this?
- Where the hell is CLDS and LMNTS? I've sync'd libraries, can't find it anywhere

Sorry to come straight of the gate bitching, but I've spent a few days on this and every time i load it up I just get extremely frustrated (and I'm a pretty patient guy!). I really want this to work, but as a beginner it's just not happening :frowning:

#2

Not all parameters can be assigned to midi cc. But for those who can, right click on the parameter and select which midi number you would like to assign it to. Pretty easy(when you know where to look, :slight_smile: ).

About the usb midi you have to set Axoloti up to send the cc values for the OP-1. There are a few steps to do that;

  1. Load the object called midi/out/cc from the object browser.

  2. Set the "device" to "midi USB host port 1" to send midi over USB.

  3. Set the "cc" for the cc you want to send from Axoloti to OP-1

  4. Go live with the patch and see if it OP-1 receives the midi data send over from Axoloti.

Since it sounds like you want to sequence, you would need another object to send the midi notes on/off. For that you would need to use midi/out/note. Se the "device" to "midi USB host port 1" and the "channel" to what channel you like to send it to.

For finding out how to use the objects; on most objects right click on the small triangle and select "help". This will open up a patch with examples of how to use the object.

Also keep in mind, that Axoloti can be very complicated, so it is common to have struggles to start with. So had I. Hang in, you will be rewarded for it :wink:

(remember to turn up velocity knob)

#3

Hang in there! And don't give up!

I started on the first day with my axo without any knowledge in C or pure database, yet it didn't take 30 min to build something that resulted into something sounding. I had no idea what I was doing. After a while I got better.
It would really help you trying to get your head around DSP. Once you understand the basics you see more light when tinkering with the axoloti. It's not taking you by hand, it's more like the other way around. It may require you to learn more than you're used to with other gear, the results can be tremendously rewarding and soon you will realise that it is actually not that hard.
Don't let the frustration drag you down, let it challenge you! And there's always a very kind and resourceful community here to point you the right way!

#4

Perhaps look at @janvantomme book

#5

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies, and apologies if my first message came across a little whiney! I'm definitely going to stick in there and give it a good crack, as I can really see the possibilities of it all.

Thanks for the patching help @jaffasplaffa, I'll give this a crack ASAP

In the meantime, can someone point me towards CLDS? I still can't find it :frowning:

#6

The search engine sees capital and non capital as different letters... So if you are searching for clds and you write CLDS...... you are out of luck..

Search for; clds, wrps, lmnts, etc.

All the mutable stuff is named without the vowels of the original name.

In general this is one of the bigger issues with the community library. If you are searching for a compressor and search "comp" and the author has called it Comp..... It wont show up.... This is one thing that IMO makes the community library a bit hard to understand.... Sometimes it can be almost impossible to find what you are looking for, because in differentiates between smal and capital letters.

#7

ahhh right, makes sense. I tried your patch and couldn't get it to work, however I found a patch someone had shared a few months ago on the OP1 forum that also had a USB host section, he used the object tb/midi/utils/midithru - I just tried it and it works perfectly!

I also found a version of clds on the user library that sounds great, but is pretty buggy (esp. the density control). I put it on a setting at one stage and it just crashed my Axo a bunch of times. I cant work out how to actually search the community library - in the app there's no search function? I;ve dug through all of the patches in there, the only "clds" one I can find is "axoclds", but no lmnts or wrps etc. Do I have to download the patches somewhere, or is "sync libraries" supposed to do it? I've done that, didn't help.

Soz for the noob questions, and thanks a bunch for helping me out here!

#8

Did you set the "device " for "usb host port 1"? Then it should work.

Anyway you go it it working.

Yep, they are buggy. There are several know issues with them.

Push spacebar and the search function/object browser shows up. Or type any letter.

BUT before this, have you actually set up the factory library and the community library? I am not sure you have, cause if you had, all the community library objects would show up when you hit space. Check these videos at the bottom of the page:

#9

there is currently no search for patches
you can access all of the patches in the factory and community library via file->library
(they are automatically downloaded when you do sync libraries)

generally, the focus has been more on sharing objects so you can create your own patches, using the variations you want... e.g. you talk of clds, but do you want to run an oscillator thru it, or audio in - for everyone its different - so often the patches you will find, are just examples other have used, and decided to share.

I don't think I did any example patches for lmnts/wrps but I did do help patches (which is what you should always check for first!) .... so create a patch, add new object , type in lmnts, add the object, right click and then select help.

as others have said, learning Axoloti like many patching environments (try max, pd, reaktor) is very much a hands on, experiment, explore, patch - so start simple, that's the point of the tutorials if you understand what they do, you will be able to create patches. then to 'extend them' simply use the search dialog to find new objects (e.g midi) and see what is available.

my recommendation is always the same, start simple, start with what you can do, then add a feature at a time, if it doesn't work, find out why... if you cant work out how to do something, search here, ask questions here - if your getting frustrated, its likely you are trying too much, too soon...

id also recommend you stick to factory objects initially, partly just to limit choice, but also because some of the community objects are pretty complex - once you are familiar with patching the factory objects, then you'll be in a better position to understand more complex objects.

finally search this forum, Axoloti has been around for a quite a while now, and many beginners have passed thru the doors asking questions, so the forum is a gold mine of information. (yeah, knowing what to search for is the tricky bit :slight_smile: )

(p.s. I'm not saying the documentation is perfect, its not, and it wasn't designed to teach patching)

Axoloti offers so many possibilities, but it takes time for you to unlock them, this also makes it a very rewarding experience. also remember, when its 'hard', you are not only learning about Axoloti, but also about dsp/midi programming in general... a skill very useful for other patching environments too.

anyway, what are you initial ideas, what do you want to do with Axoloti?

#10

its already setup, since he is already using community and factory objects, and run the demos/tutorials.

#11

Yes it takes time... And this is a kind of a common post from a new guy :slight_smile:

#12

Yes he said he could fint them in the browser--- So something is probably not set up right... Or maybe it was because he searched CLDS not clds...Ayway, it would strill eb good for new comers to read those pages :slight_smile:

#13

4 posts were split to a new topic: Patching guide

#14

Thanks guys, really appreciate the responses here.

@thetechnobear yes I think you're right, I was trying to go too complex too soon. Also, I didn't realise that the "new object" tool was where to search for lmnts etc - this makes sense!

Will dig into this in the next few weeks when I have time and see how I go. At minimum it's functioning as a USB midi host which is already worth the price of admission!

Great to see such an active community, looking forward to being an active part of it :slight_smile:

#15

Did you find the midi din to usb patch yet? Saw your post on operator1

#16

Yes some patience is needed. I have been EXTREMELY frustrated many times.... Still som frustrations here and there, but not in the same league as when starting. If one like the challenge and like to explore Axoloti is the bomb.... :wink:

#17

hey @flybry1405, yes! I found your patch in the old thread and it worked! Can;t get the clds stuff to work though, the knobs didn't change the sound at all (maybe cause I don't have the control board?).

I made a simple patch with just the USB hosting and saved that to flash, so at bare minimum it functions as a Kenton USB host at a cheaper price, with some options for deeper coding when I have some time to get my head around it

#18

There isn't an official Control Board, currently, though I believe one has been in development for some time.

a|x

#19

yeah, if your using my clds patch, then yes, it uses axocontrol board from thonk, see here , as @toneburst mentioned this is a third party board.
there is a 'Axoloti control board' in development, you'll find some information on the forum if you search, but bare in mind, its still in development so details are still changing.
one thing, I can assure you it will be worth the wait :wink:

of course you could convert the patches to use midi/in/cc instead of the axoc object.

#20

Hey guys, been pretty busy so haven't gotten back to teh Ax until now.

I've been chopping thru some patches and getting the hang of it (at a very basic level). One thing that is killing me though, how to control all the factory/community synth patches using a USB midi keyboard? I can only use my Nords DIN outputs - these work fine - but not USB keyboards are working (MPK Mini, OP1, Alias, etc). I can't find an object that can help me here either?