Skip to content

README.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
82 lines (61 loc) · 3.33 KB

README.md

File metadata and controls

82 lines (61 loc) · 3.33 KB
Raw

Luma

Luma is a Launchpad-oriented MIDI performance generator for Downspout. It is not a direct port of one flues LV2 plugin; it combines the most immediate ideas from arpiso, achord, and padseq into a smaller VST3 instrument.

The 8x8 grid holds lightweight musical agents:

  • rows 1-2: bass anchors, intended for basilico or another bass instrument;
  • rows 3-4: chord pulses;
  • rows 5-6: melody and arp fragments;
  • rows 7-8: drum and percussion sparks on channel 10.

Tap a Launchpad pad or UI pad to toggle an agent. Luma follows host transport when available, otherwise Auto clock free-runs so it can still be played in a simple setup. The same MIDI output carries generated notes and Launchpad LED feedback.

Routing

In Reaper, use the same basic pattern as Gremlin's MIDImix feedback:

  1. Put luma.vst3 on a MIDI utility track.
  2. Send the Launchpad MIDI input to that track.
  3. Route Luma's MIDI output to the synth/drum tracks you want to drive.
  4. Set the Luma track's MIDI Hardware Output to the Launchpad output port for LEDs.

In split output mode, melodic/chord agents use the base channel, bass agents use the next channel, and drum agents use channel 10. In single output mode, all generated notes use the base channel.

Pass Input is off by default. Luma consumes recognised Launchpad controls and blocks other incoming note/CC messages so controller pads do not leak into instrument or drum tracks. Turn Pass on only when you intentionally want unhandled input MIDI forwarded with Luma's generated notes and LED feedback.

Launchpad controls

  • grid pads toggle musical agents;
  • top row 1-2 change root note;
  • top row 3-4 change scale;
  • top row 5-6 change density;
  • top row 7 clears the grid;
  • top row 8 scatters a sparse pattern;
  • top row 9 panics and clears;
  • right side buttons set scene energy from low to high.

The first pass targets Novation Launchpad Mini Mk3 Programmer Mode note and CC mapping. Other Launchpad-family mappings should be added behind a small mapping layer rather than mixed into the generator core.

Build

Luma is enabled by default with DOWNSPOUT_BUILD_LUMA=ON.

cmake -S ../.. -B ../../build -DDOWNSPOUT_BUILD_LUMA=ON
cmake --build ../../build --target luma-vst3 downspout_luma_core_tests
ctest --test-dir ../../build --output-on-failure -R luma

Implementation

The portable core handles Launchpad grid/CC input, deterministic step scheduling, generated MIDI notes, pending note-offs, and LED feedback. The DPF wrapper is deliberately thin around parameters, transport, and MIDI I/O.

Host compatibility

The DPF/VST3 wrapper exposes a silent stereo output bus for compatibility with hosts that reject event-only plugins with no audio outputs. The portable core remains MIDI-only, and the wrapper clears both output channels every block.

Saving and restoring

The patch is stored as one versioned text state keyed by setting name, so a project reopens as you left it: root, scale, density, energy, gate, swing, clock and output modes, base channel, the LED and pass-input switches, and the live cell pattern (as a 64-character bitmap). Randomize and clear are momentary and are never stored, and a state naming one is refused. A corrupt or future-version state is rejected whole and leaves the current patch untouched. Starting playback or changing the sample rate no longer resets anything.