Making Jazz++ for Linux 'microtonality capable'

Excited by the idea of a piano-roll MIDI sequencer which could change it's
function/appearance based on what .scl file would be loaded, I've proposed
the idea to a development branch of the Jazz++ sequencer, which is now called
'JazzPlusPlus'. It's theoretically portable to Windows, but mostly it is for
Linux-based (and I suppose *nix-based) platforms.

We'll see what they (the developers) say, but I would think it would be
easier, better, and quicker to do such a thing starting from an existing code
base than to start such a large project from scratch!

I'll let you know when I receive word.

Best,
--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

>Excited by the idea of a piano-roll MIDI sequencer which could change
>it's function/appearance based on what .scl file would be loaded, I've
>proposed the idea to a development branch of the Jazz++ sequencer,
>which is now called 'JazzPlusPlus'. It's theoretically portable to
>Windows, but mostly it is for Linux-based (and I suppose *nix-based)
>platforms.
>
>We'll see what they (the developers) say, but I would think it would
>be easier, better, and quicker to do such a thing starting from an
>existing code base than to start such a large project from scratch!
>
>I'll let you know when I receive word.

Almost certainly Jazz++ does not support this paradigm, but here
it is...

The insertion point ("now" point) is fixed in the center (from
left to right) of the piano roll display, and navigation is
accomplished by moving the roll underneath it, and by zooming on
the roll. Playback and editing happen this way, and the roll
must scroll smoothly. Compare to a user-moveable insertion point
which moves over the display and, when it hits the edge, results
in jerky scrolling with the insertion point too far right or a
'page turn' to the next section of the roll.

...This is actually applicable to all waveform editors. Unfortunately,
(I'm told) most GUI toolkits don't have easy pixel panning or smooth
scrolling available.

-Carl

> Yes, Carl,

> ..your new scrolling paradigm would be nice, but computationally a bit
> wasteful (perhaps not if you have a 2GHZ processor), given the redrawing
> that
> happens at the pixel level.

Come to think of it, what I said was stupid--the video is being redrawn all
the time. Although I suppose complex motions get computationally intesive...

Best,
--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

Yes, Carl,

..your new scrolling paradigm would be nice, but computationally a bit
wasteful (perhaps not if you have a 2GHZ processor), given the redrawing that
happens at the pixel level.

When I mentioned that I was excited by the 'idea', I meant that in general, to
see a MIDI sequencer that allowed drawing piano rolls at the micro-tuning
level would be a good thing. So, I could live with the *current* scrolling
paradigm we always see in GUI sequencers/wave editors.

Monz's software will do this microtonal piano roll stuff, but it's not for
anything but Windows, and I'm a Linux guy. I would only consider buying it if
I found out that it ran flawlessly on Wine.

-Aaron.

On Tuesday 18 January 2005 04:40 pm, Carl Lumma wrote:
> >Excited by the idea of a piano-roll MIDI sequencer which could change
> >it's function/appearance based on what .scl file would be loaded, I've
> >proposed the idea to a development branch of the Jazz++ sequencer,
> >which is now called 'JazzPlusPlus'. It's theoretically portable to
> >Windows, but mostly it is for Linux-based (and I suppose *nix-based)
> >platforms.
> >
> >We'll see what they (the developers) say, but I would think it would
> >be easier, better, and quicker to do such a thing starting from an
> >existing code base than to start such a large project from scratch!
> >
> >I'll let you know when I receive word.
>
> Almost certainly Jazz++ does not support this paradigm, but here
> it is...
>
> The insertion point ("now" point) is fixed in the center (from
> left to right) of the piano roll display, and navigation is
> accomplished by moving the roll underneath it, and by zooming on
> the roll. Playback and editing happen this way, and the roll
> must scroll smoothly. Compare to a user-moveable insertion point
> which moves over the display and, when it hits the edge, results
> in jerky scrolling with the insertion point too far right or a
> 'page turn' to the next section of the roll.
>
> ...This is actually applicable to all waveform editors. Unfortunately,
> (I'm told) most GUI toolkits don't have easy pixel panning or smooth
> scrolling available.
>
> -Carl
>
>
>
>
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--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.akjmusic.com
http://www.dividebypi.com

>Yes, Carl,
>
>..your new scrolling paradigm would be nice, but computationally a bit
>wasteful (perhaps not if you have a 2GHZ processor), given the redrawing
>that happens at the pixel level.

It's nothing compared to something like Doom 3. In fact, the EGA
standard had a pixel-panning mode, which took no CPU resources at
all. That was the 80's.

>When I mentioned that I was excited by the 'idea', I meant that
>in general, to see a MIDI sequencer that allowed drawing piano rolls
>at the micro-tuning level would be a good thing.

That's what I meant too. The scrolling GUI is just a nice-to-have.

>So, I could live with the *current* scrolling
>paradigm we always see in GUI sequencers/wave editors.

Me too.

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> That's what I meant too. The scrolling GUI is just a nice-to-have.
>
> >So, I could live with the *current* scrolling
> >paradigm we always see in GUI sequencers/wave editors.
>
> Me too.

Don't know if either of you use this app, but Sound Forge has had this
feature for a number of years. Wave is scrolling by, hit the "\" key
and the cursor moves to the center of the window and stays put as the
wave scrolls. Makes it very easy to center the area of an intended edit...

Cheers,
Jon

>> That's what I meant too. The scrolling GUI is just a nice-to-have.
>>
>> >So, I could live with the *current* scrolling
>> >paradigm we always see in GUI sequencers/wave editors.
>>
>> Me too.
>
>Don't know if either of you use this app, but Sound Forge has had this
>feature for a number of years. Wave is scrolling by, hit the "\" key
>and the cursor moves to the center of the window and stays put as the
>wave scrolls. Makes it very easy to center the area of an intended edit...

Yes, but it doesn't work 'correctly'. It's not really useable in the
way that my suggestion would be.

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> Yes, but it doesn't work 'correctly'. It's not really useable in the
> way that my suggestion would be.

Ah, it goes only part way to what you want. In any event, it *does*
scroll smoothly when centered. Since smooth-scrolling isn't a problem,
it would only take some benevolent programmer to make an app that does
exactly what _you_ want it to do. I don't think I've seen any audio or
video editors that work the way you want - have you seen anything that
comes close?

Cheers,
Jon

>> Yes, but it doesn't work 'correctly'. It's not really useable in
>> the way that my suggestion would be.
>
>Ah, it goes only part way to what you want. In any event, it *does*
>scroll smoothly when centered.

On my machines it's never been what I'd call smooth.

>Since smooth-scrolling isn't a problem,
>it would only take some benevolent programmer to make an app that does
>exactly what _you_ want it to do. I don't think I've seen any audio or
>video editors that work the way you want - have you seen anything that
>comes close?

Yup: The Music Animation Machine editor.

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> On my machines it's never been what I'd call smooth.

Can't help you there - works for me. But my ears like the Grados, too! :)

> Yup: The Music Animation Machine editor.

Interesting, never heard of it. When time allows, I'll search...

Cheers,
Jon

>> Yup: The Music Animation Machine editor.
>
>Interesting, never heard of it. When time allows, I'll search...

It's not available to the public.

-Carl

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Carl Lumma <ekin@l...> wrote:
> It's not available to the public.

And it's a *DOS* program. Ye gads...

Cheers,
Jon