Rakarrack and wah automation

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tavasti
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by tavasti »

spekis182 wrote:Hi
The pedal is connected to Computer's microphone port, which already has 4V supply on the ring. With turning the pot I'm able to put voltage from 0.69 to 3.21 to the jack's tip.
Expression pedal needs to be connected to some device which has connector for such. And this involves more than same kind of plug.

Microphone connector is designed for capturing audio signals. For your expression pedal to deliver such you would need to input it some signal generator, and your expression pedal would adjust volume of signal inputted to microphone jack. Then you would need to somehow convert those signal level changes to midi control messages. Doesn't sound very handy, but might be possible. Most likely you would need to write your own software for it.

To get things working you would need something like this: https://www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php or https://www.kvraudio.com/product/usb-mi ... -tecontrol

See also discussion https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6225535

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ssj71
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by ssj71 »

tavasti wrote:For your expression pedal to deliver such you would need to input it some signal generator, and your expression pedal would adjust volume of signal inputted to microphone jack. Then you would need to somehow convert those signal level changes to midi control messages. Doesn't sound very handy, but might be possible. Most likely you would need to write your own software for it.
Yes-ish.
A DC voltage is a signal that the expression pedal could attenuate, but there is still the question of whether the soundcard handles DC properly., alternatively, any tone could be run from an output of the soundcard, through the expression pedal (used as a volume pedal in this way) and then back into an input. This will surely work.

Once you have the signal input you can use rakarrack (reportedly) or I'm 100% sure the infamous envelope follower can convert this to a midi CC signal. So no additional software writing will be required. I think spekis will have to invest in a 2-in 2-out or more soundcard to use this feature though.
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spekis182
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by spekis182 »

I just couldn't let go of it. I found out that my USB guitar link has a stereo input so I can use QJack for the guitar and the expression pedal. I've connected the signal to x42-scope but it reads noise, not voltage. in this article http://rakarrack.sourceforge.net/aci.html as I understand rakarrack is using audio jack ports to measure the signal. I can get a wave type noise by putting my finger on the pots pin and turning it up and down. So what next? how to use ACI?
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by ssj71 »

well you should be able to just connect the soundcard input to the ACI input of rackarrack.

When you say it reads noise not voltage I believe it is because you don't have any voltage supply, therefore no real signal. You need a voltage applied to one side of the pot, then the ground and middle pin go to your soundcard. However since you have found that your pot is noisy enough to be a noise generator we can at least go with the proof of concept. Start rakarrack and qjackctl or whatever connection manager of your preference and look at what ports are available in rakarrack.
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by spekis182 »

Rakarrack has 3 inputs, L and R for audio processing and AUX. I've connected a sine tone generated from Audacity to rakarracks AUX input. The wave on the scope is much bigger now. And what next? The main mystery on how to setup ACI still remains.
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by tavasti »

ssj71 wrote: When you say it reads noise not voltage I believe it is because you don't have any voltage supply, therefore no real signal. You need a voltage applied to one side of the pot, then the ground and middle pin go to your soundcard.
... and because using mic input, most likely voltage won't be enough, you need some audio signal. Some static signal, which gets damped down with pedal.

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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by tramp »

spekis182 wrote:Rakarrack has 3 inputs, L and R for audio processing and AUX. I've connected a sine tone generated from Audacity to rakarracks AUX input. The wave on the scope is much bigger now. And what next? The main mystery on how to setup ACI still remains.
The ACI module translate the incomming audio signal to a Midi CC message. You could select the Audio channel to use and the Midi Controller number to send, in the ACI settings window (menu -> settings -> ACI). Then you need to connect a Rakarrack controller to this Midi CC number via Midi learn.
Under settings -> preferences in the MIDI tap, you need to switch on Midi learn first.
Then you do a right click on the controller you would connect and move your Midi Controller. In the case of the ACI, you need to enter the controller number directly in the field next to "Get MIDI Message", you could edit the value there by click on it and move the mouse horizontal. When you've the same number then in your ACI, press assign.
That's it, it should work now.
In the ACI window there is a VU-meter which shows you the incoming signal, you could adjust it with the Gain and threshold parameters to your needs.
Note that all this only work when the "Fx on" is on. :)
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spekis182
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by spekis182 »

tramp wrote:Note that all this only work when the "Fx on" is on. :)
:oops: That was the most important thing that I didn't do, and I didn't know that ACI has a VU meter. Thank you all very much for helping. There is just one thing. Which parameter do I have to control for using wah?
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by tramp »

And now, the bad news, there isn't any wah control in rakarrack you could use for that. All wah control in rakarrack is supposed to be used with a LOF, even if there is the AVI input port. Maybe that's related to the state of hard/software at the time rakarrack was developed :(
You could use the Phasor tempo, the Flanger depth for example, but wah, nope. :evil:

However,a bit of self promotion follow now, stop to read here to protect yourself for spamming. :lol:

I've just developed a tube base wah simulation with a ACV port as a LV2 plugin, which may suite your needs in regard to control it with a audio port input, just, I ain't have released it for now, it's still in the testing phase.
If you interested, I could send you the code and compile instructions, so you could test it.
Send me a PM, and you'll get the code.

regards
hermann
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spekis182
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by spekis182 »

NOOOOOOOOO...... :cry: It doesn't work anymore? At all? Even with FCB1010? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeNHuDisouw
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Re: Rakarrack and wah automation

Post by tramp »

spekis182 wrote:NOOOOOOOOO...... :cry: It doesn't work anymore? At all? Even with FCB1010? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeNHuDisouw
Ah, I've forgotten the MuTroMojo.
After watching the video I remember, well, what works is the "Range" when selected "WahWah" and "E.sense" set to something above 10.
You need to play with the settings to find what suits you.
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