Re: RC-2 : First impressions / comparison RC-50

["Tony K" <bigtonyk@gmail.com>]

I wrote a simple VST host a few years ago and if I remember correctly, the VST spec has provisions  for accessing the name and values of each parameter without going through the UI. So, theoretically, a host on a PDA or whatever could display the param name and the value with way to change the value.  I can imagine some fx or synths that have a LOT of params would be a major pain in the ass to work with.  But no worse than some of the rack fx or synths that have a teeny tiny little LCD screen.  The big issue would be real time control.  Then you are back to having an FCB or some other USB (assuming your PDA has USB) or Bluetooth controller.  I think someone posted a link on here to a WII controller interface for MIDI control, now that might be interesting...

Tony

On 8/24/07, Travis Hartnett <travishartnett@gmail.com> wrote:

I think a lot of the appeal of a VST system is having a wide variety
of plugins, most of which won't be four-knob effects along the lines
of standard Boss pedals.

Imagine a Boss pedalboard where all the pedals have no knob markings
or names on them--not very usable.  There has to be some display to
communicate a lot of information back to the user, and I don't believe
there's anything in the VST spec which would make it easy to map all
the parameters (of wildly varying number) to a keyboard  shortcut or
whatever.

I think I remember one VST rack host that looked like an Eventide type
controller, with four or five softknobs and an LCD display, and I
thought you had to use plugins which had been designed to work with
that host so that the UI would work.  Displays are pricey.

TH

On 8/24/07, Kelly Coyle <skcoyle@gmail.com > wrote:
> I don't know. You can probably work your PDS 20 OK, or your "Metal
> Zone" distortion. If the controls weren't rotary encoders, but 0-11
> knobs (where the knob position *was* the setting) it shouldn't be a
> problem for at least a few knobs. Of course, if you had seven of these
> boxes, or changed the VSTs out all the time, then you might have
> issues. I never had much of a problem with my Nord Modular if I stuck
> with the few patches I used a lot.
>