Solved Revisiting LFO tempo sync

I have made an LFO section with custom knobs, and want a separate dropdown menu with time signatures (8th, 16th, 32 etc ...).
I can't find a way to do it. I know about $DURATION but have no clue if it can be tied in with the LFO tempo sync.
Did find a 2011 comment from EvilDragon that it was extremely hard to script, but maybe in 5 or 6 years, someone found an easier way.

Of course I could make separate LFO's with different settings, and call upon them from a dropdown menu, but I have reached the maximum amount of destinations that Kontakt allows for. So that option is out the door.

Preparing for the bad news ....

 

With Kontakt 5.5 temposyncing stuff in Kontakt was overhauled. See KSP reference, there are new engine parameters and time constants you can use to temposync much more easily.

 

I just came home and saw your comment. I didn't even realize I was using the 2011 KSP reference all this time. Never thought about getting a new version lol. I got the 5.5 KSP reference now and immediately I saw the $ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT.
I think that is what I am looking for. I will puzzle away and see how it works.

Thanks EvilDragon!

 

supplement:

It works! The only thing I am getting are errors for certain values.
I declare a ui_slider with values 0-16 to control the sync values, but values 1,2,3,4,11,14 are generating errors, and therefore not reaching all tempo values (max knob value stops at sixteenth's).

SCRIPT WARNING: set_engine(): note value is not accepted

Consequently I have created a workaround, and declared a ui_slider with values 0-21, which does reach all tempo values (default to 256). Must be some Kontakt thing. Just wanted to throw this into the group.

 

Max knob value in the new tempo sync mode is 12 - don't mix up the unit variables with actual knob positions (which are still 0-1000000 range). By changing the knob value you can get dotted values.

I hope you're using arrays to pick out the time constants for the unit parameter. I do this with two arrays: one for unit, one for knob value, and this way I spread the whole range from 1/256 to 12/1, including dotted notes.

 

I actually do not use arrays. I am just barely getting by with my very limited programming skills. What others do in an hour, will take me 2 weeks . Like a Cave man trying to paint a Rembrandt. He will get some of it right, but most will be way off.
I appreciate your logic, but I can't translate it into a working plan. I did look in the KSP ref for some pointers, but I perhaps understand 20% of it. Not to be lazy, but the knob works, albeit very very sloppy. Wish I could do better.
Hoping to get more into the ksp basics as I go along.

 

EvilDragon - would be cool if you could post a little example using arrays.

Here's a rather simple script example without using arrays - with a tempo synced LFO range from slow to fast (1Bar - 1/64th)
I defined one knob with 12 knob positions, but of course you could set up more.
the first set_engine_par sets the unit, the 2nd sets the value. The name of the LFO must be "LFO_MULTI".

Code:

on init
    set_script_title("LFO Tempo Sync")
    set_ui_height_px(50)
    message("")
    make_perfview

{ Knob LFO Rate }

declare ui_knob $LFORate(0, 11, 1)

end on

{ PITCH LFO Rate - name of LFO must be "LFO_MULTI"! }

on ui_control ($LFORate)

if ($LFORate = 0)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER_TRIPLET,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 2)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 3)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH_TRIPLET,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 4)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 5)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH_TRIPLET,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 6)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 7)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND_TRIPLET,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 8)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 9)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH_TRIPLET,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 10)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,400000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 11)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,700000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if
if ($LFORate = 12)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY_UNIT,$NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
set_engine_par($ENGINE_PAR_INTMOD_FREQUENCY,900000,0,find_mod(0,"LFO_MULTI"),-1)
end if

end on

 

It's pretty simple, you just need one array for all the units, and one array for the knob values. Do be aware that you need a different pair of arrays depending on parameter: delay time has its own, chorus/phaser/flanger have their own (the same for all three), LFO/step mod frequency has its own, and envelopes are the same as LFO but in reverse.

Code:

on init
    declare const NUM_FX_SYNC_TIMES := 20
    declare const NUM_MOD_SYNC_TIMES := 34

    declare dly_sync_unit[NUM_FX_SYNC_TIMES] := (NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE)
    declare dly_sync_value[NUM_FX_SYNC_TIMES] := (0,0,0,454545,0,0,181818,0,0,181818,0,0,181818,0,0,181818,0,0,181818,0)
    declare cfp_sync_unit[NUM_FX_SYNC_TIMES] := (NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH_TRIPLET)
    declare cfp_sync_value[NUM_FX_SYNC_TIMES] := (1000000,545454,1000000,1000000,545454,1000000,1000000,818181,1000000,1000000,818181,1000000,1000000,818181,1000000,1000000,818181,1000000,818181,1000000)
    declare mod_sync_units[NUM_MOD_SYNC_TIMES] := (NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_WHOLE_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_HALF_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_QUARTER_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_8TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_16TH_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_32ND_TRIPLET,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_64TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH,NI_SYNC_UNIT_256TH)
    declare mod_sync_value[NUM_MOD_SYNC_TIMES] := (0,90909,181818,272727,363636,454545,545454,636363,727272,818181,909090,999999,818181,999999,999999,818181,999999,999999,818181,999999,999999,818181,999999,999999,818181,999999,999999,545454,999999,999999,818181,999999,909090,999999)
end on

That's all you need. No need for a huge chain of "if" clauses

 

thanks very much
so you'd need two knobs - one for the units, the other one for the dividers, right?

 

No, one knob reads from both arrays at the same time. First the unit, then the value.

With a bit of math, you can make the same knob to work in unsynced and synced mode - the knob has to be 0-1000000, and then you'd need to scale it so that it fits the range of the array you need (in above case, 0 to 19 or 0 to 33).

 

cool - will check it out!

 

EvilDragon - I am still trying to understand how to properly script arrays…would be great if you could maybe help.
If I load your quick example into kontakt, an error message appears: "line 2: variable missing".
I am not sure which parts of your code are supposed to be variables, and which need the array (%) sign before their names...
(and in the KSP manual the declaration of arrays (p. 20) looks quite different to your code) so I don't really know what I'd need to change to make it work. Thanks!!

 

My code was intended for SublimeKSP editor...

Anyways, all arrays need a %, naturally, only the first two variables (which are constants) need $.

 

okay, I see - thanks! That's what I actually tried, but then I forget to add "$" to all the sync time units as well, so the error messages never stopped.

(I don't use the sublimeKSP editor, only TextWrangler, but maybe I should check it out.)

 

if you want serious help in either of the KSP forums you will find we nearly ALL use Sublime text with Nils' KSP plug-in.

 

btw. there's an underscore missing in Mario's script. It must be (in non-Sublime code):

Code:

declare const $NUM_MOD_SYNC_TIMES := 34

instead of

Code:

declare const $NUM_MOD SYNC_TIMES := 34

(I also had problems when I tried to compile the code: SublimeText wouldn't automatically add the necessary "const" for the declaration of the variables which produced an error message in Kontakt. But I'm not sure if I had all Sublime settings right (?) - still struggling with the SublimeText editor...)

 

Ah, I see it now. Fixed the original post, thanks.

 

Mario, with this array, how do you set the delay time to say, for example "Three eighth triplets"? I can only seem to get it to set a single unit of each sync value.

 

Wouldn't 3x 8th triplets be a quarter note?

In any case, the answer would be in dly_sync_value[] array - it contains $ENGINE_PAR_DL_TIME values that adjust the delay timebase multiplier (1.0 to 12.0). If you want custom values there, you'd need to modify that array (and of course the dly_sync_unit[] array along with it, they gotta match).

 

Right, but it would then have to be fixed in advance? I think I prefer keeping the sync value and the number of units seperate... more flexible.