IK Multimedia's iRing Motion Control

It's been a little while since I last posted an update here, but rest assured we have been very busy here and I'm pleased to announce that the next version of Symphonix Evolution is almost complete.  We hope to be releasing it very soon, most likely before the end of July 2014.

Symphonix Evolution v2.5 is a major update that adds a number of new features including inbuilt support for the iRing motion control system from I.K. Multimedia!

For those who are unfamiliar with the iRing, it uses the iPad's camera sensor to detect the position of two ring-shaped controllers in real time.

The position of each controller is determined in 3D space allowing X (horizontal left-right), Y (vertical up-down) and Z (depth) coordinates to be used by the app.  Symphonix Evolution can map each of these parameters individually to a MIDI custom controller or pitch bend, creating six possible controller inputs.  As far as the app is concerned this input is treated exactly like the input from any other MIDI device, allowing rich expression to be added to song compositions.  The app reads the iRing at least 25 times a second so latency is approximately 40-50 milliseconds.

Symphonix Evolution also sends the input from the iRing to any connected MIDI devices, allowing the app to control other apps in the same way.

We're really excited about the flexibility this adds to Symphonix Evolution and we look forward to revealing more information about the upcoming version 2.5 over the coming weeks!

Add a Sustain pedal to Symphonix Evolution with iRig BlueBoard

Recently IK Multimedia introduced the iRig BlueBoard, which provides four programmable buttons and two external controllers.

The BlueBoard is an excellent way to add a sustain or expression pedal to Symphonix Evolution.  It's a wireless solution and is battery-powered for maximum portability.  When combined with a USB keyboard controller via a suitable MIDI adapter, you can quickly create a piano or keyboard setup for live gigs that uses Symphonix Evolution as the sound engine.  Guitar players and vocalists will also find the BlueBoard useful as a way to quickly switch through a playlist of backing tracks.

The iRig BlueBoard allows a Sustain pedal to be connected

  

Setting up a sustain pedal is very easy:  Simply start the BlueBoard’s own control app, connect the pedal to one of the ports on the side of the BlueBoard itself and then tell the iRig BlueBoard to use MIDI controller #64.  Symphonix Evolution will immediately “see” it as a sustain controller.

The four buttons marked "A", "B", "C", and "D" on the BlueBoard can be used in either a program change or MIDI controller mode.   When in Program Change mode, pressing a button will send a MIDI "program change" message, and Controller mode treats each button as a control "toggle" where the button is either on or off (the buttons stay lit when they are "on").

 Symphonix Evolution can use either mode, but the BlueBoard’s controller mode only sends “toggle” type messages so it is of limited use in our app when controlling functions because you have to press a button twice to toggle between "on" and "off".  However, Program Change mode is much more useful; by using the External Command function in Symphonix Evolution it’s possible to map the program change messages to different functions, and this works much better.  For example, I was able to map the buttons to “Next Track in Playlist”, “Previous Track in Playlist”, “Play” and “Stop” by setting these up on the BlueBoard as program changes 124, 125, 126 and 127 (I chose these preset numbers because I don't use them often on my other MIDI gear, which limits the potential for conflict).

If you are currently using a keyboard controller that doesn’t allow you to connect an external sustain or expression pedal, or if you just want a set of foot switches for triggering the different functions in Symphonix Evolution, then the iRig BlueBoard is highly recommended.

Symphonix Evolution version 2.1.1 is coming soon

We've been working on Symphonix Evolution version 2.1.1  This update will focus mainly on stability rather than adding too many new features but there will still be some surprises.

Most importantly, we're pleased to announce that version 2.1.1 fully supports the 64-bit ARM architecture so that it can take full advantage of the processor improvements in the iPad Air.  This required a complete rewrite of the virtual synth engine, which also gave us the opportunity to add some architectural improvements that will become apparent over the next few months as we make further enhancements to the app.

The update will be available early in February 2014.