Here is a half-baked idea. Perhaps something like it has already been done, perhaps it’s out of scope – I am not sure, so I’ll just describe the idea and ask.
Say, I patch together a bunch of modules to create a synth voice, e.g., inspired by some existing semi-modular, drawing on a large number of different modules. This might involve very feature rich modules with lots of knobs and HP while the voice only uses a tiny fraction of their functionality. Could their be an easy way to create some sort of meta module that sits on top of them and controls them with a nice and compact virtual interface hiding away the complexity of the individual building blocks?
Also Stoermelder-Intermix, that might do some of the hard work as well. Stoermelder is the main man of Utility control modules, not to diss anybody else though.
Thank you @flyingLow and @ady34 for the suggestions! The modules you mentioned are definitely going in the direction of what I have in mind.
What would be next level would be something that allows you to fully customize the layout of the controls, i.e., let’s you flexibly choose the number of controls (buttons, knobs, …), their arrangement and labels in an easy manner so that you end up having a panel that only features what you need.
Perhaps the easiest in this case would be to create custom plugins from an SVG (to get the corresponding controls) and then midi map it to other modules?
Alternatively: Perhaps there could be a generic plugin that loads a SVG via right click, resizes, and displays the controls?
When I really like a patch and want to play with it more like a performance, I set up TouchOsc for my IPad and use my Launchpad. That way you are limited to the controls you have mapped.
This one is inspired by mylarmelodies tiny techno patch:
This is the patch itself:
Wow, that looks very impressive, thank you! Do you know if it is possible to run and use this on a OS rather than on a mobile touch device, i.e., through mouse control?
Ultimately, something like their editor but within a VCV module could be super neat to have, i.e., a module that let’s you flexibly add control elements and their placement, to be then MIDI mapped to other modules in the same patch. My idea of passing a SVG with layers above would delegate the editor aspect of this module e.g. to inkscape for ease of coding it up.
I don’t know if there is a control software that runs on a Desktop-OS. And I don’t think, that the abstraction you try to achieve is enough as long as it is controlled via a single mouse pointer. I really like to be able to control different parameters at once with touchosc or a normal midi hardware controller.
Other software is doing this via collapsable panels and controls that can be marked to show when collapsed.
But your idea is great for hiding complexity behind a more user-friendly GUI. If that GUI could be mirrored to a mobile touch device, allowing for multi-touch, yes please! With direct communication out of VCV over LAN to the device of course.
Stoermelder STRIP will let you save the whole voice in a row
NYSTHI Surveillance
Surveillance is a (often overlooked) controller that sends the value of 1 attenuverter/offset to 10 attenuvertable outputs. Voltages on each output is added/substracted relative to its attenuverter settings.
i.e.: output 1 at 0.01 for fine pitch changes of a VCO, 2 at -0.2 to get an inverted output rising/falling faster to move vults dj filter down into HPF when pitch rises and up to LPF when pitch falls. 3 to 0.1 to a raise detuning at higher pitches and reduce it at lower ones…
or relatively control each stage of two DADSR modules to get smooth transitions of voices running in parallel et cetera. (as voice a gets longer, voice b gradually gets shorter but starts later and attacks longer… while if knob is 0 both start in unison… if knob goes - both voices get shorter but voice b starts first and voice a delay increases… shit like that)
Using stoermelders CV map you can control the knob i.e.: with a MIDI controller, while using the CV input to add automations. Knob value and CV in value are added/substracted to/from each other. This allows for complex synth designs - but requires quite a bit of thinking and tuning to set up.
