I’m pleased to announce that the pachde (#d) HC-One is ready for download and testing on all supported VCV Rack platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac and Mac ARM (M-1)).
HC-One is a plugin with modules for working with Haken Audio’s Eagan Matrix hardware devices.
These devices include the Haken Audio Continuum, ContinuuMini, and Eagan Matrix Module (the Eurorack module), and Expressive E’s Osmose. If you don’t have one of these devices, this plugin is not for you.
As you can see from the screen snip, You have instant access to any preset on the device, with the ability to create your own list of favorites, whether they’re custom User presets or System presets. You can save and load different Favorite files, making this suitable for managing set lists for performing with your Continuum or Osmose.
In addition to preset management, there is CV automation of Macros, the Recirculator, and the Master volume (with muting).
I plan to add extender modules for access to most of the functionality of Eagan Matrix devices (except for editing presets). Let me know what settings are the most important for you, so I can build what you need. Some planned future features are noted in the docs.
Hi! I am excited about this plugin and wondering if it is open source? I would love to see it as a part of Cardinal. This way I could use it standalone as a plugin with my Mod Dwarf.
It is currently open under GPL 3. or later, so compatible with Cardinal as far as I understand. I reserve the right to relicense at any time, which might be necessary to fund the work at some point. There is a lot to cover before it’s ready for release, so porting to Cardinal might need to wait until then, but that’s up to Cardinal folks. I don’t know what their process is, and this isn’t the right place for the discussion.
I haven’t tested how well it works in a DAW or other plugin-within-a-plugin scenario. Working with an Eagan Matrix device depends on a direct high-quality bidirectional multichannel MIDI connection to the instrument, which might be difficult to achieve in a DAW or other plugin context. Then again, it may just work ;-).
Now includes the HC-2 and HC-3 modules. For details, see the release page, repo, and documentation.
HC-1 has a lot of functionality built into it. I think I’ve nearly maxed out what’s possible in this module’s form factor. It’s already probably too dense. HC-2 is a WIP. What’s there is solid, but there’s a lot more in the Eagan matrix yet to cover – it is wide and deep. I’m sure there will be more modules than HC-2 once it’s fully built out. HC-3 is essentially complete,
Pedal function control (the knob), The knob is clicky like the other knobs in my plugins and offers a hierarchical menu for function assignments.
Virtual pedal (the slider), which supports mouse wheel and extensive keyboard controls when hovered. The slider is “motorized” - reflecting the current value of the physical pedal. It works both ways.
Text for the current pedal value.
Image showing the type of pedal currently plugged into the device (if any), as reported by the device.
CV input (for CV-driven pedal functions).
CV output for direct pedal control of whatever you have in your patch.
The blue line to the left of the slider will become min/max controls for pedal range. Next on the to-do list.
In other news, I’m thrilled to have received a replacement ContinuMini for one with a broken USB port and (as it turns out) flawed surface. Haken Audio does great product support! Here it is alongside HC One running on an old Surface Pro 4 under Linux Mint. I’ve verified that I can run two instances of HC One to support two EM devices simultaneously in the same patch (both Windows and Linux), something that you just can’t do with the Haken Editor (much less virtual CV control of device parameters).
HC One is a plugin for VCV Rack, for use with Eagan Matrix devices, including Continuum, ContinuuMini, and EaganMatrix Module for Eurorack from Haken Audio, and the Osmose from Expressive E.
See the README for an overview, and links to the documentation: README
If you want to see it in action, I’m using two instances of HC One along with my Imagine module for VCP 77:
Beta 5 of HC One is now available. Quick turnaround to add prebuilt System preset lists for faster startup (thanks to Richard Kram), and hopefully get past some of our Windows issues. Also added TiltEQ (in HC-2), reliability fixes, updated documentation, and more.
I’ve just opened the issue to submit HC One to the VCV Rack library.
If you want to get it right away, you can download it from Github: Release v2.0.0 · Paul-Dempsey/pachde-hc-one (github.com). Hopefully, VCV will not ask for additional changes and we’ll go straight to the Library. It should be in pretty good shape for doing so.
When it appears in the library, I recommend subscribing to the plugin (not individual modules). Then you’ll automatically get updates. Nightly builds will keep running if you want/need to stay at the bleeding edge.
If you’ve previously downloaded a beta, you may need to delete the local pachde-hc-one plugin folder before you subscribe.
I noticed that the summary on the library says 8 modules, but that includes HC-2 which is marked hidden. I use HC-2 for prototyping and diagnostics, so it isn’t useful for users. The only thing it still has is the ch1 and ch16 CV maps.
I will be driving across the country to present HC One (and VCV Rack) at this year’s ContinuuCon in Pittsburg PA, April 26-28.
Of note, the library HC-One is currently broken with the EaganMatrix firmware post 10.09. I’m working on fixes. If you’re just after the preset selection, you can download the latest build from github, where that part is fixed, and most of the rest of it is usable.
Hi Paul, I have a question about the HC-1. I like to play with my osmose and I just discovered that there is a plugin for VCV. But there is a problem. When I have HC-1 in VCV, it loads all the system presets. Everything is ok here. But when I click on a preset with my mouse, nothing happens. Everything else works fine. I can set everything in the HC-1 without any problems. But I can’t select any presets. When I select a preset in the osmose, the HC-1 also reacts correctly.
I have the latest VCV rack running under windows 7.
Maybe you can give me some advice.
BTW. I like your work. For me it is very special. I enjoy the many hours ContinuuCon on YT very much.
I just see that there is a new Release.? Can not find this release.
This what I expect if you have updated your Osmose to the latest software from Expressive E.
EE changed the way presets are accessed via MIDI, and have exposed no way to query the device for the presets it has.
HC one is seeing the presets stored on the EM DSP. But the Osmose now uses a completely separate storage and different Midi codes to select them.
For the moment, Expressive E has made it difficult for third parties to support the Osmose. I think they are aware of the situation, but I don’t know if they have any future plans to expose something that can be used by 3rd party software.
Ii have some ideas of how to work around the lack of a way to query for available presets, but the user experience would be not be great.
There is a way to hack HC-1 by hand editing the .json files that cache the device preset lists to change to the new midi codes. But this must be maintained by hand if you add user presets.
The release I mention is a github-only build of HC-1 with partial fixes to support the new Haken Audio 10.40 firmware (Osmose remains on 10.09 for a while).
I am slowly working to cover a few remaining gaps to support the 10.40 EM firmware with the existing HC-1 UI. When I have these, I’ll update in the VCV library. I am also designing a replacement for HC-1 to fully support the new features of 10.40.
I will look at ways to restore Osmose functionality in the HC-1 replacement, but if EE continues to diverge from the EM without a 3rd-party support story, I may need to abandon supporting the Osmose, which would be a shame.
Things will move slowly for a while. I’m away from home, busy moving my mother into hospice care, and taking care of her in her remaining days. Osmose is more of a challange to support because I don’t have one (yet).
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes, I have also heard that Osmose no longer saves its presets in its DSP.
Glad to hear that you are not giving up on developing your HC-1. But what I find more important is that you stand by your mother. So, have a good time and I looking forward to it. And yes, if you can buy an osmose, don’t think one, two or three times. Buy it and enjoy the keyboard. You already know the sound.
Best regards
I’ve submitted version 2.0.1 to the VCV Rack Library
This update un-breaks HC-One for the new 10.4x firmware enough to be useful.
The new firmware changes the recirculator section too much to be a simple update to HC-1. It changes the assignment of some knobs, adds 2 new knobs, and adds another recirculator type (not to mention changes in the MIDI protocol to work with them).
Not even talking about the rest of the 90 new macros, Tanh, etc. etc.
Preset selection and favorites now works, and the basic automation on the HC-1 panel work. Knob labels are now wrong for some of the dials due to the changes, and since there isn’t room to add the two new knobs, and other extensive changes, I’ve decided to pause there for HC-1.
Instead of hacking at HC-1 to support 10.4x, I am turning my efforts to a completely new plugin to replace HC-1, designed from the ground up for the new features in 10.4x. When I get far enough along, I’ll start a new thread here in Plugins and Modules for pachde (#d) CHEM.
HC One version 2,0.1 is now available in the VCV Rack Library.
HC-One is fully operational for Firmware 10.09. For later firmware, some recirculator labels do not reflect new firmware changes, some of the ancillary modules have issues. It’s usable and still useful with new firmware, but because there remain problems and new firmware features are inaccessible, you’ll see a red dot next to the version number as a hint.
Version 2.0.1
Support preset gathering from post-10.09 firmware devices.
Minor updates for post 10.09 firmware to render HC-1 not completely broken.
Fix ghost reappearances of HC-1 that have been deleted from a patch.
I’m actively developing a replacement for HC One to fully support Firmware 10.4x, including support for Overlays (Macros 7-90), etc. The repo is here: pachde CHEM, if you want to observe progress.
