VCVRack Player

Development
1

Here’s a brief writeup of an idea I had for a mobile player app for VCVRack compositions. Unfortunately don’t have the time/dev skills to put this brainstorm together myself, so see if the community has any interest,

Rack Player & Scene Creator

  1. Purpose

  • To provide a player app that will allow the rendering and (optional) basic
    interaction with vcvrack patches on mobile platforms

  • To expand the audience of vcv rack by providing an accessible means of
    experiencing vcvrack creations

  • To facilitate the sharing of knowledge through experiencing the experiments and
    creations of others & sharing of technique/process through embedded patch
    screenshots & notes

  1. Concept

  • App for iOs/Android for playback of rack “scene” files

    • three run modes, playback, jam, vis

      • Playback; renders the file as an audio engine based on global parameters

        • only user interaction is setting init params (optional)

      • Jam: exposed ui components are shown onscreen for realtime interaction with the
        scene

        • user can interact with all elements exposed by author
        • up to 3 tabbed/swipe ui screens

      • Vis: GLSL/Milkdrop eyecandy visualizer mode

        • audio visualizer with ability to import fragment/vector shaders & various mp3
          vis libraries

    • Info Mode displays patch info, module info, author, notes, patch screenshots,
      album art

  • A scene is a patch with a few additional composition details

    • Exposed params & ui elements

    • Mod names, routings, UI elements

    • Embedded Images

      • Patch Screenshot
      • Logo/Album Art

    • Patch Description

      • brief decription of sound/technique/genre/etc

    • Patch Notes w/ image embed

      • detailed notes expanding on description, poetry, apolitical diatribes, etc

    • Embedded Patch File

    • Autogen Module List/Info/Description from VCV Library DB

    • embeddable visual effects, .frag .vert .milk

      • possibly scripting for vis playlists/transitions? via patch triggers?

    • Author Name, optional: profile, photo, url, contact

  • Scenes are created using the “Scene Creator” tool

  • Scene Creator runs on mac/linux/windows

  • Parameters to be exposed are selected by scene author from those available in
    patch

    • can be linked to controls or mods

    • controls are on screen UI elements

      • Knobs, Sliders, Switches, VU, LED
      • Skin Packs could allow customization

    • mods are control groupings affected by control or global composition parameters

      • global parameters can be preset by author, set by user at scene start, “played”
        with assigned UI controls, or any combination thereof

    • Simple list of param with checkbox (exposed?) & drop down for ui element
      selection

      • Preview screen shows ui element placement and allows for rearragning on fixed
        grid
      • labels inheirited from params

    • Mod selection, 6 mods, up to 12 parameters each

      • Can assign names to mods

        • eg. “Intensity” may be linked to +filter drive, +resonance, - reverb, +vca,
          +decay/rate on snare/hihat, tom pattern selection

      • dropdown to choose destination, range/amplitude. optional offset & scaling
        factors per destination

  • Possible set of vcv i/o modules for sending events to player

    • eg visualizer vars & triggers
    • mappable to device sensors/datasources w/ offset/range
  1. Questions & Limitations

  • player will require access to plugins to render their output in a scene, what
    about paid plugins?

    • could be tied to vcv account so users can access their paid plugins

      • would limit accessibility to broader community
      • creates inconsistent systems/environments where patches may or not work

    • could stripped/headless versions of complied plugins be provided to run as in
      app plugins?

      • would allow universal playback of files, paid modules would have to be purchased
        if user desires to open embedded vcv file in rack
      • Provide user created sound demos for paid plugins
      • Possible licensing issues? Dev opinions? Case by case opt in?

  • community sharing/patch repository