I-Cube System Manual - I

I-Cube System Manual
The Ultimate MIDI Controller
by Infusion Systems Ltd.
© 1997, 1998 Infusion Systems Ltd.
02/24/1998
CONTACT INFO
Infusion Systems Ltd.
Suite 316, 425 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6B 6E3
Tel: (604) 684-3646
Fax: (604) 684-3656
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.infusionsystems.com
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The I-Cube Digitizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
MIDI & Power connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Basic I-CubeX Editor for Win95. . . . . . . . . . .11
Basic I-CubeX Editor for Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Connecting Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Stand Alone Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
I-CubeX Windows95 Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
I-CubeX Mac Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Thru Switch add-on Patch . . . . . . . . . . . ..35
Host Mode (Mac only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Opcode Max Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
iCube object command summary. . . . . . . . .38
oCube object command summary. . . . . . . . .39
Tutorials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
The Sensorium: Which sensors should I use, and why? .49
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
486/66 or better (P90 recommended)
Microsoft Windows 95
8 Megs RAM
5 Megs of free HD space
Windows95 compatible MIDI interface
2 MIDI cables
The I-CubeX editor will work under Windows95 only (it will not work
with Windows 3.1 / 3.11).
68020 or better (PowerPC recommended) for Stand Alone mode,
IIci or better for Host mode
System 7 or higher
16 Megs RAM
5 Megs of free HD space
MIDI interface
Opcode OMS (version 2.xx)
Opcode Max (for use with host mode)
2 MIDI cables
Waiver of Liability
Infusion Systems Ltd. offers no warranty, limited or otherwise, on any of its products. Infusion
Systems Ltd. advises any user to immediately notify us on the discovery of any major failure
in the functionality of any pice of equipment or software purchased from us.
UNDER NO CIRUMSTANCES WILL INFUSION SYSTEMS LTD. BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST
PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, ANY INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, OR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL
D A MAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, EVEN IF
INFUSION SYSTEMS LTD. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
1
1a
1b
1c
2
2a
Sensor Inputs
5VDC, 30mA power supply pin
Sensor Signal input pin
Sensor Ground pin
Digital Switch Outputs
5VDC, 30mA Switchable Output (last 8 inputs)
1
2
3
4
5
6
MIDI Out Indicator
MIDI Out (THRU) Jack
MIDI In Jack
MIDI In Indicator
Power Supply socket (DC 7.5V/1A)
Power Indicator
Power Pin (+) RED wire
Signal pin (signal) WHITE or GREY wire
Ground pin (-) BLACK wire
Congratulations on purchasing the I-Cube System by Infusion
Systems. The I-Cube System is a powerful analog (control
voltage) to MIDI translator with 32 channels of inputs (with 8
inputs doubling as digital trigger output). The I-Cube is the
missing link between you and your MIDI equipment and is at
home in both studio and live performance. It will allow you
to control (and be controlled by) your MIDI gear in ways you
never thought possible or ways you never imagined.
To ensure your I-Cube functions properly and enjoys a long
life, please read and heed the instructions in this manual.
Software development :
Axel Mulder (I-Cube ROM)
Darek “Dasz” Garncarz
(Mac,Win95, Opcode Max objects)
Hardware development:
Thomas Sternberg (I-Cube, sensors)
Design :
Axel Mulder
Darek “Dasz” Garncarz
Carlos Vela-Martinez
Rolf Wilkinson
Manual :
Darek “Dasz” Garncarz
Carlos Vela-Martinez
Lisa Walker
Manual Layout :
Lisa Wilder
This manual was written to help you become familiar with the
I-Cube System, and acts as a reference for experienced
users.
We also use a set of symbols to alert you to topics of particular
interest or importance.
Caution: The comments that follow this symbol help you to avoid
errors and damage the I-Cube (or yourself).
Instructions: Follows these steps to perform a specific function
or task.
Info: Additional information or tips on the given topic
Please refer to the software installation sheet that came with your I-Cube
System package. You may also open the install.txt file on the last
installation disk, or visit our website www.infusionsystems.com for software updates and annouments, new ideas and inspiration.
Having installed the I-CubeX editing software, you are now ready to
setup the I-Cube hardware – the I-Cube Digitizer. This section will
help you to make the correct connections as well as diagnose any
setup problems you may encounter.
Before connecting plugging MIDI cables into your I-Cube, make
sure the I-Cube’s power is disconnected!
In order to program the I-CubeX Digitizer using the I-CubeX editor, you
will need to connect the Digitizer's MIDI Out to your MIDI interface’s
MIDI In, and the Digitizer's MIDI In to your MIDI interface’s MIDI Out.
Fig. 4: Stand-Alone Mode basic MIDI signal path between the I-Cube and Computer
I-CUBE
OUT
IN
COMPUTER or
MIDI INTERFACE
OUT
IN
THRU
IN
SYNTH or
MIDI GEAR
Fig. 5: Alternate Stand-alone Mode MIDI signal path including a synthesizer or other MIDI gear
You may chain other MIDI devices (Thru) between the computer and
the Digitizer (although some older devices may not be able to keep
up with the sheer amount of MIDI messages). We suggest that you
plug your MIDI devices between the PC's MIDI Out and the Digitizer's
MIDI In.
I-CUBE
IN
OUT
THRU
SYNTH or
MIDI GEAR
IN
OUT
COMPUTER or
MIDI INTERFACE
IN
Fig. 6: Host Mode MIDI signal path including a synthesizer or other MIDI gear
Next, make sure that your MIDI Interface 's MIDI Thru has been disabled (this passes MIDI messages from the MIDI In port directly out
to the MIDI Out port). This parameter can be adjusted using the
Driver or Setup programs that came with your MIDI interface. On
multi-port interfaces (such as Opcode’s Studio 4, or 64X) use the
supplied MIDI patchbay software to unplug any feedback links
between each port’s MIDI In and it’s MIDI Out (ex. disconnect the
link between 64X Port 1 IN and 63X port 1 Out). This prevents MIDI
loops.
Connect the supplied power adapter to the Digitizer’s power supply
socket. Insert the adapter plug in a suitable wall socket or power bar.
As the Digitizer has no power switch, it will turn on immediately. To
turn the Digitizer off, simply unplug the power adapter from the
Digitizer’s power supply socket. If you are using the I-Cube outside of
North America, we highly recommend using our GlobalAdapter power
supply, as it automatically converts any input voltage (120V - 220V)
to 7.5VDC. If you cannot purchase the Global Adapter, you must use
a power adapter capable of 7.5VDC(1A).
Having connected the hardware, you are now ready configure the I-CubeX
software to work with your Digitizer.
Windows95 : Running the I-CubeX v1.11 Editor For The
First Time
1 Double click on the I-CubeX executable.
2 Go to Options | MIDI Setup. Select the MIDI In
and Out drivers for the MIDI Interface connected
with the I-CubeX Digitizer. This MIDI link is vital it is the only way for the I-CubeX editor to communicate with the Digitizer.
Fig 7: Midi Devices setup dialog window
3 Go to Options | Special. Click on the Stand Alone
Mode button. You should see the Digitizer's yellow
MIDI In LED flash briefly. If this doesn't happen, you
have not chosen the right MIDI Drivers (repeat step 2.)
Fig. 8: Special dialog window for selecting Stand-Alone or Host Mode
4 Power off and then power up the Digitizer. Note the
number of the green MIDI Out LED blinks at powerup.
Fig. 9: Number of flashes on power-up indicates the Mode
-Host mode is indicated by one green flash
during powerup.
-Stand Alone mode is indicated by two green
flashes during powerup.
Ensure that your Digitizer is switched to Stand Alone Mode. Click OK
to exit the Options | Special dialog.
Mac - Running the I-CubeX v1.00 Editor For The First
Time
The I-CubeX v1.00 editor comes in three flavors: I-CubeX8,
I -C u b e X 1 6 , and I-CubeX32. I-CubeX8 allows you to edit the first 8
Sensor Input Channels and is the fastest of the 3 editors. Use this
editor on slower machines or if you are using 8 or fewer sensors.
I -CubeX16 and I-CubeX32 run slower than I-CubeX8, but allow you to
access more sensor channels.
Please note: configurations created under I-CubeX8 are incompatible
with I-CubeX16 and I-CubeX32. Configurations created under I-CubeX16
are incompatible with I-CubeX8 and I-CubeX32. Configurations created
under I-CubeX32 are incompatible with I-CubeX8 and I-CubeX16.
If you need to use up to 32 inputs on a slow machine use the I-CubeX32
but disconnect the MIDI Out from the Digitizer (this will disable
Monitor Mode which is very CPU intensive).
1 Double click on the I-CubeX8, I-CubeX16, or
I-CubeX32 executable.
2 Go to File | MIDI Setup
Fig. 10: The MIDI Setup dialog window
To select the correct MIDI device:
a) Find the MIDI port where the I-Cube is
connected from the list of Input Devices
b) Set the Input Device ID from ‘-‘ to ‘a’.
c) Repeat the above steps for the corresponding
MIDI output port from the Output Devices list
This MIDI link is vital - it is the only way for the
I-CubeX editor to communicate with the Digitizer.
3 Go to Options | Special.
Click on the Stand Alone
Mode button. You should
see the Digitizer's
yellow MIDI In LED
flash briefly. If this
doesn't happen, you
have not chosen the
right MIDI device
(repeat step 2).
Fig.11: Special dialog window for selecting Stand-Alone or Host Mode
4 Power off and then power up the Digitizer. Note the
number of the green MIDI Out LED blinks at powerup.
• Host mode is indicated by one green flash
during powerup. (see Fig. 9)
• Stand Alone mode is indicated by two green
flashes during powerup. (see Fig. 9)
Ensure that your Digitizer is switched to Stand Alone Mode. Click OK
to exit the Options | Special dialog.
Having set up your hardware(Digitizer) and software(I-CubeX editor),
you are now ready to make some creative connections – those which
will link you with your creative environment.
This section will demonstrate how to connect sensors to the Digitizer,
as well as how to use them with your MIDI equipment.
Getting Sensor Input
Find the Turn sensor included with your I-Cube package.
Connect the Turn sensor to the Digitizer’s first sensor input
(labeled ‘1’) by inserting the 3-pin sensor connector vertically (with
the red wire pin on top) to sensor input 1.
Start the I-CubeX editor (I-CubeX under Win95 or I-CubeX8 on the Mac).
Clear the configuration by selecting File | New (Win95 and Mac).
Turn the first sensor channel on. Win95 - Ctrl+Ins, then click the
“On” button. Mac – Click the On button on the first input (labeled
1) and note and “X” appears and the label reads “on”.
Map the first sensor channel to a volume controller on MIDI channel
1. Win95 – set the MIDI Channel to 1, select “Cont.Ctl” from the
Map listbox, and type 7 in the Cont Num field. Mac – select “Cont
Ctl” from the MIDI Map listbox, type 1 in the Channel field, and type
7 in the CC# field.
Turn the knob and observe the Monitor bar for activity. (Win95 –
the green monitor bar. Mac – the Monitor slider)
Congratulations! Your turn sensor is controlling MIDI volume on
channel 1. Let’s test this with your MIDI gear.
Connect the Digitizer’s MIDI Out a MIDI keyboard’s MIDI In (see
fig 3). Set your MIDI keyboard to receive on MIDI channel 1. Also
turn your keyboard’s Local Control to ON. Select a Patch on your keyboard (on MIDI channel 1). Play and hold a few notes.
Now tweak the Turn sensor. You are now controlling MIDI volume.
You may save your configuration by selecting File | Save (Win95
and Mac).
Leave the I-CubeX editor on.
Let’s continue by utilizing your See actuator!
Sending Sensor Output
Find the See actuator (LED) included with your I-Cube package.
Connect the See actuator to the Digitizer’s first output (labeled
‘Outputs 1’ / sensor input 25) by inserting the 3-pin connector vertically (with the red wire pin on top) to output 1
Start the I-CubeX editor (unless it’s already running).
Set the Outputs MIDI channel to 1 (Win95 – go the Outputs
Window and set the Remote MIDI Control Channel to 1. Mac – click
on the [Outputs] button on the bottom of the I-CubeX editor, and set
the MIDI Channel field to 1).
Set the Outputs MIDI base note to 60 (middle C). (Win95 – go
the Outputs Window and set the Remote MIDI Control Base Note to
60. Mac –set the MIDI Remote Control Base Note field to 60).
Set the first Digital Output to Trigger mode (Win95 – click on the
first Mode button until it displays the up-down arrow). This Digital
output will turn the See actuator On when note 60 (middle C) is
depressed, and will turn the actuator off when note 60 (middle C) is
released
Save your configuration by selecting File | Save (Win95 and Mac).
Connect your MIDI keyboard’s MIDI Out to your Digitizer’s MIDI In.
Set up your keyboard to play on MIDI channel 1. Play middle C
(or note 60). The See LED will turn on. Release the note and the
LED will turn off.
Start rotating the Turn sensor to control volume, play middle C to
control the See LED.
Congratulations, you have created your very first creative environment.
Fig.12: Midi signal path from I-Cube to gear
The I-CubeX functions in one of two modes - Host and Stand Alone.
Unless you own a Mac and wish to use I-CubeX in conjunction with
Opcode's Max programming environment (more on Host Mode later),
your Digitizer will remain in Stand Alone mode. If you are upgrading
from the I-Cube System to the I-CubeX, you will need to switch the
Digitizer from Host mode to Stand Alone mode.
To check whether the I-CubeX is in Host or Standalone mode, observe
the green MIDI Out LED (at the side of the Digitizer, to the left of the
MIDI Out port) when powering up.
-Host mode is indicated by one green flash during powerup. (see
fig.9)
-Stand Alone mode is indicated by two green flashes during
powerup (see fig. 9).
Stand Alone mode allows you to use I-CubeX directly with any MIDI
device (keyboard, module, sequencer, light controller, drum m a c h i n e ,
microwave oven). As the Digitizer has no front panel controls, all editing
must be performed using the I-CubeX editor (Mac or PC). An edited
sensor configuration is stored in the Digitizer’s memory and remains
there even after power down. This allows you to edit the Digitizer,
plug it directly into your MIDI equipment, and go!
Stand Alone mode allows the Digitizer to map any sensor input to a
standard MIDI message (Continuous controller, Note on/off, and
PitchBend). In addition, the 8 digital outputs (sensor inputs 25 to
32) can be triggered using MIDI Note on/off messages. While not
quite as flexible as Host mode, Stand Alone mode gives you the one
thing which Host cannot offer - portability.
Configurations
The basic element of the I-CubeX PC editor is the configuration. Each
configuration represents up to 32 input sensor inputs (Sensor Input
Object), and 8 digital output controls (Digital Outputs Object). Each
configuration can be sent to and from the Digitizer, as well as s t o re d
and loaded from your hard drive. In effect this turns the I-CubeX editor
into a librarian.
Fig. 13: The I-Cube Editor (Windows95) with two Sensor Input Objects and the Digital Output Object
Sensor Input Objects (CTRL+Ins to create, Del to delete)
A Sensor Input Object maps one sensor input to a standard MIDI
message (a note, continuous controller, or PitchBend). It is created in
Edit | Insert Sensor Object (Ctrl+Ins). Up to 32 Sensor Input Objects
can be created, one for each sensor input, per configuration. A
Sensor Input Object is composed of the following components:
Name :
Name field
Sensor Input :
Sensor Channel
Selector,On/Off Button
Input Processing:
Invert Button, Scaling
Thresh and Top Sliders
Sensor Monitor Display
MIDI Map :
MIDI Map Selector
Pulldown menu,
Channel Selector, 1st
data field (Controller
Num, Note Num, or
<none>),2nd data field
(Note Num or <none>)
Fig 14: A Sensor Input Object
Name field: Allows you to name your sensor channel. This label can
indicate the type of sensor used, the location of the sensor, the
function of the sensor, or anything else. This name is updated in
the window title bar. By keeping this label short, the entire label
can be visible when the object is minimized (great if you are
using all 32 Sensor Input Objects). [default - "in"]
Sensor Channel Selector: Selects the Sensor Input Channel (actual
sensor connection on the side of the Digitizer) to be used with the
Sensor Input Object. You can scroll through all unused Sensor
Input Channels (channels which are not used by any other Sensor
Input Objects). Each Sensor Input Object must use a different
Sensor Input Channel.[ default - first free sensor input channel ]
On/Off Button: This button the Sensor Input Object On and Off. This
activates the sensor input channel. [ default - off ]
Leaving an input ON without a sensor plugged in will cause
signal noise to be translated to MIDI and cause huge amounts of
MIDI data to be output, very often overloading other MIDI gear!
Make sure to turn unused inputs OFF.
Invert (Up/Down) This button toggles the orientation of the sensor
input. The Up arrow setting indicates that a sensor sending 0 Volts
translates to a value of 0, and 5 Volts translates to value 127. The
Down arrow setting indicates that a sensor sending 0 Volts translates
to a value of 127, and 5 Volts translates to value 0.
Scaling Thresh. Slider Sets the lower limit of the effective sensor
range (any sensor values below this point return 0). This parameter
is also used to determine the trigger threshold for Note On/Off
Mappings (see MIDI MAP below).
Cursor Up changes the setting by +1, Cursor Down changes the
setting by -1, PageUp changes the setting by +10, page Down
changes the setting by -10.
When mapping to a note event, raise the threshold to something
other than 0 - let’s say 30. When the Sensor rises above 30 it
triggers a note on event. When it drops below 30 it triggers a
note off.
Scaling Top Slider Sets the upper limit of the effective sensor range
(any sensor values above this point return 127). This value has to
be above THRESH. This parameter is disabled for Note On/ Off
Mappings (see MIDI MAP below) since only one trigger setting is
needed to trigger Notes. Cursor Up changes the setting by +1,
Cursor Down changes the setting by -1, PageUp changes the setting by +10, page Down changes the setting by –10.
Sensor Monitor Display This feature displays sensor information for the
current Sensor Input Object. A moving bar (left to right) indicates the
sensor’s level. The bar is blank if the sensor value is 0 and full is the
value is 127. In the case of a pitch bend mapping, 0 is indicated by a
half full bar, full bend up is indicated by a full bar, and full bend
down is indicated by the blank bar. In the case of a note event mapping, an empty bar represents a note off, while a full or semi full bar
indicates a note on (the bar’s level indicates the velocity of the event).
The Monitor Display can be turned on or off using the Monitor
Active Checkbox in the Global Control Window.
MIDI Map Selector This parameter maps your sensor input to one
of three standard MIDI messages - Continuous Controllers (Cont
Ctl), Note On/Off Triggering (Note), and Pitch Bend (PBend).
MIDI Channel Selector Sets the MIDI channel for MIDI Mapping
above. Cursor Up changes the setting by +1, Cursor Down changes
the setting by -1, PageUp changes the setting by +10, page Down
changes the setting by -10)
1st Data Field Sets the Continuous Controller number (if MIDI
MAP is set to Cont Ctl) or Note Number (if MIDI MAP is set to
Note) mapping. Disabled (Set to <none>) otherwise.
Continuous Controller Mapping: Cursor Up changes the setting
by +1, Cursor Down changes the setting by -1, PageUp changes
the setting by +10, page Down changes the setting by –10.
Note Event Mapping: Cursor Up changes the setting by +1,
Cursor Down changes the setting by -1, PageUp changes the
setting by +12(one octave up), page Down changes the setting
by –12(one octave down).
2nd Data Field Sets the Note Velocity (if MIDI MAP is set to
Note) mapping. Disabled (Set to <none>) otherwise. Cursor Up
changes the setting by +1, Cursor Down changes the setting by 1, PageUp changes the setting by +10, page Down changes the
setting by -10
Minimize and Delete You can minimize the Sensor Input Object
using the Minimize button or the close
button. The only way
to delete a Sensor Input Channel is to hit Del or Edit | Delete
Object.
Digital Outputs Object (Ctrl+H to create, Del to delete)
Fig. 15: Digital Output Object with Outputs 2,5 and 8 set to Toggle mode with the remainder in
Trigger Mode
The Digital Outputs Object controls all 8 Digital Outputs (on sensor
inputs 25 - 32). The 8 Digital Outputs are controlled via Note On and
Off messages received into the Digitizer's MIDI In port. The Digital
Outputs Object is composed of:
Trigger/Toggle Buttons: This strip of 8 buttons determine the trigger
mode for each Output Channel. The Two Sided (UP and DOWN)
Arrow setting indicates that a Note On event turns the Output On,
while a Note Off event turns the Output Off.
The Two Arrow (One Up, and one Down ) setting indicates consecutive
Note On events toggle the Output On and Off (the first Note On turns
the output On, while the next Note On turns the Output Off).
MIDI Remote Control Channel: This parameter sets the MIDI channel
on which Note On/Off triggers will be received.
Cursor Up changes the setting by +1, Cursor Down changes the
setting by -1, PageUp changes the setting by +10, Page Down
changes the setting by –10.
MIDI Remote Base Note: This parameter sets the Note number
mapped to trigger the first Digital Output. (If the Base Note is set to
60 and triggers Digital Output 1, a Note on message with note number
67 will trigger the 8th Digital Output). Valid range of this parameter
is 0 to 120. Cursor Up changes the setting by +1, Cursor Down
changes the setting by -1, PageUp changes the setting by +10,
Page Down changes the setting by –10.
Minimize and Delete: You can minimize the Digital Outputs
Object using the Minimize button or the close
button. The
only way to delete the Digital Outputs Object is to hit Del or
Edit | Delete Input Sensor Object.
System Control Window (Ctrl+G)
Fig. 16: The System Control window with Input Monitor active (default setting)
The System Control window controls the following system parameters:
Sampling Interval This parameter determines the Digitizer's global
sampling speed. The sampling interval ranges from 4 milliseconds
to 16 seconds (16000 milliseconds).
Warning: using a small sampling interval (20ms or less)
requires a lot of processing (and may crash on slower computers). Using more sensors increases this risk. To avoid problems, turn Monitor mode off (see Options | Preferences) or
dicsonnect the MIDI Out cable from the Digitizer when lowering
the sampling interval.
Input Monitor Active/Off This switch actives and disables Monitor
Mode.
Device ID This parameter is currently disabled.
Note: All of the above parameters are instantly updated in the
Digitizer's memory (if Auto Update is checked in Options |
Preferences (CTRL+P). All Sensor Objects , and Digital Objects
can be sent using the Send (CTRL+D) command found or
Options | Send.
File Menu
This menu manages your sensor configurations.
New (Ctrl+N) Creates a new configuration (and clears the
Digitizer's memory if Auto Update is on). A new configuration
contains no Sensor Input Objects, and the one Digital Outputs
Object. If you were editing a configuration, you will be asked
whether you wish to clear that configuration or not. This gives
you an opportunity to save your work.
Open (Ctrl+O) Opens a saved configuration (and sends it to the
Digitizer's if Auto Update is on). Again, if you were editing a configuration, you will be asked whether you wish to clear that configuration or not. This gives you an opportunity to save your work.
Save (Ctrl+S) Saves your configuration. If the configuration has
never been saved, you will be prompted for a file name.
Save As...(Ctrl+A) Saves your configuration under a different name.
Exit (Ctrl+X) Exits the I-CubeX editor. Make sure to save your edited
configuration.
Edit Menu
Cut (Ctrl+X)
Copy (Ctrl+C)
Paste (Ctrl+V)
Standard Cut, Copy, and Paste functions. You can copy/cut/paste
any field which you select (Sensor Input Object Name, etc...). You
cannot copy/cut/paste an entire Sensor Input Object.
Insert Sensor Input Object (Ctrl+Ins) Inserts a new Sensor Input
Object. You can create up to 32 Sensor Input Objects.
Delete Object (Del) The currently active selected Sensor Input
Object or the Digital Output Object (if currently active).
Options Menu
MIDI Setup (Ctrl+M) Selects the appropriate MIDI Interface (MIDI
In and Out ) drivers connected to the I-CubeX Digitizer.
Fig. 17: MIDI Devices dialog
Special
Fig. 18: The Special settings dialog window
Sets the Digitizer's mode (Host or Stand Alone). Click on the
Stand Alone Mode button. You should see the Digitizer's yellow
MIDI In LED flash briefly. If this doesn't happen, you have not
chosen the right MIDI Drivers (repeat previous step). Power off and
then power up the Digitizer. Note the number of the green MIDI
Out LED blinks at powerup.
• Host mode is indicated by one green flash during powerup. (see
fig. 9)
• Stand Alone mode is indicated by two green flashes during
powerup. (see fig. 9)
Do not click on the Host Mode button unless you are planning to
use the I-CubeX with a Mac running Opcode's Max (and the
included iCube and oCube objects).
Send (Ctrl+D) Sends the current configuration to the Digitizer
(even if Auto Update is not checked). A Transfer progress bar indicates the state of the MIDI transfer.
Receive (Ctrl+R) Requests and receives the configuration from
Digitizer's memory (even if Auto Update is not checked).
A Transfer progress bar indicates the state of the MIDI transfer. If the
bar does not move, this means the I-CubeX is not properly connected.
Go to Options | MIDI Setup and select the appropriate MIDI drivers.
Digital Outputs (Ctrl+H) Brings the Digital Outputs Object window to
the front. If the Digital Outputs Object has been deleted, this command creates a new one.
System Control (Ctrl+G) Brings the System control window to the front.
Preferences (Ctrl+P) This command sets the following I-CubeX
Editor preferences:
Fig. 19: The Preferences dialog window
MIDI Auto Update Option If checked, all configuration parameter
changes are sent to the Digitizer and are updated. If unchecked, no
parameters changes are sent to the Digitizer (the only way to send
changes in this mode, is to use the Options | Send command).
Digitizer MIDI Thru Option Determines whether the Digitizer’s MIDI
Out Port acts a MIDI Thru or not.
Window Menu
Cascade
Tile
Arrange Icons
Standard Window functions
Window List Selects one of the active windows.
Configurations
The basic element of the I-CubeX Mac editor is the configuration.
Each configuration represents 8 (with I-CubeX8), 16 (with I-CubeX16),
and 32(with I-CubeX32) input sensor channels (viewed 8 at a time,
using the [1-8] [9 - 16] [17 - 24], and [25 - 32] buttons), and 8
digital output controls (viewed using the [Outputs] button). Each configuration can be sent to but not from the Digitizer. Each configuration
can be stored and loaded from your hard drive. In effect this turns the
I-CubeX8, X16, and X32 editors into librarians.
Fig 20: Sensor Inputs
Sensor Inputs (viewed 8 at a time)
A Sensor Input maps one sensor input to a standard MIDI message.
A Sensor Input is composed of:
Sensor Input Number Each Sensor Input Channel
is hardwired to one Sensor Input Channel. The
I-CubeX8 editor allows you to edit sensor inputs
1 through 8. The I-CubeX16 editor allows you to
edit sensor inputs 1 through 16. The I-CubeX32
editor allows you to edit all sensor inputs.
Sensor Input On/Off button This button the Sensor
Input On and Off. This activates the sensor input
channel. [ default - off ]
Direction Button This button toggles the orientation of the sensor input. The Up setting indicates
that a sensor sending 0 Volts translates to a
value of 0, and 5 Volts translates to value 127.
The Down a setting indicates that a sensor sending 0 Volts translates to a value of 127, and 5
Volts translates to value 0.
Thresh. Indicator Displays the lower limit of the
effective sensor range (any sensor values below
this point return 0). This parameter is also used
to determine the trigger threshold for Note
On/Off Mappings (see MIDI MAP below).
Top Indicator Displays the upper limit of the
Fig. 21 A Sensor Input
effective sensor range (any sensor values above
this point return 127).
THRESH and TOP are set by dragging the mouse in the purple
(or gray on b&w monitors) range bar (located to the left of the
Thresh. and Top displays.
Full Button Sets the THRESH to 0 and TOP to 127.
Monitor Slider This feature displays sensor information for the current
Sensor Input (and any MIDI messages which match the MIDI map).
MIDI Map Selector This parameter maps your sensor input to three
standard MIDI messages - Continuous Controllers (Cont Ctl), Note
On/Off Triggering (Note), and Pitch Bend (PBend).
MIDI Channel Sets the MIDI channel for MIDI Mapping above.
Controller / Note Num Field Sets the Continuous Controller number
(if MIDI MAP is set to Cont Ctl) or Note Number (if MIDI MAP is set
to Note) mapping. Disabled (Set to <none>) otherwise.
Note Vel Field Sets the Note Velocity (if MIDI MAP is set to Note)
mapping. Disabled (Set to <none>) otherwise.
Digital Outputs (hit [Outputs] button to view)
Fig. 22: The Digital Output Window
The Digital Outputs Object controls all 8 Digital Outputs (on sensor
inputs 25 - 32). The 8 Digital Outputs are controlled via Note On and
Off messages received into the Digitizer's MIDI In port. The Digital
Outputs Object is composed of:
Trigger / Toggle Button Strip This strip of 8 buttons determine the
trigger mode for each Output Channel. The Trigger setting indicates
that a Note On event turns the Output On, while a Note Off event
turns the Output Off. The Toggle setting indicates consecutive Note
On events toggle the Output On and Off (the first Note On turns
the output On, while the next Note On Turns the Output Off). When
(used) is displayed under the a button, this indicates that the corresponding Sensor input is already being used (hit [25-32] to view
the corresponding channels).
MIDI Channel Field This parameter sets the MIDI channel on
which Note On/Off triggers will be received.
Base Note Field This parameter sets the Note number mapped to
trigger the first Digital Output. (If the Base Note is set to 60 and
triggers Digital Output 1, a Note on message with note number 67
will trigger the 8th Digital Output). Valid range of this parameter is 0
to 120.
View and Sample Interval Buttons
(bottom of the I-CubeX window)
Fig. 23: View and Sample Interval buttons at the bottom of the I-Cube Window
The view buttons [1 - 8], [9 - 16], [17 - 24], [25 - 32] are used to view
8 sensor inputs at a time, while [ Outputs ] is used to view the Digital
Outputs. I-CubeX8 only contains the [1 - 8] and [Outputs] buttons. ICubeX16 only contains the [1 - 8], [9 - 16] and [Outputs] buttons.
Sampling Interval This parameter determines the Digitizer's global
sampling speed. The sampling interval ranges from 4 milliseconds
to 16 seconds (16000 milliseconds).
Warning: If you use more than 8 sensor inputs, set the sampling interval to a high setting >20ms. When done editing,
save the configuration and disconnect the Digitizer's MIDI Out
cable. Set the sampling interval to a lower setting.
File Menu
This menu manages your sensor configurations.
New (Cmd+N) Creates a new configuration (and clears the
Digitizer's memory) if Auto Update is on.
Open (Cmd+O) Opens a saved configuration (and sends it to the
Digitizer).
Save (Cmd+S) Save As... Saves your configuration. You will be
prompted for a file name.
Digitizer MIDI Setup (Cmd+M) Selects the appropriate MIDI Interface
(MIDI In and Out )drivers connected to the I-CubeX Digitizer.
Fig. 24 The MIDI Setup window
To select the correct MIDI device:
• Find the MIDI port where the I-Cube is connected from the list
of Input Devices
• Set the Input Device ID from ‘-‘ to ‘a’.
• Repeat the above steps for the corresponding MIDI port from the
Output Devices list.
Quit (Cmd+Q) Exits the I-CubeX editor. Make sure to save your edited
configuration.
Edit Menu
Cut (Cmd+X)
Copy (Cmd+C)
Paste (Cmd+V)
Standard Cut, Copy, and Paste functions. You can copy/cut/paste
the selected field.
Overdrive Allocates more CPU time to the processing of MIDI
data. Slows down the graphics response when processing a lot of
MIDI data. Leave on unless your mouse and editing response are
slowing down.
Window Menu
Standard Window functions
Options Menu
Special
Sets the Digitizer's mode (Host or
Standalone). Click on the Stand Alone
Mode button. You should see the
Digitizer's yellow MIDI In LED flash
briefly. If this doesn't happen, you have
not chosen the right MIDI devices
(repeat previous step). Power off and
then power up the Digitizer. Note the
number of the green MIDI Out LED
blinks at powerup.
Fig. 25: The Special Settings window
• Host mode is indicated by one green flash during powerup
(please see fig 9).
• Stand Alone is indicated by two green flashes during
powerup. (please see fig 9)
Do not click on the Host Mode button unless you are planning to
use the I-CubeX with Opcode's Max (and the included iCube and
oCube objects).
Send (Cmd+D) Sends the current configuration to the Digitizer.
Thru Switch (add-on patch)
This feature allows the I-Cube Digitizer’s
MIDI Out Port to act as a MIDI Thru.
MIDI Thru On Button : This button enable the
Digitizer’s MIDI Out to a act as a MIDI Thru
MIDI Thru Off Button : This button turn MIDI
Thru off.
Fig 26: The ThruSwitch Patch window
Running ThruSwitch: S t a rt one of the I-CubeX editors : I-CubeX8,
I-CubeX16, or I-CubeX32. Find the ThruSwitch patch in your I-CubeX
folder. Double-click on it to r un.
Host mode gives maximum control and functionality over the I-CubeX. Host
mode’s drawback is the fact that the Digitizer does not retain it configurations upon powerdown (they are stored within Max). In addition, the
Digitizer MUST be connected to the computer at all times (see fig.4).
Opcode Max objects
I-CubeX ships with two Max objects - iCube and oCube objects (version 2.0). These objects support both PPC and 68k versions of
Opcode Max 3.5. These objects have vast improvements (over iCube
1.03 objects) in terms of speed and features. With Max 3.5 PPC , the
I-CubeX can be pushed to its sampling limit without slowdowns! These
objects will work also older versions of Max – tested with Max 2.52.
To learn how to use the iCube and oCube objects see the
iCube.help / oCube.help patches, as well as the downloadable Max
tutorials (available at the www.infusionsystems.com page). Use this
section for reference.
Installing iCube and oCube objects
Copy the iCube and oCube objects (found in the I-CubeX objects folder) into your max-startup folder (see the Opcode Max manual for more
info). Next, copy the iCube.help and oCube.help objects into your
max-help folder. The iCube and oCube objects will be loaded the next
time you run Max. When creating new objects, the iCube and oCube
object will be located in the Control category.
Using the iCube (input) object
The iCube object is used to bring sensor control into the Max environment.
Inlets
The command list inlet (leftmost inlet) is
used to program the I-Cube. See the
iCube object command summary (as well
as iCube.help ) for a description of available commands. The MIDI inlet (rightmost inlet) MUST be connected to the
midiin object.
Fig. 27: The iCube object in all its glory
Outlets
The number of outlets depends on how many virtual outputs have been
allocated (see iCube x y command below). If 8 outputs have been
allocated, then the first 8 outlets act as the first 8 virtual o u t p u t s .
The 9th outlet is the Error indicator (which flashes whenever the system
encounters an error, usually due to errors in the command list). The
10th (rightmost) outlet MUST be connected to a midiout object.
iCube Object Command Summary :
iCube x y where x specifies the number of virtual outlets to create
and y indicates the Device ID of the Digitizer to be used. These
settings are entered when a new iCube object is created but can
be changed at any time. The range of x is 1 to 32. The range of y
is 0 to 127. If only one parameter is passed, the DeviceID is
assumed to be 0. If no parameters are passed, the number of outlets is 32, and the DeviceID is 0.
0 reset x resets the Digitizer's memory. The Digitizer acknowledges with "I-Cube Reset(x)". X indicates the Digitizer's Device ID.
A reset command resets all commands which have been sent to
the Digitizer. They have to be re-“banged”.
x connect y connects sensor input x to virtual output y. You may
connect several sensor inputs to virtual outputs by typing 1- 4 connect
4 - 1 (sensor input 1 is mapped to virtual outlet 2, sensor input 2
is mapped to virtual outlet 3, and so on) or 20 - 29 connect 1 10 (connects sensor input 20 to virtual outlet 1, sensor input 21
to virtual outlet 2, and so on). Warning: typing 10 - 12 connect 3 4 yields an error (sensor input 12 can not connect to a corresponding outlet since input 10 is connected to outlet 3 & input
11 is connected to outlet 4).
Fig. 28: Two examples of the connect command: (A) 1-2 connect 1-2, (B) 3-4 connect 32-31
x res 0 (or 1) this command sets the sampling resolution for one
or more virtual outputs. A setting of 0 sets the resolution to 7bit
mode (lo-res) (input range of 0 to 127). A setting of 1 sets the
resolution to 12bit mode (hi-res) (input range of 0 to 4095). This
command will affect the inmin and inmax settings.
x on turns one or more virtual output(s) on. Example: You can
turn virtual output 4 on by typing 4 on. You can turn sensors 4
through 10 on using only one command - 4 - 10 on. You will get
an error if you try to turn a virtual output which has not been connected to a sensor (using the connect command above)
x off turns one or more virtual outputs off. Example: You can turn
virtual output 4 off by typing 4 off.You can turn sensors 4 through
10 off using only one command - 4 - 10 off. (you can type 10 - 4
off, or 4 off 5 off 6 off … 10 off to do the same thing). You will
get an error if you try to turn an inactive virtual output off (one that
has not been turned on with the on command above).
x inmin y this command acts as sensor input threshold for one or
more virtual outputs (ex: 1 – 10 inmin 30). Input values below y
will output as 0 (or the value set by the min command below). Use
this command with sensors which exhibit a noticeable noise floor
(where output values fluctuate). You can also use this command to
zoom into a sensor input region of interest. You will get an error if
you try to set inmin on a virtual output which has not been connected to a sensor (using the connect command ). The inmin range
is 0 to 127 (if the virtual output is in 7bit mode) or 4096 (if the
virtual output is in 12 bit mode).
Fig. 29: An example of limiting the sensor input signal using inmin and inmax
x inmax y this command acts as sensor input ceiling for on or
more virtual outputs (ex: 1 – 10 inmax 99). Input values above y
will output as 127 (or the value set by the max command – see
below). Use this command with sensors which tend not to span the
full input range (like the heat sensor). You can also use this command to zoom into a sensor input region of interest. You will get
an error if you try to set inmax on a virtual output which has not
been connected to a sensor (using the connect command) The
inmax range is 0 to 127 (if the virtual output is in 7bit mode) or
4096 (if the virtual output is in 12 bit mode).
x min y this command sets the output range minimum of one or
more virtual outputs (ex: 1 – 10 min 0). The virtual output will
range from y to 127 (or the value set by the max command – see
below). You will get an error if you try to set min on a virtual output
which has not been connected to a sensor (using the connect command). The min range is +/- 100000.
Fig. 30: An example of amplifying the sensor input signal using max and min
x max y this command sets the output range maximum of one or
more virtual outputs (ex: 1 – 10 max 1). The virtual output will
range from 0 (or the value set by the min command – see below) to
y. You will get an error if you try to set max on a virtual output
which has not been connected to a sensor (using the connect command ). The max range is +/- 100000.
x step y this command sets the number of virtual output steps
(similar to sample and hold). You will get an error if you try to set
step on a virtual output which has not been connected to a sensor
(using the connect command ). You can set the step for multiple
virtual outputs by typing 1 – 10 step 3 (which sets the steps for
virtual outputs 1 through 10 to 3 steps) for example.
Fig. 31: An example of changing the sensor input signal from continuous to stepped using step
x sample this command takes an instant snapshot of the sensor
connected to virtual output x. You can sample more than one virtual output by typing 1 – 10 sample (which sets the steps for
virtual outputs 1 through 10 to 3 steps) for example. Sample does
not work on active virtual outputs (ones that have been turned on
with the on command). You will get an error if you try to set sample on a virtual output which has not been connected to a sensor
(using the connect command ).
0 mute this command mutes and un-mutes all active virtual outputs.
0 print this command prints out the Digitizer’s current configuration (the accumulation of all of the above commands).
0 interval x this command sets the Digitizer’s sampling interval
which affects all virtual outputs. Use this command very carefully.
Setting a very small interval my cause system slowdowns in multi-sensor setups. The sampling interval range is 4ms to 16sec.
0 setdigid x sets the Digitizer’s Sysex Device ID. X ranges from 0
to 126. This means you could use up to 126 Digitizers at once!
This gives you a whopping 4064 sensor inputs (with 1016 digital
outputs). [ 240, 125, <DeviceID(0)>, 91, <new DeviceID>, 247]
0 hostmode switches the I-CubeX mode to Host mode (this can
also be changed from the I-CubeX editors on both the Mac and
PC). [240, 125, <DeviceID(0)>, 90, 0, 247]
0 standalone switches the I-CubeX mode to Stand Alone mode
(this can also be changed from the I-CubeX editors on both the
Mac and PC). [ 240, 125, <DeviceID(0)>, 90, 1, 247]
oCube object
The oCube object allows easy control of the
Digitizer’s 8 digital outputs.
Inlets
The 8 inlets are mapped to control the 8
digital outputs (banging a value of 0 turns
the output off, while a positive, non-zero
number turns the output on).
Fig. 32: The oCube Object in its natural splendor
Outlets
The leftmost outlet acts as an error indicator (you may connect a bang
object to it to indicate errors). The rightmost outlet MUST be connected to
a midiout object.
See the oCube.help file for an interactive tutorial.
Max 3.5 PPC and I-CubeX Warning: Do not switch between Max
windows (and other windows)when running your iCube object at
a sampling interval of 4ms with more than 10 sensor input
channels active. You can also tweak the Configuration setting
under the Options menu in Max.
The iCube object dedicates an outlet to error messages. in addition, a
text description of the error is displayed in the Max window. Every
time an error condition is encountered, the error outlet sends a bang,
and an error message is displayed. If the same error occurs more than
once, the error message is not displayed again.
iCube error() Can’t create negative number of outlets when creating
a new iCube object, you’ve specified a negative number as the
number of virtual outlets.
iCube error (outlet#) Sensor ID out of range (1..32)
You are attempting to connect a virtual outlet to a non-existent
Digitizer input.
iCube error(outlet#) Ouput port ID out of range
You are attempting to access a non-existent virtual outlet (ex. you
are banging [6 connect 1] to an iCube object with only 5 outlets.
iCube error (outlet#) Bad resolution setting (0=lo, 1=hi)
You’ve specified an incorrect resolution setting. Valid setting is 0
for 7 bit, connections and 1 for 12 bit connections.
iCube error() Bad sampling interval (4..16000ms)
You’ve specified an invalid sampling interval for the system.
iCube error () Invalid number of steps
You’ve set the number of steps to more than 127(7bit) or more
than 4096(12bit)
iCube error (outlet#) Float given
You’ve specified a number with a decimal point (ex 1.22). The
iCube object accepts integers only.
iCube error (Outlet#) Number supplied wherename expected
You specified a number instead of a command (ex. 1 1 on)
iCube error (outlet#) Bad command name
The command name given is not in the command list.
iCube error (outlet#): Parameter value missing
You haven’t specified a value for the given command (ex. 1 connect)
iCube error (outlet#): name supplied where number expected
You supplied a name before supplying a virtual outlet number (for
example, when typing one on instead of 1 on)
iCube error (outlet#): outlet not connected
You’re attempting ot access an outlet which has not been connected to a digitizer input. (ex.1 on, before 1 connect 20)
iCube Error (92) : MIDI Protocol Error
The MIDI bytes received by the Digitizer do not comply with the
MIDI protocol.
I-Cube Error (94): MIDI byte Scrambled
The reception of MIDI bytes by the Digitizer has malfunctioned.
I-Cube Error (95): MIDI Buffer Full
The MIDI-in buffer in the Digitizer has been filled and the received
command bytes may have been lost.
The other sections in this manual have described the I-Cube’s features in detail. This tutorial section will take you step-by-step
through several sample applications.
Example 1 (Win95) - Do-It-Yourself MIDI Mixer
For this example, we will be using 16 turn sensors (you can still do
this tutorial if you have fewer Turn sensors by allocating fewer input
channels (in step 6).
Label each sensor with a number (1 through 16). You may wish to
mount your sensors on a panel by drilling a 1⁄4” diameter hole for
each Turn sensor. Remove the sensor knob by loosening the small
screw on the side of the knob. Remove the washer. Pass the sensor through the hole. Put the washer back on the sensor. Tighten
the nut so the sensor stays firmly in place. Put the knob back onto
the sensor, and tighten the screw on the side of the knob).
Connect each Turn sensor to the I-Cube digitizer’s inputs (starting
from input 1) by inserting the 3-pin of each sensor connector vertically (with the red wire pin on top) starting with input 1.
Connect the Digitizer to your MIDI interface (see Getting Started
section).
Start the I-CubeX editor (the I-CubeX editor can be started directly from the Win95 Start Menu).
Clear the configuration by selecting File | New.
Create 16 sensor channels (or fewer if you’re using fewer Turn
sensors) by selecting Edit | Insert Sensor Object or Ctrl+Ins. Note
that the new sensor objects use sensor inputs 1 through 16.
Find the first sensor object (which has been assigned Sensor
Input 1). Go to the MIDI map and select “Cont Ctl” from the list
box. Set the channel field to 1. Set the Control Num field to 7
(volume).
Repeat Step 7 for the second sensor object (assigned to Sensor
Input 2). This time set the MIDI channel field to 2.
Repeat the above step for each consecutive sensor object (up to
16, or less if you’re using fewer turn sensors) each time incrementing the Channel field only.
Set all 16 (or fewer sensor objects) on by clicking the “on” button
for each sensor object.
Find the System Control Window. Check the Input Monitor |
Active (this will allow you to monitor your sensors)
Select each sensor object and start turning the corresponding
knob (The Input Monitor will only monitor the selected sensor
object). If you see no activity, make sure that you’re turning the
correct knob.
Save your masterpiece by selecting File | Save (or File | Save
As..). Name it “My MIDI Mixer”.
Set the Digitizer’s MIDI Output to Thru by selecting Options |
P re f e rences and putting a checkmark by MIDI Thru Active. This
will allow the Digitizer to pass MIDI from your keyboard controller.
Congratulations, you created your very own MIDI mixer!
Example 2 (Mac) Do-It-Yourself MIDI Pressure Keyboard.
For this example, we will be using 13 Touch (pressure sensitive) sensors
(if you have fewer than 13 Touch Sensors simply activate fewer input
channels) You can easily use Turn sensors instead of Touch sensors
for this example.
Label each sensor with a number (1 through 13). You may wish
to mount your sensors on a single panel.Remove the adhesive
from the back each Touch sensor revealing the adhesive, and
stick each touch sensor to the panel. Note: this adhesive is very
strong and though the sensor can be removed, this may result in
damage to the Touch sensor. If you’re just experimenting with
the panel layout, use clear tape over the sensor edges to stick it
to the panel.
Connect the each Touch sensor to the Digitizer’s inputs (starting
from input 1) by inserting the 3-pin of each sensor connector
vertically (with the red wire pin on top) starting with input 1.
Connect the Digitizer to your MIDI interface (see Getting Started
section).
Start the I-CubeX16 editor (as you’re using 13 sensors).
Clear the configuration by selecting File | New .
Find the first sensor input strip (which is assigned to Sensor
Input 1). Go to the MIDI map and select “Note” from the list
box. Set the channel field to 1. Set the “Note #” field to 60
(middle C), and “Velocity” to 127.
Set the Input Thresh. to a value of approximately 30 (by dragging
the input range from the very top to around the 25% region). An
input threshold of 30 will prevent false triggering of your sensors.
Repeat Step 6 and 7 for the second sensor input strip (assigned
to Sensor Input 2). This time set the Note # field to 61(C#
above middle C).
Repeat the above step for each consecutive sensor object (up to 12,
or less if you’re using fewer turn sensors) each time incrementing
the Note # field only. After setting up the 8th sensor input strip,
click on the [9 – 16] button to take you to the next 8 input strips.
What about the 13th sensor? Find its input strip. Set the MIDI
Map to “PBend”. Leave the MIDI Channel at 1. The other MIDI
map fields are not used. You have now created a pitch bend.
This pitch bend will bend upwards only. If you wish to use your
Pitch Bender for downward bends, set the Direction button to the
Down setting.
Set all 13 (or fewer sensor objects) on by clicking the “on” button for each sensor input strip.
Monitor each sensor input by observing the Monitor slider while
depressing each Touch Sensor.
Save your masterpiece by selecting File | Save. Name it “My
MIDI Keyboard”.
Example 3 – Quiz!
If you were using the I-CubeX Win95 editor, do exercise 2 on your PC.
If you were using the I-CubeX16 Mac editor, do exercise 1 with your Mac.
We will be posting the results of this quiz, and exercises 1 & 2 as I-CubeX
configuration files on-line (check www.infusionsystems.com)
What about Opcode Max tutorials?
We have not forgotten about Opcode Max users. Our Max tutorials a re
in the form of Max patches and can be downloaded directly from our
download page (www.infusionsystems.com). They will step you through
the setup procedure as well as specific MIDI examples.
At Infusion Systems we develop the coolest bizarre ways of controlling
gear. The I-Cube comes with a Turn sensor and a See actuator to get you
started and check out the following chart for even more possibilities!
All of our sensors are continuous control but can also act as switches
(note on/note off). They are ‘tuned’ and pre-wired to work with the
I-Cube - no additional electronics or soldering required. Please note
that sensors listed below and their specifications are subject to
change. Please see our website for the latest available sensors or for
technical specs.
The following chart (next page) lists our sensors with a general
description of possible applications.
The Sensor column indicates the sensor name. The Environmental column indicates whether the sensor is influenced by the environment
around it or not – thus needing to be reconfigured in the Editor whenever the sensor is moved. The Interaction column describes the form
interaction with the sensor. Applications provides some suggested uses
for the sensor.
GForce
No
Acceleration
FarReach
Yes
Ultrasonic distance
Magnet
No
Very close proximity
Reach
Yes
EMF proximity
Slide
No
Position
Stretch
Yes
Strain
Bend
No
Bend
Close
No
IR close proximity
Taptile
No
Weight/pressure
Tilt
No
Inclination
Air
No
Air pressure
Flash
Yes
Illumination+IR
Light
Yes
Illumination
Hot
Yes
Temperature
TouchGlove
Yes
Finger pressure
Touch
No
Contact Pressure
Turn
No
Rotation angle
See
No
LED Light actuator
Switch
No
Relay-switch
120VSwitch
No
Relay-switch
Senses acceleration and deceleration. Attach these to Whirling Dervishes,kinetic sculptures or Fido as
he chases the neighborhood cat. A visually exciting sensor. Can be held in the palm of your hand. Up to 5G’s.
Create a huge presence. Ultrasonically senses distances of objects, persons, walls from 30 cm up
to 6 meters (18 ft.). Is invisible to the audience.
Non-contact switching when it detects a magnetic field. We’re not sure where this can be used...
One of our most popular sensors which works along the principle of the Theramin. Put your hands
into the Electromagnetic Field while mapping it to Pitch Bend and you can create the perfect
spooky movie music. Range 0 - 15cm (6in.)
Is your keyboard lacking a ribbon controller? Or maybe you want 5 more... The Slide is a position
sensor perfect for adding to your keyboard or DJ setup. 10cm (4in.) long.
How hard are we pulling your leg? Measures up to 23kg (50lbs.)
Bend your fingers and control your lights.
A touchless sensor. Perfect for re-constructing the front panel of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise.
Works between 0-7cm (2 3/4in.) distance.
For sensing walking, jumping and yes... tapping. Can be covered to hide the tile. Put it on the
dance floor or underneath your doormat.
What’s your inclination? Wearable, perfect for dancers. Measures -180¡ to +180¡ on a single axis.
A breath controller which actually uses breath! Add sparkle to your clarinet or
use it to switch your turntable on and off.
Detects rapid light changes or light flashes, including InfraRed. Create a light beam switch that
triggers when you cross it or use it as a continuous controller to sweep your filters.
Responds to white light. Put fish in a bowl with lights below and let the fish shadows play (fish
not included).
Our “mood ring” sensor. Let your own body heat play your sequences or be adventurous and let the
number of people in a room increase the heat. Warning: does not change color! Measures -40¡F to +100¡
A controller for drum machines at your fingertips. A very expressive and natural sensor. Includes 6
pressure sensors per glove - five on the fingertips and one on the palm.
A sensor no one should do without. Contact pressure provides continuous control. Can be easily
worn or applied to a variety of surfaces. Trigger those samples!
Tweak tweak tweak those sounds. Comes with funky black knobs. Perfect for
your own front panel display. Performance oriented.
An LED which provides visual feedback. Use it to monitor your MIDI messages or as a hi-tech
Christmas tree decoration.
A low voltage, control signal switcher. Advance your slide projector with a MIDI signal or turn on a
flashlight.
AC power switching. Turn on your fan, your lights, your appliances, your fog machine, your
microwave.
isit our website
www.infusionsystems.com for more detailed (and additional) sensor specifications.
Warning: Infusion Systems Ltd. is not liable for any personal,
Digitizer, or sensor damage due to the use or mis-use of custom(user)
built sensors.
Before constructing or testing your custom sensor, read the following
points.
Things you’ll need:
1. a hack-Cable (see our catalogue) - custom sensor connector
2. a multimeter
3. a soldering iron
4. a basic understanding of electronics
5. your sensor
Important! Things to keep in mind:
1. Your custom sensor’s voltage range must be between 0 to 5
volts. Any output voltage above 5 Volts may result in permanent
damage to the Digitizer.
2. Your sensor should not draw more than 30mA of current.
3. Test your sensor for correct voltages and current drain with your
multimeter.
4. Connect your sensor’s power input (+) to the HackCable’s Red
(Top, Power) wire. See Fig. 3.
5. Connect your sensor’s ground (-) to the HackCable’s Black
(Bottom, Ground) wire.
6. Connect your sensor’s signal output to the HackCable’s White
(Middle, Sig.) wire.
7. We strongly recommend against using your own power supply
(to power your sensor).
Refer to Fig. 33 & 34 on page 54 for schematized of the Turn
Sensor and See actuator as a guide for building your own sensors and actuators.
Performance:
Number of Sensor Inputs
32
(8 of which double as
Digital Outputs)
(user selectable, pre v4.0 boards
provide 12-bit input on input
1 - 24 only)
Resolution
12 / 7 bits
Range
Supply current
Sampling Rate
S/N
0 to 5 VDC
30mA / sensor (for a system total of 1A)
250Hz max
(see Sampling Rate Table below)
78dB / 56dB (12-bit mode / 7-bit mode)
Number of Digital Outputs
Range
Resolution
Supply current
8
0 to 5 VDC
1 bit
30mA max
Data Format (MIDI)
Sysex
Cont Ctl,
Note,
PitchBend
(0 off, 1 on)
(Host Mode)
(Stand Alone Mode)
Sampling Rate Table (in Hz)
Resolution
12-Bit mode
7-Bit mode
Number of Sensors
1
2
4
200
180
160
225
195
175
8
140
160
16
75
95
24
55
70
32
50
65
Turn Sensor: Angle
Fig. 33 Turn Sensor schematic
See Actuator: LED Indicator
Fig. 34 See Actuator Schematic
I-Cube System / I-CubeX ROM Compatibility
Make sure that you ordered the correct I-CubeX ROM chip. We carry 3
versions of each ROM chip (one for each Digitizer board type). Check
your I-Cube with the following table:
ROM\I-Cube Digitizer Type
DCC34
I-CUBEX1.00
I-CUBEX1.10
I-CUBEX1.11
v4.0*
DCC34
I-CubeX1.00
I-CubeX1.10
I-CubeX1.11
v3.0B3**
DCC34B3
I-CubeX1.00B3
I-CubeX1.10B3
I-CubeX1.11B3
v3.0LTC***
DCC34LTC
I-CubeX1.00LTC
I-CubeX1.10LTC
I-CubeX1.11LTC
* - “ICube V4.0” printed in corner of Digitizer board (open by removing the 4 rubber feet, and the 4 screws).
** - “ICube V3.0” printed, TLC - the first 3 letters imprinted on each
A/D chip (the row of 3 black chips under the “U2” label)
*** - “ICube V3.0” printed, LTC - the first 3 letters imprinted on each
A/D chip (the row of 3 black chips under the “U2” label)
If your ROM version does not match your Digitizer board, contact us
immediately.
I-CubeX Mac
I’ve installed the Mac Editors but whenever I make an edit (such
as a turning a channel on), I see no activity in the Digitizer’s MIDI IN
(yellow LED). What’s up?
You have not configured your I-CubeX editor’s MIDI Setup, or
OMS. Make sure that you’re using OMS v2.0 or later. Start the I-CubeX
editor. Go to File | MIDI Setup... You will see rows of MIDI IN and
MIDI OUT Devices. Look at their ID columns (they should either have
“-” or a lower case letter such as “in them”). Find the MIDI IN port
where the Digitizer resides. Change this port’s ID letter to “a”.
Repeat this step for the corresponding MIDI OUT port.
If the correct MIDI port’s ID was “a” when you opened MIDI Setup,
then either you MIDI interface is not working properly (consult your
interface’s documentation and/or support), or OMS is may not be set
up correctly.
My Mac keeps on crashing or it runs really slow while running
I -CubeX32. I have a number of sensor channels turned on. Help?
Your Mac may not be able to process all your Sensors (and display
them on the monitor bars). Set the sampling interval to 50ms or higher. If things are still slow use a higher sample interval (greater than
100ms). If that doesn't speed things up, disconnect the Digitizer's
MIDI Out Cable. This will disable Monitor Mode (no mapped sensor
values are received). If you're using less than 17 sensors, use I-CubeX16,
if you're using less than 9 sensors, use I-CubeX8.
I-CubeX PC
I'm running I-CubeX, I turn a sensor input object on, but no MIDI
is sent. I've looked at the Digitizer's MIDI In port (the yellow LED),
and it does not flash when I make changes. Why?
Make sure that you connected the Digitizer correctly (see the I-CubeX
PC Editor / Connections section).Go to Options | Preferences, check
Auto Update. If this doesn't work, go to Options | MIDI Setup, and
make sure that your MIDI In and Out drivers are selected and functional (check them using the Windows95 System Settings editor).
I'm running I-CubeX with a number of Sensor Input Objects, but
the monitors don't work. What's up with that?
Monitors are disabled in I-CubeX v1.00 PC. This problem is solved
with I-CubeX 1.11 editor.
.
General
Some general considerations before using Opcode Max with the I-CubeX:
1. Turn Virtual Memory Off
2. Disable AppleTalk.
3. Use a minimal number of extensions (turn speed extensions off).
I’ve installed everything, and the test patches work fine. How do I
map and send sensor values to my MIDI gear?
Map each virtual outlet (from the iCube object) to a MIDI object
such as noteout, bendout, or ctlout, by connecting the output of virtual
outlet to the correct inlet on the midi objects (see their help patches).
If you’re using multiple MIDI interfaces (such as Opcode’s Studio
64X, or Studio 4) connect you Digitizer to one port (say port 1).
Connect your other MIDI gear to another port(s) (say port 2). In your
Max patch, edit each noteout, bendout, or ctlout object to address
the MIDI port with your MIDI gear (port 2). See the help patches for
noteout, bendout, ctlout for instructions.
If you only have one MIDI interface connect your MIDI gear between
your Interface’s MIDI OUT and the Digitizer’s MIDI IN. Reconnect
your Digitizer by running a MIDI cable between your MIDI board’s
THRU to the Digitizer’s MIDI IN (make sure that your MIDI board
allows Sysex messages Thru). You are on your way!
I’ve ran the test patches, but I’d like to create some of my own.
How do I use the iCube and oCube objects?
Take a look at our patches (especially the Transducer Piano patch)
to see which commands are used and what they accomplish. If you’re
uncertain what is happening, take a look at the I-Cube System
Manual - the Reference section). This Reference section describes all
iCube commands. Then run the iCube.help patch. It describes all the
commands and their application. While running this patch, click on
the [ command list ] box, and read and click each of the commands
listed. Keep watching the output (the number objects connected to
the iCube object’s virtual outputs) on the main iCube.help patch, to
see the result of your commands.
Duplicate the I-Cube skeletal patch (this provides all the necessary
connections in order for Max and the I-Cube to communicate).
Connect a number object [>0 ] to the first virtual output (the iCube
object’s leftmost outlet) The quickest way of getting sensor values out
of the Digitizer is to send the following message to the iCube object:
1 connect 1
1 on
This connects the first sensor channel to the iCube object’s first
virtual output, and turns it on - you should see the numbers in the
number box changing. You are now receiving sensor information in
the Max environment. Read the Max Reference and Tutorials to
learn all the things you can do with this information. Only by
understanding all the iCube commands can you take full advantage
of the I-Cube System and the Opcode Max environment.
The I-Cube System Midi Troubleshooting (incl. MOTU
Midi Time Piece support) :
I turn on the I-Cube and my system crashes. The Midi IN and
Midi OUT lights on the I-Cube are constantly on. What's going on?
You've got a MIDI loop. You MUST turn MIDI Thru off on the
MIDI port where the I-Cube resides. We're currently addressing this
issue (perhaps in the new version of the ROM & Software).
(MOTU MTP only)I turn on the I-Cube and the test patches do
not work. When I click to start the MIDI patches, I see no MIDI IN /
OUT activity from the I-Cube. What's up?
If you haven't done so, set the MTPII MIDI mode to 1mHz. Make
sure that MTP has it's real-time messages (Sysex), as well as active
sensing turned on. Also make sure that all your MIDI connections are
correct, and your MIDI cables are not damaged.
I did all that, but when I start up the test patches I do not see an
"I-Cube Reset" in the Max Window. And the Patch doesn't show any
sensor data (coming from the iCube object's virtual outlets. What is
going on?
It may be a problem with the way that MAX uses you MIDI ports.
Go to the MAX File | Midi Setup... menu. Note the ID letters for your
input and output devices. Find the Device ID letter that is associated
with your MIDI port (the one that the I-Cube is connected to). Go
through and edit each test patch, change each "midiin" object to
"midiin a" ("a" being the device ID), and each "midiout" object to
"midiout a" (a being the device ID).
I did all of the above. It still doesn't work! Help!?
Give us a call (604)684-3646/56 (ph./fax) or e-mail us
([email protected]).
My computer crashes (and prompts me to restart the computer). I
when I put my mouse over the command inlet (iCube) it displays
(list,@$*@#**@*@#*# ). Why ?
Turn off all Speed Extensions (such as Speed Copy, Speed
Access, ...). Reboot the machine.
All Sensors:
I’ve installed my sensor, but I am getting either 0 or 127 as sensor outputs. Why?
Your sensor may be damaged (it may be shorted out). First try it
in another Digitizer input - if it works, then the Digitizer input may
be faulty. If the same problem persists, check the sensor’s 3 wires to
make sure that the contacts between the wires and the sensor boards
have not been broken.
All Sensors - Improving Sensor Output :
Many of my sensors produce a limited range (the ideal output
range is 0 to 127, but my range is far less - 40 to 60 for example).
Is there any way to improve their range?
The I-Cube Digitizer software improves the range of your sensors
by scaling the input, This means that the Digitizer can be calibrated
to respond to a limited sensor range by “stretching” the effective
range and thus producing the ideal 0 to 127 output. This is accomplished using the Threshold/Top parameters (in standalone mode
(I-CubeX only), or the inmin/inmax commands (in host mode (ICubeX and I-Cube System)).
Place your sensor in its relaxed position (no interaction). Set the
Threshold or inmax setting to 0. If the sensor outputs values above 0
then raise the threshold/inmin by a few notches. Repeat until your
sensor stays at 0.
Extend maximum pressure on your sensor (maximum interaction). Set
the Top or inmax setting to 127 (if you are using inmax, you may
have to set this value to 4096 if the sensor is in 12 bit mode). If the
sensor outputs values below 127 then lower the Top/inmax setting
by a few notches. Repeat until your sensor remains at a steady 127.
Your sensor is calibrated. You may need to perform this calibration
each time you set up your sensors (as many of our sensors react to
changes in the environment - i.e. the light sensors may need to be
adjust after the sun sets).