The Further Combinator Suggestions

Have any feature requests? No promise they'll get to Reason Studios, but you can still discuss them here.
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NMHindman
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21 Nov 2021

Heigen5 wrote:
01 Sep 2021
As a beta-tester of the new combi, we had lots of people suggesting lots of stuff for the further combi. So lets have the suggestions coming!
More flexibility with the Combi2 switches. It would be useful if activating one switch could deactivate another/others. Switches could be used as selectors this way (think Soundtoys MicroShift buttons). In short, a way for combi controls to dictate to other combi controls.

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mjxl
Posts: 600
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21 Nov 2021

Only 'design error/flaw' I have found really is when you've added multiple routings in the editor, and the list is "full".
Upon adding a new item, the list should scroll down, to an empty line.

Adding all level controls for the BV512 was a pain in the @$$..
- add 1 control
- assign said control
- click down arrow, just so we can see the the first empty line..
- rinse and repeat 300 times. ;/

What I can think of is as said before, it should:
A) scroll/slide down to a blank line.
or
B) enable mousewheeling in the list (this would be a very good alternative, not sure how feasable it is.)

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NMHindman
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21 Nov 2021

There's one element I think we're missing. The new combi is remarkably flexible for the minimal learning curve it requires. We all watched Ryan's excellent Combi2 intro video, and then we jumped in and figured it out in no time. I think that this user-friendliness is itself a great feature that shouldn't be sacrificed. That means filtering down the list of preferred features to those that can be implemented intuitively, and/or allowing a means for 'advanced' users to dig deeper without overwhelming someone whose goal is just to make music.

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nemesjs
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29 May 2022

Loque wrote:
20 Oct 2021
nemesjs wrote:
19 Oct 2021


I understand what you are saying Loque but don't forget that a knob turned by hand on another controller (albeit an external one) mapped to a knob on a combinator also makes it turn, not only automation, as is so clearly demonstrated in my examples. There is no automation (recorded) but the knob moves! That is perfect in itself!

As to the CV signal not being appropriate to do this kind of digital control of a combinator knob rotational position I do understand that it has to be converted and I have no problem with that. The MIDI Out device already converts (virtual) CV signals ("analog") to MIDI CC Values (digital). So much so that I'd be happy enough to only have available in Reason a simple Virtual MIDI Router/Controller as an embedded resource to allow the following:

Image

But this is not an elegant solution in my view. I'd rather like to have an option to convert CV inputs to MIDI CC values directly inside the combinator itself that could in turn be mapped to the panel elements via programmer/editor for example.
Ahain CV is modulation and not automation or accessing a controll via MIDI. Its the same as synth or fx internal modulation, its just accessible from outside AFTER your controll setting.

I giess you never thought about any synth which has internal modulation, that the controls should move according its modulation?

I agree that some visual feedback in the control of CV would be nice here and there, but moving the control makes no sense. You never could touch it again. Just look how automated controls work.

If you really feel the need to make the controls move via CV, use a MIDI loopback, which are available for free. This way you also can record CV and use it as automation for controls.
Sorry to get back to this subject six month later but I find this new product amusing as an answer to the quoted statement above that I marked in blue:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd9rA7ihWnY/
(Tonelab's NINA)

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nemesjs
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04 Jun 2022

nemesjs wrote:
29 May 2022
Loque wrote:
20 Oct 2021

Ahain CV is modulation and not automation or accessing a controll via MIDI. Its the same as synth or fx internal modulation, its just accessible from outside AFTER your controll setting.

I giess you never thought about any synth which has internal modulation, that the controls should move according its modulation?

I agree that some visual feedback in the control of CV would be nice here and there, but moving the control makes no sense. You never could touch it again. Just look how automated controls work.

If you really feel the need to make the controls move via CV, use a MIDI loopback, which are available for free. This way you also can record CV and use it as automation for controls.
Sorry to get back to this subject six month later but I find this new product amusing as an answer to the quoted statement above that I marked in blue:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd9rA7ihWnY/
(Tonelab's NINA)
Just check this demo video:

The rotary button rotates by itself oscillating by way of an internal modulation! Now we're talking!!!! :clap: :thumbup: :D

DJMaytag
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06 Jun 2022

A true radio button, where pressing one button deselects any other currently selected button. It would be customizable as to how many buttons would be available to be selected.

Where I would see this useful: mapping a delay or LFO time on the Combi2 panel, to quickly change the timing from 1/16 to 1/4, etc.

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Quarmat
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06 Jun 2022

Having some simple coding options, conditions, logical gates would unleash the true beast that the combi2 is.

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selig
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06 Jun 2022

nemesjs wrote:
04 Jun 2022
The rotary button rotates by itself oscillating by way of an internal modulation! Now we're talking!!!! :clap: :thumbup: :D
I don’t think the knobs always move with modulation, at least from what little I’ve seen of this synth so far. Seems more useful as a way to temporally view modulation IMO. The question then becomes, what happens when I grab a knob to make an adjustment? Does the modulation stop because the knob stops? That would suck, no?
And if the internal modulation doesn’t stop (which is logical), then it means that it doesn’t HAVE to move in the first place, right? This would especially be true with audio rate modulation, which could not possible be accurately represented by a moving knob…
Plus, what knob should move with pitch modulation, Octave, Semitone, Fine? None of those would accurately represent a pitch bend of 2 semitones as one example…

What I really like about this design is being able to see modulation AMOUNTS because of this feature, which seems SUPER useful to me. Plus the Morph knob moving the other knobs also makes a lot of sense IMO.
Selig Audio, LLC

DJMaytag
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06 Jun 2022

Quarmat wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Having some simple coding options, conditions, logical gates would unleash the true beast that the combi2 is.
I’m sure there are other products to choose from, but here’s a freebie:

https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... omparator/

It’s got more than just gate logic, as you can compare AC signals, not just DC/pulses.

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selig
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06 Jun 2022

Pepin wrote:
21 Nov 2021
Something I'd find helpful is a soft pickup feature for Combinator controls.
If enabled, it would prevent a source control from affecting a target until the source and target settings match.

So for example, if a Combi knob is turned all the way left but targets a parameter that's currently at 50%, the Combi knob won't affect the parameter until it's turned half way (at which point it's aligned with the target parameter).

Controls with multiple targets make it a little more complicated, but I think the same essential logic could be applied to each target separately.

Would be even better if the "pickup points" were visualized with markers placed around the control.
How often would this actually come into play? I don’t open combinators and start moving knobs around (unless I’m moving knobs NOT assigned to panel controls). The whole reason for me to create a Combinator is so I DON’T have to do this. I can’t actually think of one occasion where the front panel knobs were ‘out of sync’ with the internal settings, but am prepared to have my mind changed on this!
Selig Audio, LLC

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joeyluck
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06 Jun 2022

Top of my list (in no particular order)
  • stepped controls
  • radio buttons
  • horizontal faders
  • flip switch toggles
  • x/y pads
  • sub preset mgmt for same combi patch
  • per control programmer view
  • add Combinator controls as targets
I'm thinking the latter two would go hand-in-hand. I'd love to be able to assign a macro to other macros. Imagine a giant knob or x/y pad on your Combinator that could morph several macros, and see them turn with your movement on the x/y pad. Quite like Retouch Control's Morpher CV Utility actually. This could also be another roundabout way to have sub presets.

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Pepin
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06 Jun 2022

selig wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Pepin wrote:
21 Nov 2021
Something I'd find helpful is a soft pickup feature for Combinator controls.
If enabled, it would prevent a source control from affecting a target until the source and target settings match.

So for example, if a Combi knob is turned all the way left but targets a parameter that's currently at 50%, the Combi knob won't affect the parameter until it's turned half way (at which point it's aligned with the target parameter).

Controls with multiple targets make it a little more complicated, but I think the same essential logic could be applied to each target separately.

Would be even better if the "pickup points" were visualized with markers placed around the control.
How often would this actually come into play? I don’t open combinators and start moving knobs around (unless I’m moving knobs NOT assigned to panel controls). The whole reason for me to create a Combinator is so I DON’T have to do this. I can’t actually think of one occasion where the front panel knobs were ‘out of sync’ with the internal settings, but am prepared to have my mind changed on this!
It happens all the time when using Combinator wrappers around VSTs. If you change the VST preset, the Combinator controls go out of sync.

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selig
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06 Jun 2022

Pepin wrote:
06 Jun 2022
selig wrote:
06 Jun 2022


How often would this actually come into play? I don’t open combinators and start moving knobs around (unless I’m moving knobs NOT assigned to panel controls). The whole reason for me to create a Combinator is so I DON’T have to do this. I can’t actually think of one occasion where the front panel knobs were ‘out of sync’ with the internal settings, but am prepared to have my mind changed on this!
It happens all the time when using Combinator wrappers around VSTs. If you change the VST preset, the Combinator controls go out of sync.
Well that certainly explains why I've never seen it, and obviously something the devs probably never considered when initially designing the Combinator. Sounds like a very specific use case too - I've never changed the preset of any device inside a Combinator so I've never even thought about this! Sounds like something that's done to address poor UI design choices on VSTs?
Do VSTs even report their knob positions when loading a patch? If not, it will be difficult to address on the Combinator end of things…you'd probably have better luck trying to get the VST designers to make a better UI than getting Reason Studio to invest time in a feature that addresses such a limited/specific use case but you never know!
Selig Audio, LLC

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Pepin
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07 Jun 2022

selig wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Pepin wrote:
06 Jun 2022


It happens all the time when using Combinator wrappers around VSTs. If you change the VST preset, the Combinator controls go out of sync.
Well that certainly explains why I've never seen it, and obviously something the devs probably never considered when initially designing the Combinator. Sounds like a very specific use case too - I've never changed the preset of any device inside a Combinator so I've never even thought about this! Sounds like something that's done to address poor UI design choices on VSTs?
Do VSTs even report their knob positions when loading a patch? If not, it will be difficult to address on the Combinator end of things…you'd probably have better luck trying to get the VST designers to make a better UI than getting Reason Studio to invest time in a feature that addresses such a limited/specific use case but you never know!
Sure it's a bit niche, though I wouldn't say the issue is with VST UIs.
It's more the VST implementation in Reason, which pushes you to use a wrapper if you want to automate beyond the first 128 parameters or do any type of MIDI learn. Given those limitations, it's often easier to stick to a wrapper where possible.

If those limitations are fixed with VST3, then the request is less relevant. Though I'd still find it useful when tweaking existing Combi presets, where I'm not necessarily sure what's mapped in the Combi and what isn't.

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NMHindman
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07 Jun 2022

joeyluck wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Top of my list (in no particular order)
  • stepped controls
  • radio buttons
  • horizontal faders
  • flip switch toggles
  • x/y pads
  • sub preset mgmt for same combi patch
  • per control programmer view
  • add Combinator controls as targets
Excellent ideas, all of which would be intuitive features, making Combi2 more flexible without being more complicated

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selig
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07 Jun 2022

joeyluck wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Top of my list (in no particular order)
  • stepped controls
  • radio buttons
  • horizontal faders
  • flip switch toggles
  • x/y pads
  • sub preset mgmt for same combi patch
  • per control programmer view
  • add Combinator controls as targets
I'm thinking the latter two would go hand-in-hand. I'd love to be able to assign a macro to other macros. Imagine a giant knob or x/y pad on your Combinator that could morph several macros, and see them turn with your movement on the x/y pad. Quite like Retouch Control's Morpher CV Utility actually. This could also be another roundabout way to have sub presets.
So you have no need/desire for any sort of metering in the C2?
Selig Audio, LLC

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selig
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07 Jun 2022

Pepin wrote:
07 Jun 2022
selig wrote:
06 Jun 2022


Well that certainly explains why I've never seen it, and obviously something the devs probably never considered when initially designing the Combinator. Sounds like a very specific use case too - I've never changed the preset of any device inside a Combinator so I've never even thought about this! Sounds like something that's done to address poor UI design choices on VSTs?
Do VSTs even report their knob positions when loading a patch? If not, it will be difficult to address on the Combinator end of things…you'd probably have better luck trying to get the VST designers to make a better UI than getting Reason Studio to invest time in a feature that addresses such a limited/specific use case but you never know!
Sure it's a bit niche, though I wouldn't say the issue is with VST UIs.
It's more the VST implementation in Reason, which pushes you to use a wrapper if you want to automate beyond the first 128 parameters or do any type of MIDI learn. Given those limitations, it's often easier to stick to a wrapper where possible.

If those limitations are fixed with VST3, then the request is less relevant. Though I'd still find it useful when tweaking existing Combi presets, where I'm not necessarily sure what's mapped in the Combi and what isn't.
Understood, good points all around. Still, if parameters from the VST aren’t pushed to the Combinator, then no update would be able to address this - still not clear if this is even possible as a Combinator update…
Selig Audio, LLC

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Heigen5
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Location: Finland / Suomi

09 Jun 2022

selig wrote:
07 Jun 2022
joeyluck wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Top of my list (in no particular order)
  • stepped controls
  • radio buttons
  • horizontal faders
  • flip switch toggles
  • x/y pads
  • sub preset mgmt for same combi patch
  • per control programmer view
  • add Combinator controls as targets
I'm thinking the latter two would go hand-in-hand. I'd love to be able to assign a macro to other macros. Imagine a giant knob or x/y pad on your Combinator that could morph several macros, and see them turn with your movement on the x/y pad. Quite like Retouch Control's Morpher CV Utility actually. This could also be another roundabout way to have sub presets.
So you have no need/desire for any sort of metering in the C2?
I would like meters in the combi2. I would imagine that we could just add a certain kind of a metering device into a certain place in the chain and then link it to a frontside. Should be pretty easy. No? :-)

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jam-s
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09 Jun 2022

Heigen5 wrote:
09 Jun 2022
I would like meters in the combi2. I would imagine that we could just add a certain kind of a metering device into a certain place in the chain and then link it to a frontside. Should be pretty easy. No? :-)
I think this process of adding a metering device would be unnecessary as the C2 editor could simply offer all outputs of any device that is contained in the combinator as a possible source for the metering widget. Add a selection of transformation functions to this (like min/max hold, average, etc.) and we're golden.

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Heigen5
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09 Jun 2022

jam-s wrote:
09 Jun 2022
Heigen5 wrote:
09 Jun 2022
I would like meters in the combi2. I would imagine that we could just add a certain kind of a metering device into a certain place in the chain and then link it to a frontside. Should be pretty easy. No? :-)
I think this process of adding a metering device would be unnecessary as the C2 editor could simply offer all outputs of any device that is contained in the combinator as a possible source for the metering widget. Add a selection of transformation functions to this (like min/max hold, average, etc.) and we're golden.
Could be so. Some other fella asked that how would you be able to meter the compression so it'd show the original signal, but also a compressed one i.e. like lots of the compressor plugins show. I know this wouldn't be impossible to do, but these kind of situations require at least two outputs that'd interact as an one entirety. He probably would like one meter to meter the original signal and that the same meter would have a reduced one in the different color + showing values in the numbers too.

DJMaytag
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10 Jun 2022

selig wrote:
07 Jun 2022
Understood, good points all around. Still, if parameters from the VST aren’t pushed to the Combinator, then no update would be able to address this - still not clear if this is even possible as a Combinator update…
Sorry if I am late to this discussion, but… aren’t RE parameters also not pushed to the Combinator? If I tweak an RE directly instead of changing the parameter I’ve set up on the Combinator control panel, the RE overrides the setting. One thing I’d have to check is if in doing so, and forgetting to adjust the Combinator panel, is if when re-opening the song file, does the Combinator panel setting then override the RE setting?

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Billy+
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10 Jun 2022

Does anyone know if the combinator is actually going to be updated with new features?

DJMaytag
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10 Jun 2022

Billy+ wrote:
10 Jun 2022
Does anyone know if the combinator is actually going to be updated with new features?
I think it is safe say that there will be more button/switch icons at some point. Beyond that, only people from RS can say.

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Billy+
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10 Jun 2022

DJMaytag wrote:
10 Jun 2022
Billy+ wrote:
10 Jun 2022
Does anyone know if the combinator is actually going to be updated with new features?
I think it is safe say that there will be more button/switch icons at some point. Beyond that, only people from RS can say.
More graphics isn't anything close to being a feature - I'm thinking about programming interface functions, for example stepped values, internal lfos etc ;)

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tobypearce
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12 Jun 2022

joeyluck wrote:
06 Jun 2022
Top of my list (in no particular order)
  • stepped controls
  • radio buttons
  • horizontal faders
  • flip switch toggles
  • x/y pads
  • sub preset mgmt for same combi patch
  • per control programmer view
  • add Combinator controls as targets
1.I would also find Combinator controls as targets to be very useful.
2. As others have said, an insertable text field would be great.
3. Ability to right click on a VST control and assign to combi button (just like you can do with RE).

4. Some way of visually grouping controls.
I'm talking about some extremely basic functions here - nothing fancy. For example, the ability to draw an outline around a group of controls, or the ability to highlight a background area and then change its colour. I sure don't want to have to leave Reason in order to make a custom backdrop - this sounds quite a lot like not getting on with writing any actual music.
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