Q: I do presume this has to be initiated, it's not something a VST or other controller like the Kore2 has initiated It's only showing on the Overview page, so I assumed it was some kind of place holder for a controller?
Yes, a "Controllers" sub-device is automatically created for each "physical" MIDI port. The goal is to allow MIDI control panel acting as a kind of "CopperLan Control Surface", having a set of "CopperLan Controllers" entities that can be attached to "CopperLan Parameters". In MIDI, it is up to the target to learn the message sent by a MIDI knob. So it's a 1-to-1 relationship and a MIDI parameter isn't able to be controlled by several controllers at a time. In CopperLan, the learning is done at the controller level. Each CopperLan Controller is learning automatically the parameter expected message when it is assigned to. Controller assignment can be done by learning, browsing or smartconnect. So a single parameter can be controlled by several controllers, and each controller's feedback (if any) is automatically synchronized with the current parameter value.
- Learning: select the controller's "Assign" command, then change a parameter value along the network (from a CopperPluggized plugin's GUI for example), and that's it.
- Browsing: select the controller's "Browse" command, then browse the CopperLan tree to select the expected parameter
- SmartConnect: slect the Controllers sub-device's "SmartConnect" command, then choose a SmartConnect target (such as CopperPluggized plug-in), and then the controller set is automatically mapped to the target's "Essential" section.
The SmartConnect can do much more than that, it's able to connect pre-defined control surfaces (with envelope, filter sections for example) to any target ensuring that each pre-defined knob is always mapped to the right parameter, whatever the target brand/model. This is a very powerful feature that is currently implemented in several commercial products. More to come...
Q: You have removed the ability to rename ports via the registry? I hope you devise a way in the GUI because with 40+ ports, it certainly detracts from the experience and is a time waster trying to remember what is what.
We changed the VMIDI driver to support the new MIDILink feature, the internal bricks needed to rename the ports does exist, but not yet fully exploited.
The MIDILink is automatically creating a MIDI port on each computer when a MIDILink able CopperLan hardware device is connected to the network, even using Ethernet interface. So it's as easy as USB but through Ethernet.
Q: The CopperPlug Player is acting like a VST stand alone host?
Yes exactly. It's designed for live playing.
Q: I've just started with the NI Kore2 system, which seems to be a being a very capable/complex VST host (amongst other things).
I've done a CopperPlug wrapper for the 64bit VST version...do you guys have any experience with this system within CopperLan? With CopperPlug, I'm probably wrapping a VST wrapper...a little confusing how to treat the Kore2 Stand alone /VST64 system within the CopperLan system.
Hmmmm... don't know this. I'll find out.
Q: Appreciate your thoughts on viewtopic.php?f=15&t=244 The Polygon VST really does have a ton of parameters....and wow it is fantastic @ $49 a classic test for the CopperPlug methodology (Repetition Strain Injury)
Ho yes, good point. I'll buy it and keep you informed.
Nevertheless, CopperPlug is just a way to use standard plug-ins in a CopperLan ecosystem. Our ambition is not to be compatible with all plug-ins in the world. Our experience with several plug-ins developers has shown that it is easier and more efficient to include CopperLan functionality in a plugin instead of wrapping it through CopperPlug and its definition file, especially for complex plug-ins with a lot of parameters. But... you know... the chicken & the egg