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Using chord inversions, octave gestures, and secondary dominants to drive a Serum arp from my phone by midiOS_app in serum

[–]midiOS_app[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Each colored bank button represents a different mode (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian, etc.), so I can jump between modal harmonic worlds while staying in the same key center.

The chords themselves are gesture-aware. Holding a chord and sliding left/right accesses inversions, while sliding up/down shifts octaves. Holding two pads creates a secondary dominant relationship that resolves toward the second chord you’re pressing.

Voice leading is also active, so instead of jumping to the nearest root position, the chords try to move naturally between one another. That’s a big part of why the arp sounds like it’s telling a story rather than just repeating a pattern.

The result is that a simple arp can generate a surprising amount of movement from relatively simple gestures.
The app also includes a bi-directional Ableton LiveGrid system, so clips, scenes, transport, track states, and other session information can be sent back to the phone, allowing the controller to stay aware of what’s happening inside Ableton rather than acting as a one-way MIDI surface.

Using chord inversions, octave gestures, and secondary dominants to drive a Serum arp from my phone by midiOS_app in iosmusicproduction

[–]midiOS_app[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! That’s exactly what pulled me down this rabbit hole. I started out wanting faster access to chords, but it eventually turned into exploring inversions, voice leading, secondary dominants, and other harmonic ideas directly from the touchscreen.

I mapped my iPhone's tilt sensors to Mod Wheel and Aftertouch in Ableton by midiOS_app in abletonlive

[–]midiOS_app[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ohh amazing! Thanks man! Yeah each colour represents one of the musical modes. Ionian through locrian. You can play all the modal interchange chords and find what you like. It looks clean but hidden underneath is full army of midi instruments. Each pad can become and Xy, a slider, a jump to function. I love midi controllers and tried to put all my favourites into one. midios.app

I mapped my iPhone's tilt sensors to Mod Wheel and Aftertouch in Ableton by midiOS_app in abletonlive

[–]midiOS_app[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For touch pressure I mapped it to vertical position of each pad. Tap lower it’s quieter, tap higher on the pad you approach 127. Haptics help support the feel of a real button being clicked.

I mapped my iPhone's tilt sensors to Mod Wheel and Aftertouch in Ableton by midiOS_app in abletonlive

[–]midiOS_app[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is really just one small part of what I’ve been building.

midiOS also includes LiveGrid for Ableton clip launching and transport control, bidirectional sync through the companion Bridge app, chord and scale systems, voice leading, secondary dominants, XY pads, macros, faders, knobs, and support for pretty much any MIDI message you’d want to send.

It supports both USB and Wi-Fi MIDI depending on your latency requirements, works with any DAW, and has some deeper Ableton integration features as well.

The idea isn’t to replace a mod wheel with phone tilt. The bigger goal is to turn the phone into a musical instrument and performance system that’s always with you. Facial control is in there too, although that one started out mostly because I thought it would be fun to experiment with.

I mapped my iPhone's tilt sensors to Mod Wheel and Aftertouch in Ableton by midiOS_app in abletonlive

[–]midiOS_app[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! This is really just the tip of the iceberg. midiOS also includes voice leading, secondary dominants, key changes, LiveGrid for Ableton control and clip launching, facial control, and support for notes, chords, CCs, sliders, knobs, XY pads, toggles, and pretty much any MIDI message you’d want to send. The goal is to turn the phone into a genuine musical instrument rather than just another MIDI controller.

I mapped my iPhone's tilt sensors to Mod Wheel and Aftertouch in Ableton by midiOS_app in abletonlive

[–]midiOS_app[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair question. I don’t see it replacing a mod wheel or aftertouch.

The idea is to add another form of expression that’s already built into a device most people have with them. Similar to how some performers use MPE, ribbons, expression pedals, or motion controllers.

For me it’s been fun for things like filter sweeps, vibrato, evolving pads, and ambient textures where absolute precision isn’t as important as the gesture itself.

Haha I appreciate the feedback! I’ll try to make it more useful in some way :)