Control Surface [PRO][Studio][Control]

Overview

The Control Surface is a bank of Controls which drive the most important performance parameters for each Preset. Available Controls include Buttons, Sliders, Knobs, and the 2D Expression Pad.

In GeoShred, parameters such as Volume or Whammy, are called Controllers. Each Control on the Control Surface can drive any number of Controllers. Thus, a Control is like a "meta-controller" (Logic Pro X uses the term "smart control" for this concept). Each Controller, in turn, controls some specific synthesis or effect parameter. Controllers available for assignment to Controls on the Control Surface vary depending on the Effects in use by the current Preset.

To the right of the Expression Pad, the Control Surface offers seven column slots that can be populated with the following Control types:

vertical sliders (occupying 1 full column each),
rotary knobs (1/2 column, controlled by a horizontal finger-swipe like a horizontal slider),
buttons (1/2 column), and
a few special 3- and 4-way mutex controls (1 column).

There are some similarities in the layout of the Control Surface for all the factory presets. There is almost always a Whammy Slider, there is almost always an Amplifier Volume Slider, there is often a Vibrato Depth, and there is often a Palm Mute slider, but in general the factory presets have different Control Surface layouts.

The Control Surface Editor also supports configuring the Expression Pad, Poly Expr (for KeyY, KeyZ), Key Step control and Key Num control

Performing the Control Surface

Move each control on the Control Surface and see what effect it has on the sound. You can touch and move multiple controls and multiple keys on the keyboard at the same time.

Editing the Control Surface

The Control Surface has a powerful editor that supports adding, modifying properties, moving, and deleting controls. You can edit the Control Surface on factory presets. MIDI assignments, for both sending and receiving, are also supported. Multiple MIDI Controllers can be associated with any given Control.

Menu > Control Surface gets you to the Control Surface Editor. The menu shortcut to the Control Surface Editor can be turned on from Settings.

About Controls

You can assign any number of GeoShred Controllers to a Control Surface Control.
Each GeoShred Controller has a number of mapping options.
Each GeoShred Controller can optionally be mapped through a "curve" which is a graphical lookup table.
The stack of GeoShred Controllers can respond to any number of MIDI Controllers.
The Control Surface Control can send any number of MIDI Controllers.
You can optionally elect to only send the 1st MIDI Controller in the list.
For each control surface controller you may optionally create your own label. Note that if you wish to have a linebreak in the label you should use the '\n' character in the lable string. For instance "Enable\nFlanger\nPhaser"

Example 1: deleting/adding controls

Create a new Preset
Enter the Control Surface editor
Tap on the red X in the upper left of the Material Slider
An empty slot appears with a green "+" sign
Tap on the "+" sign, and a picker view comes up. Tap on the "+" sign in the upper right corner, and you'll now see a list that says Performance, Guitar, Amp And Cab
Tap on Guitar, and you will see a list of all the guitar parameter categories. Tap on Strings, then Pick Position (percent)
Next you pick a control type, choose slider
Now you will see the Pick Position parameter listed along with a label field and some controls on the top.
Just go back for now, by hitting the Close button
Now you will see a Pick Position slider in the Control Surface. Move it around while playing notes on the keyboard at the same time. Notice the effect on the sound. What's happening is that when the pick position is towards the top you are moving closer to the nut, and when you move towards the bottom you are moving closer to the bridge. Get a Guitar out and verify that what you are hearing makes sense.

Example 2: Specifying MIDI mappings

Setup a physical MIDI controller and connect it to GeoShred. Please read the MIDI documentation if you don't already know how to do this. Make sure the MIDI controller has at least one continuous controller, like a Modulation Wheel.
Enter the Control Surface editor.
Tap on the Pick Position slider that we created above.
Now tap on the MIDI button, and you will see the MIDI Mapping Inspector. This is where you manage MIDI assignments for the control.
Notice that there is a MIDI controller already defined, for instance it might be Controller 3. MIDI Controllers are automatically assigned when a control is added in the interest of Record-Playback working seamlessly, but these automatic assignments are not important if you wish to make your own assignments.
Tap on the existing controller assignment and pick a new one, say Modulation Wheel, for the sake of argument. There is also a Learn button you can use to assign controllers from you device, without having to know what they are ahead of time. You can also use the Trace Window to find a controller name
Now move the Modulation Wheel (or whatever you picked), you should see the slider "fly" with the values coming from MIDI. Use the Trace Window to see the values coming in. Use the Parameter trace option in the Trace window to see this.
If you picked Modulation Wheel, then you might have noticed another controller move at the same time, as Modulation Wheel is often used by default in the factory presets, and the new preset template. If you don't want to see this, either remove Modulation Wheel from the other control, or pick another MIDI Controller

Example 3: Multiple GeoShred Controllers and multiple MIDI Controllers.

Add a slider and name it Modulation.
Assign the GeoShred Control Guitar/Vibrato to the slider.
Assign the GeoShred Control Flanger/Rate to the slider.
Map the MIDI controller CC1 (modWheel).
Map the MIDI controller CC107 (the Roli Seaboard Rise's 1st slider).
Both Send MIDI and and "Receive MIDI" are turned on by default.
Select "Send 1st Control" for modWheel.
Result:

From the glass you are controlling both the vibrato and flange rate
From MIDI, both vibrato and flange rate respond either to modWheel on a conventional MIDI controller or 1st slider on the Roli Seaboard Rise
The slider only sends modWheel because of "Send 1st Control" This is essential for recording/playback so that you are not playing back double controllers

Example 4: Poly Expr partitioned between KeyY/KeyZ and CC74/Brightness.

Assign Guitar/Sliding Noise Y Events, to Poly Expr. Set it to be a "KeyY" controller
Assign Guitar/String Wah to Poly Expr. Set it to be a "KeyZ" controller.
Map the MIDI controller CC-74 (MPE KeyY)
Map the MIDI controller Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) (MPE KeyZ)
Map the MIDI controller CC1 (modWheel).
Both "Send MIDI" and and "Receive MIDI" are turned on by default.
For Sliding Noise Y Events under exceptions disable Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch) so that it only responds to CC74
For String Wah under exceptions disable CC-74 so that it only responds to Channel Pressure (Mono Aftertouch, NOT poly Aftertouch)
Result:

On a Standard MIDI controller with only a modWheel, both the sliding noise events and the wah are controlled with modWheel.
On an MPE MIDI controller, sliding in the Y direction generates Sliding Noise Y Events, pressure on the key controls the wah.
On an iPhone with 3D touch, sliding in the Y direction generates Sliding Noise Y Events, pressure on the key controls the wah.
On an iPad with NO 3D touch we map KeyZ to KeyY. both the sliding noise events and the wah are controller with KeyY.