how to use the busses?

[woodslanding]

I can't figure out the busses, and I can't find anything in the manual. Are the busses referenced by name or number? When I create a new send, I would expect its name to be available in a recieve combo and vice versa, but it looks like both name and number are just textfields, and I can't seem to get a connection using either field.

What is the secret??

Thanks,
-e

[after three failed attempts to read the anti-spam code]

I SWEAR I know my letters and numbers..... they're not different in french, are they??

[bsork]

The busses are referenced by name, but you have to keep track of the naming yourself as Usine only creates a default name. In my opinion, they're quite similar to the named global variables I've encountered in several programming environments. I really think the idea of a list of used names is a good one, but I haven't got the faintest clou of hard that would be to implement.

The busses behaves much like the sub-patch in-/outputs with the exception that the busses can exist practically everywhere and still communicate creating unlimited routing possibilities. A (very) simple test case: Create a send bus in one patch/track, and a receive bus within another patch/track. Connect something that creates data to the send bus in the first patch, and watch the data coming in on the receive bus of the second patch.

When I say "practically everywhere", I must add that I'm not sure whether there are some limitations as to where the busses exists and can communicate, or if the data perhaps arrives in the next execution block (like using WaitOne) in some circumstances. I don't think so, however.

---

The site stuff isn't what I know very much about, but I'm wondering if you enter the right case of letters. For some reason, the codes I get mostly contain uppercase letters, and I've always been careful to use the case I see and haven't had any problems except that I sometimes find the codes hard to read. But that is intentional, anyway...

One thing just crossed my mind (and I'm probably missing the target completely here): The codes are graphics, could it be (I don't remember), that it uses "continental" characters like 7 and J with a small line across the middle?

[kara]

Busses are referenced by name.
EX. Make a patch with a piano roll and send the midi-out of the piano roll to a 'send to midi bus' named 'tovsti'
Now create a new path with the helios synth and connect midi in to a 'get from midi bus' named 'tovsti'.
The helios synth will receive midi from the piano roll

k

[bsork]

Hey, I won with 12 seconds!

[kara]

Hey, I won with 12 seconds!

I'll blame it on the spam controll

k

[woodslanding]

Hah! You both took almost AN HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES to answer!!

Do you think I have all day??? I'm a busy man!!!!

I'll try again to make the busses work. It was very late, and I was probably missing something.

So the number value on the bus is irrelevant?? Is that the data they are sending??

Well, I'll try again tomorrow, and see if I can get it to work.

I do think a combo of existing names would be nice, so you didn't have to remember your exact wording. But...... someday. Not a big priority.

-e

[bsork]

So the number value on the bus is irrelevant?? Is that the data they are sending??

Sorry, today we're even slower in answering, but yes - the input is data to send through the bus.

[Stefan]

Hi, I just stumpled upon a related question I have in mind... just to be sure: is it right, that it´s not possible to fetch the names of the already used busses? There is no combobox or something?

If not, I have a feature request...

It would be great, if
a) Usine would name additional busses automatically on creation with something like "DataBus"+TrackNo+RunningNo (just for convenience)
and if
b) the GetBus-Module could have a combobox listing all the internal data busses for the interface builder

By the way, Usine works much much better for me since version 4.0! Great work (as usual)

Stefan

[senso]

yes good suggestion.

[Vincent]

the GetBus-Module could have a combobox listing all the internal data busses for the interface builder

+1!
And a fature that lists all busses used in the WKP in a window or a context menu, allowing "find in patch"!

[Stefan]

Another nice thing would be a build-in "stereo data bus" with two connectors for stereo audio. I think, it´s easy to patch one, but then again it is fiddling with the names (aInt01L, aInt01R and so on...).

[Vincent]

[after three failed attempts to read the anti-spam code]
I SWEAR I know my letters and numbers..... they're not different in french, are they??

Maybe your pronounciation?
Tip: before entering the antispam code, I do a CTR+C on my post. We never know!

[Stefan]

Hi,

I tried to build two patches to 'wrap' the AudioBusses and to make working with them easier. Some things are ok, for example: I have a list or combobox with predefined names, so its easy to choose a bus by name from the send- and get-patches. It also works by adding the letters L or R for the left and right channels automatically. That was very easy. This is the getFromBus patch:



But: there are some things, I just don´t get right.

The first thing is, I used a fader to provide a 'pin' for the outgoing audio-signal, because I obviously want to use this as a subpatch. I suppose this isn´t a good idea, but how can I provide a 'pin' in a different way?

Second problem: when I stop the playback of a source signal for a bus, there remains a constant value on the bus (=hanging note => *beeeeeep* ). I tried to fix this with 'pass only if changed', but I´m not sure, if this is ok for audio data?

And generally: I am trying to create my own routing with audioBusses. Basically I want to use 6-8 different VSTi´s and route them to several loopers and vst-effects. In the end I would like to mix all the signals together in some kind of 'master patch'. Is this totally weird (= can´t and shouldn´t be done) or do you think, that this could work?

Greetings,
Stefan

[Clearscreen]

The first thing is, I used a fader to provide a 'pin' for the outgoing audio-signal, because I obviously want to use this as a subpatch. I suppose this isn´t a good idea, but how can I provide a 'pin' in a different way?

Second problem: when I stop the playback of a source signal for a bus, there remains a constant value on the bus (=hanging note => *beeeeeep* ). I tried to fix this with 'pass only if changed', but I´m not sure, if this is ok for audio data?

And generally: I am trying to create my own routing with audioBusses. Basically I want to use 6-8 different VSTi´s and route them to several loopers and vst-effects. In the end I would like to mix all the signals together in some kind of 'master patch'. Is this totally weird (= can´t and shouldn´t be done) or do you think, that this could work?

Hi Stefan, you should replace the faders with 'audio output' modules that're found under 'input-output' in the modules section of the browser. this may also fix your second problem, but i'm not certain about that - see what happens and let us know i guess

your audio bus routings sound like something you can do. i haven't done anything that complex with them myself but i can't think of a reason for them not to work. my only suggestion is that it might be easier to simply use the aux send busses (i'm guessing you've already tried them, but thought i'd mention it just in case...), but if the send busses aren't suitable for what you want then by all means see if the data busses will work.

[Stefan]

Hi clearscreen,

ah, I can use the audio input/output in the subpatch! Thanks!

I just did a quick test, it works, but I still got *beeeps* when I bypass the source of an audioBus. In this case I used a sampler as source.

About the aux buses: yes I saw them, but they always send the sum of a whole track (like an additional input for tracks). I´d like to be able to use one track in 'all'-mode and later get the signal of any of the single patches.

[bsork]

When you just bypass an audio stream (using StopEventFlow or PassEventFlow I suppose?), I think the beeeep you're hearing is the last audio buffer sent.

You should either make sure that a 0 is sent instead of the audio stream, or use one of the audio volume modules.

[Stefan]

Hi bsork,

yes, that´s true, I can see that the value on the bus isn´t 0, so it must be the last data sent.

But how can I make sure an 0 is send as the last value, when audio stops? Yesterday I tried with 'pass only if changed', but I think this may scramble some types of audio data?

[antwan]

Hi stefan,

The 'pass only if changed' passes the data when the value has changed. The rest of the time it sends nothing - which is different than zero.
Let's say you have a switch that decides when the audio should pass to output and when not to. You could for example have a combination of two 'pass event flow' modules and one 'NOT' math module.

So try these connections:
Switch -> pass.PassEventFlow1
Audio -> in.PassEventFlow1
PassEventFlow1.out -> audio out

Same switch -> in.NOT
NOT.out -> pass.PassEventFlow2
PassEventFlow2.out -> audio out
... Then set the in.PassEventFlow2 to 0.

This way everytime the Switch is on, the audio signal is passed through to the output.
Everytime the Switch is NOT on, a zero is passed to output.

Does that work for you?

Cheers,

antwan

[Clearscreen]

an easier solution might be to use a multiply ('*') module, and multiply the audio stream by the switch output. that way, when the switch is on (ie audio stream * '1') all audio passes, and when off (ie audio stream * '0') it becomes zero. may use a tiny bit less cpu as theres less patching involved too, but i doubt you'd notice it...

one of the thing's i like most about usine is that there is little division between stream types - you can treat audio pretty much as data, midi or make it an array, and mix it all up almost any way you like!!!

[Stefan]

Hi antwan and clearscreen,

thanks for your replies! Yesterday I did not manage to try your suggestions (damn headaches), but hopefully I can do so today! I´ll check back later!

[antwan]

thanks clearscreen. jeez, my patching skills are getting rusty. that's definately a cleaner patch.

antwan

[Stefan]

Hi, just a short feedback: your solution works! I use it now on the midi busses... Thanks again!