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Anyone use an X/Y touchpad as ribbon-controller for M3-M? My midi keyboard controller will work fine hooked up to the M3-M, but it does not have a ribbon, and I really want to do the “guitar strumming using ribbon” thing.

The M3-M obviously already has an X/Y touchpad, the screen - so is there a mode where you can use the touchscreen as the ribbon-controller? Or if not, has anyone used an external device as the ribbon? I have a Kaoss Pad KP3, which has midi out - if I set it to send the correct CCs, can it be the ribbon?

Actually, now that I think about it, does anyone know if ribbons are velocity sensitive? If they are not, then guitar strumming using the ribbon must not sound that great. A velocity sensitive pad would be better since you could send the x/y position for the notes of the chord, and also the velocity to get the most out of a nice velocity-switched guitar voice patch.

Ribbon's a continuous controller - you might be able to tie it to the data slider or a pedal - depends on the programming. Since the strum is a KARMA function - might want to pose the question there.

As a SWAG (stupid wild-ass guess) Vel may be tied to speed of movement on the ribbon. Again KARMA is the crux.



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Sorry, should have been more specific. I did not mean any of the KARMA GEs that do strumming, I mean where you assign chords to the pads, then hold down the pad and strum finger across ribbon and it plays the 6 “guitar strings” of the chord as finger moves across ribbon. Like RichF does in the M3 product videos. I want to be able to do that with the M3-M, but don’t have a ribbon on my keyboard controller.

Was thinking maybe I could use my KP3 to be the ribbon controller for the M3-M? But if ribbon does not have velocity, then I’m thinking it won’t sound so great anyway - probably better to use a GE that does guitar strumming.

IntrepidPete wrote:Sorry, should have been more specific. I did not mean any of the KARMA GEs that do strumming, I mean where you assign chords to the pads, then hold down the pad and strum finger across ribbon and it plays the 6 “guitar strings” of the chord as finger moves across ribbon. Like RichF does in the M3 product videos.

That is achieved through the use of KARMA. KARMA is more than just an arpeggiator, it can be used to manipulate MIDI performances in many ways.

The ribbon controller is simply a single axis touch sensitive strip. It isn't velocity sensitive, I think the velocity of the chords is defined by how hard the chords themselves were hit before you strum them. The chord pads on the module are only triggering certain notes at certain velocities.

Anyway, I think the ribbon transmits MIDI CC 16 so you could even assign that to a knob or slider on your controller.

... whut he said! It's KARMA, man.


Tho' now that I think on it a bit, the strum function pegged to a directional CC like knob or slider would render something that was less than satisfying because there'd be no way to get that natural low-to-high strum without audibly cycling back down high-to-low on that same controller.

Great for auto-harp or that grinding whang! at the end of a loud rock number, sucky for trying to get clean strummed rhythms on guitar patches.

Does Kurzweil still make that mega-sized midi ribbon CC?


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