Auto Control feature for the Beat Machine

[Uri Shaked]

Over time, I have received a lot of requests to add some auto-control ability to the Salsa Beat Machine and related software. I have decided to start with implementing this for the Salsa Rhythm Software, and I would like to hear your reflections and plan this new feature together with you.

What I have in mind is like this:

1. An auto-control sequence will define a set of events that control various aspects of the Beat Machine
2. There will be a popup window that will let you edit the current auto control sequence (let's call them ACS from now)
   
3. Also a tab, next to the "Mixers" and "Instrument" tabs that will let you manage your ACS presets, so that you can save the ACS that you create and quickly switch between them.
4. There will be an option to sync your presets with the iPhone version of Salsa Rhythm, so you can create your presets at home and then use them in the iPhone version (I think this can be very useful for instructors, for example). Maybe later we will also create a user interface for editing the ACS directly from iPhone.

So what will an ACS look like ?
Generally, it's going to be a list of timed events, that will run in a loop. I have prepared a list of events that I think covers most of the use-cases:

• Turn on/off an instrument
  
• Switch active program of an instrument
• Change the volume setting of an instrument
  
• Change the key of the machine
• Switch clave side (2/3 or 3/2)

And finally, a list compiled by Luke, one of the SBM users who sent me some use-cases for this feature:
  * Have the instructor on for 2 bars then off for 2 bars on a
    repeating cycle so that I can check that I'm holding my timing.
  * Have the clave on for 4 bars then off for 4 bars, so that I can
    try clapping it using a piano montuno to guide me.
  * Have an instrument randomly drop in and out of bars so that I can
    try clapping with it to keep time.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and plan this new feature together with you all.

Best regards,
Uri

[Luke]

Hi Uri,

I hadn't thought about being able to save presets. I think that's a
great idea.

I'm really excited to see how this turns out.

Luke

On Jul 9, 10:18 am, Uri Shaked <u...@salsa4fun.co.il> wrote:
> Over time, I have received a lot of requests to add some auto-control
> ability to the Salsa Beat Machine and related software. I have decided to
> start with implementing this for the Salsa Rhythm Software, and I would like
> to hear your reflections and plan this new feature together with you.
>
> What I have in mind is like this:
>

>    1. An auto-control sequence will define a set of events that control

>    various aspects of the Beat Machine

>    2. There will be a popup window that will let you edit the current auto

>    control sequence (let's call them ACS from now)

>    3. Also a tab, next to the "Mixers" and "Instrument" tabs that will let

>    you manage your ACS presets, so that you can save the ACS that you create
>    and quickly switch between them.

>    4. There will be an option to sync your presets with the iPhone version

>    of Salsa Rhythm, so you can create your presets at home and then use them in
>    the iPhone version (I think this can be very useful for instructors, for
>    example). Maybe later we will also create a user interface for editing the
>    ACS directly from iPhone.
>
> So what will an ACS look like ?
> Generally, it's going to be a list of timed events, that will run in a loop.
> I have prepared a list of events that I think covers most of the use-cases:
>

>    - Turn on/off an instrument
>    - Switch active program of an instrument
>    - Change the volume setting of an instrument
>    - Change the key of the machine
>    - Switch clave side (2/3 or 3/2)

[jms]

URI,

Other information after this meeting with my professor.
He also believes that this is a great idea.
It does exactly what we do during our classes.
He seems to be more interested than the guitar/drums hero stuff that
you proposed as well.

In fact, this drums hero stuff will be very interesting for personnal
training.
And probably not very useful during musicality classes where you learn
the basics.
It's true that we are not in musicality classes to train playing music
but learning music to dance.

But myself, I love this Hero feature.
But I'm not sure I'll use it. But be sure that my son may love it as
he already spends hours on the guitar hero stuff.
Will your application be enough attractive for him? Not sure.

It's probably another market that's adressed by this hero software.
Far from Salsa Rhythm market.

Jean-Michel

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[Uri Shaked]

This is certainly higher priority than doing the guitar-hero like thing.

I hope to nail it down this weekend, I will post updates as it goes...

Uri