Experimenting With Wacom Tablet In Music

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braincell
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Experimenting With Wacom Tablet In Music

Post by braincell »

I was just trying to get Wmidi working with the Minimax but it always sets the value to zero of any controller I use. In another words, I will assign a controller number to a knob and as soon as I use Wmidi, it sets the value of that knob to zero and it stays there no matter where I move the pen.
Last edited by braincell on Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

I'm using Tablet 2 midi now instead. I think it's better. You can't save everything unless you buy it. My only complaint is that I have my computer on high resolution for Creamware and Cubase but this software looks so tiny this way. I can hardly read the numbers and it can not be resized. This is a really cool tool for trance music. It will be fun for the modular. I'm just testing it on the minimax for now.
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Post by valis »

You had something wrong with your wmidi configuration. Also wmidi & tablet2midi have somewhat different uses. Wmidi is more of a glorified X/Y controller that adds tilt, pressure etc for additional 'expression' controls. Tablet2midi is more or less intended to create custom control surfaces.

When I've used tablet2midi I've created templates to print out and put under the plastic surface on that wacom that corresponds to my 'control surface' mapping. Makes it so you don't have to struggle to see what you're doing in the little app.I use illustrator but lacking that you could use Inkscape just fine: http://www.inkscape.org/
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

May I ask how you configured Wmidi? Tablet 2 MIDI works right away. It seems to do more but I would love to play with the other one.

Wmidi has an option to print so I don't understand why you need Illustrator.

Another advatnage of Tablet 2 midi is that it works when the window is not active. With Wmidi, the Wmidi has to be active (selected).
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Post by valis »

Illustrator was for making printed templates of Tablet2midi setups (not wmidi).

The machine that I use wmidi on is not my primary machine so having wmidi always in the fore while using it doesn't hamper my workflow. I have 2 wacom tablets here btw (12x12 and 9x12) though they're not exactly new anymore.

For someone who wants a 'control surface' I think tablet2midi is probably more useful. I'm not trying to push wmidi as being superior or anything, simply saying that it sounds like you had a setup error if it was resetting your assigned controller to 0 everytime. I like wmidi's support of wacom's tilt and pressure levels for extra expression/controller info. I'm being redundant now so :wink:
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

I don't think mine has tilt etc.. It is old.It has pressure though. I should use setup again?
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

I think my tablet is older than yours. I don't even have tilt or USB. That is probably why it doesn't work in wmidi. I don't even have Wacom drivers. Microsoft was kind enough to include good drivers for it.
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Post by valis »

If you have a WACOM branded tablet then you can get drivers here:
http://www.wacom.com/productsupport/select.cfm

There are drivers there for all their products going back 12-15 years. This is also why tilt (and perhaps pressure?) isn't working for you, it's a feature that's provided by the drivers.

My 12x12 is a serial based Wacom that I bought in 1995. It's a bit marred from my skin oil (clear plastic is a bit clouded and the bottom edge yellowed from my arm resting on it) but it's built like a tank and still works fine. Tilt, pressure and all. The newer one (my 9x12) just doubled (or quadroupled, I forget) the pressure levels that are 'seen' and offer a slightly higher dpi for the pad itself. I can't really tell much difference in use and still prefer the older, larger 12x12 since it's easier to balance between my desk and lap (the most comfortable method for me with my current desk).

If you're not using a wacom then this is all moot eh :lol:
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

I don't have tilt. I used to use Wacom drivers when I first got it. There was no tilt. I would remember that. That is a major feature. The pen is the size of a normal pen.
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Post by valis »

All of the pens are the size of a normal pen, except for the "airbrush" pen and their semi-useless 'wacom mice'.

Out of curiousity, which tablet is it?
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braincell
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Post by braincell »

Thanks Valis, you were right. They did release drivers for my Digitizer II AKA Artz2 about 2 years after XP came out.

I don't need this though because I just found out that the Microsoft drivers include tilt. I guess I just didn't have an application that supported it or I didn't notice it before. I think I will keep the Microsoft drivers since it is working and they seem very good with options to adjust everything. Now Tablet 2 Midi will be even better!
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Post by valis »

I would have been surprised if you didn't have tilt...

Beyond that use whatever works for you eh! :D
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