Hi everyone,
I recently purchased a Faderfox EC4 to control my synths and drum machines from my desk. I know it is not the same as actually playing the instruments, but I have found it brilliant for quick edits, exploring sounds, and jamming ideas.
My setup is running through a Hapax into a MioXL to control the whole circus.
Anyway, myself and my robot friend (ChatGPT) spent a long weekend mapping and testing a lot of the important MIDI CCs for the UDO DMNO and building an EC4 template around them.
I have to say, this has genuinely opened the synth up for me. It has made me explore the DMNO in a completely different way and has really highlighted what a beautiful and powerful instrument it is.
I have created a map of over 80 MIDI controls covering many of the important features:
- oscillator wave types
- filter types
- cutoff/resonance
- envelopes
- LFOs
- arpeggiator controls
- arp on/off
- envelope looping
- FM controls
- pan
- glide
- preset/performance selection
The Faderfox makes some things much quicker than using the front panel. For example, scrolling through all the oscillator wave types and filter types is a great way to explore the instrument. It is also a fantastic learning tool because you can quickly hear the relationships between different sections of the synth.
I couldn’t find a complete MIDI mapping document, so I wondered if anyone would be interested in me sharing it?
I am happy to share:
- the Faderfox EC4 template
- the MIDI CC map
- notes on how I set up the MIDI channels
One thing I have not solved is remote control of some of the higher-level DMNO functions.
For example:
- Is there a MIDI command for selecting Part 1 or Part 2 remotely?
- Is there a way to automate the play modes?
- Can individual patches be selected rather than only performances?
Because the DMNO is effectively two synths in one, the same CC can control the same parameter on both parts, with the MIDI channel selecting which part is affected. My setup uses MIDI channels 5 and 6 for Part 1 and Part 2.
I also had some questions about the EXT input and envelope behaviour. I can create a drone using Part 1, but I could not work out whether it is possible to have Part 1 running as a drone while playing Part 2 over the top. Maybe I am misunderstanding the intended workflow.
Some possible future features I would love to see:
- MIDI control of play modes
- remote Part 1/Part 2 selection
- LFO sync on/off
- more arp control options
- free-running arp options
- deeper MIDI control of effects
I know some of these may already be possible, so if anyone has figured them out I would love to hear how.
The DMNO is an incredible instrument, and this project has made me appreciate it even more. Hopefully this helps other owners explore it too.