Environment - Playhead Position [SOLVED]

[Chandra Pars]

Hi,

 

Is it possible to know the current position of playhead (in some form inside the Environment), when a MIDI region is played?

 

From Googling, it seems Song Position Pointer, MIDI Timing Clock, status byte F8, message sent 24 times per quarter note or 480 times per quarter note, SysEx, Fader used to output SysEx, all seem like clues to a solution.. but cannot figure out to link these

 

Regards,

Chandra

Edited January 25, 2013 by Chandra Pars

[ski]

In the environment, it's not possible to detect or process the messages you mentioned (all of which fall under the category of "System Real-Time Messages"). However, if the point of your query is to somehow signal that any given region has begun playing, one way to accomplish this would be to insert a MIDI event right at the start of the region -- one that none of your plugin instruments, effects, or the channel strip itself would respond to.

 

For example if you wanted to trigger an environment process when a particular region started playing at bar 4, you could insert one of the most little-used MIDI messages, Polyphonic Aftertouch at the start of that region. You'd then cable the output of the instrument to the input of your environment process (say, a transformer set up to detect poly aftertouch message) to get the ball rolling.

 

A better way would be to simply create a dedicated MIDI track in which you enter the events of your choosing at the point of your choosing. The track would be assigned to the input object of your environment process. It would very convenient, then, to create a region(s) where a note -- any note -- could be entered at the desired position. The input object -- again, perhaps a transformer -- could be set to detect notes (and not even a specific one) and then set your process in motion.

 

HTH.

[Chandra Pars]

Thanks for providing valuable inputs and insights on this subject Ski.

 

Now knowing that it is not possible to detect such real-time messages inside environment readily, I won't dig further in that direction. Alternative methods you suggested should help. Thank you!!

 

Best regards,

Chandra

PS. Seems MIDI Click could be of some use. Posting another question relating this, but for a different purpose.