Box Of Stops Online Help - User contributions [en]

Trigger

2018-11-24T15:43:28Z

Boxofstops: /* Note based controllers */

A trigger in Box Of Stops is an external control - probably easier to reach than the touch screen.

Any [[Stop]], [[Coupler]] or [[Combination]] can be assigned one or more triggers, which can be used to toggle that control. Each trigger could be:
* A program change (instrument) button on the controlling keyboard
* A pedal control (e.g. sustain or soft pedal)
* A spare note, outside the normal organ playing range on your keyboard
* A dedicated Midi controller, like the [[Akai APC Mini]] or [[Korg nanoKONTROL2]]
* Any other external Midi device, e.g. a foot controller (typically designed for guitarists)
* A [[Gpio button]] or [[Status Board]] attached to the Raspberry Pi

== Adding a trigger to a control ==

To add a trigger to a control, first tap the [[File:Wrench.png|middle]] icon to start [[Configuration mode]], then the [[File:Pencil.png|middle]] icon next to the name of the relevant stop, coupler or combination.

Next click the [[File:Plus.png|middle]] icon at the end of the list of current triggers. The screen will then wait for you to press the new trigger, to detect the new input.

Once you OK the screen, the new trigger will be ready to try.

[[File:Add-trigger.png|border]]

== Reassigning a trigger ==

Note that when adding a trigger to a control, if that trigger was already assigned to another control, you will be alerted to this. Click OK to continue and steal the trigger, or Cancel to try again.

[[File:Replace-trigger.png|border]]

== Triggers belong to a Registration ==

Note that triggers are part of the saved [[Registration]] that is created in [[Configuration mode]]. If you create multiple registrations, these can have different trigger assignments.

== Note based controllers ==

Some Midi controllers, such as a Novation Launchpad, or an Akai APC, send Midi messages that look just like a note being played. These can still be assigned as triggers in Box Of Stops, but if you find them behaving strangely (e.g. stopping a [[Bank]] from being played by another keyboard input), it may be worth [[Bank#Explicitly assigning an input|directly assigning]] any keyboards to their Banks.

The difference here is the type of Midi message being used. Most Midi controllers either send a Control Change message (like the Sustain Pedal), or a Program Change message (e.g. to select Grand Piano), or even can be configured to whichever is preferred. A grid based controller like the Launchpad will often instead choose to use Note messages, where a separate note is assigned to each button.

== Control Change bypass ==

If a Control Change message is assigned as a trigger somewhere in a Registration, this will stop it being relayed directly to the output device. If it is not assigned the message will be automatically 'passed through' to all playing channels on the output device, exactly as received.

Typical examples where this may matter are a sustain pedal, or a volume control (CC#7). If these have not been assigned to a trigger as described above, they will continue to serve their normal purpose.

Extras script

2018-01-27T09:14:56Z

Boxofstops: /* Internal API */

As mentioned elsewhere, Box Of Stops uses a small but crucial [[Python]] script to achieve its real-time playback. Most customization work with Box Of Stops can be achieved with [[Trigger|triggers]] or [[Gpio button|GPIO buttons]], but occasionally there is a requirement to inject a note into the live playing engine.

This can be achieved with something called an Extras script. This is typically a short Python script that will be imported into the main Python script that Box Of Stops uses.

Please see <googa>https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples|https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples</googa> for the latest examples of Extras scripts.

== Using ==

To add an Extras script to Box Of Stops, please look for the <tt>~/boxofstops/.python</tt> directory (see [[Directories]] for more information). By default the Extras script is called <tt>extras.py</tt> in this directory. Just add this file and [[Starting|restart]] - Box Of Stops will auto-detect the script and call it while initializing.

== Renaming the script ==

It is possible to use a script with a different name than <tt>extras.py</tt>. Please look for the <tt>python.extras.script</tt> property in the [[Application properties]] file.

== Internal API ==

There is a small internal API available to call back to, to register a device and inject notes or other events into the running Box Of Stops script.

* <tt>boxofstops.add_device_channel(device_name,channel)</tt> - register a new input device and channel to play to a [[Bank]] in Box Of Stops.<br/>The Bank will see this as new Midi input, but the point of the Extras script is to simulate a Midi input, while generating notes and events from an alternative source.
* <tt>boxofstops.midi_in_event(device_name,msg)</tt> - inject a note (or other MIDI event) into the Box Of Stops playing engine.<br/>This note_on/note_off will be played on the appropriate [[Bank]] for the <tt>device_name</tt> and the <tt>channel</tt> in the message.<br/>The <tt>msg</tt> is a <googa>https://mido.readthedocs.io/en/latest/messages.html|MIDO Message</googa>. Again please see the <googa>https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples|examples code</googa> for examples of this being used.
boxofstops.midi_in_event('''device_name''',mido.Message(''''note_on'''', note='''60''', channel='''0''', velocity='''80'''))
boxofstops.midi_in_event('''device_name''',mido.Message(''''note_off'''', note='''60''', channel='''0''', velocity='''80'''))

== Debugging ==

Note that any output from the Extras script is automatically sent to the [[Logging output]].
* If no script is found, the logging output shows: <tt><<< Not loading extras.py</tt>
* If the script is found, typically the logging output shows any print statement at the top of the script. E.g. : <tt><<< In extras</tt>

No sound

2018-01-27T08:09:53Z

Boxofstops: /* Is Box Of Stops detecting my notes? */

''How do you make it start? And then how to you make it stop?''

This is the page to read to read if you're trying out Box Of Stops and not hearing anything. As with any organ, unless everything is connected, it won't play.

In fact there's not too much to check, but it's always worth eliminating the obvious.

== Where does the sound come from? ==

Box Of Stops is designed to use the on-board sound of a Midi keyboard and/or a Midi synthesizer. It then plays back multiple sounds on these, taking advantage of the fact that there are lots of channels available in Midi. Please see [http://boxofstops.com/howitworks-action here] for more detail about the playback mechanism.

By default Box Of Stops will send all output to the first available Midi device. If this is not what is wanted for some or all of the stops, please look into setting the output device on a [[Stop|stop]].

== Volume ==

If either the [[Master volume]] or the volume on the [[Bank#Bank volume|bank]] you are playing are zero, or very low, naturally this will stop the sound coming through.

It's also worth noting that [[Stop|stops]] have their own volume controls too, but these are preset - it's unlikely you have accidentally knocked a stop volume to zero.

== Stops ==

The next most obvious reason for no sound is if there are simply no stops pulled. This can happen, particularly if you've just changed [[Registration]], but is easy to check on the [//boxofstops.com/using screen].

== Is Box Of Stops detecting my notes? ==

If you're in doubt if your notes are even getting through to Box of Stops, the simplest way to check this is to look at the [[Logging output]]. Especially if you [[Starting|restart]] Box Of Stops from the command line, you can easily see each note you hit going by on the screen.

2018-01-14T18:24:15Z

Boxofstops:

As mentioned elsewhere, Box Of Stops uses a small but crucial [[Python]] script to achieve its real-time playback. Most customization work with Box Of Stops can be achieved with [[Trigger|triggers]] or [[Gpio button|GPIO buttons]], but occasionally there is a requirement to inject a note into the live playing engine.

This can be achieved with something called an Extras script. This is typically a short Python script that will be imported into the main Python script that Box Of Stops uses.

Please see <googa>https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples|https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples</googa> for the latest examples of Extras scripts.

== Using ==

To add an Extras script to Box Of Stops, please look for the <tt>~/boxofstops/.python</tt> directory (see [[Directories]] for more information). By default the Extras script is called <tt>extras.py</tt> in this directory. Just add this file and [[Starting|restart]] - Box Of Stops will auto-detect the script and call it while initializing.

== Renaming the script ==

It is possible to use a script with a different name than <tt>extras.py</tt>. Please look for the <tt>python.extras.script</tt> property in the [[Application properties]] file.

== Internal API ==

There is a small internal API available to call back to, to register a device and inject notes or other events into the running Box Of Stops script.

* <tt>boxofstops.add_device_channel(device_name,channel)</tt> - register a new input device and channel to play to a [[Bank]] in Box Of Stops.<br/>The Bank will see this as new Midi input, but the point of the Extras script is to simulate a Midi input, while generating notes and events from an alternative source.
* <tt>boxofstops.midi_in_event(device_name,msg)</tt> - inject a note (or other MIDI event) into the Box Of Stops playing engine.<br/>This note_on/note_off will be played on the appropriate [[Bank]] for the <tt>device_name</tt> and the <tt>channel</tt> in the message.<br/>The <tt>msg</tt> is a <googa>https://mido.readthedocs.io/en/latest/messages.html|MIDO Message</googa>. Again please see the <googa>https://github.com/boxofstops/boxofstops-examples|examples code</googa> for an example of this being used.

== Debugging ==

Note that any output from the Extras script is automatically sent to the [[Logging output]].
* If no script is found, the logging output shows: <tt><<< Not loading extras.py</tt>
* If the script is found, typically the logging output shows any print statement at the top of the script. E.g. : <tt><<< In extras</tt>

Boxofstops:

Status Board

2017-09-26T22:00:13Z

Application properties

2017-09-25T06:06:51Z

Boxofstops: /* Backups */

In the [[Directories|installation directory]] for Box Of Stops, you will find the '''application.properties''' file. This can be used to control a number of installation level settings in Box Of Stops.

Please see the '''application.properties.default''' file in the same directory for a list of the available properties you can set. Note this file is just the template, and will be overwritten whenever you [[Upgrading|upgrade]] Box Of Stops. The idea is to copy the setting from here, and set it to your preferred value in '''application.properties'''.

If in doubt about how to enter a value in this file, please investigate how to edit a Java <tt>.properties</tt> file, e.g. on [[wikipedia:.properties|Wikipedia]].

== Examples ==

Please see the "[[Special:Whatlinkshere/Application properties|What links here]]" link for a list of pages in this online help related to '''application.properties'''.

== Backups ==

It may be useful to know that the '''application.properties''' file is automatically [[Backups|backed up]]. Each time the file is edited, and Box Of Stops is [[Starting|started]] again, a version is added to the root of the '''backups.zip'''.

The reason for doing this is to make it easy to experiment with this file. It's really common in the world of computers to try making a change, then make another change on top of that, and lose track of where you started from.