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Violin Bow MIDI Controller using the Apple Pencil

Please watch this video showing how to control SWAM instruments from GeoShred. Starting at 00:38 it explains how to connect the iPad to macOS over USB: [URL said:

This is working great for me. With the iPad Pro connected as an audo/midi device as per the above instructions there are no latency issues at all. Using the pencil to simultaneously manage bow changes and expression seems very natural and adds a much more authentic dimension to solo string performances with the SWAM instruments. Now I just need to work on my live performance technique...
 
Since the Leap Motion Controller (LMC) has come up multiple times, here are some thoughts on the similarities and differences between Pen2Bow and the LMC. The fundamental bowing principle is the same but when it comes to practicality there are several differences:

Hand movements in mid-air on the LMC can be taxing on the arm when used for more than just a few minutes. This is not an issue with the iPad as it can be placed at the level of the keyboard or even below. Attaching and detaching the bow with the LMC in mid-air is far more difficult due to the lack of a reference point. On the other hand, the iPad offers a surface to attach and detach the pencil. Engaging vibrato with a separate hand gesture or axis is difficult to achieve with the LMC. For that purpose, Pencil force is more intuitive. The hand recognition algorithm of the LMC is not perfect. In my experience it works well about 95% of the time. In the remaining 5% (every minute or so) however, it messes up heavily. The hand can disappear, the position of the hand can jump or a tremor can appear. Pencil detection on the iPad is far more reliable. To be honest, I did not experience many advantages of the LMC other than perhaps the absence of battery charging which is required for the Apple Pencil. And the iPad requires you to clean the surface once in a while, which is not the case with the LMC.
 
You are right @puremusic, apparently also the LMC needs to be cleaned! I didn't even know that. I didn't touch the front surface of mine so it was always clean, but if it becomes dirty indeed it needs to be cleaned too, good catch!
 
We just released a major update to Pen2Bow. In version 1.1, Pen2Bow can now be used as an AUv3 plugin within Audio Unit hosts. This allows you to open multiple instances of Pen2Bow, to wire each instance with a different instrument and to save and recall the parameters as part of a whole session. Watch the video for more details:

Hope you enjoy the update!
 
I’m using Leap Motion but needed an excuse to upgrade from Air 2 iPad to Pro.
Now I’ve got one.
 
I’m using Leap Motion but needed an excuse to upgrade from Air 2 iPad to Pro.
Now I’ve got one.
We just released a major update to Pen2Bow. In version 1.1, Pen2Bow can now be used as an AUv3 plugin within Audio Unit hosts. This allows you to open multiple instances of Pen2Bow, to wire each instance with a different instrument and to save and recall the parameters as part of a whole session. Watch the video for more details:

Hope you enjoy the update!

Dont suppose anyone has invented a midi violin that can do this ? ie play a midi violin that inputs the notes +possibly the vib as well as the bow movements ?
 
Wow, I wasn't aware of this app. I love using an app called musikraken which uses lots of detectors within the iPad but at this time it doesn't utilise the pencil like this app does. With some of the SWAM Instruments now on iOS, this could be very useful.
 
I don't have any iDevices so I can't try this out, but I've experimented with a homebrew system that works similarly to this (using a hacked drawing tablet), and I can confirm that the concept is really cool. I'm glad someone is taking the idea and making it commercially available.
I'm hoping desperately that by now, something is available right now in September 2021 for PC/Android?
 
Hi, I've downloaded the app. Eager to try out out! I'm trying to connect my Ipad to my Macbook. All the links on how to do it seems to lead nowhere. Would be very happy if someone could help me out.
 
Hi, I've downloaded the app. Eager to try out out! I'm trying to connect my Ipad to my Macbook. All the links on how to do it seems to lead nowhere. Would be very happy if someone could help me out.
Thanks for bumping this thread! I just found out about this really cool app. are you using it with SWAM v3?
 
We just released a major update to Pen2Bow. In version 1.1, Pen2Bow can now be used as an AUv3 plugin within Audio Unit hosts. This allows you to open multiple instances of Pen2Bow, to wire each instance with a different instrument and to save and recall the parameters as part of a whole session. Watch the video for more details:

Hope you enjoy the update!

Wow, great job. I guess you have a background in programming? I'm curious how to go about learning to create apps like this.
 
Hi there Pen2Bow fans. I'm having trouble getting my daw to recognize pen2bow. I have followed all of the tutorials and am using RTPmidi. But no matter what I do I can't get Studio One to recognize RTPmidi. I have tried to geet more information from rtpmidi's developer but he's not responded. Pen2Bow seems like a simple, elegant and musical solution to making physical modeled instruments so much more expressive.

I'm on Windows 11 with a ipad pro and running Studio One.

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
After some troubleshooting with nibor, we managed to find a setup that works on Windows 11. With the software rtpMIDI, a connection between the iPad and a PC can achieved via a network connection (for this, both the iPad and the pc need to be on the same network). Unfortunately, the virtual midi driver that comes with rtpMIDI does not seem to work on Windows 11. In that case, an additional virtual midi driver needs to be installed, e.g. loopbe1 (https://www.nerds.de/en/loopbe1.html). In the control panel of rtpMIDI, there is an option to redirect it's output to another virtual driver (bottom right corner, the lowest line). Select "LoopBE Internal MIDI", then activate the LoopBE input midi port in your DAW.
 
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