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LEAP motion controller update ?

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bcarwell

Senior Member
I've been watching several demos lately of the LEAP (gesture) motion controller in conjunction with sample modeling libraries. I must admit they look and sound intriguing but am wondering if they are just gimicky. Amazing things like gesture based bow changes and vibrato control, etc. but wondering if they really sound that good.

Here is but one example:



Could anybody offer up their opinion as to the current status of this approach to the quest for expression and realism ?

Specifically I am wondering:

1) What are the limitations ? Does the LEAP controller only work effectively and convincingly with a limited set of libraries like specific sample modeling libraries only ? Can it be used for example with Spitfire libs ? Is it cheesy ?

2) I had read reports that the software for LEAP was finicky, a little unreliable, a real pain getting consistent results from
gestures, poor documentation, little or no support, etc., etc. ?

3) Steep learning curve such that one should perhaps take up the violin if contemplating purchase (BTW I think around $100 plus
change on Amazon). Or would a TEC breath controller be more usable ?

4) Has it not "caught on", indicating some fundamental flaws ?

Thanks for any input !

Bob
Click to read more...
 
Here is one for strings:



There are a BUNCH of these demos on YouTube but I've never seen anybody talking about the LEAP on V.I. lately and wonder if its run its course.

Bob
 
Here is an interesting one where a pencil is used as a virtual bow demonstrating change of bow:

 
I took delivery of one two days ago! Still getting used to it. I love it so far, but I keep taking all my expression CCs down to zero by accident. If anyone has been using the leap to control volume, expression, and dynamics, I’d love to know what settings you’re using!
 
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Can anyone confirm if this works on Mac Catalina? There marketing blurb says it's no longer supported officially on Mac, but that it works with Mac...

Thanks!

Mike
 
Thundercat said:
Can anyone confirm if this works on Mac Catalina? There marketing blurb says it's no longer supported officially on Mac, but that it works with Mac...

Thanks!

Mike
Click to expand...

I had the same concern, but I’m running Catalina and it gave me no trouble at all. I guess they’ve updated their drivers and forgot to tell anyone!
 
Re the video linked in post #2, be careful about purchasing anything made by Roli. Last fall, the financial backers pulled the plug, and two months ago Roli sold JUICE, its most valuable asset, to iLok. As far as I can tell, none of the major U.S. music gear retailers has a Roli Seaboard Rise in stock.
 
Aaron Venture with Infinite Brass-Woodwinds is using Leap Motion on his latest Brass update video. I wrote him about this, and he responded very strongly in favor of L.M. I have been warned away from Leap because the company no longer supports it. But since then, I've seen enough to make me want to make the "leap" (see what I did there?) when my schedule clears up enough.
There is a brand new video on the forum, under DAWS-Cubase, using L.M. with the Chord Pad function in Cubase, another, of how many possible ways to maybe use it.
It seems that the newest version of TEC is on the same kind of technological path with there new head motion unit.
I also remember that when I 1st discovered L.M., it was free.
Look at the Cubase article, as there is a manner of routing L.M.in Cubase that may apply to other Daws.
But be aware that Leap Motion also requires the Geco-App to work (also free from the site), or as of 3 months ago, this was the case.
Please let us know , if you go on with L.M. as to your experiences with it.
Good luck!
g.c.
 
Just one warning: with two hubs, a USB SSD drive for libraries, my KK S61, a couple of external data drives, and a usb mouse attached, the leap did shut down on the second day (bizarrely it worked fine on day 1). So, you probably have to give it its own usb slot
 
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robcs said:
Just one warning: with two hubs, a USB SSD drive for libraries, my KK S61, a couple of external data drives, and a usb mouse attached, the leap did shut down on the second day (bizarrely it worked fine on day 1). So, you probably have to give it its own usb slot
Click to expand...

Yup! It does need it's own port. This is the reason I gave up on trying to use it. Having a Macbook with only two usb ports would already have made it very inconvenient. The fact that my Apogee interface also needed it's own port sealed the deal.

Now I don't even use an interface, so that port is free. But I did decide to not bother using the LM as I thought it'd stop working as soon as I am forced into Catalina. Given what you are saying, however, regarding compatibility I might just have to dig it out of the drawer.

Cheers!
 
I have it, tried it for a month but it ended up in the closet.

Having no tactile feedback is a real problem. You never know what value your hand is currently hovering at. 0 is already a couple of cm above the device. 127? Hard to tell... 40-50cm? There's no real precision.

I'd say, it's a gimmick. Cool in theory and on videos but it's not something to replace your other controllers with.

- Piotr
 
Roli Seaboard Rise still listed at Sweetwater. Yikes, pricey though !

TEC with head gesturing makes me wonder if you’d get dizzy. And how many parameters does the head movement make. Seems the hand gesturing has many nuances- maybe too many to be able to separate them (e.g. some vibrato variance creeping in when you just wanted expression, etc.)

I was concerned about backers dropping out, but LEAP is still sold on Amazon. And it appears there is a decent community for support even if no corporate support. Judging also from the number of YouTube videos, I’d think if you ran into problems there would be somebody out there with a fix.

Thundercat- I too was wondering if it was flawed since it appears that it has not, as you put it, gained a lot of “traction”. And whether that was simply because people don’t know about it OR is it flawed.

Interesting that a few of you bit on it and then shelved it. I guess $100 is not a serious loss but don’t want to jump on it just because of the flashy lights.

Which brings me to my most basic question: in terms of producing an expressive, realistic traditional instrument sound like, say, a solo violin, how good is this thing. Relative to the other approaches which seem more commonly adopted, like faders for CC7,11, modwheel, TEC breath, expression pedals, conventional key switches, Cubase Expression Maps, etc., etc. I am willing to invest the learning curve time with the potential of handling a lot of real time expression in one take with ONE device IF it can produce a decent result. Note I am NOT interested at all in applying it to synths, just conventional orchestration. And inputting via Staffpad, etc. seems tedious.

I have great respect for the folks at Spitfire for example like Christian Henson and what they can produce just riding 3 faders, etc. capturing that much in real time, although I’m sure there’s a lot of post playing programming to achieve their results.

Anyway, thanks for all your input. And I hope the discussion continues for a bit, as I remain on the fence at the moment and its a bit painful on the arse.

Bob
 
bcarwell said:
And it appears there is a decent community for support even if no corporate support. Judging also from the number of YouTube videos, I’d think if you ran into problems there would be somebody out there with a fix.
Click to expand...

That's fine for enquiries about usage,. However, driver maintenance for OS compatibility is unfortunately well outside the purview of community support.
 
Understood. Can anybody confirm
g.c. said:
Aaron Venture with Infinite Brass-Woodwinds is using Leap Motion on his latest Brass update video. I wrote him about this, and he responded very strongly in favor of L.M. I have been warned away from Leap because the company no longer supports it. But since then, I've seen enough to make me want to make the "leap" (see what I did there?) when my schedule clears up enough.
There is a brand new video on the forum, under DAWS-Cubase, using L.M. with the Chord Pad function in Cubase, another, of how many possible ways to maybe use it.
It seems that the newest version of TEC is on the same kind of technological path with there new head motion unit.
I also remember that when I 1st discovered L.M., it was free.
Look at the Cubase article, as there is a manner of routing L.M.in Cubase that may apply to other Daws.
But be aware that Leap Motion also requires the Geco-App to work (also free from the site), or as of 3 months ago, this was the case.
Please let us know , if you go on with L.M. as to your experiences with it.
Good luck!
g.c.
Click to expand...
Can't seem to find the video you referenced on the forum using L.M. with the Chord Pad function in Cubase. Could you please post a link ?
And what is the Cubase "article" you are referring to re routing L.M. in Cubase ?

Bob
 
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