ZL Monitor - Advanced MIDI + MPE Monitor

ZL Monitor is the first graphical MPE Monitor in Max for Live.  It's a convenient and intuitive way to get insight into MIDI Polyphonic Expression in your tracks.

Download the Manual for Version 1.1.0

Overview

ZL Monitor connects to the current track and monitors MIDI input from two points, A and B, in the MIDI signal chain ("Pre FX" and "Post FX" by default).  This enables quick probing of different points in your device Chain.

The A and B routing settings, along with the Note PB Range, are remembered for each track in your Live Set.

Comparing Pre FX and Post FX of the same Device Chain by taking advantage of the A | B sub-routing switch.

Maximum Polyphony, Clearly

The Graph view shows up to 15 notes with their MPE curves.  Pressure, Slide and Note Pitch Bend can be viewed individually or together and easily understood at once.

Display settings, such as Voice selectors, MPE parameter filters, or graph Speed -- horizontal zoom -- can be changed while the display is Frozen.

Note PB

Note Pitch Bend is one of the most interesting features of MPE, and ZL Monitor is the first tool which helps you truly gain insight into what you're feeding to your synths.

"Absolute" mode combines the each note's Pitch Bend with its MIDI pitch to accurately show all your bent pitches in relation to each other.  Just remember to set the "PB Range" control to the appropriate semitone range for the synth which is playing your notes.

"Raw" mode simply shows the positive or negative pitch bend value curve.   

Ins and Outs

In Notes view, the keyboard views show the A and B notes side by side to compare velocity changes, transposition, and arpeggiation.  This is useful even if you aren't using MPE.

In Graph view you can also view MIDI CC on the Global Channel (Ch 1) -- good old fashioned, non-MPE MIDI CC changes.

Features

• Graph MPE Pressure, Slide, Note PB (and any other Multi-Channel MIDI) for up to 15 voices at once.
• Easily A | B compare MIDI from two points in the MIDI signal chain.
• "Notes" view shows notes simultaneously from A and B routings.
• Display Pitch of input note combined with MPE Note PB.
• "Origin" graph mode allows comparison of different MPE curves from notes which start at different times.
• One instance per Live Set, instead of bunches of MIDI Monitor devices.
• Minimal CPU usage for drawing.

Requirements

• Live 11+
• Max for Live

Release Notes 1.1.0

• Date: 2024-11-01
• UI:
  • In MPE Graph view, both the A and B input port menus are always visible
  • Improved window layout.
  • Buttons in the Graph View pane now have hover highlighting.
  • Refine the device display and improve device background color and width issues in Live 12.
  • Track label is larger and more accurately renders text color when Theme "Brightness" is low.
• Simplified the window zoom options.
• Fix positioning of glyphs on NotePB lines in Absolute display mode.
• Improved scrolling history display.
• Improved display of history while "Freeze" is activated and interacting with control and note filters.
• Improve reliability of automatic connection to ZL Monitor Helper.
• Add "Higher Framerate" and "Smooth" options for graphical MPE display (default is ON for both).
• Add "Reconnect 'ZL Monitor Helper'" menu option.
• Performance improvements related to history display.