Does Griid fill the gap between humans & Ableton Live software?
Posted: August 6th, 2010 | Author: Julien | Filed under: Hardware, Link, Music, Software | Tags: ableton Live, design, griid, interface, mac | 2 Comments »
With the iPad release and the huge number of possibilities with it, surfing the web & read book, but more as a multitouch/big screen hardware, came Griid.
Griid is an iphone OS application that provides clips matrix control for Ableton Live.
It uses Ableton Live Control Surfaces scripts (of course) to connect to Ableton Live through the Grid connector (it is described here)
So it could be a nice add-on, if it was a little bit more open and not only business made-for…
It is a bit annoying to see it is available only for MAC OSX.
Probably to close tighter the stuff.
Developping interface for Ableton Live is very easy (if you know how to do that, of course)
I mean, Ableton provided a FULL official API to do that… controlling parameters, read the clip matrix, interact with clips even notes through max for live.
Griid can be understood as a complete package for people who doesn’t want to build anything else than music (and spend money for that without doing anything)
It is very respectable.
But (the famous but… there is always one But or even more) really… it is done to constraint more the system, the interface design etc.
You buy it, you use it. You want more, you can’t customize it.
If they wanted an open system, of course, they wouldn’t have chosen only OSX, but provided another kind of API with their system. nothing like that. only hardcoded stuff.
Even if I could be happy to see new interfaces, I’m not completely with griid.
If I wanted to put a little kidding here, I would say:
I’ll provide a FREE stuff for you iphone, using OSC.
Because the system I made and available through the protodeck page is a real strong but opensource system. Made with JS, useable with the protodeck, and with ALL system that could speak MIDI, OSC or even other language over the wire!
Some people would write: Julien is jealous or even he’s stupid because he didn’t sell the protodeck.
Firstly, who said I didn’t sell it?
Secondly, if I was jealous I’d try to make a griid killer.
Thirdly, never believe people talking about me, THEY are jealous 
So to answer the question, this app + device is a nice interface.
For my opinion, interface SHOULD BE provided with API.
It is the proper sense of an interface.
Especially in our domains, art & technology.
We NEED to customize, even just a little bit.
We NEED to feel that we can build over what we buy
We NEED to give to people real tools, not only buttons.
