norns walkthrough: hacking a script to add MIDI output

dani derks

i had the chance to meet up with @Olivier, @mattlowery, and @encephalitislethargi to see what it'd take to hack MIDI output from olivier's fantastic norns script Patchwork (https://llllllll.co/t/28800). while there were plenty of goofs + gaffs, we were able to successfully add MIDI!

since this is often a highly requested feature for other projects, it seemed helpful to share with others who are curious about how to extend the functions of their favorite scripts to better suit their needs. this sort of customization is exactly why norns is such a powerful platform for artists -- if you have a particular use-case that a script 90% meets, you can open it up to get it past that last 10%.

this video covers:

- how to navigate someone else's script to figure out what does what

- how to effectively use the MIDI library to help norns speak to external gear

- how to test your changes

- how to troubleshoot weird behavior

- how to add parameters and put that final polish on your contributions to a community script