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Smoothing Settings

Smoothing controls help reduce jitter and noise in gamepad controls, making MIDI output smoother and more musical. This guide explains how to configure smoothing for optimal performance.

What is Smoothing?

Smoothing (also called filtering or dampening) processes gamepad input to reduce rapid fluctuations and provide steadier MIDI output.

Why Use Smoothing?

Without Smoothing:

  • Rapid value changes create jitter
  • Motion sensors produce noisy data
  • Parameters jump around erratically
  • Difficult to achieve smooth parameter sweeps

With Smoothing:

  • Gradual value transitions
  • Reduced noise from sensors
  • Smoother parameter automation
  • More musical and controlled output

How Smoothing Works

Smoothing uses an exponential moving average:

  • Each new value is blended with previous values
  • Higher smoothing = slower response, smoother output
  • Lower smoothing = faster response, more raw data

The smoothing factor determines the blend ratio (0.0 to 1.0).

Accessing Smoothing Settings

  1. Open the mapping editor (right panel)
  2. Click the "System" tab at the bottom
  3. Scroll to view all smoothing controls

Individual Control Smoothing

Gamepad MIDI provides independent smoothing for each control type.

Left Stick Smoothing

Control: Left Stick Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.85

Affects:

  • Left Stick X axis
  • Left Stick Y axis

Use Cases:

  • Higher (0.9-1.0): Slow, smooth parameter sweeps (filter cutoff, delay time)
  • Medium (0.8-0.9): General-purpose control, musical response
  • Lower (0.5-0.8): Faster response for rhythmic control
  • Minimal (0.0-0.5): Low latency, immediate response

Right Stick Smoothing

Control: Right Stick Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.85

Affects:

  • Right Stick X axis
  • Right Stick Y axis

Use Cases:

  • Same as left stick
  • Can be set differently for asymmetric control

Left Trigger Smoothing

Control: Left Trigger Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.85

Affects:

  • Left Trigger (L2) analog input

Use Cases:

  • Higher (0.9-1.0): Smooth volume or expression control
  • Medium (0.7-0.9): General-purpose modulation
  • Lower (0.0-0.7): Quick dynamic changes

Right Trigger Smoothing

Control: Right Trigger Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.85

Affects:

  • Right Trigger (R2) analog input

Use Cases:

  • Same as left trigger
  • Independent setting allows different response characteristics

Touchpad Smoothing

Control: Touchpad Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.85

Affects:

  • Touchpad X position
  • Touchpad Y position
  • Touchpad pressure

Use Cases:

  • Higher (0.9-1.0): Smooth parameter sweeps with finger movement
  • Medium (0.8-0.9): Natural touchpad response
  • Lower (0.5-0.8): More responsive to quick finger movements

Gyroscope Smoothing

Control: Gyroscope Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.92

Affects:

  • Gyroscope X axis (tilt left/right)
  • Gyroscope Y axis (tilt forward/back)

Use Cases:

  • Higher (0.92-0.98): Essential for reducing sensor jitter and noise
  • Medium (0.85-0.92): Responsive but still smooth
  • Lower (0.5-0.85): More direct but potentially jittery

Note: Gyroscope sensors are inherently noisy. Higher smoothing is usually recommended.

Accelerometer Smoothing

Control: Accelerometer Smoothing slider
Range: 0.0 to 1.0
Default: 0.92

Affects:

  • Accelerometer X axis (shake left/right)
  • Accelerometer Y axis (shake forward/back)

Use Cases:

  • Higher (0.92-0.98): Reduces noise from small movements
  • Medium (0.85-0.92): Balance between response and smoothness
  • Lower (0.5-0.85): More sensitive to quick movements

Note: Like gyroscope, accelerometer benefits from higher smoothing.

Touchpad Return to Zero

A special setting for touchpad behavior.

Control: "Return to Zero" checkbox
Location: System tab, near touchpad smoothing

When Enabled (Checked)

  • Touchpad X and Y return to center (0.5) when no finger is detected
  • Useful for controlling parameters that should reset to a neutral position
  • Acts like a spring-loaded joystick

Use Cases:

  • Pitch bend or modulation (returns to center)
  • Pan control (returns to center)
  • Effects that should reset when not touched

When Disabled (Unchecked)

  • Touchpad X and Y hold their last position when finger is lifted
  • Position only changes when touched again
  • Acts like a latch

Use Cases:

  • Setting and holding a parameter value
  • Precise positioning without continuous touch
  • X/Y control where you want to "leave" values set

Recommended Settings by Use Case

Synth Parameter Control

Analog Sticks: 0.85-0.90
Triggers: 0.85-0.90
Touchpad: 0.85
Gyroscope: 0.92-0.95
Accelerometer: 0.92-0.95

Provides smooth, musical parameter changes without jitter.

Mixer Automation

Analog Sticks: 0.90-0.95
Triggers: 0.90-0.95
Touchpad: 0.90
Gyroscope: 0.95
Accelerometer: 0.95

Higher smoothing for gradual, broadcast-quality fades and transitions.

Drum Triggering

Analog Sticks: 0.70-0.80 (if using for velocity)
Triggers: 0.70-0.80
Touchpad: 0.70
Gyroscope: Not typically used
Accelerometer: 0.85-0.90 (if used for expression)

Lower smoothing for more immediate response to rhythmic playing.

Live Performance

Analog Sticks: 0.80-0.85
Triggers: 0.80-0.85
Touchpad: 0.80-0.85
Gyroscope: 0.92
Accelerometer: 0.92

Balance between responsiveness and stability for live use.

Experimental/Expressive

Analog Sticks: 0.60-0.75
Triggers: 0.60-0.75
Touchpad: 0.70
Gyroscope: 0.85-0.90
Accelerometer: 0.85-0.90

Lower smoothing for raw, immediate control and maximum expressiveness.

Finding Your Ideal Settings

The Testing Process

  1. Start with Defaults

    • Default settings work well for most uses
    • Provides a baseline to compare against

  2. Identify Issues

    • Too jittery? Increase smoothing
    • Too sluggish? Decrease smoothing
    • Not responsive enough? Lower smoothing

  3. Adjust Incrementally

    • Change values by 0.05-0.10 at a time
    • Test after each adjustment
    • Note the differences

  4. Test in Context

    • Use with your actual DAW and instruments
    • Test with real musical phrases
    • Verify the feel is right

  5. Save Your Settings

    • Settings are saved automatically
    • Create presets with different smoothing profiles

Per-Control Customization

Remember that each control type can have different smoothing:

Example Setup:

  • Left Stick: 0.90 (smooth filter sweeps)
  • Right Stick: 0.75 (quick pan movements)
  • Left Trigger: 0.85 (volume control)
  • Right Trigger: 0.70 (fast expression changes)
  • Gyroscope: 0.95 (reduce sensor noise)

This allows each control to behave optimally for its assigned task.

Understanding Smoothing Values

Very Low (0.0 - 0.5)

Characteristics:

  • Minimal latency
  • Immediate response
  • Raw sensor data
  • Can be jittery

Best For:

  • Low-latency requirements
  • Rhythmic control
  • When jitter is not an issue

Low (0.5 - 0.7)

Characteristics:

  • Quick response
  • Some smoothing applied
  • Slight reduction in jitter
  • More controlled than raw

Best For:

  • Fast parameter changes
  • Drum velocity sensitivity
  • Quick modulations

Medium (0.7 - 0.85)

Characteristics:

  • Balanced response
  • Good smoothness
  • Reduced jitter
  • Musical feel

Best For:

  • General-purpose control
  • Most musical applications
  • Good starting point

High (0.85 - 0.92)

Characteristics:

  • Smooth output
  • Slower response
  • Minimal jitter
  • Gradual transitions

Best For:

  • Filter sweeps
  • Slow modulations
  • Volume/pan automation
  • Default setting

Very High (0.92 - 1.0)

Characteristics:

  • Very smooth output
  • Significant lag
  • No jitter
  • Glacial transitions

Best For:

  • Motion sensors (gyroscope/accelerometer)
  • Extremely slow parameter changes
  • Noise reduction

Smoothing and MIDI Note Mappings

Smoothing affects note mappings differently than CC mappings:

CC Mappings

  • Smoothing applies to the MIDI value sent
  • Smoothed transitions between values
  • More musical parameter changes

Note Mappings (Trigger/Toggle)

  • Smoothing still affects the underlying value
  • But note on/off is determined by threshold crossing
  • Less noticeable effect on button/note triggers
  • More relevant for axis-to-note mappings

Tip: For axis-to-note mappings, smoothing can prevent false triggers from jitter.

Performance Considerations

CPU Usage

Smoothing has minimal CPU impact:

  • Efficient exponential moving average algorithm
  • Processes data only when controls are active
  • No noticeable performance degradation

Latency

Higher smoothing introduces slight latency:

  • Typically 5-20ms depending on smoothing value
  • Negligible for most musical applications
  • More noticeable at very high values (0.95+)

Tip: If latency is critical, use lower smoothing values (0.7-0.8).

Troubleshooting

Control Feels Sluggish

Solution: Lower the smoothing value

  • Try decreasing by 0.10-0.15
  • Test the responsiveness
  • Find the minimum smoothing that still reduces jitter

Control Is Jittery

Solution: Increase the smoothing value

  • Try increasing by 0.10-0.15
  • Check if jitter is reduced
  • Balance smoothness with responsiveness

Parameters Jump Around

Possible Causes:

  • Smoothing too low
  • Gamepad calibration issues
  • Interference or noise

Solutions:

  • Increase smoothing
  • Recalibrate gamepad in system settings
  • Check for wireless interference (if using Bluetooth)

Motion Sensors Are Unusable

Solution: Increase gyroscope/accelerometer smoothing

  • Start at 0.92 minimum
  • Try 0.95 or higher
  • Motion sensors are inherently noisy and need high smoothing

Touchpad Doesn't Return to Center

Check: "Return to Zero" setting

  • Enable the checkbox to make it return to center
  • Disable to make it hold position

Saving Smoothing Settings

Automatic Saving

Smoothing settings are automatically saved:

  • When you change them
  • When you close the application
  • As part of the current configuration

In Presets

Smoothing settings are included in presets:

  • Each preset can have different smoothing
  • Load a preset to restore its smoothing settings
  • Create presets optimized for different control scenarios

Tip: Create presets like "High Smoothing" and "Low Latency" for quick switching.

Next Steps