devices/monome/norns.vendor.fw-esper-44cf053.jsonEdit on GitHubJSONMonome norns (script esper): OSC control from Claude, scripts and controllers
10 named commands to drive Monome norns over OSC — from Claude (MCP), live-coding environments or a MIDI controller.
- sourcemaker's documentation
- firmwareesper-44cf053
- real unitnot yet checked
Not checked on a real Monome norns yet. Own one? Load a sound or send a control, and tell us whether it worked.
- Maker
- Monome
- Version
- script esper (cachilders/esper @ 44cf053)
- Source
- maker's documentation
- OSC prefix
/norns_esper
From the README of cachilders/esper at 44cf053, licence MIT.
esper
Esper is a lofi interpretation of the Esper machine from Blade Runner (and a spiritual port of my Color Theory Max patch).
Take an image, ideally something 64x64 pixels, and upload it to the esper data directory (dust/data/esper/). I like scp, personally, but do you.
scp [PATH/TO/YOUR-IMAGE].png we@norns.local:dust/data/esper/[YOUR-IMAGE].png
Now load the image from the PARAMS > ESPER menu. Ok. That's nuts and bolts, and it tells you there's params. The meat and potatoes is you take a pic like this (it's loaded by default):
And it will be made to look something like this:
Wowzers. OK. So this is the top level view of the image. Each tile is a kind of statistical average of the 64 pixels it comprises (median here, but you can go mean or mode from the params).
Now from this level you've got a 64 step sequencer. Start it by toggling the context menu.
Cripes. I forgot to mention, you can use a mouse with this script.
Toggle the menu with either K2 or a right click on the mouse.
You can scroll this menu with any ENC or the mouse. K3 and left click on the mouse are the ACTION buttons. Use an ACTION button to invoke a menu item. Those icons are really small, so there is some hint text next to the BEAT INDICATOR to let you know what you're toggling.
If the context menu is not invoked, the ACTION button will toggle your zoom depth. Whichever block is selected with be zoomed into and enhanced. That's where things get more interesting.
You can tell you're at the enhanced level by the little plus sign in the Esper machine.
From this level ENC2 and ENC3 will allow you to traverse the image, block by block. It may be hard to believe, but these are the actual pixels of the image down here.
Taken as a whole I think that's like 4,096 steps. Hot crackers!
By default the player will loop over the sequence into which you have zoomed, however, you can choose to TRACK in the sequence direction from the context menu.
You can also choose to REVERSE the sequence direction from that menu, not to mention PLAY and STOP. Hint: push STOP twice to reset the playhead.
That's it. The voice is provided by Zack Schollz's mx.synths. You can tune it from PARAMS > mx.synths. If you don't have it installed this script will not function.
Use it
Start the bridge with this driver; it forwards named OSC commands to the software:
Then send OSC to 127.0.0.1:7777, for example:
From Claude or any MCP client, the osc-bridge mcp server exposes this driver as norns_esper: ask “what can the Monome norns do?” and it reads this map with list_routes. See the MCP guide.
MIDI controls
10 controls, each with its number, its range and the name to send
OSC commands
| Command | Arguments | Name to send |
|---|---|---|
| Param | id: string, value: float | /norns_esper/param/{id} |
| Param {set} {id} | set: string, id: string, value: float | /norns_esper/param/{set}/{id} |
| Remote key | n: int, z: int | /norns_esper/remote/key |
| Remote enc | n: int, delta: int | /norns_esper/remote/enc |
| Remote brd | code: int, z: int | /norns_esper/remote/brd |
| Param load | /norns_esper/param/load |
|
| Param process | value: int | /norns_esper/param/process |
| Param subdivisions | value: float | /norns_esper/param/subdivisions |
| Param root note | value: int | /norns_esper/param/root_note |
| Param scale | value: int | /norns_esper/param/scale |
The same MIDI as norns.vendor.fw-2.9.4, which this firmware shares.
Limitations
Source: the Lua source of the norns script esper by notester (cachilders/esper at 44cf053), listed in norns.community. Shares the norns system OSC of monome/norns.vendor.fw-2.9.4 (port 10111, /param, /remote): give the norns' IP address as host override. Its own routes are the 5 parameter(s) whose id is written out in its source, read without running it, with range, options and default when written out too; set them while the script runs on the norns. Parameters added by libraries or engines outside the repository are not mapped either. A value goes in the parameter's units (an option's index from 1). MIDI is not mapped: the script's MIDI handling is its own and parameter MIDI mappings are learned by each user (PMAP). Untested on hardware.
Other versions
The Monome norns is mapped in 356 versions. per Electra preset, per Electra preset, per Electra preset, norns system OSC, v2.9.4, script 32-harmony, script 3d, script 4-big-knobs, script 4CCFader, script abacus, script acid-test, script ack, script acrostic, script amen, script amenbreak, script animator, script arcify, script arcologies, script arp_index, script ash, script ashsynth, script asterion, script automs70, script avonlea, script awake, script awake-ashsynth, script awake-passersby, script awake-rings, script _awed, script b-b-b-b-beat, script bakeneko, script barcode, script barycenter, script beacon, script beets, script benjolis, script bistro, script bitebeet, script bitters, script bline, script blippoo, script blndr, script bloom, script blue, script boingg, script bounds, script bowering, script breakthrough, script buoys, script caliper, script carter's delay, script cc-canvas, script cccccccc, script changes, script cheat_codes_2, script choukanzu, script circles, script clarck, script clcks, script clipper, script clockabout, script colorwheel, script combiner, script combos, script compass, script concrete, script constellations, script corners, script cranes, script crow_talk, script cryptkeeper, script cybermidi, script cyrene, script d, script delar, script delayyyyyyyy, script delinquencer, script demoncore, script descartes, script dimension-expander, script downtown, script dreamsequence, script drift, script dronecaster, script drum_room, script duatone, script dunes, script Eastwind, script easygrain, script eels, script ekombi, script endless-stairs, script eterna, script euclidigons, script faeng, script fall, fates 2.9.3, script fiahod, script fibonacci, script fixed-filter-banking-crisis, script flora, script fm7, script folio, script footfoot, script forge, script foulplay, script foundry, script fugarc, script fugu, script gematria, script gemini, script get in the sea!, script giro, script glaciers, script glitchlets, script glitchlooper, script glut, script goldeneye, script grains, script graintopia, script granchild, script grd, script grendy, script greyhole, script grid-test, script gridofpoints, script gridofrings, script gridstep, script groovecats, script grurder, script hachi, script hands, script haven, script haze, script here-there, script hid_demo, script Hiswing, script hpns, script hs010, script icarus, script iiitoii, script impact, script ingenue, script initenere, script internorns, script interpret, script intervaltrainer, script islands, script isoseq, script jala, script jiffy, script just-play, script justharmonicon, script KoiBoi2, script kolor, script kreislauf, script kria_midi, script krill, script l_ll__l_, script lamellae, script lamination, script larc, script lemniscate, script leslie, script less-concepts, script lissadron, script loom, script lorenz, script lorenzos-drums, script loudnumbers_norns, script luck, script m18s, script magnetar, script magpie, script makebreakbeat, script mangl, script manifold, script marcovaldo, script massif, script MDPatch, script MDScaler, script meadowphysics, script metrix, script metronome, script midarto, script midi-monitor, script midi-review, script midididi, script midigrid, script midiplayer, script mlr, script mlre, script Mnmpatch, script molly_the_poly, script moln, script monitor, script monomaniac, script moonraker, script mosaic, script mouse, script mx.samples, script mx.synths, script n.kria, script nørgård, script n16o, script nameless-nightmare, script narf, script nb_drumcrow, script nb_mxsynths, script nb_plyprc, script nb_smpKit, script nc01-drone, script nc02-rs, script nc03-ds, script ndls, script nice-tapes, script nisp, script nmMelodyMagic, script nmQuadroDubber, script nmRain, script nmSmartyPants, script noize, script noizeop, script norman, script norns.online, script nornsfetch, script nydl, script o-o-o, script oblique, script oilcan, script onehanded, script ong, script oooooo, script orbital, script orca, script orgn, script orgnwrms, script ortf, script otis, script overtones, script overwintering, script p8, script paracosms, script paranibbles, script parrot, script passersby, script passthrough, script patchwork, script path-trace, script pedalboard, script phonotype, script phyllis, script pirate-radio, script pit-orchisstra, script pitfalls, script pitter-patter, script piwip, script pixels, script plasma, script plonky, script pools, script ppm_norns, script punchcard, script qfwfq, script quence, script r, script rachim, script raft, script raindrops, script randomizer_typhon, script rangl, script rebound, script reels, script repeater, script repl-looper, script ribbons, script rpls, script rpmate, script rudiments, script sam, script sampswap, script samsara, script samthree, script sath-lemon, script schicksalslied, script scholastic, script scryingstone, script seaflex, script seeker_ii, script sempra, script serialism, script shapes, script shfts, script shnthsalslied, script showers, script sidvagn, script silos, script sines, script skylines, script smash, script sonde, script spirals, script splicer, script splnkr, script stack, script step, script stjörnuíþrótt, script streams, script strides, script strum, script stwnsh, script SuperBrain, script supertonic, script sway, script sweet bees, script synthy, script takt, script tambla, script tapedeck, script taweeet, script tetra, script tetrabobo, script tetrabotis, script thebangs, script thirtythree, script thorns, script Tidbit, script timber, script time-rhythm, script timeparty, script tmi, script torii, script traffic, script triangles, script tulpamancer, script tuner, script tunnels, script turntable, script tviburar, script twine, script twins, script u, script ufo, script uhf, script vcr, script vinker, script warmreload, script waver, script window-crowparator, script wobblewobble, script wrms, script xD1, script Ygg, script yggdrasil, script zellen, script zxcvbn.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI agent like Claude control the Monome norns?
Yes: SynthHub's hosted MCP server knows the Monome norns's MIDI map, and its browser relay lets the agent send it parameter changes or load a sound, each sound change confirmed by you.