[Tip] Looping with Mackie Control emulation!

[4.33]

my midi note commands for mackie control emulation aren't working anymore since i upgraded to live 7....

check if you still got your controller's in and out selected as a mackie control surface. in the prefs

[acki]

i already checked this a few times.... and i've activated my bcr2000 as mackiecontrol inputs and outputs like usual...

i also checked the bcr and its still sending the midi notes like in former times.

but ableton doesnt react to it since i use version 7


what possible reasons could that make fucked up?

[chickenpox]

hey all.

i realize that this is an old-ish problem (implementing mackie control on a korg microKontrol for Live 6), but has anybody figured out how to get the kludge out of the rotary encoders, when they're controlling pan or send values?

after struggling mightily on this one for a while, i managed to get the first two mK encoders set to CC# 16 and 17, and two pads programmed for Note 41 (send) and 42 (pan). and finally, it does what it should: i hit pad 1, and can control my A and B sends with encoders 1 and 2; i hit pad 2, and encoder 1 controls pan. yee-ha.

the problem (which i've seen discussed, but not solved) is that Live interprets the encoders backwards and badly. turn the encoder hard right, and Live's control goes hard left. That alone, i could get used to, but combine it with the fact that Live's pan (or send) control has to turn all the way to 50R before i can turn it back in the leftwards direction, and it makes any fine adjustment (an adjustment anything less than absolutely everything) impossible.

It's not a straight up hardware problem; if i MIDI map my encoders to live's pan or send controls, they work perfectly.

Has anybody solved this? figured a workaround? or alternately, realized i'm asking the impossible?

regards.

[Machinate]

Hey.

From what I gather, Korg have done the most retarded things with the MicroKontrol: The encoders have been programmed to only work as regular rotary knobs. This usually means that any sort of MC emulation is impossible.

One possible workaround would be to set the MicroKontrol into Native Mode and then manipulate the sysex from there (because then they ARE actually encoders)

I believe there is also 3rd party software to make the MicroKontrol behave like a Mackie Controller.

[chickenpox]

thanks, machinate.

i'll look into it.

[chrysalis33rpm]

hey all.

i realize that this is an old-ish problem (implementing mackie control on a korg microKontrol for Live 6), but has anybody figured out how to get the kludge out of the rotary encoders, when they're controlling pan or send values?

after struggling mightily on this one for a while, i managed to get the first two mK encoders set to CC# 16 and 17, and two pads programmed for Note 41 (send) and 42 (pan). and finally, it does what it should: i hit pad 1, and can control my A and B sends with encoders 1 and 2; i hit pad 2, and encoder 1 controls pan. yee-ha.

the problem (which i've seen discussed, but not solved) is that Live interprets the encoders backwards and badly. turn the encoder hard right, and Live's control goes hard left. That alone, i could get used to, but combine it with the fact that Live's pan (or send) control has to turn all the way to 50R before i can turn it back in the leftwards direction, and it makes any fine adjustment (an adjustment anything less than absolutely everything) impossible.

It's not a straight up hardware problem; if i MIDI map my encoders to live's pan or send controls, they work perfectly.

Has anybody solved this? figured a workaround? or alternately, realized i'm asking the impossible?

regards.

If you want to use the MicroKontrol and Mackie Control Emulation get yourself over to opuslocus.com and download LCXmu.

This turns your MK into a dirty little beast - for starters, it makes the encoders rotary, yes. But it also uses the screens on the MK to emulate the screens on the Mackie Controller - wicked for manipulating effects and instruments. And all your pans/mutes/arm tracks, session navigation, transport, etc.

[chickenpox]

chrysalis33rpm,

that would be swell. like a dream come true.

as would my ibm t-40 turning itself into a macbook during the night.

LCXmu is only mac-compatible. until then, i'm looking for any 3rd party PC apps. any intel on that is most welcome.

thanks.

[chrysalis33rpm]

Awww hell. Well, Namihei did a lot of work on it, you've probably already found his posts. But he sold his MK so he moved on to other things. The only thing to do is put the MK into native mode and then you have control over every aspect of it...but that passes my know-how. People have done tons of research on the padkontrol lately, using Korg native mode, I keep wondering if the same could be adapted to the MK...anyway good luck, the MK is like a half a controller to me without LCXmu.

[chickenpox]

chrysalis33rpm.

yeah. it sounds like that app turns the mK into what it really oughtta be. the work that namihei did was invaluable, and the basic note# to MC map is now a little more widely available. more than that seems to have dried up, as folks moved to other controllers.

btw, how are you using your setup? what are you using mK and Live to produce/perform?

[chrysalis33rpm]

I do what I'd call evolved DJing...4 tracks for complete songs, broken up into appropriate clips, a track for loops, a track for a line in from my analog mixer, and 2 tracks of midi. 8 sends with an effect on each send. The mK with MCP works out really well for managing the sends, and avoids burying multiple effects in rack chains.

I am in the process of creating a Max patch that will allow me to drive 85% of what I now do with the mK with my killamix mini...the only letdown will be the lack of the screens on the mK.

[7G]

Hi,
Does anybody know the Midi "note" for delete?I want to assign a foot switch so i can delete a clip instantly...

Thanks!

[chrysalis33rpm]

F#4 is marked as 'Clear Clip' in the documentation I have.

[7G]

F#4 is marked as 'Clear Clip' in the documentation I have.

I know...
I have also the "Mackie Control MIDI Map" that floats around the net and it doesn't seem to be so accurate.
Does anybody have found the appropriate midi note that corresponds to the clear clip command???

[chrysalis33rpm]

The documentation I have referenced has been spot on for every function I have used (although I have not used the clear clips function). You may need to shift your middle C reference point by one octave?

[xrayfish]

Hi,
Does anybody know the Midi "note" for delete?I want to assign a foot switch so i can delete a clip instantly...

Thanks!

I'm not sure there is a midi key for delete.

I did however find this post which explains how to do it via applescript (apologies to the OP, I just copied it and saved it)

It uses midipipe which will allow applescript commands. I use it on a FCB1010 (programmed to give out mackie controls via midipipe) and it works perfectly.

Here's the post in full

Post subject: Mackie Control Protocol (MCP) from foot controller on Mac

Problem(s):

- I have a Mackie Control Universal but do not always have my hands free to use it. And even if I don't have a guitar in my hands but a mic only - pressing the zoom button to stop a recording with quantization produces such a loud click that it easily screws up the recording.

- I also have a Yamaha MFC10 foot controller but it doesn't send MCP.

- I want a delete key on the foot controller.


Solution:

I used MidiPipe to make the foot controller send MCP and merge it with the data coming from the MPU. Here is how:

- MidiPipe per default has an output called "MidiPipe Output 1". This is what I had to select as input in Live's "Remote Control Surfaces" fields (Preferences).

- My foot controller is programmed to send notes 60 (button 1) to 69 (button 0) on channel 16.

Pipes:

1. "Fireface -> MidiPipe Output 1":
Midi In (Fireface - Port 1) -- This is how my MCU is connected.
Midi Out (MidiPipe Output 1)

2. "Left":
Midi In (Remote 25) -- This is how the foot controller is connected.
Channel Filter (Only Channel 16 activated) -- foot controller sends on channel 16
Channel Router (Channel 16 to 1) -- because the MCU sends on channel 1 and in the end we want everything merged there
Key Mapper (60->98, solo option activated) -- 98 is the "left" button on MCU
Midi Out (MidiPipe Output 1)

Pipes "Right", "Up", "Down", "Undo", "Zoom", and "Scrub" only differ regarding the Key Mapper settings.
3. "Right": Key Mapper (62->99)
4. "Up": Key Mapper (66->96)
5. "Down": Key Mapper (61->97)
6. "Undo": Key Mapper (65->76)
7. "Zoom": Key Mapper (63->100)
8. "Scrub": Key Mapper (64->101)

9: "Delete":
Midi In (Remote 25) -- This is how the foot controller is connected.
AppleScript Trigger with the following script:


property channel_value : 16
property note_value : 68

on runme(message)
if (item 1 of message = (143 + channel_value)) and (item 2 of message = note_value) and (item 3 of message > 0) then
-- A "note on" message was received from channel "channel_value". Key "note_value" was pressed.
tell application "Live"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Live"
keystroke "h" using control down
end tell
end tell
end if
end runme


If you don't have an MCU and just want to send MCP from your foot controller you can leave away pipe 1. You could also program your foot controller to send the right notes right away but this way it's a bit more versatile. (And without an extra program like MidiPipe you don't get the delete key.

My midipipe setup uses the applescript as follows:


-----------------------------------------------------

property channel_value : 01
property note_value : 127

on runme(message)
if (item 1 of message = (143 + channel_value)) and (item 2 of message = note_value) and (item 3 of message > 0) then
-- A "note on" message was received from channel "channel_value". Key "note_value" was pressed.
tell application "Live"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Live"
keystroke "h" using control down
end tell
end tell
end if
end runme

------------------------------------------------------------

Please don't ask me to explain it, I know nothing about applescript, I just put it in and it worked

If you're using midipipe then this should work for you.


*edit*

I just checked and the post above is way more complicated than mine.

I just assigned the switches on the FCB to give out midi notes as per the mackie protocol, and added the applescript. Just one midipipe needed in this case, not the large number in the quote.