So ...what's the verdict on the novation SL

[aqua_tek]

Universal Automap is awesome

except with Native instruments... ehhh... instruments


although Absynth 4 actually works relatively well with Automap. It's Kontakt 2 that gives me the real headaches.

[eyeknow]

Hey, I appreciate the help and I do think I have a somewhat better understanding........but now the next question.....


After all the axiom, cc's, midi, sell your soul, keys not working, enigma, automap, yadda......is there still a reason to pay 500usd for a product with 12 less keys, and some "issues" when what you really want is to hit a "switch" and be able to control parameters for a host (let's say live) and some really poplular plugs (let's say Ik amp sims, or lounge lizard session, or even NI fm ?

[thelocalhost]

Universal Automap is awesome

except with Native instruments... ehhh... instruments


although Absynth 4 actually works relatively well with Automap. It's Kontakt 2 that gives me the real headaches.

Any Battery3 or Reaktor experience?

I figured Reaktor wouldn't work, but hopefully Battery3 is setup.

And Stylus RMX?

[R.J.Dubya]

Hey, I appreciate the help and I do think I have a somewhat better understanding........but now the next question.....


After all the axiom, cc's, midi, sell your soul, keys not working, enigma, automap, yadda......is there still a reason to pay 500usd for a product with 12 less keys, and some "issues" when what you really want is to hit a "switch" and be able to control parameters for a host (let's say live) and some really poplular plugs (let's say Ik amp sims, or lounge lizard session, or even NI fm ?

I'm not sure I totally understand the question. Whether it's worth it is going to be very different for everyone. I think it was worth it because I don't have any hardware synths, and I can't afford any, but this gets me as close to that as possible, with the hands on control. And makes jamming more fun. But of course before you can hit a switch and have it do exactly what you want, you do have to take a bit of time to understand it, and set it up the way you want. And once you do, it's dead easy.

[eyeknow]

I hear ya, definatly

[R.J.Dubya]

Any Battery3 or Reaktor experience?

I figured Reaktor wouldn't work, but hopefully Battery3 is setup.

And Stylus RMX?

Those ones have a hell of a lot of parameters, so they would require customization, to put in the controls you'd want most. Anything like stylus where you have not only a hell of a lot of parameters, but 8 instances of all of them within one plug, is a little tricky for automapping. i haven't tried stylus rmx with it yet, but it and battery should be fine, except that there is no way you can come close to getting all the parameters in there.

Reaktor doesn't work well the way it comes but you can create and save different automap layouts for each instrument if you want. Many of the not-so-huge ensembles work great in the ableton template, as the ensemble parameter names come up for the encoders automatically. But the names don't come up in plug-in automap, and that's because the parameter names are different for every ensemble, so they're named their generic P0001 to P1000, which are the general parameter names in reaktor. So if you changed for example P0001, which may be a filter in one ensemble to be called "Fiilter" in the wrapped version, then P0001 would always be called that, even if P0001 is an osc.volume knob in another ensemble. So if there are ensembles that you often use that are big, you can save a separate layout for the reaktor automap, and load that when you are using that instrument. I'm thinking I'll do this for carbon2 and photone and a few others if I get around to it.

[Tarekith]

Battery 3 did not map very well at all with the SL, way too many parameters. you could set up your own template of course, but out of the box support for Battery 3 was not that good.

[thelocalhost]

Any Battery3 or Reaktor experience?

I figured Reaktor wouldn't work, but hopefully Battery3 is setup.

And Stylus RMX?

Those ones have a hell of a lot of parameters, so they would require customization, to put in the controls you'd want most. Anything like stylus where you have not only a hell of a lot of parameters, but 8 instances of all of them within one plug, is a little tricky for automapping. i haven't tried stylus rmx with it yet, but it and battery should be fine, except that there is no way you can come close to getting all the parameters in there.

Reaktor doesn't work well the way it comes but you can create and save different automap layouts for each instrument if you want. Many of the not-so-huge ensembles work great in the ableton template, as the ensemble parameter names come up for the encoders automatically. But the names don't come up in plug-in automap, and that's because the parameter names are different for every ensemble, so they're named their generic P0001 to P1000, which are the general parameter names in reaktor. So if you changed for example P0001, which may be a filter in one ensemble to be called "Fiilter" in the wrapped version, then P0001 would always be called that, even if P0001 is an osc.volume knob in another ensemble. So if there are ensembles that you often use that are big, you can save a separate layout for the reaktor automap, and load that when you are using that instrument. I'm thinking I'll do this for carbon2 and photone and a few others if I get around to it.

Thanks for the detailed response.

My SL zero should becoming in the mail in the next few days.

My main plugs are Battery3, Reaktor and RMX. So I'll probably be generating templates for the next few weeks. I'll post anything I come up with.

[Soarer]

I want one too!

The pads are pretty hard, but they cn be made to be as sensitive as you want.

So you won't have to tap real hard?
I've tried the Korg pad kontrol and that is very sensitive i.e. you can tap very lightly and still trigger the sample at low velocity. That's how it should be I think.

Can you use the XY pad ok or do you have to press too hard?

[Tone Deft]

I want one too!

The pads are pretty hard, but they cn be made to be as sensitive as you want.

So you won't have to tap real hard?
I've tried the Korg pad kontrol and that is very sensitive i.e. you can tap very lightly and still trigger the sample at low velocity. That's how it should be I think.

Can you use the XY pad ok or do you have to press too hard?

The X/Y is usable. Half of us don't like the pads, half do.
Also on the joystick you can disable the spring so it doesn't spring back.

[3dot...]

Also on the joystick you can disable the spring so it doesn't spring back.

This is definitely a kickass function...
Still haven't got mine... the guy I was gonna get it from chickened out... (jerk!)
probably my next purchase...

[Soarer]

Ah... You can use the joystick as a X/Y then.

[Tone Deft]

Ah... You can use the joystick as a X/Y then.

Yes, I believe in the stock template the X is set to pitch bend, but you can change it and save the template.