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Advanced midi in/out assignment and control

11
MPrinsenMPrinsen NetherlandsPosts: 157

There are some other threads about this topic, but they all cover a slightly different or smaller subject, so I decided to post a new topic with exactly how I think would be the perfect midi implementation.

Global midi control
The most important thing (for me) would be: any incoming midi notes (+ velocity/aftertouch/pitchbend) which are NOT linked to a specific track, should automatically control the selected track. This makes it much easier to use one midi keyboard to play/record notes of multiple tracks one after the other.
Currently you have to link a keyboard to a specific track, then play/record notes, and then remove the link and link it to another track to play/record the notes for that track, etc. Or you have to link the same keyboard with multiple channel to multiple tracks and switch the midi channel on the keyboard every time, but this limits you to 16 tracks/instruments and also is a hassle to do.
I am actually a little surprised this is not working this way already, since most sequencers and almost every DAW that I know handle imcoming midi notes like this.

Different types of linking controllers
Then I propose a separation of various types of assignments of midi controllers:

  • Song specific "static" assignment: this is how it works now, which creates a link between a hardware controller and a specific parameter or the notes of a specific track. The assigned notes/pads/knobs/faders will always control the same notes/parameters of the specific track, no matter which track you have selected.

  • "Generic" control assignment: this lets you set a generic link between a hardware controller and a specific type of instrument/midi output channel. It will only work when a track is selected of the same type of instrument or midi output channel. This way, you can set a link once, but then use it to control various tracks with the same instrument. For example: when set to the cutoff frequency of a track with an internal synth, it will control the cutoff frequency of the selected track, when this track contains the Deluge synth. When you select another track of another Deluge synth, the the same knob will now control the cutoff of thát synth.
    This should also work on midi channels, where the output channel is the same. This way, you can set the same knob of a midi controller to both the cutoff of the internal synth AND the cutoff of a multiple hardware synths. Then the same knob will always control the cutoff of the selected synth, no matter whether this is the internal synth or a hardware synth.
    This would allow you to setup a midi controller like BCR2000 to be a dedicated Deluge synth controller, with all parameters linked to a knob. Then you just select a synth track, and use the BCR2000 to program your patch.

Synth control: recording/looping hardware knob/fader movement
For midi tracks controlling hardware synths, it would be nice to have a setting called something like "Synth Control", so the hardware synth also controls the midi track.
This would automatically map the note data of the same incoming midi channel as the output midi channel set in the track (so it is like a 'static' assignment), but also let you record any incoming midi CC data coming from the same midi channel as the output channel number. The recordings will be stored in the track and will then also be sent back to the hardware synth when played back. This allows you to record the "motion" of a synth and then loop this, without first having to assign a control of the hardware synth to a knob on the Deluge and then assign the knob of the Deluge to a parameter of the hardware synth.
This would greatly improve recording automation on the fly/during a performance. Just when you think: lets record the sweeping of that knob, you just hit the record-buttong, and it records the CC data and then just loops it by sending it back.

Let me know what you guys think of the above suggestions and please add your own ideas :)

Comments

  • 0
    louislouis Zürich, SwitzerlandPosts: 1

    What I really miss right now and cannot find anywhere in the forum or manual is the ability to send cc messages from the deluge.
    I want to not only output midi notes or velocity but be able to map a golden knob to a cc message and do automation recording to send to external gear. Imagine the possibilities you have if you have a midi to cv gate with custom mapping.

    I also support the possibility to change the behavior of midi incoming messages going only to a track that is selected. I see that is might be nice to have a cc message set globaly so you can control a paramter from anywhere but sometime you want to just have a set of knobs that are for a specific purpose.

  • 1
    MatthewGeorgeMatthewGeorge Cologne, GermanyBeta Tester Posts: 247

    @louis

    Does that help?

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