Refresher course on assigning MIDI controllers to a virtual instrument?

[David Polich]

I've run into a "doh" kind of problem, forgive me if I sound dense..cuz sometimes I am.

For the life of me I cannot recall how to assign MIDI controllers in DP. The steps I use:

1. Launch an instance of a VI.
2. Open its GUI window.
3. In the very lower left corner of the window, there is a small keyboard icon. I click on it to light it up.
4. I click on the parameter I want to assign a controller to - for example "LFO to pitch mod depth".
5. I move the controller on my keyboard controller to connect it to his parameter. In this case, let's say I move the mod wheel.
6. And....nothing. No joy. Moving the mod wheel does not control LFO depth.

Anyone know what I am doing wrong, or what step I am missing?

Thanks in advance.

[cuttime]

With a lot of recent VIs these days I can R-click on the control I want to pull up an assignment menu.

[stubbsonic]

Make sure the VI is "hearing" the CC1 from the mod wheel. Might need to trouble-shoot if some MIDI input filters are on?

I assume that lil keyboard button is the MIDI learn activation. And the LFO is actually assigned and activated before you go to set up depth? Try assigning the Mod Wheel to something direct like filter cutoff or level-- just to confirm the workflow.

[David Polich]

I've tried every routing/filter/assignment I can think of. I just can't get DP's own MIDI controller assignment to work with a VI that does not allow you to assign controllers by clicking on a knob or slider in the GUI and moving a controller on your keyboard controller. Yes, I even checked DP's Input Filter to make sure everything was active.

I should explain further..I just purchased Expressive E's "Arche" solo strings, which sound pretty good. But the default for them is that they require Expressive's own hardware Touche unit for expression. The Expressive website states that if you are using a controller other than a Touch, you have to use your DAW's own MIDI learn feature.

I have Arturia's Pigments - assigning controllers in that is easy, because MIDI learn is built into the VI already. You just enable MIDI learn, select a parameter control, and move the corresponding controller on your keyboard controller. Cherry Audio synths work the same way.A lot of VI's work the same way. But the Expressive E Arche solo strings do not. Because obviously, the VI devs not have MIDI Learn implemented.

Now that I think of it, I'll bet that any VI that does not implement MIDI Learn can't be assigned controllers from DP. So maybe lesson learned..and if anyone wants to know of a physical modeling virtual string VI that sounds great, check out Reason's Friktion instrument.

[stubbsonic]

I don't think DP (or any DAW?) has a MIDI learn function.

If I understand correctly, that's just part of the VI's GUI implementation. The VI activates a learn function, and "listens" for a CC and links it to that parameter.

DP does have a way of remapping one MIDI control stream to a different CC etc. As far as I know the only way to do this is using DP's CONSOLE functions. You make a new console, add a controller (like a slider or knob) then configure the "source" and "target" to remap the controller to something the VI might be hardwired to respond to.

[David Polich]

Thanks..I forgot about the Console trick. Haven't done that in maybe 15 years..I'll give it a try.

[cuttime]

Thanks..I forgot about the Console trick. Haven't done that in maybe 15 years..I'll give it a try.

When I click the little keyboard icon at the bottom of the plug, it automatically opens a Console>Controller Assignment Consolidated Window. The flashing green line is waiting for the controller input (I'm just using Proton because the window is small for a screenshot). I always remap CCs using the MOTU "Reassign Continuous Data" MIDI plugin. To me it sounds like it might be a setting in Arché.