is it possible......NO MIDI LEARN?

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ratox
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is it possible......NO MIDI LEARN?

Post by ratox »

I always used DP for recording classical music concerts in stereo for archivial purpouse. Now i switched into using it in my preformance as a live-electronics composer too.
I own a regular copy of DP so i have already checked all the manual and it seems true to me that DP has NO MIDI LEARN mode to attach a controller to VI's and AU or VST(Wrapped) Plugins!
I discovered recently the simple way it is done in ableton LIVE and i really appreciated that natural way, wich is the one introduced by REASON as long as i know. I always use "KNOB_Composing" technique and i consider it more creative and natural rather than dragging points on the automation.DP uses it only for attaching a controller to the main mixer? is it possible? And if it's possible to record a movement of the mouse as an automation track, why that data cannot be triggered via MIDI CC?

i really worked hard trying to use the CONSOLE object but it seemed so complicated and it really didn't work because....it just says wich cc sends but not wich parameter of the plug is mapped.


am i clear? sorry i am not english native speaker

help pleas
alesandro ratoci
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pencilina
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Post by pencilina »

I agree its very annoying there is no MIDI learn in DP. Yes, this is stupid and arcane. Write Motu. Request it.

I think DP consoles are totally clunky and kind of useless.

However, there are a lot of plug ins that can accept MIDI and have factory assigned CCs - you have to program your controller to send the desired CCs. Also some plugins are smart and will learn CCs.

If you want to try another, more complicated, angle you can also use third party SW like MIDI Pipe (freeware) to reassign volume (easily learned in the mixer and sent as CC#7) - to another CC via IAC bussing. If you don't understand what I just wrote don't waste your time with it as it'll probably be more trouble then its worth. I do this sometimes because it works with my BCF MIDI fader box when its in baby HUI mode.

Good luck
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philbrown
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Post by philbrown »

For most things DP is great.
DP is stuck in the 90's in this area, howerever, IMO. Pretty pitiful.
I wrote several posts on this in years past but this issue never gets much of a rise out of anyone so I dropped it. I guess if there's no demand then MOTU's not goint to care either. But I still can't believe there are so few DP users asking for this and related features- it always blows my mind, especially with the extremely esoteric commands you find in perusing the Commands window for instance.
Phil
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philbrown
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Post by philbrown »

here's an earlier thread on a related note

http://www.unicornation.com/phpBB2/view ... highlight=
n8tron
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Post by n8tron »

you can MIDI learn anything in the mixer window by going to the mini menu and clicking attach MIDI controller then clicking on the control.

I could have sworn you could do this with plugins.... I guess not though huh...
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philbrown
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Post by philbrown »

n8tron wrote:you can MIDI learn anything in the mixer window by going to the mini menu and clicking attach MIDI controller then clicking on the control.
Not true.
Try MIDI learning (Attach MIDI Controller) with the mute and solo buttons in the mixer. It can't be done.
What could be simpler than wanting to control mutes with a MIDI controller in your DAW?? In 2007 I mean. :wink:

Phil
dubwon
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Post by dubwon »

Seriously, the lack of automatable mutes and solos is astounding.
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blue
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Re: is it possible......NO MIDI LEARN?

Post by blue »

ratox wrote:DP has NO MIDI LEARN mode to attach a controller to VI's and AU or VST(Wrapped) Plugins!
As far as I know, MIDI Learn is plugin specific. Some AUs have it and other's don't. It is completely up to the plugin developer and not a DP issue. I use MIDI Learn on a number of VIs that support it. I also use MIDI to control the parameters of certain fx plugins that support it.

However, I would welcome a more thorough implementation of mappable automation in DP, especially in the mixer. There are some plugins that have extensive host-based automation control, but doing it that way is kind of painful.
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blue
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Post by blue »

dubwon wrote:Seriously, the lack of automatable mutes and solos is astounding.
That's kind of misleading. You can automate mutes, you just can't attach a controller to them.
dubwon
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Post by dubwon »

blue wrote:
dubwon wrote:Seriously, the lack of automatable mutes and solos is astounding.
That's kind of misleading. You can automate mutes, you just can't attach a controller to them.
Right thats what I meant, I should have clarified.
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FMiguelez
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Post by FMiguelez »

.

Yep. I'm missing this feature as well. I just sent an email to MOTU's suggestion box.

You guys should do the same, if you haven't.

Cheers.
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Frodo
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Post by Frodo »

blue wrote:[... You can automate mutes, you just can't attach a controller to them.
For a lot of things, putting a Reassign Continuous Data plugin on a MIDI track insert actually helps assign certain controls to various VIs and plugins, but it doesn't go quite far enough.

I agree-- Consoles are so "1988" to be truly effective for today's purposes. DP has been a bit slow when it comes to VI integration and functionality anyway, so while it comes as no real surprise that crucial features users need have yet to find their way into DP, it does speak to need for MOTU to perhaps reconsider the ways people are using VIs and MIDI gear today and how this has changed over the years.

Interestingly, the Consoles chapter is one of the most detailed (and complex) chapters in the DP manual. The concept is brilliant, really, and its customizations are really the answer to what users really need right now. I was fairly ticked one day when I'd spent hours trying to just get a single fader set up to respond to controller data. Once I got it working, if it worked at all, the tracking of continuous data was glitchy and sporadic.

They really need to get the GUI of custom consoles up to snuff with the savvy of the Mixer. (Among other things, it just looks hideous! There's no excuse for this in OSX.) Being able to assign any control feature (mutes included) to a hardware controller from a custom console would be the bee's knees.
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n8tron
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Post by n8tron »

first, yes your right, it would be nice to have a more sophisticated learn, but mutes, or anything on/off isn't a big deal. It takes more time to learn it than to just click it. But with continuous data its nice to have a learn to a specific knob.

blue,

where are you able to MIDI learn on certain plugins? what plugins can learn? I was looking around a few but wasn't able to figure it out.
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blue
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Post by blue »

n8tron wrote:blue,

where are you able to MIDI learn on certain plugins? what plugins can learn? I was looking around a few but wasn't able to figure it out.
It depends on the plugin. With some you just right-click the parameter you want to control and a drop-down menu appears. You check learn, move your MIDI controller knob or fader and that's it. Others use more tedious methods. Some don't support it at all.

I would check your plugin's documentation to see if Learn Mode is supported and how it's implemented. I wish this was more standardized, but alas it's not.
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philbrown
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Post by philbrown »

n8tron wrote:first, yes your right, it would be nice to have a more sophisticated learn, but mutes, or anything on/off isn't a big deal.
I totally disagree with this. Hitting buttons on a keyboard controller to mute and unmute loops on the fly while recording can not be compared to mousing onscreen hitting virtual buttons while trying to play. Put that keyboard across the room from the computer and now it can't be done at all.

I can think of several other examples...
Phil
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