Controller Issues—Suggestions Welcome

[dreamuse]

D'oh! Hit send before one final question:

I noticed that Novation apparently bagged the SL, keyboard less version, yet the idea of the dual displays (especially if the one above the faders is reading out track names) seems like a great idea. Can anyone clue me into whether the "Mk II" is that much cooler than the original SL?

Thanks again,

Len

[Rick Cornish]

Hey.........
FWIW, a postscript to my original post. I did get the Impulse working with DP8, and I can only assume it works as well with DP9, assuming Novation kept heir drivers up to date for the current OS.

Once I got the Impulse really working, I discovered that I personally didn't like the workflow of having some control on the (computer) keyboard, some on my trackpad, and some on the Impulse. For me, it was disorienting to have so much duplication of functions. So I got rid of the Impulse and got the A-88, which has beautiful, weighted action and 88 keys, which was becoming increasingly important for some of the VIs I was using. It has two programmable knobs and two programmable switches, which is enough for me to map to parameters when I need it. I later added an AlphaTrack, primarily to give me a single motorized fader, and that's my rig today.

The Impulse is a great keyboard and AutoMap works. I have no complaints about it and Novation is a great company with good support. If that works for your workflow, check it out.

[dreamuse]

Thanks for this most informative update, Rick. Yea, I could see the disorienting effect, not to mention a perceived PITA moving between devices. Glad to hear Automap works, though with a plugin like Omnisphere, I'm not sure what parameters are mapped.

My venture into control surfaces started with simply wanting to have knobs that could quickly be mapped to parameters, so I too may not need all the Automap functionality.

Len

[sayatnova]

Hey.........
FWIW, a postscript to my original post. I did get the Impulse working with DP8, and I can only assume it works as well with DP9, assuming Novation kept heir drivers up to date for the current OS.

Once I got the Impulse really working, I discovered that I personally didn't like the workflow of having some control on the (computer) keyboard, some on my trackpad, and some on the Impulse. For me, it was disorienting to have so much duplication of functions. So I got rid of the Impulse and got the A-88, which has beautiful, weighted action and 88 keys, which was becoming increasingly important for some of the VIs I was using. It has two programmable knobs and two programmable switches, which is enough for me to map to parameters when I need it. I later added an AlphaTrack, primarily to give me a single motorized fader, and that's my rig today.

The Impulse is a great keyboard and AutoMap works. I have no complaints about it and Novation is a great company with good support. If that works for your workflow, check it out.

Hey Rick,

I am currently in the middle of this with my impulse 25, as well. Random loss of communication with DP/MIDI. Only way to fix it is to unplug and replug the MIDI cable from the Impulse... Annoying as hell.

I am connected to my computer via USB directly. I have downloaded and installed the latest Automap 4.10. Same problem. Also seems to happen when holding notes on for a while: notes stay on as if using a sustain peddle, and no signal is received from the Impulse after that. Force reboot by unplug and replug MIDI cable...

What did you do to solve it? I would really like this to work.

Thank you.

~Shea

PS: I sent a support request yesterday and have not heard back, yet.

[Rick Cornish]

Hi Shea.....
Before diving in any deeper, two questions....
1. Have you installed the latest drivers from Novation? They’re readily available from their website.
2. Have you tried more than one USB cable!

[James Steele]

Hi Rick,

Please let me know the results after testing without Automap, so that I can update your support case and provide the proper next course of action!

Best,

David // Focusrite Technical Support

David... on behalf of this forum, thanks so much for chiming in. Always happy to see company reps show up here!

[sayatnova]

Hi Shea.....
Before diving in any deeper, two questions....
1. Have you installed the latest drivers from Novation? They’re readily available from their website.
2. Have you tried more than one USB cable!

Hello Rick,

Thank you for the response. Yes, I had downloaded the latest drivers and the Impulse updated it's firmware, as well... Same issues.

I have not tried another USB cable since I do not have one and assumed the one that shipped with the unit would be fine if it worked. Seems odd that without touching anything the cable could just randomly stop working on it's own?

What did you do to make yours work?

Thank you,

~Shea

PS: Still no reply from tech support at Novation.

[Rick Cornish]

Hi Shea.....
First of all, Please look above as Novation tech support did reply to this thread.

It's been nearly two years since I owned my Impulse, and I'm sorry, but I don't remember exactly what I did to get it working. Perhaps Novation tech support has a record of our thread from the time of my original post as it might have the detail you need.

Meanwhile, my suggestions....
1. Try a different cable
2. Uninstall all the Impulse and AutoMap drivers. I suggest you try AppCleaner for the uninstall, as it searches out and removes all the little extensions, preference files, etc. that apps leave behind
3. Try using the keyboard without AutoMap installed
4. Reinstall AutoMap

Good luck.

[sayatnova]

Hello Rick,

Sorry, I did not mean to imply that Novation had not replied to your earlier support request, rather, that they had no yet replied to mine. However, I was contacted yesterday and now the sussing-out process begins.

I will try the other cable approach. One question: is there anything special to the USB cable? Are they all they same, as long as the two ends are correct? I ask because there is a wall-wart kind of lump built into the cable and I don't know if it is supplying any thing special, current-wise to the unit (like the way different AC adaptors have differing power outputs: i.e.: 9v, 12v, etc..).

Thank you of the help and time.

~Shea

[James Steele]

Well, personally what bothers me is that I have this friend, and everything has to be HIS way all the time. It really bugs me and... oh wait... you said CONTROLLER issues, not CONTROLLING issues. My bad...

[sayatnova]

Well, personally what bothers me is that I have this friend, and everything has to be HIS way all the time. It really bugs me and... oh wait... you said CONTROLLER issues, not CONTROLLING issues. My bad...

Ha, that's funny!