Control selected track \w keyboard shortcuts

[wiffbi]

@LTM: I am sorry, there is no way. Live’s API AFAIK only provides access to the track in focus (or all tracks, but there seems to be no method to get a selection of tracks). The API calls it "selected_track" and usually it is only one, but if you have selected multiple tracks, the "selected_track" that is provided access to by the API is the one having focus (e.g. where the Clip or Device-View get their data from).

Maybe there is something hidden in the _Framework-Classes, but I still need to check that. But not before next week, sorry!

[Byxx]

Thanks Wiffbi,

great work!!!
how can I arm all tracks?

Cheers
Tim

[wiffbi]

Tim, ha, good catch. I thought stc supported this, but it only offers a "kill". There is something for mute called "flip", which could work the same for arm - which basically means that if no track is armed, all will be armed. I'll add it to the todo list! Should make it into STC soon, I will let you know here.

[wiffbi]

Tim, I added a arm flip (Note# 115) and a solo flip (Note# 116) function to STC. What that means is, that for arm, it flips all armed tracks to "not armed" and all unarmed tracks will be armed. So if you have no tracks armed and hit the "arm flip" (Note 115), then all tracks will be armed. Hit "arm flip" again and all tracks will be unarmed.

Get the latest here:
http://stc.wiffbi.com/files/stc-1.3.5.zip

Richard

[Byxx]

Wiffbe,

all is good, whatever you are doing in late night sessions. Your work is very helpful either way.

I am not really a long LIVE User, but got into some questions:

How can I configure the hard wired (blue Hand symbol) connections track wise myself?

Say:

I want to add a controller manually to a specific LIVE Instrumetns (like frequency in Operator) which is not hardwired from my controller from scratch.
but:
Each time this Intrument is selected in any track it should have the same functions assigned to my hardware controllers.

mineOne vision of is to build up a mixing template, wtith compressors, reverbs et al set up for 48 tracks which all work the same on my hardware controllers, that I want to assign globally.


Thx
Best
Tim

[wiffbi]

LTM,

currently only one device (blue hand) is controlled at any time. So regarding your mixing template, you need to select the effect-device you want to control. So there is currently no way to select the track and have STC assign itself automatically with 4 encoders to EQ and 2 for compressor and another 2 for e.g. noise gate (it is possible with the API, but that would need a custom MIDI Control Surface Script). STC can only control one device at a time and assigns 8 parameter-controls (as default, that can be customized to be any number you want from 1 to 127) to the device.

What you can do, is customize the order of the parameter-controls per device. How that can be done in STC is documented here (currently the list only contains Live 8 Standard devices – I need to update it at some time for Live 9 Suite):

http://stc.wiffbi.com/deviceparams/

With this, you can arrange the parameter order so that e.g. your encoder 4 controls the mid-frequency on any EQ8 you select. You can do that for every device.

For a simpler, more GUI approach, you could put your mixing devices into a Rack each and assign the macros from the Rack to the controls you want. The first 8 Rack-Macros are always the same to control with MIDI through STC. This is more work and you need to manually setup the Racks every time (you could of course save the Racks as presets).

[Byxx]

Dear Wiffbi,

thanks for your help. I have to check that out a bit.

Best regards
Tim

[Byxx]

wiffbe,

I have a small usb keyboard which is not in the patch List of ableton, but which is perfect for travelling as it has knobs faders and pads...

If I did the setting up of the "best of"- parameters here:

http://stc.wiffbi.com/deviceparams/

you say that these devices are assigned to the first 4 knobs in the case of Autofilter, but how do I assign those to my particular hardware controllers ( knob, fader ) then.

Lets say my first knob has CC 17
I would like to have the same assignments on each device in each track, when it is selected (as fixed settings, blue hand symbol)
My vision is to setup a template for mixing bigger ensembles, which basically has the same preconfigured FX chains on each track
EQ, Compressor, reverb sends and so on.

Thank you
Best
LTM

[TomViolenz]

@TOM: it works – and it shows in the GUI as well! I have update STC to include lock_to_device via MIDI. In the default configuration, the following commands are mapped:

Code: Select all

	"lock_to_selected_device": Note(112),
	"unlock_from_device": Note(113),
	"toggle_lock_to_device": Note(114),

Regarding "unlock from device": depending on your workflow you probably don’t need it. Because you just lock to the next device you want to control.

You can download the latest version here:
http://stc.wiffbi.com/files/stc-1.3.4.zip


P.S.: Sorry, I haven’t updated the website for quite some time now, some new feature-descriptions are hidden in this thread. At some point I need to optimize the documentation process …

It would probably also be good if you would document this new feature in the device parameter section.

[Byxx]

Hi Wiffbi,

Thanks for your answer.

where can I assign which Hardware knob to which best of parameter?

I have a USB Keyboard here. Where I can assign the CCs.
Say Knob 2 (CC34) to Frequency of EQ8



Thanks a lot!!


Best
LTM

[Byxx]

...Plan B:

The other way around I found device controller CC´s here. But I run into some problems. Maybe the whole thing makes no sense:
In the preferences MIDI/SYNC I chose Selected Track Control > WOLRDE PANDA (which is my USB Keyboard)

Here´s the settings.py list showing the CC´s assigned to control the devices:

# device control
"scroll_devices": CC(32),
"select_instrument": Note(66),
"prev_device": Note(67),
"next_device": Note(68),
"prev_device_bank": Note(71),
"next_device_bank": Note(72),
"reset_device_bank": Note(70),
"device_on_off": Note(69),
"device_params": (
(CC(33), CC(41, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(34), CC(42, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(35), CC(43, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(36), CC(44, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(37), CC(45, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(38), CC(46, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(39), CC(47, ABSOLUTE)),
(CC(40), CC(48, ABSOLUTE)),


Here´s my assignment to the USB Keyboard:



You see knobs and faders are assigned corresponding to the device CC´s of the settings.py - File

Although my MIDI monitor shows continous flow of the values from 0-127 of knobs and faders, LIVE´s parameters jump and don´t run continously as they should, when moving the sliders and knobs of the USB Keyboard.

In my MIDI Monitor I recognized that the first four knobs have different controller data types, where I don´t know why they appear?
Maybe there´s a CC standard, can´t say...

Knob 1 (CC 33): Modulation Wheel (Fine)
Knob 2 (CC 34): Breath Control (Fine)
Knob 3 (CC 35): Controller 35
Knob 4 (CC 36): Foot Controller

I attach this, too here:



For instance:

If I select Operator:
The blue hand symbol indicates the fixed assignment of my PANDA World MINI USB Keyboard, which is fine. Thats what I intend.
When I move Knob 2 (CC34)
The transpose values goes to Max (+48 st) with MIDI Value 62 and to Min (-48 st) with MIDI Value 68 (upside down)





What´s my error?

Phew...!
Thx

Best regards
LTM

[Byxx]

Hey,


I use the Tweak MINI usb Keyboard connected to Selected Track Control

So
If I assign the Keybard in the preferences like this




I have the problem that the keys react as CCs not as Notes any more.

Heres the view of the Keyboards Editor



What I desire is to use the knobs and faders as CCS the keys for musical note input.

Thanks for your help

Best
LTM

[wiffbi]

TOM: You a re right, I need to update the website accordingly – lots of documentation is missing.

LTM: There are two parts to control your favorite parameters.

1. you need to send the correct CCs (or change STCs settings.py). You did that on your controller and you are very close. Problem is, you tried the relative MIDI CCs 33-40, but your knobs send absolute values. You need to use CC 41-48, then it will work!

2. If you do not like the pre-mapped default of parameters, you can customize which parameters are controlled per device. Before you make any adjustments, make sure that step 1 works! To customize, you need to edit the file settings.py (NOT .pyc!) and add the list of parameter indexes per device. This is described here:

http://stc.wiffbi.com/deviceparams/


Regarding the problem with CCs on your keyboards keys, the Editor shows that it sends CCs. So maybe you need to select a different preset or change the keys to send note info manually? Sorry, I do not know the Tweak MINI.

[Byxx]

Dear Wiffbi,

I changed the values to your suggested CC Numbers.


Next step, I would like to check ist the individual assignment.

If I take Autofilter I have the following assignments:
Knob 1 (CC 41) controls curve shape
Knob 1 (CC 42) controls frequency
Knob 3 (CC 43) controls Q factor
Knob 4 (CC 44) controls Envelope

Fader 1 (CC 45) controls Attack
Fader 2 (CC 46) controls Release
Fader 3 (CC 47) controls LFO / Amount
Fader 4 (CC 48) controls LFO / Shape




This works fine!!!! Super, Thank You!!!!!

Next step would be the customizing:

I followed your instructions in Mapping Autofilter

Code: Select all

"Autofilter" = (1,2,3,7),

the assignments described above did not change after writing this lines of code. I saved the settings.py - file in XCode, restarted Live and so on. No success. What am I missing here?

and...

Can I add more than 8 Hardware controller to LIVE´s devices?
I have 4 Banks à 8 controllers on the USB Keyboard.

(i.e. for EQ8 defining at least 9 Controllers for the EQ section
HI (Gain Freq, Q);
MID (gain, Freq, Q);
LO (Gain, Freq, Q);
plus x (Volume etc.)
....


Thank you very much!!!
Best regards
LTM

[wiffbi]

LTM, wow, good work, you are getting closer! Thanks for documenting your steps so well, that way I can give better tips to solve the problems!

So, regarding your customization of Auto Filter, you just wrote the wrong name! It is not "Autofilter", but "Auto Filter". Copy the device names exactly from the device-documentation on my website – including spaces!

Adding more controls is possible as well! Inside settings.py on line 383 and following is the device configuration:

Code: Select all

	"device_params": (
		(CC(33), CC(41, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(34), CC(42, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(35), CC(43, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(36), CC(44, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(37), CC(45, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(38), CC(46, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(39), CC(47, ABSOLUTE)),
		(CC(40), CC(48, ABSOLUTE)),
	),

This is a list of lists in Python. It looks more complicated than it is. You can add as many controls to that list as you want. You only need to make sure you do not collide with any other existing mapping in settings.py. An easy way to use at least 16 controls would be to reuse the CCs 33 to 40 – as I assume you do not use them as you do not have relative encoders, but only absolute knobs and faders. The following code sets up 16 controls (in absolute mode) for a device with CCs 33 to 48:

Code: Select all

	"device_params": (
		CC(33, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(34, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(35, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(36, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(37, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(38, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(39, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(40, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(41, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(42, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(43, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(44, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(45, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(46, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(47, ABSOLUTE),
		CC(48, ABSOLUTE),
	),

If you need even more controls, a quick check showed, that CCs 53-59 are currently unused. You could also use another MIDI channel for device control if you wish to. But your device needs to support sending on different MIDI channels simultaneously – which I don’t think it does looking at the screenshots you provided from the Editor software.

I hope that helps!