LIVE and Traktor w/ Launchpad on one Mac laptop, possible???

[ekg]

OK i've spent half a day familiarizing myself with this piece of potentially great HARDWARE, bundled with the usual convoluted Novation software... friggin Automap.
I think i figured it all out... works great with LIVE, works great with Traktor,
BUT; WTF? you can't use it with both at the same time (on the same laptop)?
I've tried every routing possibility, and whenever i fire up LIVE
it seizes command of the Launchpad, defaulting to the Session mode...
and then the essential User 2 bank (which i need for Traktor)... goes blank and can't be revived.
I've had no problem using the Korg PadKontrol with both LIVE and Traktor at the same time...
just had to assign proper ports and MIDI channels,
and on the face of it, this $200 Novation toy looks like it should behave the same.
I've tried trial and error on every possible option and routing,
and am about to give up and declare this thing an official "piece of shite" unless anybody's got any ideas?
I'd LOVE to find out that i overlooked something obvious, and would happily wear the dunce cap if somebody could set me straight.
many thanks in advance!
Greg
PS: yeah, Live 8.1 and Traktor 3.4 on a MacBook Pro 13" 2.53 w/4GB RAM, Leopard 10.5.8. I'm porting Traktor's audio into LIVE using SoundFlower, and the FaderFox is my main Traktor controller

[alpermo]

i guess you can connect up to 4 launchpads at the same time. it's the only way to use both traktor and live with controllers in one laptop. but of course with 2 different controller...

as far as i know, there is no way to split the buttons of a launchpad for 2 different softwares.

correct me if i'm wrong guys.

[rikhyray]

There are many options but to achieve what you want ( only you know exactly what you want)the Automap will be probably the most efficient, since it can squeeze maximum from Novation controllers. I suggest first take piece of paper, better print out few blank LP layouts and write down what you want, "design" all different possible setups on paper only then actually program Automap.

[ekg]

Thanks, good idea. but i think the "wants" are pretty simple. in fact the default "user 2" configuration would work just fine the way it is, and i could work my Traktor MIDI-map around the preset settings. The PROBLEM is that when LIVE fires up, it seems to wipe out the "user" presets... they're either blanked-out or no longer accessible??! You can only use "session" and "mixer"... You can't access or program the user presets without shutting down LIVE and restarting AutoMap. Is this a bug, or a flawed set-up on my behalf?

In LIVE's prefs, i choose Launchpad in the Control Surface / input / output...
and i choose Automap in Traktor's MIDI prefs. Traktor works great until LIVE kicks in.
I've tried using LIVE first, and THEN firing up Traktor, but LIVE will not yield using this manner either. I had similar situations a couple years ago when sharing an audio interface between LIVE and Traktor (ghetto-style, without Soundflower), but could always overcome it by experimenting with start-up order. But AutoMap is more complicated, and so right now i'm stuck!
I hope this goal seems obvious, and i'd imagine that lots of people out there could make great use of this configuration, if we can get it to work!
cheers!
Greg

[eandersonase]

thats one reason why i invested in serato. cant wait for the bridge to come out. if you switch over to serato you could use your launchpad with both

[drewbixcube]

User 1 mode will still send MIDI information with Live running, but you'll have to route the Launchpad through Live to get it into Traktor. First, make sure your MIDI preferences are set up to send/receive MIDI on the Traktor Virtual MIDI inputs and outputs, both in Traktor and Live (it doesn't matter which you open first). Then, make an empty MIDI track in Live routing the MIDI out to Traktor's virtual input and there you go.

You can also use Traktor's virtual MIDI output to sync Live to Traktor's tempo.

[drewbixcube]

I forgot to mention you also need to turn Track ON in Live's MIDI preference for the Launchpad's input, otherwise it will continue to appear as user 1 mode isn't accessible.

The thing to keep in mind about the Launchpad is that when it's connected to Live in the intended manner, the buttons no longer send the same information as stated in the Launchpad programmer's reference.

User 2 mode, just as session and mixer modes, doesn't send any MIDI data when the Launchpad is connected to Live. This is to allow for Max programming.

[ekg]

BTW: i bought my Launchpad used, and there was no manual with it. I understand that it didn't come with much of a manual anyway, but: There must be something out there that explains how to program the thing, besides the Novation Automap manual? can anybody refer me to some text download?
After my fiddling around, it appears that i've erased the preset User 1... its completely blank, and i don't know how to restore it to factory settings. Any ideas?
thanks much!
Greg

[ekg]

... and i forgot to mention: i'm aware of the video instructions out there...
however i'm currently traveling in Thailand (with my music gear) and internet
is rather expensive and often hard to get to. would love to just download some text instructions
for the Launchpad.
thanks