Configure map or program a hardware controller

IamInsane · Post by **IamInsane** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:17 am

I'm trying to get a handle on the options for configuring a hardware device to control Live. The following are the different approaches I've been able to find. I'd love to hear comments of additional options and/or thoughts on these.

Live's Midi Map Mode
Press Midi map mode switch, click a control, move a controller.

Pros: Simple, fast

Cons: Not "portable". There is no concept of a "default midi map" that one can simply open "over" an existing set. It must be done for each individual set, or you can do it for one set, and save that as a default live set, but Live offers no real support for "templates" or "default" sets, so you've got to manage this yourself.

A Control Map
Some manufacturers provide a map embedded in a live set. I'm not sure if/how these differ from Midi Map's described above. I find these confusing and a dead end.

Pros: ?? everyone I've tried sucks and blows at the same time.

Cons: The only way you can use this is to first open the provided live set amd work from there. Again, no portability.

User Remote Scripts (Instant Mappings)
Live provides an ability to use user remote scripts. There is zero documentation about this in the live manual. You can find a paragraph of instructions in InstantMappings-HowTo.txt (on the PC).

Pros: Relatively simple. Completely portable. You are essentially creating a simple control surface you can set up in MIDI/Sync preferences. It is then available for all exisintg and future sets.

Cons: Simplistic capabilities. You are limited to 16 pads, 8 device controls, 8 channels of mixer controls, and the transport controls.

Translator application
Best example I can find of this is Bome's MIDI translator. The idea is to set up an intermediary application to receive control information from your hardware and translate that into commands used to control Live.

Pros: Completely portable. Enhanced capabilities. I understand (correct me if wrong) that nativeKontrol uses Bomes. NativeKontrol demonstrates extensive control over Live. Bome's has a free version for personal use.

Cons: Getting complex to set up. Haven't tried this myself, but it appears to use templates configuration, some scripting, but no real coding. Not rocket science, but a learning curve. Add to the downside you have to run Bome's in the background. along with something like MIDI yoke. No show stoppers here, but more than many will want to take on.

Programming or scripting language
Examples here are MAX and Python.

Pros: Completely portable. Extensive capabilities.

Cons: Expensive (MAX) or complexity (Python). Both are "higher level" languages (compared to C for example) but include a considerable learn curve.

Additional notes:
I also see other programming options like Pure Data (fathered by MAX creator Miller Puckette) which is available via a BSD license.

channelite · Post by **channelite** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:01 am

Probably the best/easiest way to map your controller is to Midi Map it in a new Live set, while your at it, set up the desired amount of track, etc. Then when it's the best Live set ever, go to the File / Folder tab in the preferences and Save Current Set as Template.

I'm currently using the UC33e with a Mackie emulation that covers all important mappings, and also I'm using the Axiom 25 with Live's #20 preset that works well.

When I had the MPD24, I had to manually map controllers to all my old songs which was annoying.

Pasha · Post by **Pasha** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:02 am

I'm currently using a BCF2000 I have programmed to emulate a MCU.
Sometimes I revert to Live built in setup for this device. Planning to experiment Instant Mapping. I think you forgot to mention that many programmable devices can be programmed to act as MCU. This is very powerful and portable because Live recognizes Mackie Control. However, its usefulness it depends on the usage.

- Best
- Pasha

koranek · Post by **koranek** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 5:34 pm

Hey IAmInsane-

Thanks for posting this, I was thinking of posting the same kind of thread to help clarify things. I recently bought a BCR2000 and I felt like I was insane trying to figure out the best way to set it up. Everything I tried seemed like a compromise.

Mackie control seems the best for controlling Live, but is pretty frustrating for controlling plugs. I love how often 7 of 8 important params are mapped to the top rotary encoders on one page and the 8th param is mapped on a different page so you have to keep paging back and forth.

All in all, it just feels kludged together. Nobody seems to have a very coherent plan for dealing with controllers.

My ideal would be at something in Live that would let you set up templates for Live and something different for mapping individual plugs. You could have a default template for Live functions which could be edited and multiple versions saved to suit each user.

On top of that, I would love to have some kind of mapping editor, like midi mapping that let you create a default map and custom maps for each plugin.

These all need to be saved separate from the set. Once you save a set, I don't mind associating mappings to sets, but I really don't like having to recreate a mapping for each set.

I would definitely pay for something like this in Live 8.

twisted-space · Post by **twisted-space** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:30 am

[quote="koranek"]On top of that, I would love to have some kind of mapping editor, like midi mapping that let you create a default map and custom maps for each plugin.quote]

Have you considered novations automap 2, maybe a remote sl zero or remote sl 25 (if you want keys)

You can do just what you want, set up mixer control how you want and custom pages for each plugin. You can easily switch between plugs/pages without touching your 'puter.