Akai MPD-32 remote script (with red box)

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

EDIT: I'm really sorry to say that I cannot give support for this script anymore. I really think it can be a great start for someone who wants to update it / change it / improve it. I will be happy to add links to new versions of the script in this original post.

I've made a remote script for the Akai MPD-32, that gives you APC-like control over session view. A lot of the code is copy/pasted from stuff I found on http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/ (thank you Hanz Petrov!) and from existing remote scripts. If you want a (less advanced) remote script for your MPD-26 or MPD-24, then go here: http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=157266

If you want to use this script:

1. Set up your MPD mapping
Check the EDIT MODE section in the MPD-32 manual to change the mapping of your MPD. Make sure all controls are set up as in the picture. Use MIDI channel 1 for all controls.

2. Download and install the script
- Download http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15006701/my_MPD32.zip
- Close Live and put the my_MPD32 folder into
\Program Files\Ableton\Live 8.x.x\Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts (PC)
OR
\Live x.x.x\Live.app\Contents\App-Resources\MIDI Remote Scripts (MAC)
- Open Live and go to Preferences -> MIDI/Sync. Select my_MPD32 as a control surface and make sure the input and output are corresponding to your MPD-32.

3. Go ahead and play
- The script only uses control bank and pad bank A. You can assign the controls in the other banks to whatever you like.

- If shift (S8) is not pressed:
S1-S2: select left/right track
S3-S4: select left/right device
S5: clip/track
S6: detail
S7: on/off

- If shift (S8) is pressed:
S1-S4: move red box up/left/right/down

- Faders F1-F4 are mapped to the Sends A in the red box, F5-F8 to Sends B. K1 to K8 control the device parameters of the selected track. When using this script, I set all tracks to "sends only". I use Return A as a kind of a master bus. In my opinion, this has some advantages (e.g. avoiding the "problem" that the volume faders go up to +6dB).
- << and >> are used to go up and down the scenes, STOP is stop al clips, PLAY is launch selected scene and REC is overdub

Comments and questions are very welcome. I would really want to change the script to your needs, but unfortunately, I don't have the time to deal with individual requests. If a lot of people are asking for the same feature, I will see if I can implement it. You are free though to (re)use the code in any way you like. If you read and understand everything on http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/, then you will be able to make a script far better than this one.

Cheers,

Seppe

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

Hi all,

I've updated the script and have changed the functionality of the S1-S8 buttons to mimic some of the APC-40 functions. The buttons now work like this:
- S8: shift button
- if shift is not pressed:

- if shift is pressed:

The other functions have been left unchanged.
I still have 3 buttons that are unused (S5-S7 with shift pressed). Suggestions are welcome!
Comments on this work would be nice, as I put a lot of work in it.

Download here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15006701/my_MPD32.zip

Illiac · **Posted:** Thu Nov 18, 2010 2:31 am

Dude, this is amazing! Thank you so much! Question, though: Which template on the 32 are you using? I'm assuming everything defaults to channel 1, and all buttons are momentary, but I can't seem to get the box to move back once I've moved it down. Can you break your mappings down a little bit (pad note ranges, banks, etc.).

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

I've set up my own mapping to make the scripting a little bit easier. I started from the Ableton template. It takes you about five minutes to assign all controls (you only need to change both A banks).

The mapping is explained in my first post, but I'll give you a more structured overview:
- all controls are set to midi channel 1
- faders: F1-F8: CC12-CC19
- buttons: momentary: S1-S8: CC32-CC39
- knobs: K1-K9: CC22-CC29
- Transport Buttons: from left to right: CC115-119
- drum pads: PAD1-PAD16: Note36-Note51

I'll try to make a sysex dump of the preset, but so far I haven't succeeded in doing this.

Feel free to contact me if you have any problems.

djsb · **Joined:** Thu Nov 18, 2010 3:01 am **Posts:** 17

I've been trying to figure out how to add shift functionality for a while now, but don't know if what I want to do is possible...

I currently have 8 encoders (2 decks with 4 encoders each) each controlling a different effect parameter (simple MIDI mapping). I want to be able to press a shift button and then use each of the 4 knobs on each deck to control the parameters on Tarekith's Xone:62 DJ EQ (Low, Low Mid, Hi Mid, Hi). How would I be able to accomplish this? I currently have all 5 devices (4 effects and 1 EQ) on each deck, but don't know where to go from there. Any clue if this is possible?

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

I'm surely not an expert, but I think it should be possible by using something like the ShiftableTranslatorComponent of the APC-40 scripts. The documentation of that component says: ' Class that translates the channel of some buttons as long as a shift button is held '. If you could do the same thing but with knobs instead of buttons, than that might do the trick. But I'm afraid that it cannot be done in five minutes...
In doubt you should check out Hanz Petrov's blog http://remotescripts.blogspot.com or try to contact the man himself.

bosonHavoc · **Posted:** Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:18 am

wicked thanks!

kelvingumbs · **Posted:** Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:00 am

Seppe wrote:

Hi,

I've made a remote script for the Akai MPD-32. It's quite simple, but I think it's useful if you want "the red box" but don't own an APC / LP. I thought I'd share it because I haven't seen many scripts available for the MPD-32. A lot of the code is copy/pasted from stuff I found on http://remotescripts.blogspot.com/ (thank you Hanz Petrov!) and I also borrowed from the Block script (Livid Instruments). Go to the remotescripts blogspot to learn how to install the script.

A few things you need to know:
- The script only uses control bank A and pad bank A. If you want to use the script as is, you need to set up the sliders and buttons so they send messages on midi channel 1:
F1-F8: CC12-CC19, S1-S8: CC32-CC39, K1-K9: CC22-CC29, Transport Buttons from left to right: CC115-119, PAD1-PAD16: Note36-Note51
- The pads control a 4x4 clip matrix. The red box can be moved by using S5-S8. S1-S4 select the 4 tracks in the red box. F1-F4 are mapped to the Sends A in the red box, F5-F8 to Sends B. K1 to K8 control the device parameters of the selected track.
- << and >> are used to go up and down the scenes, STOP is stop al clips, PLAY is launch selected scene and REC is overdub
- When using this script, I set all tracks to "sends only". I use Return A as a kind of a master bus. In my opinion, this has some advantages (e.g. avoiding the "problem" that the volume faders go up to +6dB)

I would like to further improve this script, but then I will need some help. So here are some questions for the experts:
- Apparently a clip launches only if a note one with a velocity of > 64 is received. Can this be changed? Otherwise setting the MPD to "full level" is a workaround.
- I would like to use a shift button (on the S1-S8 row) so I can implement scrolling left and right through devices. With this shift button, there will even be extra spece to implement other functionality (tips welcome). However, I don't really know what the simplest way is to begin with this. Do I need to use the special APC subclasses like e.g. ShiftableSelectorComponent or is there a simpler and still elegant way?

Other tips are of course welcome. Versions of the script that have other assignments shouldn't be too difficult to write. I left a lot of commented code in the script that you can use if you want. If you ask nicely, I might take your requests and post some alternative versions here.

Here it is:
(see new link in next message)
Have fun with it,

Seppe

This concept is awesome. I don't have an MPD32 though. I have an MPD26. Is there a way to get a 4x4 scrolling session view grid on the MPD26? Please let me know.

Thanks

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

kelvingumbs wrote:

This concept is awesome. I don't have an MPD32 though. I have an MPD26. Is there a way to get a 4x4 scrolling session view grid on the MPD26? Please let me know.

Thanks

There is certainly a way. I'm working on this, it won't take long I hope.

Seppe

edit: take a look here: http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=157266

underbelly · **Joined:** Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:36 am **Posts:** 2

Currently the last four sliders control the B-returns of the first four tracks. How would you go about changing the preset so that the last four sliders control the a-returns of the next four tracks? (or you make a super special preset for me? :mrgreen:

)

Dj Super Slice · **Joined:** Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:13 pm **Posts:** 3

Hey Seppe, you are the ONE! lol
Man thanks a million for this script Bro.
I am having some issues with triggering the clips once the red box move to a new clip set
example: if i move the red box to 5-8.
Your help or anyone else who has the hang of this will be very much appreciated.
Keep up you great works.

Thanks in advance

Slice

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

underbelly wrote:

Currently the last four sliders control the B-returns of the first four tracks. How would you go about changing the preset so that the last four sliders control the a-returns of the next four tracks? (or you make a super special preset for me? :mrgreen:

)

I thought it would be easy, but I tried and I am receiving errors in the log file. So for now, I'll have to disappoint you

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

Dj Super Slice wrote:

I am having some issues with triggering the clips once the red box move to a new clip set
example: if i move the red box to 5-8.

If anyone is experiencing the same problems, please let me know. So far, the script has worked flawlessly for me (which was a bit of a surprise I must confess...).

Keep in mind that the clip slots are only triggerd if you hit the pads with a velocity >64. You can activate "full level" on the MPD to avoid this.

Seppe

Dj Super Slice · **Joined:** Tue Sep 07, 2010 1:13 pm **Posts:** 3

Yes, everything is working perfectly...the first 4 rows at the top triggers great!
But once i moved the red box to let's say row 5 to 8, it still triggers rows 1 - 4.
Do i have to Midi Map all of the rows from top to bottom? or will the position of the red box determine which clips will be triggered?
I tried midi mapping 5 to 8 but a message came up saying that slot one is already mapped, do you want to replace the mapping.
I hope you can understand my explanation.

Thanks again

Seppe · **Joined:** Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:09 pm **Posts:** 91

Dj Super Slice wrote:

Do i have to Midi Map all of the rows from top to bottom?

Aha, now I understand. Don't midi map anything that is used by the script. Just make sure your MPD sends out the right CC and note values (you can check these values on the MPD screen; have a look in the MPD manual to see how EDIT mode on the MPD works). If you midi map the pads to fire clips, then you are overwriting the mapping that is defined by the script. Of course, controls that are not used by the script (for example those in banks B, C,...) can be midi mapped to whatever you like.

Seppe