Using the CME VX8 with Ableton Live.

[fishmonkey]

if you are using a Mac, i'd recommend using LC Xmu in combination with a roll-your-own Live instant mapping setup...

that combo will give you the best of both worlds: easily configurable Mackie Control emulation, and Live device macro control (blue hand bizo) at the same time...

[JRoyer]

Remember that anything that can be MIDI mapped in Ableton LIve can be routed to almost everything on the CME VX8. If you would like to see the fader's "fly", take a few measures of audio and insert the audio into Ableton Live's Channel 1, Arraignment View. Put the Arraignment View in Record Mode with your cursor starting at the beginning of your inserted audio, and your Volume Fader of the CME VX8 dropped back to the lowest point. What we are going to do is a fade in with your CME VX8. Start recording using the VX8's Slider 1 to bring in the volume of Ableton Live's Channel 1. When playing back your recorded automation, is your fader "flying"?

[Turbo_Ginger]

Thanks Fishmonkey, if i cant get this to work properly i'll look into LC Xmu.
Currently, no actions within live trigger the motorized faders, not even replaying a track with recorded volume changes (of course my fader is set to control volume of the track). Should it be working?

[JRoyer]

Hello again Turbo_Ginger. Did you follow the instructions? If you have setup everything correctly and recorded your automation correctly, the Channel 1 fader should be moving with your recorded automation in Ableton Live. Best of luck and take care Turbo_Ginger.

[Turbo_Ginger]

OH! i skipped the "switch to Mackie U-Ctrl mode" step.
Everything works perfectly now using your instructions.
In Mackie mode, you are unfortunately limited to the single set of controls, whereas i would prefer to use the F1-8 banks provided by the use of Master mode. It is disappointing to see that the motorized faders do not appear to move automatically in master mode.

[JRoyer]

There should also be some relief seeing all the hard work that you have put in to your setup finally starting to pay off. Be careful when switching between modes and operating the VX8 with any DAW. I never started programming much of anything outside of 'MACKIE CONTROL" mode. Because when switching back to 'MACKIE CONTROL' the faders of the VX8 did not return to their original Ableton Live settings, Ableton Live's faders went to the position of the VX8's faders.

One more thing to complicate things while we are discussing a VX8 and Ableton Live setup. Ever since the new v2.1 firmware update I do not have any of the "SYNC" boxes for the VX8, in the Ableton LIve MIDI preferences, activated anymore. The reason the "SYNC" boxes are no longer activated is because Ableton Live sends messages to the VX8 that causes the faders to slowly drop back to the lowest setting on the VX8. It is a problem that I do not fully understand yet, so the work-around is to turn all "SYNC" features for the VX8 to the OFF position in Ableton's MIDI preferences section. Maybe you do not or will not have this problem, hopefully you will not so that everything keeps working as it should. The information was for the "just in case" scenario. Once again, it is great to know that your faders are now "flying" and enjoy the new freedom.

[Shokol8]

Hello everyone i am a new owner of the serie VX the 5's and i came to get info from professional like you ,it's just my first day with it ,i found it cool and try to imagine all the possibilities with it ,and my first question is ,is there a custom program TSI xml to do some midimap preset for the vst you are using,what i mean ,i got vanguard,rapture and alchemy ,these are synthetiser VSTs and everytime to midimap them is a bit of a headhache especially when you know how you want them to be midimapped but that you do have to do it everytime again?

[Shokol8]

Why all the music notes can be played everywhere on the vx 5 but not on the key board ,i mean i can play in the middle of it but as soon as i use the the extreme right or left the keynote do not play,but i can play keynote on the drumpad ,seq transport pad,the F-Pad ,the buttons under the lcd.
What is the point to have a keyboard then, i did dowload the last update ,reinitialize,but it changes nothing,is it a fact for all of them,or is it just me,and is there a way to change that?

[Shokol8]

hello everyone can we do a preset midimap and save it to f1 f2 or other buttons to not have to midimap every time you change of vst,so for example ,you know wich knob will represent wich function for one vst,and it will be recorded in one preset button ,and you wil have just to press the f1 or f2 button to sawp between them....
Thank you for replying please

[Shokol8]

Why all the music notes can be played everywhere on the vx 5 but not on the key board ,i mean i can play in the middle of it but as soon as i use the the extreme right or left the keynote do not play,but i can play keynote on the drumpad ,seq transport pad,the F-Pad ,the buttons under the lcd.
What is the point to have a keyboard then, i did dowload the last update ,reinitialize,but it changes nothing,is it a fact for all of them,or is it just me,and is there a way to change that?

yes sorry i read jroyer post and it does work this way thanks jroyer,but i still can't believe that Cme did not resolve the problem with their updates,i mean maybe the keyboard with expansion card is nice but i have not got it. But just as midi controller ,it is not far to be really good ,but something is missing to achieve it, Cme has given up on the vx,there is no news or explanation,it's a bit of a shame for the price you pay

[fishmonkey]

the CME forum used to be one place where you could get some real help from other users (or sufferers). it's been shut down for months now, i guess CME decided there was too much bad publicity there...

CME are shit!

[Shokol8]

lol i got one cme vx5 but the hardware could be good if the team behind will listen to people and improve their baby,i am sure it's feasible,you should make sure of the durability of your products and his customers.Especially when you know that the vx5 could be a very good good product if they were adding some good software some tsi and they should work as partnership with some of the big DAW developpers to make the thing more compatible. :-/

[Shokol8]

Hello everyone ,i will advise you,if you are lucky enough to have an audio interface, to plug your vx by a midi cable to your interface,it works so much better than by usb straight to ur computer, i dunno why, but it's how i do now!!

[fishmonkey]

the CME forum seems to have permanently closed, and they haven't released any firmware updates for a long, long time...

[Shokol8]

R.I.P cme forum,you will be missed !!!! as professionalism for the cme company!!!