Launchpad Midi Routing Madness

[Larry Dollaz]

I am using the pads on Launchpad to trigger locators. I am trying to pass this information to a duplicate machine to trigger the same locators. Both machines are outputting to a Radial SW8 with an auto-trigger set by a tone track in case the first machine crashes via their own RME FF800. I made a midi track using launchpad as the input and sending out to the second machine. Everything works great until I begin mapping the pads to the locators. Then any pad mapped to a locator is no longer received by my midi track with Launchpad as its input, the midi track still receives messages from the unmapped pads. I use an MPD for all other controls (master volume, mutes, fx, transport, etc.) and that works just fine, the only thing missing is the locators...

If I use a different controller connected via actual midi cable as opposed to USB, the messages still pass, even when mapped. However, it is a must that I use the launchpad for triggering the locators for my purposes as each locator represents a song, of which there are 40 plus, and the Launchpad is the only controller I know of w pads big enough to write a label on but small enough to contain all the track locators on one device…

The only thing I could think of was taking the note for a particular locator (C 2) for example and making a separate midi track drawing the note in by hand, just after the locator, so that it would essentially send the same note to the next machine but the notes wouldn't trigger the locators on the second machine. I can't figure out a workaround to pass these messages once they are mapped. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

[dr.mysterium]

Your solution should work, and might be the only work around.
(besides buying another Launchpad and selecting 'track' only as input in mid pref.)
The problem is that Ableton 'devours' your midi messages
because you have the 'remote in' enabled in midi pref.
But if you disable the remote input for remote control mapping of ableton, you lose
Launchpad functionality.
You could use CopperLan free Midi routing software to capture the midi signal before Ableton,
And route it as desired. (Basically duplicating the Launchpad output into 2 different paths-
1 to Ableton and 1 to the other computer via midi out)

[Larry Dollaz]

Ahh, thats a bummer.. but thanks, Doc, I'll look into this. Probably give the ol plan B another run as well. The real zinger for me is that all of Launchpad's messages show up in the remote-control indicator box (between key and midi) as opposed to regular messages, even before they are mapped. I just keep thinking there is a way to hack the Launchpad so it just sends regular messages….

Luckily, just for playback with only minimal FX, I'm topping CPU out at like 12% and no crashes over a 6 week tour.. now that tour is over, I should have some more time to fiddle with it