Hard Assigning a MIDI controller without needing Record Arm

[mpc183]

Hi,

My MIDI skills are in need of some work with this question I think, but I have the below controllers and external MIDI gear which from a tweaking and performance perspective I want to have a set of controls to always be assigned no matter what. Even if a given track in Ableton isn't armed. The MIDI gear is an effect, not an instrument and I want the box to be always accessible by this controller template no matter where I am in Ableton or what I'm playing with my keyboards.

I understand how to get different controls/controllers to be assigned to different midi tracks/instruments by changing midi channels in the track etc, but as soon as I take record arm off the functionality is lost until I re-arm it.

So I am referring to:
* Controller: Novation Launch Control XL (MIDI via USB only into Mac)
* Destination to be controlled: Eventide H9 (MIDI via MIDI cables into MIDI Int. or USB, can't get either to work with this particular scenario, but both work as normal when tracks are armed, or the H9 Control app is open - I want to be able to control the H9 without additional Eventide apps open, just old fashioned MIDI assignments.)
* Launch Control is setup to send ch.15 only on a particular layer I am using, and H9 is setup to only receive messages on Ch.15.
* Using Ableton 10.0.2
* MacOS 10.12.6, with high specced Mac
* Latest Firmware on both devices

I've setup the H9 as an "External Audio Effect" using the standard Ableton ext. object they provide and that's setup on one of the Return tracks in my Ableton Template.

All assignments are programmed correctly in the H9.

Am I missing something super obvious, or do I need scripting to affect something without arming tracks?
Thanks for your help in advance.

[[jur]]

Set your midi track monitoring to ON.

[mpc183]

Hi Jur, thanks for your quick response. I think I forgot to ask, is there a way of doing this without a track at all? So the Midi is flowing no matter what is on the track list? Or being able to enable MIDI in the Return track?
Thanks

[doghouse]

No, you need to have a track for MIDI to flow between your controller and the H9.

If you used a different controller with MIDI jacks, you would not need a track.

[mpc183]

Got it. Thanks again.
I'll work on a virtual connection with Audio and MIDI Setup with my Unitor8 or some other workaround.