APC40 not automap vst parameters

[alex pardo]

Hi i'm using in my live shows my apc40 and I map the 8 nobs of the pan to my virus snow. I use with Virus Control and map the 4 cut off and the 4 release parameters of the 4 parts but when i change the preset in the apc40 doesn't change the mapping of the parameters.
Is this a bug of the "automap" in apc40?

[Alextronica]

I feel your pain

I'm talking to Akai currently about a similar problem but one in Live.

Its seem from talking to them that when you override the APC mapping that the APC no longer talks to Live to get feedback on where your knobs are at.

If Im understanding you correctly you might try Pick up mode. In Live Prefferences under the MIDI Sync Tab.

Im finding that when I map knob 1 of "Send C" to anything then go to "Send A" and move something then go back to "Send C" it requires me to use the pick mode to catch back up to the parameter that "Send C" is mapped to.

Sucks cause I hate Pick up mode. I want it where if I have "Send C" Knob 1 at 50% when I go back to "Send C" I want the Led to still be at 50%. But No, It dont work like that.

Here is the kicker. Map Knob 1 of "Send C" to anything, press the "Send A" button but dont touch any knob now go back to "Send C" and Pick mode doesnt even work. I think its an APC bug, Akai is currently looking into it.

Hope that helps

[chelemasty]

I feel your pain

I'm talking to Akai currently about a similar problem but one in Live.

Its seem from talking to them that when you override the APC mapping that the APC no longer talks to Live to get feedback on where your knobs are at.

If Im understanding you correctly you might try Pick up mode. In Live Prefferences under the MIDI Sync Tab.

Im finding that when I map knob 1 of "Send C" to anything then go to "Send A" and move something then go back to "Send C" it requires me to use the pick mode to catch back up to the parameter that "Send C" is mapped to.

Sucks cause I hate Pick up mode. I want it where if I have "Send C" Knob 1 at 50% when I go back to "Send C" I want the Led to still be at 50%. But No, It dont work like that.

Here is the kicker. Map Knob 1 of "Send C" to anything, press the "Send A" button but dont touch any knob now go back to "Send C" and Pick mode doesnt even work. I think its an APC bug, Akai is currently looking into it.

Hope that helps

Hi! I emailed Akai about this issue also. So did you really called them? And if they really looking into it, then that's good. Also if you wanna map something on the Track Control Knobs, although you can't use all of the banks. Try using only the Send B and the Send C banks. Coz in my APC40, they update their value if I mapped something to it. But still, they need a firmware update for it for all of the banks to update their value. They should also consider what I posted here also, that while during MIDI map mode, make the Device Control Knob to not update theirselves and bypass your bank position and return to the default state, so that you could map to its 8 banks without disabling the MIDI map mode over and over everytime you map each of those knobs.

[Alextronica]

Yeah I did call em.

Well I first called about taking the side wings off and the first guy said no. So I hung up and called back and that guy said no so hung up and called back and asked about the bug then I asked again about the side wings and that guys said no.

I like to to call and ask several times cause it works with ATT. If I ever want to do something it guaranteed when I hang up and call the next person will be like "yeah no problem." Sad but true. Anyway.....

They called me back a bit ago and said this problem only exists with the APC and not with their other products that have multiple banks. So whatever that means. I also asked them about overiden Knobs retaining their Values when you switch banks and they said they would look into it. Their answer was basically Pick up mode. But that sucks, I hate pick mode. The guy I talk with was super cool but told me that the APC wasn't really meant to be remapped he was like "sure you can do it but it wasn't really made for that". I had my doubts long before the APC was released. I even email Akai back then and Jesse told me not to worry that everything I wanted to do could be done. Its bad to hear the guy telling you the opposite after you've already purchased the device.

Akai's being real cool at least the guy I talked to who called me back, but we'll still have to see if they can fix this problem. Maybe were looking at a an APC recall? I hope not.

So Chelemasty am I understanding you right. Your complaint has to do with being able to remap the shift button and Bank buttons? I can totally see how that is a pain where your intension is to switch banks and not map those buttons. I want to understand your problem better so when next I talk to Akai.

Its my understanding that if you Map something to a "Device Control" Knob, that that knob stays whatever you mapped it to regardless of "Device" bank. I could be wrong as I haven't tried remapping the Device Knobs. I like having Racks with Macros set up and banking though those. No remapping needed. "Track Controls are a different story. I was really really hoping to use those for Filter Sweeps. Akai said "thats what the Device Controls were for" We are gonna have to get really good at Shift banking the Device Controls hitting the Track section and shift banking the Device Controls again.

I cant wait to be to afford Bomes.

If Akai cant fix this problem then I was think of remapping the Pan and Send buttons and just letting there be only one bank of 8 knobs for the "Track Control". That option sucks but at least I wont have to deal with pick up mode in a live setting as I wont be switching banks.

Let me know what you think.

[chelemasty]

Yeah I did call em.

Well I first called about taking the side wings off and the first guy said no. So I hung up and called back and that guy said no so hung up and called back and asked about the bug then I asked again about the side wings and that guys said no.

I like to to call and ask several times cause it works with ATT. If I ever want to do something it guaranteed when I hang up and call the next person will be like "yeah no problem." Sad but true. Anyway.....

They called me back a bit ago and said this problem only exists with the APC and not with their other products that have multiple banks. So whatever that means. I also asked them about overiden Knobs retaining their Values when you switch banks and they said they would look into it. Their answer was basically Pick up mode. But that sucks, I hate pick mode. The guy I talk with was super cool but told me that the APC wasn't really meant to be remapped he was like "sure you can do it but it wasn't really made for that". I had my doubts long before the APC was released. I even email Akai back then and Jesse told me not to worry that everything I wanted to do could be done. Its bad to hear the guy telling you the opposite after you've already purchased the device.

Akai's being real cool at least the guy I talked to who called me back, but we'll still have to see if they can fix this problem. Maybe were looking at a an APC recall? I hope not.

So Chelemasty am I understanding you right. Your complaint has to do with being able to remap the shift button and Bank buttons? I can totally see how that is a pain where your intension is to switch banks and not map those buttons. I want to understand your problem better so when next I talk to Akai.

Its my understanding that if you Map something to a "Device Control" Knob, that that knob stays whatever you mapped it to regardless of "Device" bank. I could be wrong as I haven't tried remapping the Device Knobs. I like having Racks with Macros set up and banking though those. No remapping needed. "Track Controls are a different story. I was really really hoping to use those for Filter Sweeps. Akai said "thats what the Device Controls were for" We are gonna have to get really good at Shift banking the Device Controls hitting the Track section and shift banking the Device Controls again.

I cant wait to be to afford Bomes.

If Akai cant fix this problem then I was think of remapping the Pan and Send buttons and just letting there be only one bank of 8 knobs for the "Track Control". That option sucks but at least I wont have to deal with pick up mode in a live setting as I wont be switching banks.

Let me know what you think.

Yeah the Device Control actually remembers the parameter values, but in the MIDI mapping process, say you macro all of your effects like EQs, High & Low pass filter, and beat repeat, and since you cant control more than one effects at a time, for example, "FILTERS", you're going to map it right? And since the Track Control banks are useless, you're option would be the Device Control since it remembers parameter values. So it's decided that you're going to use the Device Control Knobs, let's say you're going to map all your high-pass filters from each of your channel's macro to BANK THREE so that you could control more than one, after that you click SHIFT and BANK THREE. Then click MIDI map mode switch, then map the first one, then so on. BUT, the problem is, you can't map CONTINUOSLY coz after mapping a single high-pass filter in the Device Control Knobs, it updates itself and returns to Bank 1, which is the default setting where it automaps itself and bypasses the bank selection where you're mapping at. So to continue mapping the remaining high-pass filter, you're going to disable the MIDI map mode switch AGAIN and press SHIFT + Bank AGAIN, since you can't "press SHIFT" + Bank to return since you can't do that while MIDI map mode is enabled.

Here's a video of me explaining, I kinda sound tired coz I recorded it around 4 A.M.

http://www.vimeo.com/6879052

[Alextronica]

Yeah I totally see what your trying to do. What a pain! All that cause the Shift key is mappable.

Thanks for the Video.

I was under the impression that Bank meant moving to the next Device. which is NOT the case. Not even when you have Racks enbedded in Racks. You get 8 Banks per device and use the < > buttons to move to the next device. Where you get 8 different banks. How ever if you over ride a knob, it stays over riden for that bank no matter what track and what device you have highlighted.

When you switch tracks the APC goes back to bank one.

I starting to learn now!

Thanks for sharing.

[chelemasty]

Yeah I totally see what your trying to do. What a pain! All that cause the Shift key is mappable.

Thanks for the Video.

I was under the impression that Bank meant moving to the next Device. which is NOT the case. Not even when you have Racks enbedded in Racks. You get 8 Banks per device and use the < > buttons to move to the next device. Where you get 8 different banks. How ever if you over ride a knob, it stays over riden for that bank no matter what track and what device you have highlighted.

When you switch tracks the APC goes back to bank one.

I starting to learn now!

Thanks for sharing.

Yeah man, it's just it doesn't makes sense to give us 8 banks if it's a pain to map something to it. If they don't fix this, oh man, I'mma drive by all of the Akai people at the Winter NAMM show at Anaheim CA. Coz these and the not remembering the parameter values when mapping something on the Track Control Knobs is just plain nonsense.

[delicioso]

Sell the APC40 and get a Launchpad + Nocturn. This will solve your problem. APC40 fails when it comes to controlling plugins. Novation Automap is by far the best solution for that.

[chelemasty]

Oh please! You're not helping!!!!!! And, you can control plugins with an APC. Also, though I'm gonna get a Launchpad, I'm not gonna defend it knowing it hasn't come out yet.

[delicioso]

Oh please! You're not helping!!!!!! And, you can control plugins with an APC. Also, though I'm gonna get a Launchpad, I'm not gonna defend it knowing it hasn't come out yet.

Novation Automap is simply far superior to anything else when it comes to plugin and MIDI controls. APC40 is an epic FAIL in this area. Beyond the obvious clip controls/scene selection and Live devices, it's not anywhere close to being an ideal choice for plugin or MIDI control. Messy configuration, limited number of parameters that can be assigned, can't assign buttons to device parameters without overriding their default use...etc.

Novation Automap gives me plugin specific controls with practically limitless pages of custom controls, it has 16 channels of custom MIDI maps, all designed to do whatever I want, quickly change between all the maps with couple of button strokes, easily customizable GUI that gives me instant information as to what is going on on the controller...etc.

As for the Launchpad, you can already have a good idea of how it compares to the APC's matrix grid just by watching Novation's Launchpad tutorial videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NovationTV#g/u

[chelemasty]

Oh please! You're not helping!!!!!! And, you can control plugins with an APC. Also, though I'm gonna get a Launchpad, I'm not gonna defend it knowing it hasn't come out yet.

Novation Automap is simply far superior to anything else when it comes to plugin and MIDI controls. APC40 is an epic FAIL in this area. Beyond the obvious clip controls/scene selection and Live devices, it's not anywhere close to being an ideal choice for plugin or MIDI control. Messy configuration, limited number of parameters that can be assigned, can't assign buttons to device parameters without overriding their default use...etc.

Novation Automap gives me plugin specific controls with practically limitless pages of custom controls, it has 16 channels of custom MIDI maps, all designed to do whatever I want, quickly change between all the maps with couple of button strokes, easily customizable GUI that gives me instant information as to what is going on on the controller...etc.

As for the Launchpad, you can already have a good idea of how it compares to the APC's matrix grid just by watching Novation's Launchpad tutorial videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NovationTV#g/u

And not all of us likes to use Automap, and If I'm going to use launchpad, I'm gonna use it for it's grid, for dummy clips...etc. And oh, I've used nocturn back then btw. I don't like it coz it's too small, it moves with just little pressure from my hands. And with APC40, it's much faster to produce beats and control effects while recording without mapping. Also, all this talk doesn't make any sens at all, coz at the end of the day, it all comes back to preference.LOL Now back to the topic.

[AceLuby]

I've gone back and forth on automap and it's ok at best. You probably need the 'pro' version, but I don't want to lay out the cash when the free version is so bad. I also don't use VST's so it's redundant when toggling through racks.