Adjusting track levels with a controller, with an offset

[david mondrup]

I want to be able to control the level of several tracks with a knob on my MIDI controller. I know how to assign them, and I know how to set the range of the MIDI assignments. But when doing that, when I turn the knob all faders start to move immediately, and that is not what I'm after in this case. What I want is, that as I turn the knob, the channels are introduced one by one. For instance; when the knob is all the way down to zero, only track 1 is playing. When the knob is up to, say, 25%, the fader on track 2 begins to move. When the knob is up to 50%, track 3 begins turning up a.s.o. Sort of setting the range with an offset value.

The whole idea behind this is to create a scenario, where one loop is playing, and as I turn the knob, the whole arrangement is growing around that loop (or, as I turn the knob down, the arrangement is folded back).

Any ideas on how to accomplish this?

[david mondrup]

My solution so far;

1: Make a new audio track, with an Audio Effect Rack on it.

2: Create a new chain for each of the channels I want to control with the knob.

3: To route the audio from the tracks onto the chains, my best bet as of now is to insert a Compressor, sidechain the audio from the track (post mixer) into it, and set it to "Listen".

Now I can set up my mappings of the levels in the Chain Zone editor, and map the knob to the Chain Selector. Thus, I have used the Effect Rack to create a rack/sub mixer of sorts ... but my upbringing tells my, that a Compressor is not meant to be left in "Listen" mode. If it works, then all's good - but I fear that there may be some drawbacks to it, and I'd hate to discover those drawbacks while on stage ...

[chapelier fou]

i'd try the idea of the chain selectors, but with utility plugins.

[david mondrup]

But how would you then get the audio into the chains? My only use for the compressors is as audio routing devices.

[ericzang]

Leaving the compressor in listen mode has been working great for me for reaching similar solutions. No drawback as far as I know.