Ableton Forum

Hello, I've been attempting to find some software to let me use my high end joystick-throttle combination as a midi controller for live 5. So far the search has been fruitless, I'm hoping someone will help.

The Joystick I use is a Saitek x52. This thing has a large array of sliders buttons and so forth which would be GREAT for my application, if I could find a joy2midi program to support it. Here's a link to the joystick.

http://www.saitekusa.com/usa/prod/x52.htm

So far I've tried:
Vmidijoy - The most promising of the lot but does not have enough programable functions nor a large enough degree of control. It would be great if I was using a simple xyx joystick with only 4 buttons, but no good for the joystick throttle combination.

Midijoys- Old and does not perform the needed functions.

I tried out another one which was vst based but unfortunately it is not compatible with ableton as ableton filters the commands sent by the joystick or something like that according to the company.

Now there is a program which looks like it would totally work with what I'm trying to do and that's Junxion.

http://www.steim.org/steim/junxion.html

However it's mac only! D'oh!

Does anyone have any idea how I could go about this, short of buying a mac? ( I really do not want to buy a mac ) Any help would be appreciated as I feel I've just blown 100 bucks on a pair of very complicated paperweights.

There are tons of MIDI-specific controllers out there designed for the job, rather than trying to shoehorn game-playing technology into music applications.

Kinda like trying to play Grand Theft Auto with your piano.

But I guess you could play Doom while DJing...

also check out Plogue Bidule

I think you are out of luck. Never seen anything that maps such a complex joystick setup to midi.

I have successfully mapped a PS2 type controller to MIDI using a self build Synth Edit VST based on Davis Haupt's excellent joystick SE module, but even then I couldn't use all the buttons.

Unless you want to do a big amount of custom coding, you will probably be better off getting a real MIDI controller.

http://www.fireballtrailers.com/rejoice/

give rejoice a go, it seems to find the stuff a lot of others don't.
i have to say though, thats one hell of a joystick!!

The joystick is awesome, thanks for all the constructive comments. I don't think rejoice will quite fit the bill, but I'm going to work with it more later today. Bidule looks intriguing but I don't see anything on the page about explicitly supporting joystick to midi conversion. I will create a post in their forums asking for help.

To the people suggesting I get a regular midi controller: I have several. However what I am looking for is something more ergonomically suited for simultaneous adjustment of multiple realtime parameters. Traditional faders and pots can not be used as rapidly nor as intuitively as the controls on a joystick.

As I said also, the software for this DOES exist, sadly just in mac format. : (

I'll continue searching, if anyone has any ideas please post them here.

l0de wrote:To the people suggesting I get a regular midi controller: I have several. However what I am looking for is something more ergonomically suited for simultaneous adjustment of multiple realtime parameters. Traditional faders and pots can not be used as rapidly nor as intuitively as the controls on a joystick.

It would be something to behold... someone firing off a Live set with one of those rad ass joysticks in each hand! It would look pretty futuristic in front of a crowd. Prolly freak people out. If one developer made software for this purpose I'm sure others will come up with a windows version. Hope you're succesful in your quest.

hello

so you are talking about joysticks and live midi control
http://vinuesa.club.fr/projet-flou/engl ... ckctrl.htm
i have made it for my personnal use
and use it on it on stage since 2 years now
up to 12 buttons and 6 axis joysticks support
midi cc automation with 1 button (ie: fad in fad out cross fad auto pan...)

the same axes could control several midi cc at the same time... (up to 12 controls)
based on the david haupt synthedit module
only for pc users


needs midiyoke virtual midi port to work with live
http://www.midiox.com/index.htm?http:// ... /myoke.htm

freeware.

new version soon

Hambone, you dont know what you are talking about.

Video Game controllers have a MUCH higher resolution than Midi controllers, and basically function under the same data flow as Midi.

I use a joystick and a PS2 controller, which I pump through Max/MSP. This is what you want. You can parse the data in ANY way you might imagine...you have to build the interface, but its worth it, to include and exclude what specifically matters.

www.cycling74.com

The others here may work also...but game controllers are MUCH higher quality data, at usually a 10th of the price.