Akai Fire rotary controls

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noiseconjecture
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Akai Fire rotary controls

Post by noiseconjecture » Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:42 am

Has anyone else noticed this behaviour when using Akai Fire with Ableton (I use Ableton 10 Standard)? When in MIDI Map Mode turning the volume control allocates an on/off note. To get round this I tried the following:

Slowly turn the volume rotary control clockwise.
While turning the volume control, click MIDI Map Mode, click the volume on a track and then turn off MIDI Map Mode - all the time slowly turning the rotary control.

This produces a smooth control when increasing the volume but decreasing, the volume jumps quickly with no smooth transition.

However if the this procedure is followed but turning the rotary control anticlockwise, the control is smooth both increasing and decreasing the volume. The same applies to all four rotary controls (volume, pan, filter, resonance).

This means the four controls can be used but I don't understand why turning the rotary control anticlockwise instead of clockwise produces a different result.

S4racen
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Re: Akai Fire rotary controls

Post by S4racen » Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:47 pm

When you MIDI Map look in the bottom bar to give an understanding of what type of MIDI is being detected, it might be that Live is detecting or assuming a different type based on the direction of the turn.

Cheers
D

noiseconjecture
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:28 pm
Location: London U.K.

Re: Akai Fire rotary controls

Post by noiseconjecture » Tue Mar 28, 2023 5:58 pm

Thank you for your suggestion S4racen. When the rotary control is turned clockwise the mode is Relative (Signed Bit). Anticlockwise the mode is Relative (2's Comp.). I assume the control has to be turning when MIDI Map Mode is clicked so that a CC message is sent instead of Note On/Off.

S4racen
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Re: Akai Fire rotary controls

Post by S4racen » Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:13 am

That may well be the case...

Cheers
D

noiseconjecture
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Re: Akai Fire rotary controls

Post by noiseconjecture » Thu Mar 30, 2023 8:32 am

For reference, I have found another way of allocating the rotary controls (volume, pan, filter, resonance) which is much simpler. In MIDI Mapping Mode, hold down the ALT key then turn the control anticlockwise, cc controls are then allocated: 1/16, 1/17, 1/18, 1/19.
This is on a Mac and I have no idea why it works.

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