Ableton Forum

This is the way I have found to operate my CME VX8's motorized faders with Ableton Live.

1) I updated my CME VX8's firmware to 2.1. http://www.cme-pro.com/en/support.php?type=app

2) These are the settings to take advantage of the motorized faders, using the piano keys to perform with your VST's, but not to have the CME VX8's Mackie Control template configured for your Ableton Live session. So when you press a piano key, the key will not trigger a function in Ableton LIve. It will trigger only your VST in Record mode and you will have to map out which functions you will want the CME VX8 to control in Ableton Live.

Input: CME VX8 Port 1 - Track (ON) , Sync (ON) , Remote (OFF)
Input: CME VX8 Port 2 - Track (OFF) , Sync (ON) , Remote (ON)

Output: CME VX8 Port 1 - Track (OFF) , Sync (ON) , Remote (OFF)
Output: CME VX8 Port 2 - Track (OFF) , Sync (ON) , Remote (ON)
Output: CME VX8 Port 3 - Track (OFF) , Sync (ON) , Remote (OFF)

I hope this helps, take care and play well.

My Setup :
1 17" 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro?
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM?
Mac OS X v10.4.11?
Apple Bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse??

250 GB LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Drive 800??

Allen & Heath Xone:92?
Allen & Heath Xone XD-53 Headphones??

PowerCore X8 - connected via firewire 400?
PowerCore Device OS: v3.1.0.21??

CME VX8 - connected via USB 2.0?
Vx Brain v1.1 Beta??

CME Bitstream 3X -connected via USB port on the CME VX8(port1)?
Configuration Software 3X v15?Firmware v1.8
?
Ableton Live 6.0.11

Auido 8 - connected via USB 2.0, using only 1 stereo channedl?
Komplete 5?
Spektral Delay v1.6.011?
Kore v1.1.0.006 - connected via USB 2.0?
Traktor DJ Studio v3.4.0.210?
Traktor Scratch v1.3.0.060??

No PCI express cards

No RAID configuration by way of more than 1 hard drive. I have my factory internal hard drive with the factory configuration. Serial ATA 2.

Welcome to the forums!

.m

hey

do any of the U-Ctrl modes work well with the Mackie Control templates in Live?

it seems a bit of a shame to have to MIDI map everything manually...

fishmonkey wrote:hey

do any of the U-Ctrl modes work well with the Mackie Control templates in Live?

it seems a bit of a shame to have to MIDI map everything manually...

Shouldn't be hard (but it will be long) to program a Mackie Emulation from scratch. I've done it with my BCF2000 following the useful info on the web:
http://home.comcast.net/~robbowers11/MCMap.htm
However I'm assuming it as possible not owning the CMEVX8.

- Best
- Pasha

i get Mackie Control emulation, i'm just curious to know if any of the default MC emulation modes of the VX series work well with Live...

not that i will probably ever buy a VX, being a disgruntled UF80 owner already...

Great question, I am having a lot of success with the CME VX8 and Ableton Live. The "U CTRL A" mode is the Mackie Control mode for the CME VX8. I am able to play instruments such as Akoustik Piano, Kontakt 3, and Reaktor 5 with the keys, mod. and pitch bend wheels. Then I use the knobs, buttons, and motorized faders for Ableton Live. I know this message may come across as a plug, but I spent a lot of time figuring out what type of MIDI keyboard to buy for both playability as well as MIDI "depth". The CME VX8 works well with everything I have and I know I made the right choice. Just make sure to read the manual first, install drivers properly, and turn everything on and off in its proper order. I hope this helps.

um, but do you actually use a Mackie Control mapping in Live, or do you MIDI map everything manually?

and i have to say to anyone considering a CME product, check out the CME forums before you take the plunge...

In the "Mackie Control" mode there is already a predetermined map for most of the CME's parameters. I choose to map everything out because I work a bit differently with the CME and Ableton Live. I also have various effects that I like to use and automate with the CME VX8 and Bitstream 3X and there are no maps for their parameters. So I map everything out manually in an Ableton "template" session and when it comes time to write a new song I open up my Ableton "template" and "SHIFT" + "COMMAND" + "S" as the new song that I want to write. I think it is amazing that both Ableton and the VX8 allow me to run either a factory template for Mackie Control or use my own.

I agree with you about checking out the CME forums. Especially the forum rules...

"Rule "#1. Always keep in mind that lack of computer experience and being "simply a musician" is not a free pass to whine, curse, and use all sorts of profanity and/or expletives on this forum. Fortunately, and unfortunately, the computer has become an important and powerful tool to musicians. In this century, it is wise to become proficient in the area of music technology if you want to be a well rounded and versatile musician."

hey, i'm happy that you are having a good experience with your VX... and from what i've read, it should be fine given the fairly straightforward way you are using it...

however, it is pretty clear that CME's track record of product support is truly awful, especially when it comes to writing firmware that actually works the way it is advertised to...

in fact, it has been said that CME has temporarily stopped shipping new VXs until they can finally release a decent version of the firmware (it has taken them the better part of a year so far)...

When i use that configuration, Live doesnt receive messages from my faders or knobs. Is there something else i have to do before it works? What should i set the inputs/outputs to at the top? The keys and pads are all currently working fine.

There are some questions I must ask about your setup, please do not be offended by their simplicity.

1) Have you updated your firmware to v2.1? Here is the link just in case. http://www.cme-pro.com/en/support.php?type=app
2) Is your CME VX series keyboard plugged in via USB or some other possible connection?
3) Has the "LOCAL" been turned off in the CME VX preferences. (F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES.)
4) Does 'Mackie Control" appear on the CME VX when clicking on the "U-CTRL" button?
5) When your Live session is open with your Live preferences window open, does the CME, with all of its ports, show up in the preferences window, both INPUT & OUTPUT?
6) What MIDI channel is the keyboard and your Ableton Live channel's set at?
7) There are two boxes that are called the KEY/MIDI INDICATORS, right next to the KEY box in the upper right-hand corner of Live, do they light up when moving a fader?
8) And when pressing one of the CME VX piano keys does the MIDI TRACK IN INDICATOR, right next to the box with a "D" labeling it, does that indicator light up?

before doing a somewhat risky firmware update, it would be worth checking the CME forums to make sure that the firmware doesn't break any functionality that you need...

Thanks for the fast reply! I numbered the changes i made/steps i took while following your questions, so hopefully you'll be able to help me out a bit more.
1) Have you updated your firmware to v2.1?
I got the VX80, which i believe comes with firmware version 2.1 pre-installed. no problems here.
2) Is your CME VX series keyboard plugged in via USB or some other possible connection?
USB, with AC adapter for power supply.
3) Has the "LOCAL" been turned off in the CME VX preferences. (F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES.)
Checking this was extremely confusing for me.
1. I tried [F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES], which to my surprise caused Ableton live to recognize encoder/ fader signals (MIDI track in indicator blinks), but i was still unable to assign them to any functions within live.
2. At this point, i had absolutely no idea what you meant by "Local", so i decided to read the manual (probably a good idea for anyone who gets this keyboard). The manual says to toggle local options, you must press [UTILITY, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS PAGE>" 3 TIMES] (not F7, Utility)
3. now, i go back and press F7, shift, <Page 3 times to undo what you told me to do (seeing as that F7 is directly below UTILITY, i thought maybe you just mixed up the buttons, honest mistake)
4. turns out you didnt mix up the buttons, because at this point, live stopped receiving messages from the faders and knobs (so i re-did F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES)
5. Local is now disabled, and i've done whatever weird operation F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES does to make live receive midi messages from knobs and faders, however, I am still unable to assign them to anything.
4) Does 'Mackie Control" appear on the CME VX when clicking on the "U-CTRL" button?
Yes
5) When your Live session is open with your Live preferences window open, does the CME, with all of its ports, show up in the preferences window, both INPUT & OUTPUT?
Yeah, i had the display identical to the settings in your first post, with the same on/off.
6. After seeing that the MIDI track in indicator was working, i turned the CME VX8 Port 2 Remote to "ON". This allows me to now assign faders and knobs to any parameters in Live (in other words, its sort of working)
6) What MIDI channel is the keyboard and your Ableton Live channel's set at?
The VX80 is still on its default settings, and Live receives messages from "All Channels" (from in/out settings)
7) There are two boxes that are called the KEY/MIDI INDICATORS, right next to the KEY box in the upper right-hand corner of Live, do they light up when moving a fader?
Yes and No. Unassigned faders light up the MIDI track in indicator, whereas assigned faders light up both Key/MIDI in and out indicators.
And when pressing one of the CME VX piano keys does the MIDI TRACK IN INDICATOR, right next to the box with a "D" labeling it, does that indicator light up?
Yes.

At this point, i can freely assign my knobs and faders to anything in Live. But...
1. When i adjust an item paired to a fader from my computer, i witness no movement of the motorized fader (it just stays there, which i find lame) Are they supposed to work?
2. It confuses me that you are able to make everything work with CME VX8 Port 2's Remote set to "OFF". Any ideas?
3. I'd like to know what exactly happens when you press [F7, HOLD SHIFT, AND PRESS "PAGE>" 3 TIMES], because this seems like a pretty important step and i dont remember reading it in the manual.

1) Great, no problems there. I have not located a manual for the 2.1 firmware layout for the CME, but we'll get to that later.
2) Excellent, chaining various MIDI devices together can complicate things, but not in your case.
3) The reason for turning the "LOCAL OFF', is because the CME can transmit messages to the faders at a different BPM then what your Live session is wanting to transmit. So glad you were able to do so. I forgot to mention that you need to be in the "MASTER" mode so you can access all of the VX8's parameters. You know when you're in the "MASTER" mode because the master button, F1, has a solid light. Understanding how to access the VX8's parameters via the SHIFT + PAGE keys will allow you to customize your setup by viewing all of the different options located in F1 thru F8.
4) Good, otherwise it was time to get a hold of CME's technical support.
5) Another just in case, tell CME technical support.
6) Very good, no need to complicate things just yet by having multiple channels when we need just the faders to start working for you.
7) & 8) Those lights are important. Anytime you are using a MIDI device, those lights will let you know if your controller and Live are communicating with each other.

Something else that I forgot to mention in the first post. When opening up Ableton LIve with the VX8, it is a good idea to setup the VX8 in MASTER mode first, when finished in "MASTER" mode, press the "U-CTRL" to put the VX8 in "MACKIE CONTROL" mode, then open up your Live session.

Right now looks like you have setup everything correctly, let's take Ableton Live's Channel 1 volume slider, the little sideways triangle, and route it to the VX8's SLIDER 1. You put Ableton Live in MIDI Map mode, click on Ableton Live's Channel 1 volume slider, then move the VX8's SLIDER 1, while in MIDI map mode. You should see a MIDI note value attach itself to Live's channel 1 volume slider as soon as you move the VX8's SLIDER 1. Take Ableton Live out of MIDI map mode. Try moving the volume slider's on both the VX8 and Live's channel 1, anything happening?

Yeah the on-screen control works great now. I'd just like the motorized faders to start doing something.
Just to get this straight (correct me if i'm wrong), it seems that the controller does NOT transmit knob, or slider information when in MASTER 0. by pressing [MASTER, INC/YES, ENTER], i switched to "01-II II II II II II II II II II II II II", and from here, any of the F1-8 buttons will work. I guess [SHIFT, PAGE>] is just a shortcut for switching master folders, which explains why it worked earlier =)