Forum rss-feed

Forum

Alpha: Controlling Midi CCs in an AU instrument

Most Recent

written by: prstorms

Many thanks, Dave, Geert, Aaron and John...

Thanks to Geert's assistance I was able to get volume linked to a host parameter, rather than a midi CC (your Wiki post was perfect!). Thanks to Dave I was able to get the pedal hooked up properly, calibrated and working. And thanks to Aaron and John, I got linked up with Dave.

Talk about customer service! Two international calls from Dave as he talked me through the various hook up/parameter setting concerns really was above and beyond the call of duty.

Gents, you are the best.

OK... off to practice!

Pat

written by: prstorms

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 15:49:56 +0000 GMT

I've read the Wiki on this topic, but I'm still not there. I'd like to be able to use breath (blow) to control either volume or the mod wheel function. I check the appropriate boxes in the parameter screen (dragging right to increase the value), but in spite of that, nothing really happens with the instrument. I'm using the Gofriller cello (naturally) with Kontakt 4. 1.1.24 has the cello singing, and I'm trying to get all of the innate flexibility out of the instrument that I can.

While on the subject of control, I would also like to be able to use my sustain pedal to trigger a sustain effect. It's an M-audio pedal that I use to sustain on my keyboard, and it's plugged into "Pedal 1, To Input (sustain)" on the base station. Again, it doesn't seem to do anything within the instrument. I have set the range of the pedal within the advanced functions noted in the manual (and as a result of a previous tip), again to no effect.

Any help is appreciated!

Regards,
Pat


written by: aaronw

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:19:23 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat,

In 1.1, the parameter screen currently doesn't let you route to CC's, only AU automation parameters. Please try the Unstable branch and see if you have any success with that.

Also it may be worth checking you have the pedal properly connected and calibrated. Does it work with the piano sampler?

Aaron
Customer Support


written by: prstorms

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 20:16:56 +0000 GMT

So the CCs blocks are there as placeholders for a future build? That explains it! Forgive me for taking a step farther back... what's an AU automation parameter?

I may bravely go forth and attempt the unstable branch, but that hasn't been a happy trail for me in the past!

I'll give the pedal a try with the piano sampler... hook it in to Pedal 1 sustain, calibrate it through the advanced controls and it should work like a champ with 1.1.24, right?

Thanks,
Pat


written by: geert

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:37:28 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat,

Can you please expand on what you say about the CCs blocks? Release 1.1.24 has no support visually nor logically to send MIDI CC messages to AU plugins, this is work in progress and is currently only available in the unstable 1.2 releases.

AU parameters are exposed by the individual AU plugins as a way to change values inside the plugin from the outside. An example could be filter cutoff frequency, reverb decay, ... you can then tie those to the data coming from your Eigenharp in the routing matrix.

The sustain pedal should work straight out of the box with the piano sampler in 1.1.24 after you calibrated the pedal through the advanced setup.

Take care,

Geert


written by: prstorms

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:53:24 +0000 GMT

Geert,

When I open Kontakt 4 via AU 3 the word "Configure" appears in white on a black background just above the Kontakt 4 screen. Clicking on this brings up a matrix with inputs on top (blow, suck, key yaw, etc) and numbers on the L. I'm assuming the numbers are CC numbers... is that not correct?

Thanks,
Pat


written by: bl4cksun

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:45:12 +0000 GMT

i dont have the same software synth as you, but have a couple installed. The text down the left hand side is different depending on what soft synth i have selected. I think therefore that you might be seeing the parameter names from Kontakt ie parameter 1, parameter 2... not cc numbers. Just a guess... I've struggled to setup Omnisphere control cause of the same reason and am just waiting for the next release where you have the standard cc midi selections.


written by: 0beron

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:01:29 +0000 GMT

Omnisphere is slightly different - because there are so many controls on different layers, you have to ask omnisphere to expose the control to the host. To do this, right click on the control (dial, fader, etc) in the Omnisphere GUI, and select 'Enable Host Automation'. Then when you go into the Configure window, there will be an extra row, about 8 down from the top with a reasonably sensible name. This way you can just make rows in the table for the parameters you need and not worry about huge lists of numbers.

Kontakt is pretty complex, so it might have a system a bit like this too, try the context menus on the GUI controls inside Kontakt and see what comes up?


written by: bl4cksun

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:42:01 +0000 GMT

thanks 0beron for the tip about Omnisphere


written by: geert

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:26:29 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat,

Those are not CC numbers, they are plugin automation parameter numbers. Most plugins automatically fill those in with names, not Kontakt. In Kontakt you can use the automation parameters to control any GUI control in your instruments.

In the left panel of the Kontakt GUI, where you browse for files or instruments, there's an 'Auto' tab. In that tab you have 'host automation' and 'midi automation' sub-tabs. The numbers you see in the 1.1.24 matrix are tied to host automation. You can click and drag any number in the 'host automation' list onto a control of any Kontakt instrument. The name will then be updated in the EigenD plugin matrix. Note that host automation can only be used when Kontakt runs as a plugin, not when it's running standalone. When you assign any of the mappings in the EigenD matrix, even when you didn't drag any of the numbers in Kontakt on a control, you'll see a red flashing icon to the left of the host automation parameter number in the tab in Kontakt.

A very nice feature of host automation is that it's much higher resolution than MIDI CC. You can use them to fully benefit from the high resolution of your Eigenharp.

Hope this helps,

Geert


written by: prstorms

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:39:41 +0000 GMT

OK, upgraded to 1.3.2; Boss FV-500H (high impedance) pedal arrived. My cable runs from "output" on the pedal to Volume Pedal 1 "To Input" on the alpha base station. I calibrated the pedal according to previous instructions (selecting pedal calibration from the advanced controls then pushing the top of the two lateral-most lit buttons with the volume pedal at min, and then pushing the bottom of the lateral-most two lit buttons with the volume pedal at max). I pulled up "Configure" in AU3 (Kontakt 4), and feasted my eyes on the Midi CC controls available. Having previously calibrated my pedal, I set it (Pedal 1) to control channel volume (CC #7)... nothing happened when I pressed the pedal. Nuts. I unselected that box and set "blow" to control CC #7... still nothing. I went back to the piano sound (Sampler 1), re-calibrated the volume pedal , then attempted to control volume with the pedal while playing the piano... nothing happened. I disconnected the pedal from my base station and interposed it between my Ultralite Mark 3 interface and my amp... it controlled the volume of the computer output (including notes being played via the Eigenharp) without difficulty.

Just for interest, I went back to AU3 and set blow to the CC for mod wheel 1 (which should induce vibrato in the Gofriller). It worked... sort of. Regardless of the volume of breath pushed through the mouthpiece, I would sometimes get a mod wheel response, and sometimes not... it wasn't at all predictable or controllable.

So... the pedal works, but it doesn't appear to control volume when plugged into the base station. Recall a previous post lamented the inability of my sustain pedal to initiate a sustain. Am I setting it up/configuring it wrong, or could there be a problem with my base station?

Thanks,
Pat


written by: prstorms

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 17:48:23 +0000 GMT

Geert,

Thanks for your post. Unfortunately, I didn't understand a word of it. I can open up the "host automation" panel in Kontakt 4, but from there you've lost me. I can't see how to click and drag a number in the host automation list (all of which read "not assigned") onto a "control" of a Kontakt instrument (don't even know what you're referring to when you reference a control of a Kontakt instrument).

This is a bit frustrating. I'm gong to pick up my good old analog euphonium and forget about Eigenharps for a day or two.

Regards,
Pat


written by: john

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 08:41:13 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat

Do you have both the input and output of the pedal connected to you Basestation Pro? You have to connect both as the way the Basestation knows about the position of the pedal is by sending it a tone then seeing how loud the tone coming back is. To be clear:

*using a mono 1/4" jack to jack cable, connect the the Basestation socket labeled 'Volume Pedal 1, To Input' to the volume pedal input

*using a mono 1/4" jack to jack cable, connect the the Basestation socket labeled 'Volume Pedal 1, To Output' to the volume pedal output

If you get these the wrong way round, it won't work. After connecting it all, calibrate as normal.

Sorry if you've already done this, I just couldn't tell if you'd used one or two cables to hook the pedal up from your comments. It is possible to use one (stereo) cable to connect certain pedals such as the Yamaha FC3, but not the FV500.

John


written by: geert

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:52:26 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat,

I'm sorry I'm not able to explain this in such a way that it makes sense to you.

Let me try again. Each instrument in Kontakt has a number of control knobs that you can change in the Kontakt GUI, for instance volume and pan (which are standard controls). There are also instrument-specific controls that could include the attack and release control, filters, ... anything really that the Kontakt instrument creators allowed you to modify. These controls can be tied to the parameter numbers in the Host Automation tab.

As soon as that is done, they appear in the left column of the EigenD instrument matrix where you can map them to controls on your Eigenharp. Below is a link to a screenshot where I opened the standard solo cello instrument that ships with Kontakt 4 and tie the host parameter 10 to the Sound control of the Cello GUI. I simply clicked on '#010" in the Host Automation tab and dragged it over the knob for the cello Sound. When the knob can be automated, you'll see the cursor with a green plus sign.

http://wiki.eigenzone.org/w/images/1/10/Kontakt_automation_parameters.png

I hope this is clearer.

Geert
Eigenlabs Software Team


written by: prstorms

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:19:50 +0000 GMT

John,

I certainly didn't know I had to connect both in and out... that's a surprise! I'll try the connections you suggest and let you know how it turns out.

Geert,

Thanks again, my friend, for your efforts to drag me along the path to learning. I'll give this a shot.

Regards,
Pat


written by: prstorms

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:10:14 +0000 GMT

John,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, particularly since it's my own bad news, but I hooked up the Boss as directed: "to input" to input and "to output" to output. I then mapped volume (CC #7) to pedal one after calibrating it (selecting the pedal calibration advanced function, pressing the top most lateral button on the Eigenharp with the pedal in the "min" position then pushing the bottom most lateral button with the pedal in the "max" position). Again, nothing.... no effect on the volume of the sound produced by the AU instrument. Interestingly I WAS able to map volume (CC #7) to blow. As long as the number in the box was quite low I had very nice control. The problem is that it required a constant stream of air to play at volume... stop blowing and volume would drop to zero. Great in concept, but not so great in execution, since I don't want to be air limited. At least it showed that I could map a CC to an Eigenharp control. The next step is being able to do it with the volume pedal that you folks recommended as being one that works with the Eigenharp.

Any ideas? What could I be doing wrong?

Thanks,
Pat


written by: keyman

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:25:56 +0000 GMT

Hi, Pat
I would like to help here... by only reading I must say probably you using the wrong buttons.

...pressing the top most lateral button on the Eigenharp with the pedal in the "min" position

then
pushing (in the same row to the right) button with the pedal in the "max" position ( and not "the bottom most lateral, as you say!)

With the ALPHA in a vertical position, Pedal 1 uses buttons in horizontal; from the edge to the other side
Pedal 2 the row bellow again in horizontal.

When I got the Basestation Pro I did try like a mad all the possible configs ( connections/ settings on the ALPHA and onthe plug-ins ect) and I got it to work all the time in the end, but it takes perseverance , as some time the values wont update as one would except.

My last tentative was with a Behringer FCV100 from a guitarist friend of mine, no problem whatsoever!

Please get some fresh air and try again ! (hope this time you'll get it right !)

Keyman



written by: geert

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:15:24 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat,

I suggest you try out using the AU automation parameters to control volume through your breath controller. You can set the volume sliders in Kontakt to a base position, which will be considered as being the origin. When you use the controller, it will make changes relevant to that base position and when you let go, snap back to it.

Take care,

Geert


written by: john

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:44:10 +0000 GMT

Hi Pat

I'm going to ask Aaron or Dave to give you a call and see if they can help you get this working. Could you possibly let Aaron in customer services know a telephone number where he can contact you?

John


written by: prstorms

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:39:01 +0000 GMT

Many thanks, Dave, Geert, Aaron and John...

Thanks to Geert's assistance I was able to get volume linked to a host parameter, rather than a midi CC (your Wiki post was perfect!). Thanks to Dave I was able to get the pedal hooked up properly, calibrated and working. And thanks to Aaron and John, I got linked up with Dave.

Talk about customer service! Two international calls from Dave as he talked me through the various hook up/parameter setting concerns really was above and beyond the call of duty.

Gents, you are the best.

OK... off to practice!

Pat



Please log in to join the discussions