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The process is significantly different for each host or app you're working with. Are you thinking of something specific, like Cubasis 3?
Maybe like a philosophical exploration of MIDI learn as an analogy for conscious reality.
or marriage.
@OscarSouth... well, understanding consciousness feels like a piece of cake compared to tackling midi, but yeah.
@wim, thinking SWAM, Hammond B3x and Cubasis3 for now.
Do you have a particular thing you are trying to do but can’t figure out?
As others have mentioned, it varies from host to host.
Do you have questions about the underlying MIDI events?
@espiegel123 , outlined above... but frankly, midi control is a bit of a terrifying mystery. I may need a professional to investigate the origins of this mental block.
On MIDI by the way, if your controller can be configured and the app has a native MIDI mapping documented anywhere, then I usually find that much more conceptually intuitive than MIDI learn (which is just a logical extension of the principle). I like brambos implementations of this in particular.
@OscarSouth, it’d be great to know which of the major synths have that feature.
🎖️
Doesn't that method only work if you're running a synth standalone, not within an AU host? Although you can always configure cc control in, e.g., AUM' MIDI Control section, without using MIDI learn. Just specify cc numbers directly.
Different for different units. Brams all have a documented mapping. Moog Model D has a mapping that you define in stand alone and which carries over into AU (so you set up in stand alone and it persists as a plugin). Koala has a mapping mode AND a separate MIDI learn mode (I prefer the mapping mode as it's quicker and more intuitive to set up, even though the learn mode is more powerful).
There is no one rule. Some synths have built in MIDI mappings regardless of whether they are standalone or AU -- sometimes overridable with MIDI Learn, sometimes not.
And while AU parameters are MIDI learnable in AUM's MIDI Control -- that is a different thing from the synths processing MIDI.
@LinearLineman : maybe we can help demystify MIDI for you -- once demystified it is fairly straightforward (MIDI) even if some synths are enigmatic in how they implement it.
Basicl Overview:
MIDI has 5 types of Messages - Controllers send out 4 event types:
1. Notes ON/OFF w/ Velocity/Volume
2. Continous Controls (CC's) numbered with a value between 0-127
3. Pitch Bends
4. Program Changes
5. SysEx (System Exclusive - often used to upload/download hardware configs)
These events are tagged to be routed on 1 of 16 MIDI channels (0-15).
DAW's typically open all 16 channels (OMNI mode) to each app loaded but some require you turn specific channels on turning all others off.
MIDI Learn is a cool feature an app will create that sets up this sequence of events:
1. Turn MIDi Learn on for a specific application control (like vibrato rate, for example)
2. Use a control on the MIDI sender set-up to reach that app
3. The incoming CC gets configured in the app to control the "MIDI Learn Enabled" parameter
The best way to know what a controller is sending is to use a MIDI Montoring app like:
1. MIDI Wrench (free from the Crudebytes folks)
2. MIDi Spy
3. and many more
TRIVIA FOR NERDS:
@Michael used the MIDI SysEx messaging standard to create AudioBus on IOS.
Thnx @espiegel123, I will call on you! @McD, you're a damned engineer, I’m a mere mortal.
Cool trivia! I want to know more!
The first barrier to learning a fear of failure. Just assume you will succeed with extra effort and you'll keep adding new capabilities. Like most skills... there's a spectrum of capabilities.
Life is a journey... traversing spectrums in multiple dimensions.
Wow, you have a good memory!
@LinearLineman MIDI Learn in an app or host is usually pretty straightforward, but if you've never used a MIDI controller, you may be wondering about the entire MIDI control process. That process is actually laughably simple. The knobs, sliders, and buttons on a controller generally send a MIDI CC message consisting of an identifying CC number and a value from 0 to 127, corresponding to the knob position. If the controller is configurable, these can be changed in various ways, but that comes later, when you need it.
In a stand-alone app, you enable MIDI Learn (if it has it) as a menu item. It highlights all the controls, you select a control, then move a knob/slider/button, and it indicates that this controller is now operating the control. When done, you cancel MIDI Learn, and use the knobs to adjust the parameters. The screen controls will follow the knobs, but only when they are moved. Unfortunately, there is no way for the app to move the knobs, so when you restore a preset, the knobs will all be wrong. As soon as you move a knob, the control will jump to the knob position, and you may need to turn it back to the correct value. This can be inconvenient, and you need to be alert.
In a host (Audiobus or AUM), you can generally MIDI Learn the host controls, and parameters of AUv3s in the host. This takes some more menu diving, and you pick the app parameter from a list, but the result is the same. And the host may offer a "pick-up" feature, where the knob doesn't affect the parameter until it's matched to the actual value. This is nicer than the rude jump effect in stand-alone. The MIDI mappings are saved in the host preset.
In either stand-alone or hosted, you can generally edit the MIDI map directly, typing in the required data, instead of using the MIDI Learn method. This is less convenient, but may be needed to adjust some specific configuration.
I use a Nektar LS61+, which has the typical 9 sliders, 9 buttons, and 8 knobs, which I use in various ways. I do not use the sliders for drawbars for the reasons mentioned above. I keep short lists of the setups for different apps and AB presets, so I know what's where when starting to play. I don't know about the specifics of the apps you mentioned, but their docs should explain the details of what they can do. You really need to just jump in and get started.
Sorry if this is all old news, but I thought it might help to run over the basics.
Here's a bite size run down of CCs, which are the thing you deal with most on iOS (notes tend to take care of themselves).
CCs (continuous controllers):
127 CCs, lots of which have 'traditional' standardised roles (relevant for apps with mappings) but the numbers can pretty much be used ad-hoc if you're just using MIDI learn.
Common behaviours:
continuous = adjust across the value range smoothly
momentary = sitting at 0, sending 127 when depressed reverting back to 0 when released (example values)
toggle (on/off) = alternate between different values when pressed
single value = send a single value of designated amount (I find most hosts don't respond well to this, but AudioBus is fine here)
obviously momentary, toggle and single value can send different values under the same behaviour, and hosts will respond to those values differently. Different for each host.
These are the most common standardised CCs:
1 = Modulation wheel
2 = Breath Control
7 = Volume
10 = Pan
11 = Expression
64 = Sustain Pedal (on/off)
65 = Portamento (on/off)
71 = Resonance (filter)
74 = Frequency Cutoff (filter)
Much more to say here? I think this is most of the practical stuff
Thanks @uncledave and @OscarSouth, that’s helpful info. The deal with the controls changing the presets... that’s a problem.
You documented the early days so well and the emails are still up for historians and nerds to follow the breadcrumbs.
https://atastypixel.com/blog/thirteen-months-of-audiobus/
I like the part (in the suggested email chat link) where Chris Randall warns you about Apple and the danger of "asking for permission". I'm glad they let the "dumb pipes" flow with audio data while providing an implementation of MIDI that made the whole scheme work for realtime purposes.
Ah that’s right. I must reread that sometime. Like a different lifetime.
Right. Remember, they don't affect the settings until you move them (they only send messages when the knobs move). That's why the situation is tolerable. It just means that the first time you adjust a knob, after loading a preset, you need to watch where the value is now. And you're not going to totally program a synth or AU onto the controller. There are not enough knobs, and many of the controls are ones you won't be adjusting frequently. Actually, my setups tend to focus on FX. Only a few simple synths, like the old Epic Synth, where I've gone all-in with controls. As I said before, don't try to overplan it. Just jump in and see what you can do.
For example, I use Galileo 2 with minimal controls. I have the upper, lower, organ, and main volumes, reverb mix, and buttons for the Leslie, vibe, and perc. As I mentioned before, the drawbars remain on the screen. And the buttons are not really that useful, except maybe the Leslie fast/slow.
Thanks @uncledave, now I know... don’t touch the knobs😉😂🥳👀! I would program the rotary to a foot switch... the idea being leaving the hands free.
I only have a nanokontrol, but frankly I don't use it much and the main reason is that almost no iOS apps have the feature built in (I forget the name) that will allow the app to tell the controller not to make any changes til the controller knob has aligned with the software knob. What is that called again? This makes using a controller quite a pain in the arse, in my view
It’s not you; it’s midi.
Pickup mode. Or similar. Usually.
Right thnx. I was chatting to @aleyas about this. How mad is this - korg make the nanokontrol and Korg Module, but even these don't play well together, no pick up mode. Aleyas reckoned that the nanokontrol should he capable, the problem is that module is not. Would u confirm that Wim?
@LinearLineman if you are mostly using cubasis maybe you should ask Vortex from @MobileMusicPro he might be up for that