Loopy Pro Question (midi related)

greatestlengths

Hello!

I'm a solo acoustic act atm but I'm looking to improve what I'm doing in a big way, adding bass, drums/percussion, synths, keys all that stuff, one-man-band sorta thing as a multi-instrumentalist looper.

I plan on using Loopy Pro. Already have an iPad Air 5. Already own gear that works with it.
No interest in using hardware loopstations unless absolutely necessary (and I feel it isn't).

Anyways, a quick overview of my situation before I ask about what I want help with - just incase someone sees something and thinks there's a better way I can do what I want.

My setup:
Acoustic guitar and mic into Focusrite Scarlett Solo.
Focusrite into USB hub - into iPad.
Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3 into the USB hub - into iPad.
NI S88 Mk2 into USB hub - into iPad.

What I need some help with:

• how do I get the Akai MPK, via Loopy Pro, to work for multiple AUv3s, without them all activating at the same time?

Right now, I have it so Hammerhead and Module Pro are run with the Akai MPK - initially, it would play both at once.. so a kick would sound when I hit C2 for example.. and so would the piano sound via Module Pro. Terrible.

I realised they were both set to "all channels", so I made Hammerhead channel 1, and Module Pro channel 2.. now, I get absolutely no sound from channel 2.

In Loopy Pro, it doesn't even show MIDI input for Module Pro (channel 2) now.. obviously that's no good and I've done something wrong.

So the question here is, how do I set up ONE MIDI device, to work with multiple virtual instruments SEPARATELY.

How can I "arm" or "activate" one instrument and not others, if this is something I can do?

IOW in a live situation - how can I gig with only the Akai MPK (so no S88), and use it for both Hammerhead drums + Module Pro (keys) - so I can loop the drums, then loop or play some keys?

My next question is how can I set it up so there's an octave effect on a channel for acoustic guitar, so I can use it for bass loops. How would I do this, and have it NOT loop the dry acoustic sound as well? I'd happily take any recommendation for a guitar-fx based app btw since I don't have this yet.

I created the thread with the first situation in mind though, because I need to sort out how to use ONE device for multiple instruments/loops, as the S88 Mk2 isn't ideal for a lot of gigs (too big/heavy).

wim

I thought at first that you could make use of the mini’s “programs” by setting each of them to a different channel using the PC or Mac configuration software. However, I can’t say for that the mini play has that ability. If it does then it’s most likely in the “Favorites”. If so, and if you have access to a PC or Mac to set the midi channel for those then you may be able to change the midi out channel by changing between favorites.

If not then you can make use of a little utility called mfxStrip to change the channel. You would route the mpk to mfxStrip, then mfxStrip out to all your synths. Each synth would be set to listen on its own channel. Changing to a different synth is done by changing the channel that mfxStrip converts to. To make this easier you could set up buttons in Loopy, or midi map to a knob on the controller, or to a foot switch, etc.

wim

Be sure you’re using the AUv3 version of Module Pro, not the IAA version.

wim

mfxStrip is only one way to skin this cat. Maybe not the easiest now that I think about it.

You can also simply add multiple instances of the mpk, each routed to a synth, then just solo the one you need. Again, this can be done with, say, a foot switch midi mapping or whatever works for you. See below where my NanoKEY studio is added three times and soloed to ELECTRIBE Wave.

wim

My next question is how can I set it up so there's an octave effect on a channel for acoustic guitar, so I can use it for bass loops. How would I do this, and have it NOT loop the dry acoustic sound as well? I'd happily take any recommendation for a guitar-fx based app btw since I don't have this yet.

Here too there is more than one way to go about it.

• You can put the octaver FX on the guitar input, then simply enable/disable it as needed. That will record "wet" loops.
• You can put the FX on a color. That will record dry but sound with the FX, leaving open the option to tweak the sound. In this situation you would want to use the option to monitor the guitar input through the color to avoid getting the unaffected sound.
• You can put the FX on a send and monitor through the send. You can also put the send on whatever color you record to, again, recording dry.

etc.

wim

There's some pretty involved discussion about octaver FX on the Loopy Pro discord:
https://discord.com/channels/922977925182132245/1024945426698350593

Server invite link:
https://discord.gg/4tvhEkHQ

espiegel123

@greatestlengths said:
Hello!

I'm a solo acoustic act atm but I'm looking to improve what I'm doing in a big way, adding bass, drums/percussion, synths, keys all that stuff, one-man-band sorta thing as a multi-instrumentalist looper.

I plan on using Loopy Pro. Already have an iPad Air 5. Already own gear that works with it.
No interest in using hardware loopstations unless absolutely necessary (and I feel it isn't).

Anyways, a quick overview of my situation before I ask about what I want help with - just incase someone sees something and thinks there's a better way I can do what I want.

My setup:
Acoustic guitar and mic into Focusrite Scarlett Solo.
Focusrite into USB hub - into iPad.
Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3 into the USB hub - into iPad.
NI S88 Mk2 into USB hub - into iPad.

What I need some help with:

• how do I get the Akai MPK, via Loopy Pro, to work for multiple AUv3s, without them all activating at the same time?

Right now, I have it so Hammerhead and Module Pro are run with the Akai MPK - initially, it would play both at once.. so a kick would sound when I hit C2 for example.. and so would the piano sound via Module Pro. Terrible.

I realised they were both set to "all channels", so I made Hammerhead channel 1, and Module Pro channel 2.. now, I get absolutely no sound from channel 2.

In Loopy Pro, it doesn't even show MIDI input for Module Pro (channel 2) now.. obviously that's no good and I've done something wrong.

So the question here is, how do I set up ONE MIDI device, to work with multiple virtual instruments SEPARATELY.

How can I "arm" or "activate" one instrument and not others, if this is something I can do?

IOW in a live situation - how can I gig with only the Akai MPK (so no S88), and use it for both Hammerhead drums + Module Pro (keys) - so I can loop the drums, then loop or play some keys?

My next question is how can I set it up so there's an octave effect on a channel for acoustic guitar, so I can use it for bass loops. How would I do this, and have it NOT loop the dry acoustic sound as well? I'd happily take any recommendation for a guitar-fx based app btw since I don't have this yet.

I created the thread with the first situation in mind though, because I need to sort out how to use ONE device for multiple instruments/loops, as the S88 Mk2 isn't ideal for a lot of gigs (too big/heavy).

If only one AUv3 is being played at a time, you don't need to use midi channels to deal with this. You can set up widgets (buttons) that mute all the synth channels except the one being played. It will also save you lots of CPU because when a synth's mixer channel is muted, it uses no CPU.

espiegel123

Here is a template I use. All midi is routed to all the synths. But only one synth is active at a time.

espiegel123

I create a "mute all" button that mites all synth channels

espiegel123

And buttons for each synth. The synth buttons first mite all synths and then unmute one synth.

espiegel123

greatestlengths

Awesome stuff, thanks for the help - @espiegel123 - your method looks perfect.

I'm not at home but I will set it up like that tomorrow and see how it goes.