I opened one, too, about assigning features to the foot controller. Can't find that one either. Probably a glitch. These pesky gremlins!:D

This morning I was replying to a post in the Montage forum when the website returned an error and the topic was gone. I thought it might have been deleted by the original poster, but it sounds like the server suffered a crash and data loss.

I answered the foot controller.

Probably spam and getting too aggressive with the cleanup. At least that's what happened in the past when there were messages lost.

Assigning Effects to Foot Controller
New
Shriwantha
MODX Monday, 30 September 2019
I am wondering if it's possible to assign more than one attribute to the foot controller. Say, for example, if I need to bring in a pad, a sax and then some other sound effects (such as the super knob type sound transformations) or other effects at different times during a song playback, is that possible using just the foot controller? Appreciate if someone could direct me to a place where I may be able to get the answer, if this has been already discussed/explained.

Thank you.
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Responses (1)
Jason
Sherlock Holmes
The Voice
Each PART can have the foot controller control up to 16 parameters at once through direct assignment. Or you can indirectly assign by making a foot controller "turn" the superknob.

How you want various parameters to change as you sweep the foot controller is up to you. It's easiest to force a foot controller to two distinct positions: toe all the way down and heel all the way down. Between values are harder to deal with (make your foot achieve a specific rotational angle). I'm sure you're not trying to divvy up the rotational angle of the foot controller sweep in to a "bunch" of regions for different states.

You can make the foot controller do "different" things at different times by using another parameter. Like mute or keyboard control. Say you have a section of the music where you want to "bring in" a pad (with a crescendo affected by the foot controller). You can use a scene button to "arm" the pad so it's ready to be controlled by the foot controller. Scene 1 could have the pad turned "off" (ignoring the foot controller) because keyboard control for the PART with the pad is off. Scene 1 can be controlling the morphing of some other part between two different sounds. This is best done by having the foot controller sweep move superknob. Then scene 2 could un-link the superknob assignments that handle the morph and turns keyboard control ON for the pad part. So now the foot controller can act as a swell for the pad. You can mix and match different permutations of these two ideas (mixing scenes with either superknob controlled by the foot controller or scenes with the foot controller as a source for a destination parameter).

Thank you, Jason! Much appreciated.

MINE TOO! My question regarding connecting to and controlling a BeatBuddy drum machine with my MODX is also gone. Jason responded but no one else as there wasn't enough time before it disappeared. Wussap wit dat? Sorry for the use of poorly constructed and written grammar but it seemed appropriate.

This forum is bombarded with spam -- and I have seen when cleaning up bad spam - sometimes the methods employed will throw out the baby with the bath water and get rid of good posts too.

That's my assumption.

This is your post:

Newbie to MIDI control of external midi instruments
New
jerry
MODX Monday, 30 September 2019
I want to be able to control my BeatBuddy (BB) drum machine with my MODX7. I've read through what I think is too much information so now my head is spinning regarding how to set this up so I'm turning to the experienced experts for help.

The details:
The BB uses CC commands so the MODX will need to send these commands to trigger events. (example: CC-114 triggers the start of a song on the BB)
The BB uses 5-pin MIDI cable for MIDI connectivity (not USB) so I have that connected MIDI out from MODX to MIDI in on BB.

IF possible, like to assign a "hard button" on the MODX to trigger the events on the BB (start song, stop song, next song, volume up and down, etc).

Thanks for any advice, ideas you can offer.
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Responses (3)

Latest
Oldest
Jason
Sherlock Holmes
The Voice

The currently available ways to change CCs on MODX don't run up past 99.

Even if you had DAW remote control features (including plugin mode) - I'm not sure what the maximum range is for CC numbers. The supplementary manual and a couple of tutorials didn't mention it.

You could stick a computer between that's looking for a different CC - which triggers sending a CC that makes sense for BB. It would be fine to have BB hanging off 5-pin DIN MIDI and the computer connected via. a USB cable to "USB TO HOST". Both sides of the MIDI bus (USB and not USB) could reach each other through the computer and its routing capabilities. "Computer" could mean an iPad.

Perhaps someone who's used this feature on Montage can comment if, when you do get this mode (likely October), it's able to handle CCs above 99.

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1 day ago MODX # 1
jerry
Jason...Thanks for your quick response!

Hmmm. Sounds like it may be more complicated than I'm shooting for. This < 3 min video shows how someone was able to do this on a Nektar keyboard so thought MODX could do this as well... but well dang it should right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3wpH6gfj6Q&list=PLWjLqDJb9Fw_Qt0OOH3pycn-maSMZju2A&index=8&t=3s

Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated!

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1 day ago MODX # 2
Jason
Sherlock Holmes
The Voice
I don't know about complicated - but there are no pads on MODX that can be assigned to CC values. You are able to assign CC values to some controllers - but they don't go past 99 and this requires high numbers (114 - or others in this range for different functions). Beatbuddy, according to the documentation, cannot change the CC values to something more acceptable to MODX. Which you may have gotten away with reassigning the CCs for assignable knobs and used those. Or reassign CCs of the limited button-type controllers that allow for changing the CC.

The most flexibility in making controllers map to CC values (for Montage currently - since firmware v2.5) is DAW remote control using the plugin control mode. MODX doesn't have this yet - and I'm still not sure, not having used it, if CC values above 99 are configurable.

One issue is that the CC numbers (above 99) are out of range for MODX currently - so you can't get there from here. If you really wanted to get this to work - you absolutely could - but would have to employ the assistance of something more flexible than MODX in its routing capabilities and MIDI implementation. There are several software packages out there that can take up this slack if you're willing to carry the extra bulk of a laptop, tablet, or hybrid device (like a Microsoft Surface).

This is a "duct tape" suggestion. Works - but isn't "pretty".

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Note: these are "dug up" from Google's cache. I'm just posting them here so you can cut/paste into new threads should you choose to create a new one - you have some information to start with.

Thanks Jason. You're a rock star!

This helps with understanding the current limitations of the MODX sending CC commands. Wonder why there is a limit on such a nice synth but a cheap synth/controller has no such limits? Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture?

You said: You are able to assign CC values to some controllers - but they don't go past 99... Do you mean on the MODX or other keyboards? If the MODX, what controllers are you referring to? (Sorry for the newbie Q's).. I just don't see documentation on this that I can understand.

You mentioned using an assignable knob to get past the 99 CC limit (my paraphrase if I interpreted correctly). I imagine that could be used to control tempo and volume on the BB perhaps? Both would be helpful to be able to do as I have no "sound guy" during gigs. I don't know how to assign that or send it out via MIDI. Maybe an additional little controller would be an easier solution...just set it on the right side? idk... i'm kinda sad the MODX can't do this. I'm going to pout for a while. 🙁

BTW - did you see the video of the keyboard that is doing what I want to do? Thanks again for your time!!

Jerry

Wonder why there is a limit on such a nice synth but a cheap synth/controller has no such limits?

... I can't answer that. There are multiple examples of Montage placing limits on what you can configure and I would be wildly speculating to guess a rationale.

but they don't go past 99... Do you mean on the MODX or other keyboards?

That was already answered here: "One issue is that the CC numbers (above 99) are out of range for MODX currently"

You mentioned using an assignable knob to get past the 99 CC limit

Something got lost in the translation. To be exact - the range is 1-95 (not 1-99) controllers. None go above 99.

MODX/Montage's controllers (assignable knob, foot controller) - and other things you can set the CC values for:

Foot Switch,
Super Knob,
Scene Select (when one of the scene buttons is selected, which CC it uses before the data value),
Ribbon Controller,
Breath Controller,
Foot Controller 1,
Foot Controller 2,
Assignable Switch 1,
Assignable Switch 2,
Motion Seq Hold (switch),
Motion Seq Trigger (switch),
Assignable Knobs 1-8

This is all in standard mode. There's also another mode - DAW Remote Function where you can assign CC values to the sliders (for example). The documentation doesn't list the valid range and images of this mode do not show anything above 93 - that I could find. So even this mode may not allow for any values above 99 either. I'm just not sure until I plug in my keyboard and can dial up the mode and try for myself.

None of the knobs or items in the list of above can set CC values above 95.

There are some controllers you cannot set the CC for - because they are fixed at standard values. Modulation is one example. There are other modes of the knobs which control fixed-CC controllers. I won't list all of those.

The point is that the only possibility (only because I don't have the documentation or first-hand testing of it) is DAW remote mode. Regular modes of Montage/MODX cannot set controllers to anything above CC#95. 95 and below is it. Your device needs values above 95 - CCs not supported in normal modes (and maybe not DAW remote mode either).

You have to stick a computer between that will translate a CC from the lower value (1-95) to the higher value your device needs. Or similar setups can also map certain notes on the keyboard to specific CC values - which can also work. Really, you've got to "duct tape" some other hardware between Montage/MODX and your device presently.

BTW: to help you navigate the documentation -- download the latest data list (it's packaged with the v3.0 firmware) "montage_en_dl_i0.pdf". Do a search for "control number". I show 32 matches. Match 14 of 32 shows "FS Assign Control Number" -- this is the start of documentation for controllers that can configure the CC value. You can see the range is 1-95. This will be the range for all other controllers too. The next search "hits" detail the other controllers -- you'll see they generally follow the order I listed them above.

... also, you mention something about assigning superknob to tempo. You can't do that. There isn't a controller - superknob, assignable knobs, or anything else - that can be set to offset/control tempo. You have to either tap tempo or real-time edit the tempo parameter with the DATA DIAL. DATA DIAL control is as close as you can get to real-time control of the tempo using a knob. The DATA DIAL isn't a great way to real-time adjust tempo because of how its rotation maps to tempo. It's not easy to use than previous (Motif) knob control.