Transport control via generic midi cc

[Curator23]

I'm trying to set up a Korg nanoKontrol (mkI) for controlling Cakewalk.

I can assign volume sliders and pan knobs, no problem. "Right click -> Remote control... Learn."

The transport controls have me beat though. No right click available, no remote control option.

As far as I can tell, a controller must be in "Mackie MCU" mode and added as a control surface with an appropriate ACT profile.

I'm assuming that "Mackie MCU" is a table of control channel assignments? In which case I should just be able to set the cc's for the nano's transport control buttons. I've asked Google, but it just wants to sell me expensive equipment.

Q1) Is my assumption correct?

Q2) What are the cc's for the transport controls?

Q3) Why can't I just "right click->remote control... learn" like I can with sliders and knobs?

 

Thanks.

 

[Promidi]

I use direct MIDI commands to do this.  But how you would do this depends on how programmable your MIDI controller is.  Mine is a PCR-800 and this is easy.

I will give you my example of how I do it.  Your method will vary - see the user guide for your MIDI controller

In the keybinding dialogue box, I use MIDI for the “ Type of Key”,  CC119 for the shift command and then the real low notes to do the actual command.

If I want to assign the lower Eb-2 key to play, I map this in the keybinding dialogue box.  Then set “MIDI shift define” to 119

Then for the relevant transport control,  I program the PCR-800 button to send the following: 

B0 77 7F 90 03 DT B0 77 00      (Where DT is the value of the button)

The “77” above is 119 in hexidecimal

When I pless the programmed button, the project plays

[msmcleod]

The Mackie MCU does not send out simple CC messages.  Most of the buttons send out note on messages, but the protocol itself is quite complex and isn't suited to generic ACT control.  The faders and v-pots are more complex, sending out combinations of messages.

The nanoKontrol 2 supports HUI, MCU and CC modes, so for transport control, best results are with the nanoKONTROL 2 in MCU/SONAR mode and using Cakewalk's "Mackie Control" control surface.

IIRC however, the nanoKontrol v1 supports either HUI or CC modes - so for transport control, I'd recommend using Cakewalk's "Mackie Control" control surface with both set to HUI mode.

If you want support for ACT learn, and on-the-fly plugin control, you're better off setting the nanoKONTROL to CC mode and using the ACT surface controller.

 

[rfssongs]

Something I realized recently about the nanoKONTROL is that since you can set it to send notes it is possible to program the transport controls to send notes & set the Key bindings to notes. I use the the cycle button as the shift key & have set up each of the transport keys to control transport/record buttons to act in the ways I want. With this I can also use the sliders & adjacent buttons to send CC messages for other purposes at the same time.

Edited October 24, 2022 by rfssongs

[azslow3]

Just in case you have not realized... "Mackie Control" plug-in block the whole device, so everything it sends, and use all messages for itself. But other Surface Plug-ins (f.e. "ACT MIDI",  "Generic Surface") block only assigned messages. So you can "MIDI Learn" transport buttons there, all not learned controls (faders, other buttons, etc.) still will work "to send CC for other purpose". I mean you don't need shift+key binding "trick" just if you want transport keys to work as such.

Sure, if you really want transport buttons by default also not work as transport buttons (till cycle is pressed), what you have done is the simplest approach (since to do this with Surface Plug-in you need AZ Controller with non trivial configuration, even so it  opens even more possibilities...).

[freddie_tane]

hi Forum folks - 

Are the options discussed on this thread relevant to my post: