Presonus ATOM setup in CBB

[Randy]

Hey all, I bought an ATOM just so I would be able to use it for drum pads. I didn't expect much

in the way of functionality for transport, navigation etc. When I select ATOM in MIDI devices

and click OK, I immediately lose the use of my MIDI keyboard and my Alphatrack, both of which

function flawlessly otherwise. When I deselect ATOM and restart CBB, keyboard and Alphatrack

function return. I can make the ATOM do what I want, but it sure would be nice to have everything

working at the same time. Anyone has any experience or suggestions? I looked for other threads

on this but couldn't find anything.

Cheers

 

 

[Keith allen Samuels]

What type of midi interface are you using?

I use a MOTU midi interface w/ 5 ins and 5 out

so each one of my instrument uses a separate midi bank...

[Tuning JJ]

I have the same question. Does anybody know how to make the Atom work in Cakewalk? Is it also possible to make the transport/record
buttons work? Any advice would surely be appreciated.
Thx - Johan

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI:)

@Johan

You can use AZController to make the knobs do what they should do.

http://www.azslow.com/

 

I can make a small preset for the Transport Buttons, for these and all other knobs I should know what they normally exactly do.

I have an ATOM, bought this year and never used it?

Don't know why you have Play (Light On) and Play (Light Off) and Stop. The Play knob is enough, if you hit it the first time it plays, on second time it stops, so why a stop Button? Could you please tell how play and record button should work? Stop is clear!

Here a link to my preset for the Novation Launch Control to see what is possible with AZController!

 

Greetz;)

Bassman.

 

 

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI again:)

 

So here I attached a small preset for AZController for the Presonus ATOM for the Transport Buttons.

Not easy cause I cannot control the lights, the Play Button(Light) is not working correctly after hitting Record but you will see.

 

1. Stop

After hitting Play the Stop Button is a Pause Button, stops at the Now Time and continues after hitting again.

When Recording it does nothing until Record is Off.

Hitting Stop 2 Times within 0.5 seconds plays from the Loop Point

Hitting Stop 3 Times within 0.5 seconds moves the Now Time Marker to Bar 1

2. Play

After hitting Play it plays, hitting again it goes back to the Now Time Marker. When hitting play when Record is on it does nothing!

3. Record

After hitting Record it starts recording, hitting again it stops recording, Playback goes on.

You can only Stop if it is not Recording, so press first Record to play on without recording then press stop!

4. Click

It enables/disables the Click on Playback and Record.

5. Undo

With the Shift Button you have Undo (CTRL - Z)

6. Loop

With the Shift Button you have Loop On/Off

7. Save

With the Shift Button you save the Project

8. Count In

There's no command or Shortcut in Cakewalk to switch this, but it would be possible

with "Autohotkey" to make a Shortcut. It's either not possible to open the Metronom

Settings with  a Controller or a Shortcut. I can set the button to open the preferences

if you want...

 

Greetz,

Bassman.

 

 

 

 

ATOM-12-08-2020.spp

Edited December 8, 2020 by Heinz Hupfer
Now it's the correct AZController File

[Tuning JJ]

@Bassman (Heinz): Many thanks for the extensive answer and the effort.
I did not have time yet to dive into it and try it out, but I will definitely
do so on short term.

@anybody:
Do you happen to have experience with Reason's Kong and the Atom?
I have upgraded my Reason (reasonstudios.com) to version 11 and it
runs as a plugin (very cool) now in any DAW that supports VST's. With the added
advantage to be able to run Kong in any DAW (such as CBB).

I didn't  have time also yet to test things out properly. But my first test was such that
if I add a second track (as a Reason instrument rack) with as instrument  Kong in it, then
the pads of the Atom do not correspond with the pads of the Kong.
It is unclear to me  yet how to configure that it works the way I want (the pads of Kong
corresponding with the Atom). if anybody know, please share the knowledge/experience.

Many thanks already.
Johan





 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Johan
name added

[Brian Lawler]

On 12/8/2020 at 4:02 AM, Heinz Hupfer said:

HI again:)

 

So here I attached a small preset for AZController for the Presonus ATOM for the Transport Buttons.

 

REAL Newbie question-  HOW do you load the SPP file?  I have installed AZ Controller and have it reading my ATOM, and I can link controllers, but the only presets I can load are those that I create myself.  I can't see a way to "browse" for files     ?

 

Thanks!

 

[Brian Lawler]

17 hours ago, Brian Lawler said:

REAL Newbie question-  HOW do you load the SPP file?  I have installed AZ Controller and have it reading my ATOM, and I can link controllers, but the only presets I can load are those that I create myself.  I can't see a way to "browse" for files     ?

 

Thanks!

 

After a couple more hours of searching, I found the answer.  The SPP suffix apparently refers to "Sonar Plugin Preset", and are imported via the Plug In Manager in Cakewalk. (Again- Cakewalk newb here).  The files don't appear to exist in the CW file structure.  Perhaps in the registry unless exported? Anyway- Problem solved -for me-.

[Ronny.G]

On 12/8/2020 at 1:02 PM, Heinz Hupfer said:

So here I attached a small preset for AZController for the Presonus ATOM for the Transport Buttons.

Not easy cause I cannot control the lights, the Play Button(Light) is not working correctly after hitting Record but you will see

Have you done some progress with lights?

I think that probably to control its lights it will be necessary to put the ATOM in the NATIVE mode (blue logo) and not MIDI mode (green logo).

Also the NATIVE mode, that it's the default mode when the ATOM is used paired with Studio One (and now also officially with Ableton live), will be better also for doing some interesting things using the wonderful AZ Controller. This because the NATIVE mode, from what I have read,  put the ATOM in a state where it can also RECEIVE midi data and not only send them. A sort of slave integration. In fact Bitwig also now support the ATOM and Reaper too thanks to the fantastic research and development work carried out by some users.

 The possibility to connect the ATOM in NATIVE mode is the first step for a near perfect integration with CbB using the wonderful AZ Controller. It became possible to do lot of interesting things, some cosmetics like control button or the PADs RGB lights color states, and some more important.  

The ATOM in fact behaves differently when in NATIVE. Among other things, for example, all messages are sent on the same midi channel, there is a few more buttons that can be used, and the button status is also different (most of them momentary). In addition, from what I understand, rotary encoders also behave differently between the two modes.
So in general, it should be better to be in native mode if possible. In fact, the "works" done for example to integrate it with Reaper are all based by putting the ATOM first in this mode.

And for change mode it seems that is necessary to send a midi message that contains these values:
ATOM MIDI MODE = Note off, channel=15 (or 16?), note=0, velocity=0
ATOM MIDI NATIVE CONTROL MODE = Note off, channel=15 (or 16?), note=0, velocity=127

I'm not sure about the channel 15 or 16 because the "works" already on the net about the ATOM indicate two different channels, some tests should be done...

Do you know if it's possible to add something that can send this simple midi message to the ATOM at the start of Cakewalk in order to put the card in NATIVE mode and again return in MIDI mode when Cakewalk will be closed?

I mean something like Autohotkey but integrated inside Cakewalk (needs to search if the ATOM is connected), maybe a CAL script (I doubt) or maybe something that can be invoked through a .ini (but that can also work when the program is closed...)

I think that find a simple trick to change mode should be a good starting point, then maybe using the lot of researches already done for other programs try to add the remaining functions using the AZ control (one for for all activate the rotary encoders that in midi mode are endless).

If someone have done some more work on this external pad controller and CbB please reply to this thread.

Many thanks to all!

 

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by Ronny.G

[Heinz Hupfer]

HI:)

@Ronny.G

>>>And for change mode it seems that is necessary to send a midi message that contains these values:
>>>ATOM MIDI MODE = Note off, channel=15 (or 16?), note=0, velocity=0
>>>ATOM MIDI NATIVE CONTROL MODE = Note off, channel=15 (or 16?), note=0, velocity=127

Where do you have this information from? I could not find anything about "NATIVE" Control Mode or Color changing. Is there some Programers Manual?

Mode Change is normaly activated by some Sysx, this can be sent on startup of a CbB Project. 

If Midi Note Off can be "initialized" by AZController I have to try out, but this can be. I have not continued working on thsi preset, cause I got no feedback what functions to lay on the Buttons/Rotors/Pads, but we could go on working on it....

Can remember to have finished the Transport and some NAV Buttons....

Greetz;)

Bassman.

 

[Ronny.G]

Hi Heinz (Bassman),

there isn't a programmers manual only infos shared on the web

Since this is Q&A subforum check PM's. Maybe we can create a new thread on another section of this forum to discuss what can be done for a better ATOM integration with CbB

Thanks