Trying Nanokontrol 2 to control vsti in cakewalk

[mats]

Hi

I've setted the nanokontrol 2 in bandlab cakewalk and it works fine but, i also want to be able to control vsti parameters, but when i open a vsti the nanokontrol keep controlling the tracks.... there's a way to do this?

[user 905133]

16 hours ago, matias said:

I've setted the nanokontrol 2 in bandlab cakewalk and it works fine but, i also want to be able to control vsti parameters, but when i open a vsti the nanokontrol keep controlling the tracks.... there's a way to do this?

Mapping my nanoKontrol [1] to Cakewalk is new to me, but I have scene 1 transport buttons mapped to CW's transport and several sliders/button sets mapped to CW's console/track volume, mute and solo all via AZController/ACT.

In scene 2 I mapped slider 1 to z3ta+ FX delay feedback with a midi track I call "CCs to zeta+ FX on TTS-1." MIDI IN = nanoKontrol MIDI OUT = z3ta+. 

I used MIDI learn in z3ta+ Effects to learn directly from the nanoKontrol. 

I am very new to the use of AZController/ACT, but I think for my Scene 1 parameters, I have AZController learning and mapping to Cakewalk's functions.  While for the control of the vsti parameter, AZController sees that I mapped it using the vsti MIDI learn.

Not sure what plug-in(s) you are using, but maybe my experiences can be applied to what you are trying to do.

Steve

 

 

Edited October 1, 2019 by MusicMan11712 (aka Dr. Steve)
too add [1] after nanoKontrol so people know that I intentionally didn't say 2

[Starship Krupa]

This is something that I, too would like to be able to do but have not yet even tried.

Maybe @msmcleod can share some wisdom?

[msmcleod]

12 minutes ago, Starship Krupa said:

This is something that I, too would like to be able to do but have not yet even tried.

Maybe @msmcleod can share some wisdom?

The current Mackie implementation supports VST parameter control, but not VSTi control (unless you put your VSTi in an effects bin).  However, the nanoKONTROL 2 lacks the buttons to put it on and out of plugin control mode.

You can use Korg's nanoKONTROL editor to get the nanoKONTROL 2 to send out standard CC's rather than using the Mackie protocol. This method will allow you to assign the controls via ACT, and you should be able to assign controls to VSTi parameters on the fly with ACT/MIDI learn.

[mats]

but if i use act to automate vsti parameters what will happen with the already mapped things of the nanokontrol by default? how this mixes with the act?

[msmcleod]

1 hour ago, matias said:

but if i use act to automate vsti parameters what will happen with the already mapped things of the nanokontrol by default? how this mixes with the act?

To be honest, I've not gone in to it in too much detail (I always use my nanoKONTROL 2 in Mackie Mode), but I believe you can configure several "scenes" which you can switch through on the nanoKONTROL.

So say scene 1 is your transport control CC's, scene 2 could be a completely different set of CC's set to control other things.

[mats]

1 hour ago, msmcleod said:

To be honest, I've not gone in to it in too much detail (I always use my nanoKONTROL 2 in Mackie Mode), but I believe you can configure several "scenes" which you can switch through on the nanoKONTROL.

So say scene 1 is your transport control CC's, scene 2 could be a completely different set of CC's set to control other things.

and how do you set the scenes? i've read that the nanokontrol 2 doesn't have that feature anymore

[msmcleod]

58 minutes ago, matias said:

and how do you set the scenes? i've read that the nanokontrol 2 doesn't have that feature anymore

Yes, you're right - got the nanoKONTROL Studio in front of me at the moment, which has the scene button  - the nanoKONTROL 2 is in my studio vocal booth - I forgot it didn't have the scene button.

You can use the Korg Kontrol Editor to download scenes to the device, but I'm not sure if it'll play well with Cakewalk running at the same time as it seems to want to do everything via MIDI (which Cakewalk will have open).

You might be able to use a software loopback device (e.g.  loopMIDI: https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html ) to get around this. You'll probably also need a MIDI patchbay/router to connect the nanoKONTROL 2 MIDI ports to the loopMIDI ports. There's a few you could look at:

http://en.soundigy.com/midipatchbay.php

https://www.yofiel.com/downloads/audio-apps/midi-patchbay-for-windows-10

Alternatively,  AZController might have better options for switching control mappings. Best to ask @azslow3

But to be honest, the nanoKONTROL 2 isn't, in my opinion, the best device for controlling VSTi parameters.

I'd personally recommend sticking to transport control with the nanoKONTROL 2, and maybe look at controlling VSTi parameters with something like the Korg NanoKEY Studio (if you use key switches for articulation) or the Akai MIDImix (it's got 24 knobs, 24 buttons & 9 sliders - so a good selection for parameter controls).

[pax-eterna]

Using MACKIE mode (in Sonar - I select Sonar Mode on the actual NK2 [SET+REC buttons when powering on] ) when I assign one of the knobs to the main volume slider it only jumps from -71 to -8 to +6 ?? all the knobs are the same - afaik, in MACKIE they are supposed to be full range, IE 0-127.

Any ideas?

EDIT: ok the knobs are auto assigned to PAN! so that explains that. Doesn't seem to be any way to assign the knob to any other CC apparently.

Edited March 26, 2020 by pax-eterna

[msmcleod]

Running the nanoKONTROL 2 in Mackie/SONAR mode will emulate the Mackie MCU, which is pretty much limited to how Korg have programmed it and also by the limitations of the MCU.

I did add some enhancements back in the 2019.12 release to give access to the effects & synth racks, but it still basically behaves like an MCU does.  The MCU was never meant to be a generic controller (the Mackie C4 was meant to be that, but never really took off).

If you want generic control, run the nanoKONTROL 2 in CC mode and use either Cakewalk's Generic Surface Controller or AZ Controller.