Select specific track from midi controler

[Riccoboni]

Hello

am looking for a way to use the buttons of my Midi-Controller to select specific tracks(instruments) from buttons.

It would be: Button 1: track 1  (and not select NEXT track etc... .)

Button 2: track 2

.....

I tried with the ACT midi controller. But I only found the possibility of doing Next/Previous track

Best regards

Bruno

[John Vere]

I used Cakewalk as a VST instrument host to play keyboards in a band. I set up 8 instruments in tracks and rack was assigned a midi channel. I simply changed the keyboard midi output to what ever instrument. I could also set up a split. 
I then set up midi learn and I had control of each Tracks level as well as  I set a second control for effects. 
The only thing that is super important is to always make sure the controller is powered up and recognized by Cakewalk before you open the project you set up for this. 

[Promidi]

Thinking outside the square, and depending on your MIDI controller programmability, yes Is it possible to select specific track from MIDI controller.

Though this depends on how programmable your MIDI controller and what you can program the buttons to actually send.

Your MIDI Controller buttons needs to be able to be programmed to send custom MIDI Events.

I do this with a Edirol PCR-800 for play /stop and record and it works fine.

Create a CAL script to select a specific track and save it in the folder specified in Preferences - File - Folder Locations.  Will need multiple CAL scripts , one for each track you want to select.

Something like this:

(do
  (TrackSelect 1 x)
)

Where x is the track number you want to select minus 1.  So to make a script for track 1, x = 0

Then in Preferences - Customisation - Keyboard Shortcuts (Advanced) create a mapping from a MIDI note to that script.

Remember to set a Controller number to define the “MIDI Shift”.  I use CC119

Using CC119 (or 77 in Hex) for MIDI shift send the following sequence of MIDI events:  B0 77 7F 90 03 DT B0 77 00

Breaking this up. 

B0 77 7F is pressing the MIDI shift.
90 03 DT is the note on/off message.  (03 being the note number.  DT being the button state from 0 to 127))
B0 77 00 is lifting the MIDI shift.
 

[azslow3]

Or with AZ Controller (www.azslow.com). After installation (there are videos) and following "Quick start" (https://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,9.0.html), you will know how to map a button and what is the Action list for control. The action list for your purpose can be:

1. Strip (Track, <First>, +0 or +<other track, counted from zero>)
2. Function "Select strip"

For more buttons, practical is "Dup" button on the Options tab. So you just need to re-learn MIDI and adjust "+X" to define more buttons.

You can also do track name based selection. For that you will need to define "Software States Set" in the Options tab, like "Tracks" with States "Drum", "GTX", etc. And then adjust "Strip" Action for the button, changing "<First>" to "Tracks" and then selecting f.e. "GTX". That way your button will select "GTX" independent from the position it has.

[Riccoboni]

Good morning,

Many thanks for your very detailed and precise answers.

@Promidi:
I'm discovering the CAL and I'm going to see if I get by. I managed to make a script and associate it with a note, and make it play by clicking on a note (I'm still waiting for my Midicontroller to be delivered so I'm using the bass notes of a paino digital).
I don't understand the story of SHIFT. If I don't use a paino note but a pad on my controller, do I really need it?

@azslow3 :

I'm discovering  the AZ Controller, which is great and really meets my need to address tracks directly and manage action lists.
Once I tamed the beast and understood its logic, I successfully completed a test with just the Strip/Select Strip actions !!!
If I understood correctly, I must in the same list Mute the current track, select a given track, etc., which is exactly what I need!
So big congratulations for this plugin.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask a complementary question: is it possible to disable the input echo on a track in the action list?

 

Thank you for your valuable help.

[azslow3]

23 minutes ago, Riccoboni said:

@azslow3 :

I'm discovering  the AZ Controller, which is great and really meets my need to address tracks directly and manage action lists.
Once I tamed the beast and understood its logic, I successfully completed a test with just the Strip/Select Strip actions !!!
If I understood correctly, I must in the same list Mute the current track, select a given track, etc., which is exactly what I need!
So big congratulations for this plugin.
I would like to take this opportunity to ask a complementary question: is it possible to disable the input echo on a track in the action list?

All depends what you want to do, preferences, and the type of the track. In general, you can turn off echo for current track with:

1. Strip <Track> <Current> <Inp. Echo>
2. Value <0> (or <toggle>)

For MIDI tracks you normally use "automatic echo" on strip selection ("A" on echo button). With Preferences option MIDI/Playback and Recording/Always echo current MIDI track you just need to select the track to echo it, deselected track echo will be auto-disabled. So you don't need to manipulate Echo/Mute for previously selected track (and really you can't when the option is set). For recording, just check you have "Allow MIDI Recording without an Armed Track" enabled (in the same preferences section).

So mentioned Actions make sense for audio tracks (f.e. a button to toggle echo for mic or guitar) and in exotic situation for MIDI tracks, when auto-echo can't be used.

PS. unlike ACT MIDI and keyboard assignments with CAL scripts, AZ Controller support feedback (f.e. turning LEDs on controller). So if you plan to use AZ Controller, MIDI controllers with LEDs have advantages. Also note if you don't want/need MIDI controller, AZ Controller also support gamepads and phones/tablets (with OSC apps). The last option can be used for feedback only, f.e. to show the name of current track on the phone (useful if you play away from monitor). It can even speak the track name when you change the selection, useful when you are away from monitor and don't want other display ?

PS.PS. "MIDI-Shift" with MIDI assignments is used to inform Cakewalk you use a key for control, f.e. with left pedal as shift you can send 88 commands from 88 keys keyboard. But there was more then one reason for me to write AZ Controller instead of using existing possibilities. BTW you can mimic the behavior in AZ Controller (with unlimited number of Shift/Ctrl/etc. modifiers).

[Promidi]

4 hours ago, Riccoboni said:

I don't understand the story of SHIFT. If I don't use a paino note but a pad on my controller, do I really need it?

The reason for the SHIFT, in this context, is to tell the Key Binding mechanism that the note you are sending is intended to perform the keybinding function, rather than the MIDI mote being treated as a note in Cakewalk.

For instance, if you set CC119 as the SHIFT, your MIDI controller has to send CC119 > 127, then the note, then CC119 > 0 (all in a single data set).

This is how I have set some buttons on my PCR-800 to operate the transport buttons in Cakewalk (Play, stop record , rewind).

[Riccoboni]

I am amazed by the quality of your answers. I am new to midi  and that helps a lot.

A big thank you to both of you!