Basics of Korg NanoKontrol with Cakewalk

[Pablo Jones]

Good day.

Trust you all are well.

I bought a NanoKontrol in order to switch between VST's and control some parameters in my Virtual Instruments. I have yet to actually try it out, scouring the forums and Youtube to answer possible scenarios I may have.

Anyway, the one thing that always pops up is that I see people using the Korg software to enter CC's into the NanoKontrol and then I also see them going into DAW software to "Learn" controls.

What is the difference between the 2 operations and when will you use the one or the other?

Trust the question isn't too "stupid".

Thanks and Regards.

[azslow3]

1 hour ago, Pablo Jones said:

I bought a NanoKontrol in order to switch between VST's and control some parameters in my Virtual Instruments.

From you question, it seems like you have first bought the controller and then have started to search how to use it. That order is not optimal (even so you probably have just bought the cheapest controller and you are not the first with such approach  ).

Almost all controllers just send MIDI messages (f.e. CCs) when you operate them. But what these MIDI messages do is up to software. In general, there are 2 approaches:

• send MIDI from controller to Virtual Instrument, so the same route as you send MIDI keys / pedals / wheels. In this case it is up to particular instrument to interpret these messages. Unlike with notes / pedals / wheels,  most CCs meaning do is up to instrument. Some use fixed CCs to control something, so you setup that in Korg software. Some can "learn".
•  let the DAW  to interpret the messages. The result is DAW and particular mapping specific, MIDI proposals are normally completely ignored in this cases (f.e. "PitchBend" messages are used to control track volumes). In Cakewalk you have two possibilities:
  • "learn" some DAW control, f.e. particular track volume
  • let Control Surface plug-in do special interpretation. There are several such plug-ins, including:
    • Mackie control.  For DAW controlling. It uses fixed MIDI mapping.
    • "ACT MIDI", "Generic Surface", AZ Controller (not stock, I have written it to escape limitations of the first two). Here you can configure what controls should do, first by "learning" midi messages from controller and then defining the action. So the mapping is not "CC -> Volume", but "CC -> knob 1" followed by "knob 1 -> volume". The first mapping stay the same during operations, while the second can change (f.e. at some point "knob1" controls volume, at other it controls VST parameter).

Each way has advantages and disadvantages. Up to you to decided what you prefer.

[User 905133]

I think it's good to pick the brains of others who use the nanoKontrol  to identify possible options and how to implement them. I benefited from AZ's software (AZ Controller) to help me out with some tasks with my nanoKontrol. For other tasks, I use the nanoKontrol differently.  So I agree that you need to decide what works best for you and under what circumstances.

You might have a newer edition of the nanoKontrol than the one I have. If so, my comments might not apply. With that in mind here goes:

11 hours ago, Pablo Jones said:

. . .the one thing that always pops up is that I see people using the Korg software to enter CC's into the NanoKontrol and then I also see them going into DAW software to "Learn" controls.

What is the difference between the 2 operations and when will you use the one or the other?

When I used to use it more frequently, I generally used the KORG software (1) to set up / edit assignments for the buttons, knobs and sliders, (2) to backup the settings on my PC, and (3) to load different sets of settings for different purposes.  For controlling parameters in soft synths I would generally map the nanoKontrol's CCs I had previously setup to the parameters in the plug-ins. In essence, the nanoKontrol just adds more sliders, knobs, and buttons to what I have done for years with keyboard controllers.

For some purposes I might have a scene setup to use some CCs that duplicate the control of parameters on both the nanoKontrol and on my USB keyboard while the nanoKontrol will will also control different parameters. Personal preference:  I generally use CCs I have used for decades; next I will use CCs assigned by manufacturers (software synth defaults) if they don't conflict with ones I have used for years; next I will get out either paper and pencil (or a spreadsheet) to add mappings in new / untested ways as needed. 

Different software synths and FX have different ways of setting up CC / parameter mapping.  For some I really like how the system is setup in the software. When I create sounds in software synths I  generally use a standalone version. Again, personal preference.  So I map any new CCs I need using the synth's midi learn / remote control system.  So, I really don't want a DAW to learn the CCs for its own purposes.

But depending on your needs / preferences, you (or anyone else) might have equally valid reasons for mapping CCs primarily or exclusively in a DAW.

I hope this adds some insights in addition to AZ's explanation of possible ways to use CCs. 

[Pablo Jones]

Hi,

Thanks for your insights. I think I get the gist of your explanations. azslow3, it's like you say, I first bought the cheapest thing I could find and now trying to learn to use it LOL. Yeah, I was tired of watching Youtube videos with guys showing what they do, but not why. Hence my question. But I had to get some practical experience eventually. 🙂

I was considering just dumping all my sounds each onto a channel in Cakewalk and then use my controller in DAW mode. Will see if my pc has enough RAM for that. The issue is that I thought I may not be able to control any other parameter like that.

For this reason I figured I would need to use it in CC mode and just needed clarity what I would need to configure in the Korg Control software and what I can do in the DAW or VST.

Wish me luck as I try and get started on this.

Regards.

[azslow3]

1 hour ago, Pablo Jones said:

Wish me luck as I try and get started on this.

Good luck 😏

And just in case you will not stop with this controller (and/or will be disappointed by it)... here are some other:

• NI M32/A49-61/S49-88 have good control over instrument parameters. Especially if you use NI synths (or KK aware synth). All of them have almost the same set of controls (S have display), M32 is one of the cheapest controllers available (even if you don't use its keys).
• Behringer XTouch Mini is in NanoKontrol price class.

The primary difference is encoders instead of finite controls. So you always start tune parameters from current position, they will not "jump" to current knob position nor you need to "catch" current position by knob. While that behavior loose "hardware like feeling" you get with finite knobs, switching between instruments / DAW control changes experience from "not usable" to "usable". BTW original Mackie (the device NonoKontrol tries to imitate) has encoders and motorized sliders.

With NI controllers you can also select the synth from device (well... only with S that is more or less convenient).

For NI M/A and XTouch Mini there are AZ Controller presets for Cakewalk (since I have them). NI S you probably will want to use in Mackie mode.

P.S. keys of NI M32 are worse I have ever played (subjective). I can controls the sound with Akai MPK Mini, but not with M32 ("AZ velocity MIDI" helps with both, but when hardware doesn't send distinguishable  velocity values, software can't compensate). For fixed velocity use that is not a problem, but playing "piano" is almost impossible.