MIDI Controller and Remote CTRL

[Astraios]

What amazes me is that there's a multi-million dollar industry for MIDI controllers, represented at various music and audio trade shows around the world, yet I can only find one page on remote control in the Sonar manual, which is over 1,400 pages long...

Why is the topic of remote control so neglected? Over 15 years ago, I was amazed at how difficult and complicated it was to get anything working with my CME VX MIDI keyboard that involved more than just controlling volume and pan. The entire process is either not documented or only inadequately documented.

What surprises me most, though, is how many users have simply given up on the subject.

Edited August 30 by Astraios

[Astraios]

Hm, correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't even found a picture of the Remote CTRL window in the Sonar manual...

And by the way, can someone help me with the NRPN? I thought the NRPN consists of four parts: MSB 99 (coarse), LSB 98 (coarse), MSB 6 (fine), and LSB 38 (fine), but the Remote Control window only has one entry field?

 

 

[azslow3]

"Remote control" was superseded by other approach long time ago. In Cakewalk it is called "ACT".

(N)RPN is a protocol which allows way more parameters and better accuracy then standard MIDI CCs. Yes, technically it is using CCs you have mentioned. But logically it works as "A knob on my controller sends NRPN 20". So you specify "20" in the configuration (and hope the controller and Sonar agree how to send/receive NRPNs, they usually do).

In case of motorized faders, LEDs and in most cases encoders (CME VX-5+ has motorized faders and encoders), there is no "generic" definition how that should work. MIDI by itself was oriented toward finite knobs/sliders without any feedback. So the solution has to be "complicated". That doesn't mean it should be difficult to use, you normally can switch the device into Mackie emulation mode and use corresponding plug-in. 

But when you switch to "Custom solutions", in case you don't like what Mackie emulation does, the setup is more complicated. Still can be done in 1-2 days. Only when you want DIY everything yourself (write own controlling logic in supported by the DAW language, in case of Cakewalk that is C++), it can take a while... But as you probably know, I have proved even that is possible in less then 15 years 

[Astraios]

35 minutes ago, azslow3 said:

"Remote control" was superseded by other approach long time ago. In Cakewalk it is called "ACT".

 

Hi and thanks for your comment – I've been experimenting with ACT for a few years, but I haven't been able to achieve satisfactory results. The graphical limitation to 8 buttons and 8 controls really got on my nerves... In principle, it seems to be heading in the right direction, but it hasn't been successfully developed further. And what's great, of course, is that you can save presets and thus transfer the settings to another project. Users don't seem to have particularly taken to it either. Unfortunately,I couldn't express my ideas in this system.

However, I was able to make a huge leap forward with Blue Cat's virtual MIDI controller, "Remote CTRL."

Edited 6 hours ago by Astraios

[azslow3]

1 hour ago, Astraios said:

Hi and thanks for your comment – I've been experimenting with ACT for a few years, but I haven't been able to achieve satisfactory results. The graphical limitation to 8 buttons and 8 controls really got on my nerves... In principle, it seems to be heading in the right direction, but it hasn't been successfully developed further. And what's great, of course, is that you can save presets and thus transfer the settings to another project. Users don't seem to have particularly taken to it either. Unfortunately,I couldn't express my ideas in this system.

However, I was able to make a huge leap forward with Blue Cat's virtual MIDI controller, "Remote CTRL."

By ACT I mean the approach, not "ACT MIDI Controller" plug-in. That plug-in is in fact limiting and its limitation has triggered me to write my own ACT plug-in.  I mean AZ Controller (https://www.azslow.com/). Standard Mackie (and all other) is also ACT plug-in.

Creating own virtual surface to make a project one single "instrument" under its control, so "Remote control" the same way as "MIDI Learn" in soft-synths, is a valid approach.  But that is different from generic DAW control, I mean using one device with arbitrary projects. At the beginning I was creating project specific presets, major problem was remembering what controls do in  particular project... With one preset which always works the same way there is no such problem (I guess that is the reason for MCU and alike popularity).  What also helps are actual labels for controls (another MCU/C4 and alike advantage). MIDI does not allow the last, you need OSC (f.e. https://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,295.0.html) or at least a window with such labels (what "ACT MIDI" GUI does... well, not perfectly...).