Hello, I'm a newbie in qtractor but I like it a lot. One thing I can't understand, though, is how to map my midi keyboard (Oxygen 61) to do basic things like controlling faders, knobs, buttons and transport control. I would love it to be Right click > [map] > [move a knob/button/key on my keyboard] and voilá!
I really can't find the way of mapping via the "controllers..." option. In the manual I have there's no mention to this feature, it's outdated but despite that, is helpful as an introduction to the software. I haven't found any tutorial on this subject on the web neither. If anyone can give me a hint I'd be more than grateful.
Besides this suggestion, I want to thank Rui and everybody responsible for this awesome software.
Re: Midi keyboard controller mapping
Sorry for the (huge) delay in reply. maybe you already found the way :)
Ok. Re. View/Controllers... configuration dialog. First of all, at this time, there's something you ought to know about Qtractor MIDI control support:
a) Transport functions are only driven via MMC and/or SPP. Go check whether you keyboard do support these modes (eg. my Akai MPK25 does either).
b) You can only drive the controls that are present in the mixer and only for tracks: gain/volume, pan, record, solo, mute and monitor. Nothing else. Though, you can only assign MIDI Controller event type (CC) to any of those.
c) There's no MIDI learn feature, yet. You'll have to fill the View/Controllers... table by hand and in generic parametric form, if you know what I mean. I'll try to explain this procedure in a next reply for you, if you're still here :)
Meanwhile, you could have a quick read on this old thread, Re: MIDI Control for Qtractor and have some clues. Don't get overwhelmed by developers mambo-jambo and go directly to that comment reply where I skim the View/Controllers dialog in a hurry :)
Cheers
Some success but not much...
I had found the message you refer to in the thread "Midi control for QTractor" thanks to Louigi Verona, I completely overlooked it before posting, sorry.
I'm closer but haven't succeeded yet. I'm having a harsh time understanding the CC numbers, MMC etc. I think I get it now but still can't succesfully map all I want in Qtractor (considering of course what you explained in the latter response: "You can only drive the controls that are present in the mixer and only for tracks"). I had a little success but I'll keep trying!
Thanks for taking the time to answer and of course I'll still be around, I love Qtractor! Whenever you have the time I'd like a thorough explanation.
Thanks Rui, much appretiated
Matías
Re: Midi keyboard controller mapping
hi,
First of all, before you get puzzled with the CC numbers, you should read the MIDI implementation sheet of your keyboard, probably in its user's manual.
You can also try aseqdump to see which MIDI events are actually sent by when you turn one of the keyboard knobs or sliders if any. Knowing that then it's just a matter of mapping the source channel and CC numbers to the intended Qtractor mixer track control, either volume, pan, solo, mute, record or monitor.
If your keyboard supports MMC then it all should already work OOTB, no need to tweak a byte on the View/Controllers... dialog.
Show me the numbers and I'll tell you what you can do ASAP.
Cheers
Success!
Rui,
I can't tell how happy I am at this moment, I can't believe I'm controlling Qtractor with my keyboard! The aseqdump suggestions was the key for me to understand the whole thing. I set the values of MMC numbers to the transport control in my keyboard and they indeed worked OOTB, awesome. Autostatic was big help too.
What I'm having a bit of trouble now is with the mapping of buttons, but that has nothing to do with Qtractor, it's a configuration issue of my keyboard so this would be extra topic. When I press one of the buttons, the "aseqdump" replies the following (I show pressing button 1, then button 2). But I don't see a CC number I could map to.
28:0 Control change 0, controller 0, value 0
28:0 Control change 0, controller 32, value 0
28:0 Program change 0, program 0
28:0 Control change 0, controller 0, value 0
28:0 Control change 0, controller 32, value 0
28:0 Program change 0, program 1
I'm trying to setting toggle values for buttons so they send one value when pressed the first time and another when pressed the second. I'll post if I succeeded in that.
I'm ready to work on my music completely now, thank you very much.
Matías
P.S: *THE FOLLOWING ARE JUST MINOR DOUBTS.*
Silly question, the pause/stop in qtractor is indiferent, right? they both do the same action (pause) or is it just me? Another thing I didn't find a "Loop" MMC number but my keyboard has a loop button (in the manual it says: "Holding the Loop button while pressing one of the other Transport Control bbuttons gives access to additional Pro Tools transport functions"), it'd be great if I could use that, but I'm already so satisfied with the accomplished that I don't really care much.
Re: mapping of buttons
Reading from the aseqdump output above those buttons are set to send BANK SELECT (CC0,32)+PROGRAM CHANGE events, not quite just generic CCs. Maybe you can reconfigure that behavior at the keyboard side, otherwise it won't cut as far as the Qtractor MIDI controlables go ;)
Cheers
I understand
I understand, I will do that.
Thanks again Rui
COMPLETE SUCCESS!!!
That solved my last problem, now I can control everything controllable in Qtractor with my keyboard.
Thank you very much Rui. You have a big fan over here.
Matías
Re: Oxygen61.qtc
Awesome! Now's the time to share your success with any other owners of the same keyboard (Oxygen 61 IIRC?).
Cheers
Yes
Yes, no doubt about it. I'll be back in a few days and discuss in the forums. It's an oxygen 61 indeed.
Thanks Rui
Some issues with MIDI control
Hi Rui,
Just wanted to tell you that I've been using Qtractor a lot, I love it. I'm thinking on making some videos showing what I know in an overview form, to show some functions and a session, but I'd like to discuss that with you further in some other time (I saw a thread on video).
After mapping succesfully my keyboard I noticed some irregularities in the behaviour of the controllers. I can't say if that's an issue of my keyboard, a mistake I made when mapping, malfunction of my OS or just a little malfunction of Qtractor. Either way it hasn't affected my workflow and it's not even a bother but I thought that letting you know would be the right thing.
This is the "problem": I mapped 9 faders, 9 buttons, and 8 knobs to my keyboard. All of them work and control track parameters as expected. The only thing is that some knobs control more than one parameter, even though they are not mapped for doing so. For example, when I have two tracks, the gain of the second track is controlled by the knob #2 (which is the one I mapped) but is also controlled by knob #5. Now, here's the strange part, when I add 5 tracks, the knob #5 controls the gain of the 5th track as expected, but it "magically" don't control gain of the second track anymore, so it's solved. That happens with some knobs and faders.
Well, that's it.
Thanks Rui
Matías
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