Midi Cc Device, Too Few Entries Possible.

Help, Support & Bugs
1

I recently acquired a second hand Access Virus B. Having a lot of fun with it so far.

I’m wanting to control the cutoff, res, filters, oscs nd so on from Renoise directly. I also like to play it manually, but it’s nice when you want to do more epxerimental stuff with it, or just do extra automation.

So far I’m just using Renoise’s built in MIDI Instr Control device.

Now the problem is, I can only create a very small amount of parameters, last night I started mapping all of them and I got about 70% done and had to make 6 lots of them, so in other words, I’d need 6 instances of the MIDI Iinstr Control devie.

It’s not a complete train wreck, but when I’m scrolling through automation, I’m going to have to go through each of these looking for the parameters I want. I obviously don’t need ALL of them, but I wanted to map them all in case I need them for later.

Is there a better way of doing this? I think there are some plugins/softwares like MIDI Quest that can be laoded as a VST, but I don’t have money for that right now and I’d rather keep it simple.

It would be really nice to have thE MIDI Instr list expanded, too few parameters per instance!

And lastly, as a suggestion to the developers. Could we have MIDI Learn in the MIDI Instr feature device? Like, if I hit CTRL-M, I want to be able to move the knob on my virus, and the MIDI CC value to automatically be detected.

ie: if Cutoff Frequency on the Virus knob has a MIDI CC #42, then if I turn the knob, I should be able to tell MIDI CC it’s #42, instead of reading the manual, or other means. A long work around is to put Renoise in edit mod, and then find out the value from the pattern editor that captures it.

Anyway, if someone wants my MIDI CC presets for the Access Virus B when I’m done, I’ll post them up here soon.

This is my first MIDI-aware synth, so please excuse any retardedness on my behalf, I may be taking the complete wrong approach here :D

2

Why would you want to have mapped stuff that you are not using in the first place? The whole logic is based on mapping what you instantly need now and if you need additional controllers, you continue until you run out of parameter slots and then add another instance.
The reason why the amount of parameters is limited is because of the parameter control range that you can perform in the pattern effect column: you can only control up to 14 parameters and the last one (number 15) is to toggle the device off or on.

I don’t completely understand you here.

But if you hit ctrl-M and take care that the “Test mode” button on the top right shows “Learn mode”, then click on a parameter you want to control and then simply turn the dial you want to use for it, Renoise should recognize it and automatically assign the CC to that parameter.
But this only counts if you currently don’t have your Midi configuration dialog set to learn mode. If you were aiming to apply learn mode on parameters in areas that are currently not supported by the midi mapper, than you can ignore this comment.

3

Yeah I wanted to map nearly all the parameters, just in case, I hate it when I need param X and it’s not available, and I wanted to map it from scratch with all the OSC bits in order, then filters and so on, so it’s all neat… I’m somewhat OCD.

As for your last comment, I’ll have to look at it again. A little confused here.

4

Personally I think having all the parameters mapped is far LESS neat than only the ones you are going to use!

Not even the Virus B interface has hand controls for all its parameters!

If you find you need occasional/one-off access to a controller value you haven’t mapped for continuous Automation (with the finer curves) why not just change it with a Pattern Effect Command? http://tutorials.renoise.com/wiki/Pattern_Effect_Commands#MIDI_Commands

5

Yeah I suppose.

Basically what I want in the end is to be able to go “ah, let me automate/adjust param X” and have it quickly available from a list.

I’m still figuring out a nice workflow path for this sort of thing.

I’m fairly new to MIDI, having spent 1994-2010 mostly working with JUST software :P

Although I’m finding, more and more, automation in Renoise a bit of a chore. I’d rather have the automation pane alongside the track. I’ve been tracking since '94 but I find it a chore to use the GUI automation tool at the bottom, having one bit of data going vertical and another horizontal is silly IMO.

For some things I prefer entering the params by hand, but for attacks, ramps and so forth having the automation lines/points/curves going downside the track in a expandable side view would be so much neater, would make thing line up easier in my mind, and give one a better, more natural approach to using the darn thing.

I don’t like piano rolls, but I do like having the param data alongside the notes.

And another little thing that I’ll just mention, if Renoise ever offers the option of having long audio files with a streaming option (like when you work with guitar) having the waveforms vertically placed down the side of a track (even in the pattern editor) would be rocking!

But for this stuff I should get off my arse and make some concept screenshots to illustrate these ideas :)

6

If you are working some months with the Virus, you will know the most used control numbers. There is really no reason to have such a big list.
If you do not remember a controller value, just have a look at the midi map in the virus user manual.
Besides, every synth has a different controller mapping. So if you will buy your second or third synth, your method will become confusing ;)

The automation critisism I can not second. You can also zoom the automatition, in a vertical view it would be a pain. That’s only one reason.

7

someone has already done it for you: audio tracks thread

8

In my opinion having more mapping options is for the user experience benefit.

For example i’d love to be able to select my samples, load them to the instruments and slice the ones i want,
everything from my midi controller.