Author Topic: AKAI Advance through Komplete Audio  (Read 5797 times)

Offline timboalogo

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AKAI Advance through Komplete Audio
« on: October 06, 2016, 12:12:28 AM »
I cannot seem to get your software to work through this combination.

I can use AKAI's VIP software and control MIDI through it, so my Sonar X3- Komplete - AKAI setup seems to be working properly from that perspective. I have attached a pic of my MIDI settings in Sonar.

I ran through the example in the documentation and was once able to get a CH: change, but never since ...

So I'm wondering if anyone has gotten an AKAI Advance to work through a Komplete Audio 6 into Sonar ...

Thanks in advance and thanks to Alexey for your hard work and terrific manual,
Timbo

Offline azslow3

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Re: AKAI Advance through Komplete Audio
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2016, 10:17:32 AM »
AKAI is rather flexible device, completely configurable. That also means it is easy to make something wrong... the price for flexibility  ;)

The following is "theoretical", but I hope can help to make things working. I will reference pages from AKAI User Guide.

Setup AZ Controller Input (Sonar/Control Surfaces preferences) to "ADVANCE49 USB Port 1". You should see incoming CC (and other messages then).

But the first thing to understand is the signal routing and how to convince AKAI to send proper messages. Default (and simple) way is to use USB MIDI from AKAI. Relevant is "Common Channel" global setting (page 26). Note that channels "A1-16" are for USB, "B1-16" are for physical MIDI connector.

When controlling VIP AKAI should be in "Control" mode, when controlling DAW it should be in "MIDI" mode (page 17). Also it is better to select one particular DAW preset, if there is no Sonar, just select anything else (Ableton Live 9 is as good as any other), and do not change it till you understand why you want the change. (page 20)

For initial configuration to control Sonar, it can be simpler to start with "Cakewalk ACT MIDI" plug-in (see chapters 20 and 40 in Sonar Reference Guide). But it does not show messages, so you can check with AZ Controller that something is coming throw first.

For your initial question, in the form you write that ( "AKAI Advance through Komplete Audio" ), that is also possible. You connect AKAI with KA using MIDI cables, configure AKAI MIDI mode to use let say "B1" channel so it sends messages to physical MIDI port and set Control Surface plug-in input to "Komplete Audio 6 MIDI" port. But why you want to use such tricky way?

Note 1: encoders in most DAW presets will be configured in "endless" mode, that means they will send "right" and "left" messages, not "value 1-127". To make use of that, in the "Quick start" for AZ Controller, change default "Direct" to "Endless" for Value Action. For "Cakewalk ACT MIDI", Ctrl+Click on corresponding cell to open advanced assigning dialog and set endless mode there. Otherwise once you operate encoders, parameter in Sonar will just "jump" between 0 and 64.

Note 2: if you set transport mode in AKAI, set it to CC. "Cakewalk ACT MIDI" will be unable to work with MMC.

Note 3: with AZ Controller feedback is possible, with "Cakewalk ACT MIDI" not. But please understand how one direction works first, feedback is an advanced topic.

Note 4: we can meet on Skype if you have questions or nothing works.

Offline timboalogo

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Re: AKAI Advance through Komplete Audio
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2016, 11:39:10 AM »
Wow, thank you for the detailed reply.

Let me run through your suggestions and steps and I will let you know the results.

Tim