How to make ACT mapping working
!!! Essential step for all cases, not only for AZ Controller !!!You can save your time and nerves by using
AZ ACT Fix utility.
Simple method:
close Sonar, run AZ ACT Fix, press "Save and exit", open Sonar.Manual method:
1) You should locate the folder "ACT Data". The one you need is in the user directory, there is another one in the system directory to make initial setup for another Windows user. Exact location is Windows version specific, for example it can be <User>\Application Data\Cakewalk\ACT DATA. "Application Data" (or such) folder is "hidden", you do not normally see it in Windows Explorer. Use search function (inside your user folder!) to find one of files genericpluginparams.xml and sonaract.xml or try to enter the path manually. Once located, put a link on your Desktop to this folder to simplify future operation.
2) With Sonar closed, delete all files except genericpluginparams.xml from this folder, especially SONAR1.., SONAR2.., *act.xml etc files.
I repeat, this step is essential. You will be unable to normally use ACT Dynamic mapping till you do this. It can happened that it somehow works for a while, but sooner or later it will stop working. There is a post http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,5.0.html which explains a bit more why that is necessary.
Original way, ACT LearnPlease note that it
does not work with VST3 and has other problems till you use AZ ACT Fix (you can use the Manual method, sonaract.xml use case (2) ).
Follow CakeWalk documentation for "ACT Learn". But backup mentioned folder/file every time you are convinced everything is still working. So, before any "ACT Learn" backup the file. Do the learning. Restart Sonar (!). If the mapping is still as expected, backup the result. If not, revert previous files and try again.
Note that till you use "ACT Learn" these files will stay unchanged, independent from the project.
Manual editing the XML filesEdit genericpluginparams.xml using XML editor. If you want to use normal text editor, you can pre-format the file using AZ ACT Fix. It also adds user friendly information to sonaract.xml.
Note: modifications are noticed after Sonar restart only. If you open new plug-ins or use "ACT Learn", Sonar save both files on exist. To be sure your manual modifications are not discarded, save the file when Sonar is closed.
The method is working for remapping only. That means the plug-in and its parameters should be already known for ACT. To get initial configuration for plug-in, you should in Sonar focus it at least once. Close Sonar so the information is saved. If you have messed up with ACT Learn or editing, you could make configuration for particular plug-in unusable. In this case manually remove such plug-in section and repeat initialization (open Sonar, visit plug-in, close Sonar, open file in the editor).
In "<plugins>" section all known plug-ins are listed with there known parameters. "paramindex" is the index in the list of automate parameter (in the order you see parameters in case you create automation in Sonar). "kontroltype" is ACT control to assign, can be "knob", "slider" or "switch". "paramname", while initially really the name of that parameter, is in fact ignored during matching, parameters are matched by "paramindex" only. That is good, since FX Chains could not be controlled otherwise (while different presets for FX Chain have different parameter, FX Chain has only one common ACT mapping). I prefer to avoid identical "paramindex" in 2 or more listed parameters inside one plug-in. It is better keep "paramnames" distinct as well, but that is not critical (and in fact not always possible since many plug-ins have several "reserved" parameters without names).
The resulting order is from top to bottom, within one control type. For example "P1 knob", "P2 slider", "P3 knob" and "P4 switch" (in that order) define two knobs (P1, P3), one slider (P2) and one switch (P4). Moving "P2 slider" to the end of the list will not change resulting configuration, while moving "P3 knob" before "P1 knob" will switch the order of knobs to (P3, P1)
With sonaract.xml there are 2 variants to choose from:
1) Zero sonaract.xml . Open it in text/xml editor and delete the content. So, it should be "empty" but exist. Sonar will not update it then.
You still can use ACT Learn (except for VST3) using workaround at the end of
http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,5.0.html. Also note that Sonar will reformat files every time it save them (on Sonar close).
2) Keep sonaract.xml. For example if you prefer "ACT Learn" method except cases when it does not work (VST 3). Just remove relevant section for the plug-in you have mapped manually in the genericpluginparams.xml. In sonaract.xml plug-ins are not named, you can find the section by UID - long alphanumeric string before 'name="..."' in the genericpluginparams.xml. This ID is equivalent in both files.
ACTEditor from MarKoNote the result is as with Manual method with variation (1), the editor will zero sonaract.xml. So
you can not use this method in parallel with "ACT Learn".Install
Sonar ACT Editor from MarKo. It is good to have AZ Controller configured (with any, inclusive empty, preset and any Input/Output settings, set to None both in case you have no other application for AZCtrl, do NOT set In/Out to the device you use with other plug-ins).