Control Groups (switch hardware controls between Control and MIDI modes)

Started by azslow3, July 16, 2016, 03:32:39 PM

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azslow3

Note: AZController v0.5r1 or later is required


Functionality:

  • One button "Switch" the mode for the second button "Play/Pad". In "Play" mode, second button Play/Pause Sonar transport. In "Pad" mode whatever the control is sending is not intercepted
  • AZ Display (you can open in from the Options tab) indicates current mode

Installation:

  • Follow Quick start tutorial
  • Using Cakewalk Plug-in Manager from Sonar Utilities menu import attached preset (inside the manager, "Control Surfaces"/"AZ Controller"/"Import..."/Select the file/"Ok")
  • Assign some buttons/pads/keys to "Switch" and "Play/Pad" control in the "Hardware" Tab (check Quick start how to do this, you just need select the control, press "Forget MIDI", press your button and "Assign MIDI")

Explanation:
The number of controls on physical surface is limited. And while for mixing you would probably like assign all controls  to some Sonar functions, to record MIDI tracks you may want use the same controls as normal MIDI. For example, you may want to use your Pads for Mute/Solo tracks when mixing but still have a possibility to record drums. Or you have Mod Wheel as the only continuous controller on your keyboard and you want use it as a Mon Wheel, but you want a quick way to change the volume of your current track.

Many controllers have several "presets" internally, so you can use one preset for mixing and another for playing. But with some hardware that approach is not working well.

When some MIDI message is used for controlling purpose,  it is not longer transferred to MIDI track. Normally that is what you expect, otherwise controlling volume of some track can change your soft synth parameter or trigger a note. But in case you want it transferred and recorded as MIDI, you can use Control Groups feature of AZ Controller.

Switch control has only one executive Action, it toggles the state for Group A. Other 2 Actions are Monitors, to organize a "feedback" (in this example to internal Display, in real life that can be an LED on your surface). "Play/Pad" control is included into the Gorup A (see Hardware Tab) and has "Play/Pause" action. When the group is enabled, that second control is not sending any MIDI to the track but triggers Play/Pause. When the group is disabled, its Actions (Play/Stop) are no longer executed and its MIDI is transferred to tracks.