M-audio oxygen problem

[simone]

HI all, and first thing, thanks for this powerful plugin.
         I've never been able to use  my m-audio oxygen 61 (3rd edition)buttons ( ACT control surface, preset 10)  in multi-channel mode, only channel -strip,nor the  transport control buttons. I've fixed the transport control problem adding a new "Cakewalk generic surface", manually mapping  all the  buttons , setting my mind at rest for multi-channel mode because everything was good: Clicking in the track pane, all controls(sliders, buttons and rotaries) are used for sonar parameters, clicking or focusing a plugin, all controls are used for vst parameters. Fine. Some days ago I've installed AZ controller with HERMU's preset, and now I can: Control tracks volume with sliders, PAN with rotaries, mute\solo with buttons and, last but not least, I can use  < track > buttons (never worked in ACT!) to move WAI by 1 track and, using "STOP" button as a shift button, by 8 tracks, Fantastic!!( yes, we can't always get enough buttons ) The problem now is that AZ recognizes my focused plugin, but it won't to work with, it seems it's locked to work with sonar (or is not enabled to work with plugins). I've added  then a new ACT control surface and disabled, from sonar\options\controller surface, ACT for AZ, but, when i move sliders and knobs, ACT moves vst parameter and, simultaneously, AZ moves sonar Parameters so it's a mess here. Is there any chance to get it working correctly? Some box to check\uncek I'm not seeing?

                                                                     Thanks in advance for your reply, Simone

[azslow3]

Hi Simone,

The preset from Hermu has no corresponding switch. "ACT MIDI" has a flag to automatically switch the mode to control plug-ins which the focus is changed. The other way is to switch it explicitly.
AZ Controller is a generic engine, you can define any behavior, including what "ACT MIDI" does (see "ACT MiDI Explained" tutorial). But it should be done in concrete preset, and it is not in it currently.
To give you an idea what can be defined:
1. try to switch "Mode" state into "ACT" in the Overview tab. The device should control the plug-in now (the interpretation of "Mode" is in the preset). So some button (or combination, as you can see for "Shift"ed buttons, can do "Set state/Mode/Next/ (loop)". Than it will cycle between modes.
2. Imitation of automatic switching is a bit more complicated and requires monitoring of "Context" system state.

Note that Hermu preset is a modification of Startup preset. You can "start from scratch" using it. You will have to reassign all controls and you will not get the info on the Oxygen display without re-applying Hermu modifications, but you will get basic functionality including "Mode change" button(s).


I do not have time at the moment, but if you can not manage to modify the preset yourself we can modify it together later.

[simone]

I have to work now (lunch break), as soon as I can I will follow your tips (to be honest I also need to translate some word because I'm Italian). If I have understood correctly it could be done using a keyboard shortcut or maybe assigning some oxygen button (it would be great). Thank you for your time but I would like to manage it on my own.   See you soon and thanks again

[azslow3]

You are always welcome and English is not my native language as well (I am Russian).
AZ Controller allows you to define everything related to a MIDI controller, the only consequence is that it has no "pre-defined" behavior. Some kind of such definition is in the Startup preset. But it touch only 1% of AZ Controller features.
Try find a day to go throw "Quick start", "ACT MIDI Explained", "Startup preset", read the User Manual and then "Buttons or Pads with LEDs". Then you get the whole picture. In case you are serious about Control Surfaces, the time spent is a good investment. You will understand not only how you can control your Oxygen for Sonar, but also how any control surface is working with any DAW. I mean with "behind the scene" knowledge you get a good overall picture. Unlike with music in general or with DAWs, there are no books you can read on the topic.

[simone]

OK, I'm home, work in progress, thanks again 

[simone]

Hi Alexey, I've been very busy with my primary work, but here I am. During these days I've modified Hermu's preset and something is working, but something not.I've setted  it up  as follow:
1-  Shift button now is button 9, so there is no need to stop playback when sliding WAI by 8 tracks.It is also changing bank numbers, and the display alwais shows current.
2- Shift+LOOP button now changes mode (ACT,Track,Bus)
3- Shift+ rew button now focus on the selected track Prochannel
4- Shift+ ffww button now select synth (It should, but it doesent)
5- Shift+ STOP button now focus on the selected track plug-in bin   
6- Shift+ Play button now open previous (last focused Prochannel, plugin or synth)   
7- Shift+ Record button now open next    (last focused Prochannel, plugin or synth)   
Buttons 1-8 now select track (press and release) the same as sliders, but with buttons there is no need to change volume of a track to select it (focus is not always in the track view and you can't always use arrows to move selected track).
Anything is working well: sliders, mute\solo buttons, ACT mappings (Prochannel, sylenth1 and DUNE2, at the moment),modes,open close etc..Before finish it and share it with you (maybe someone could find it more friendly) Iwould like to fix the "select synth" problem and add something also.
I think "select synth" could be fixed because days ago I've downloaded, here, a preset called "focus instrument", but I don't remember where (maybe there was some explanation I'm missing). In this preset selecting a synthtrack (with arrows) the corrisponding synth UI is opened. I've looked at actions list strings (there are a lot) but I can't understand wich one to modify and have it working only with a specified button inherent selected track. Is there a way to copy a string\s from one preset to another?
I would like to add notes as buttons but ,according to your documentation, it is not possible, neither in shift-on condition ( AZcontrol takes it over and says "It's MY button" so it will never play notes). Is there a way to add a filter and tell "It's your button only if Shift is pressed"?. Bye now

[azslow3]

I think "select synth" could be fixed because days ago I've downloaded, here, a preset called "focus instrument", but I don't remember where (maybe there was some explanation I'm missing). In this preset selecting a synthtrack (with arrows) the corrisponding synth UI is opened. I've looked at actions list strings (there are a lot) but I can't understand wich one to modify and have it working only with a specified button inherent selected track. Is there a way to copy a string\s from one preset to another?

Copy between presets does not work (it is way more difficult to implement than you can think...).

Sonar does not provide a way to find the synth which correspond to some track. I have tried to implement a bit hacky way (using one Sonar bug...) to do this, but that in not always work correctly.
The Action list is:
* Strip Track <current> volume
* Function, Select synth
* Function, Context, Open.

I would like to add notes as buttons but ,according to your documentation, it is not possible, neither in shift-on condition ( AZcontrol takes it over and says "It's MY button" so it will never play notes). Is there a way to add a filter and tell "It's your button only if Shift is pressed"?. Bye now

A kind of...
Add notes as buttons and configure them normally, but in the Hardware tab set "Control group member" "A" for them.
You can test how it works switching Group "A" on or off in the Overview tab.
To do this from controller, you can use "Ctrl groups" "Enable"/"Disable" (or "Toggle") "A". I do not recommend putting that on Shift, every time you press Shift notes will no longer work, in addition that is relatively "heavy" operation for Sonar (technically AZ Ctrl sends ALL currently assigned controls to Sonar every time you switch since there is no special "remove from controls" call, just "now I have controls x,y,z,...." (resetting the previous list).

If you are short in buttons to define dedicated "Toggle notes as controls" and for anything else (I think that is the reason to use notes as controls at first place), you can define more modifiers than just shift. F.e. you can use "Loop" as a kind of "Alt" modifier (so, that adds "Loop"+"Stop", "Loop + Rew" etc. Even more, you can add Play, Record, etc as additional modifiers!
I can provide an example if you think that idea is fine for you (I have written to some other user). The trick is to use "Loop pressed" to trigger "Alt" (software state set) into "On", in other controls which use "Alt+" combination trigger it "Off" (after doing corresponding action...) and on "Loop released" check that "Alt" is still "On" before toggling Loop (otherwise do nothing, the key was "consumed" by a combination).

[simone]

Ehi thanks for the quikly replay! I'm going to test your tips as soon as i can, even if I think I've already tried this :Action list is:
* Strip Track <current> volume
* Function, Select synth
* Function, Context, Open.
But with "Shift-on" condition... I'm going to remove it...bye now

[simone]

First key mapped in A group and it works fine. A lot of work is waiting for me 

[azslow3]

I recommend take the following approach:
before implementing feature X, ask yourself:
a) how much time that will take to implement and how much it will save using the result?
b) is it possible and clear how to implement it or better ask first?

Please do not get me wrong. If you scarify too much time implementing things which you are not going to use or in attempt to make something impossible, that will generate just frustration and at some point you abandon the whole thing. I just want that does not happened     

[simone]

Hi Alexey, first of all sorry for my delay, I was busy with my primary work and I think I'll have some more weeks.
The problem is not the time, I understood how the software works, I've only to decide in wich key and octave put x future. I want a logic and smart position. To this pourpose, before I've stopped programming it, I drawn with AUTOCAD an A4 sheet and I've started  to insert features and commands because I want to test different things ( see attachment). This sheet will be cutted and scotch-taped on top keys. My goal is to use QWERTY keyboard  only to write tracks names, and few other stuff. When I play music I want to have my midi keyboard in front of me, and the QWERTY one on the top-back. I've also planned to buy one little controllers to activate matrix cells and play some pad\texture. It will be positioned in the left-side of the QWERTY, in the right side I will put a Blofeld ( I've always loved Waldorf synthetizers, the first synth I bought was a MicroQ). I think that in a 50 X 100 Cm. perch-space, Iwill have all what I need for playing and mastering. Bye now.