AKAI Midimix with GSi VB3-II: mapping issues fixed at long last!

Scaler 2 General Discussion
1

It was delivered a few minutes ago
I unpacked it and placed on my desktop

I can say it HAS rubber feet, so maybe somebody stolen the feet of the device you tried @Bernd?
Or maybe they listened to angry customers, you know?
:grin:

The second question is that the slider range seems fine, and the controller doesn’t seem a toy to me, but I am a newbie in controllers, so maybe I am unable to catch the difference

Ableton recognized it immediately, and that’s all for now because I have to work

I found this video that explains how to program any plugin with a controller in Ableton Live, and a 1st test allowed me to control some VB3-II sliders but not all, and the problem is that I can control apparently 8 commands only, not the 16 I need

I must study more, starting first from CC of each slider

OK, using the Midimix editor I can remap sliders than memorize them permanently in the device using the “Send To Hardware option” now the controller will act differently and…

2

glad you are happy with it physically. as for the controlling 16 parameters with only 8 physical controls, there is usually a way to “page” the controller to the next 8 tracks or devices etc. its a feature within ableton being able to “scroll” across more than 8 tracks, you usually see a red rectangle as selector on screen. at least thats how it works for my LCXL

have fun! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

3

Well after having wasted a lot of time on Ableton racks etc, I found that mapping the Hammond is not so difficult, but one must repeat a number of steps each time the DAW is restarted

To avoid wasting time, the steps must go in the order below

1st step: ​open the AKAI MIDImix Editor and remap to recreate the 2 Hammond drawbars:
Drawbars Upper SET A - CC = 40 ~ 48
Drawbars Upper SET B - CC = 12 ~ 20

Unfortunately, the controller has just 9 sliders instead of the 18 needed, so you have to add 8+1 knobs from the 2 series above: not ideal but acceptable

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2nd step: save the preset to the hardware; unfortunately it goes in a RAM module not a ROM, so you have to repeat the procedure each time, that is a first mess!

N.B: If you try to send the preset to the hardware with Ableton open, you receive an error message, and you can only close and rerun it

3rd step: launch Ableton; now go to Preferences and select MPK mini mkI instead of MIDI mix in the first field, while the others 2 remain unchanged: this way Ableton believes you have a totally mappable controller

4th step, open GS VB3-II and click on each drawbar, then right click, then Start MIDI Learn and repeat for all drawbars
N.B: be careful and click each bar well inside the shape, otherwise you can miss it or have 2 drawbars locked to the same key
At the end you can save the preset, and you’ll have to load it again next time

BTW, this plugin insists on saving anything under C:\WINDOWS\system32 that is a another real mess!

Until now the procedure is doable, but repeating it each time possibly reloading saved files is disturbing

I know that I can set all that in Ableton with an instrument rack, but after a lot of time and swearwords I came to the point I move the macros in an Instrument rack, and they move sliders in the plugin GUI, but I cannot move drawbars in the controller
:japanese_goblin:

I am lost in midi mapping

4

Are you saving the Preset to your computer?
Saving and Loading Presets

  1. Select File > Save As at the top of the editor window.
  2. Create a folder where you can store your presets and easily find them later on. A good location for this is on your Desktop or in your Documents folder.
  3. Name your preset accordingly and click Save to save your preset.

It wasn’t clear from your notes.

5

There are 2 files to save: the AKAI MIDImix Editor, and the GS VB3-II

The first tool remembers the folder you saved it, while the second doesn’t and starts always from C:\WINDOWS\system32 that is 6 clicks away from the right place

6

Another stupid thing I found: when you load the map preset in GS VB3-II, the drawbars don’t move!

I had a stroke :crazy_face: just now thinking to have to repeat the mapping, but I found that you have to right-click then click on Assign All to Default, that is quite counter-intuitive to me…
But when done you see about half of your mapped keys are lost!
AAARGH!
I am starting to hate all that

I think I’ll use the controller just to mix in Ableton
:japanese_goblin:

7

Welcome to the wonderful world of MIDI mapping :wink:
There’s folks who make their living from creating MIDI templates for controllers…

8

hahahaha

well I found a way to “salvare capra e cavoli” (to manage to keep everybody happy)

With this particular routing and just 1 file to save for the VB3-II mapping, I can jam with 2 Scalers
With the only drawback to can move just 9 drawbars

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The trick is putting the controller as a keyboard in the 1st Scaler and the plugin itself

Now I have just to find a mappable switch in the controller itself or in my keyboard so that I can have the 2 series

Stay tuned pals and sod off MIDI controllers
:crazy_face: :rofl:

9

“drawback” … “drawbars” … love drawing analogies :joy:

10

Yes funny
it is surely a Freudian stuff, because it was unintended
:grin:

11

This is their dedicated controller

800×653 29.5 KB

It has 9 drawbars only… how can they use 18?
What is the tricky switch?

12

I just checked my VB3-II and all the Drawbars are already assigned to a CC number. Are you just assigning numbers to the controller sliders to correspond with the already mapped numbers?

13

All the issue is in the plugin itself, 4th step of my initial process

4th step, open GS VB3-II and click on each drawbar, then right click, then Start MIDI Learn and repeat for all drawbars

This way VB3-II recognizes controller’s sliders, but this new mapping is lost when I close the DAW
So I save the new mapping and VB3-II offers me C:\WINDOWS\system32 that is a dangerous folder (SO folder), and 6 clicks away the folder for customized stuff

:japanese_goblin:

BTW, I think to remember that Scaler also offers such a dangerous folder :crazy_face:

But when I load that xml that I attach here for you
MidiMap.xml (10.1 KB)

The drawbars don’t move :open_mouth:
I have to right-click, then click on “Assign All to Default”, that is totally counter-intuitive to me

I’ll issue a bug ticket to Sconamiglio, hoping they fix these bugs

14

Guido Sconamiglio replied, saying that:
VB3-II saves automatically the new MIDI mapping in its own support files when it’s closed

So this makes useless my second issue

15

I guess there is a communication issue so I’ll stop right here. Good luc

16

Yes, I understand that MIDI controllers are hard to tame
:crazy_face:

I’ll do some other try, but if I am unable to find a way I’ll use the controller to manage VB3-II presets… or just Ableton

17

If it were me I would leave the VB3 at its
Default mapping and match my controller to that. I just tried it and it works as I expected. The mapping of my controller is saved as a preset. VB3 just opens as is and is ready to go. I don’t have an Akai but a Oxygen 25 but the ideas the same. Of course I may be wrong.

18

I doubt that :grinning:
I don’t understand a damn thing of these controllers!
I had better spend more and buy the dedicated controller, or wait for the reappearance of the nanokontrol, or even better buy nothing
:crazy_face:

now I deleted all VB3 changes, so it works with its mapping
but how to match the midimix to it is still a mystery

19

Is there an editor for the MIDIMIX?

20

yes, and I think you gave me the just suggestion: don’t touch VB3
:grinning: :+1: :+1: :+1:

I mapped the MIDImix with its tool, and then I hacked Ableton routing up to find the situation below

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Now I can have the 1st Scaler driving the low keyboard of 1st VB3, and I can jam with the 2nd VB3

I still have one problem: I can’t find a way to drive the solo with the 2nd Scaler as I usually do without a mapper

Indeed, as you see, the stuff works only with the 2nd scaler set on the controller and green keys don’t move, so the 2nd VB3 plays notes not always in tune

Any suggestions?