Simple Transport controller for Ableton/logic/protools?

[Googleberry]

Hey Guys,

I have just recently rebuilt my entire studio with some high quality

gear and an lovely Amek analogue console. The biggest problem I have

now is being stuck with a damn mouse!! Once the music is tracked and

it is mix time, the computer just acts as a glorified tape machine so

transport control through a few buttons would be excellent!

Will the Midibox LC work as a good basis for a transport? What format

are the control messages in exactly? MMC? MTC? Looking at some of the

wiring diagrams, I could get away with one core and one DINx4 module

(the 3 from the left in the LC wiring diagram) for the usual stop/play/

Rew/ffwd/Rec buttons plus another two digital ins for a jog wheel??

Perhaps there is another way to do it?

[ssp]

search is your friend

[Googleberry]

search is your friend

Gracias, kind sir.

That is quite a box! I like it.

I don't suppose you could pass along the software for it?

I am pretty unfamiliar with midibox software. How embedded are the

defined controller ids? For example, in LC_IO_TABLES.INC there are the

list of button and LED assignments with their respective shift registers

and defined hex values. For the hash-defined parameters #define ID_REC_RDY_CHN1

through to #define ID_REC_RDY_CHN8, would it be possible to extend this to

#define ID_REC_RDY_CHN24? Provided of course, that I cull a bunch of unused

parameters to free up their hex values.

[ssp]

once again search is your friend

[Googleberry]

I appreciate the replies, but searching for a term that I didn't even know existed in this context is a bit of a stretch. :wink:

[nILS]

Search for the term first then :thumbsup:

[Googleberry]

This forum is whack. :frantics:

So I'm searching for the term I need to use to search? Sounds like

a bunch of rhetoric. Like telling a guy who asks if you know a

shop that sells maps to "find a map". :D

Edited October 3, 2010 by Googleberry

[Googleberry]

once again search is your friend

Did you have any luck getting the shuttle function to work?

[Googleberry]

Pondering on this some more. Is MMC actually the best way to go about it? Why not just

use the midibox LC software already provided and just reconfigure the I/O tables for one core,

one DINx4 and one DOUT for illuminated transport buttons and a jog wheel? It could even include

the time code display with little addition.

[nILS]

If all you want is some (<8) transport controls, a core module is all you'll need, as you can use J5 for 8 digital inputs. Typically - if you have some C skills - writing a custom app from scratch will be faster than digging through the partially pretty big applications to find what you need. Since MIOS handles pretty much everything for you, it's only a matter of finding out what MIDI events to send and sending those when the appropriate button was pressed.

[ssp]

hmm... the forum is not an issue as everything you need to know is here, i gave you two specific links to two sections that dealt with the item you wanted to know about. From that point on its upto you how you proceed to continue on your chosen project, that was an example of what i built to achieve the same thing, it was an "option" presented to you.

The one thing everyone gets told when they want to build things here is to read, read and read some more, i know even i had to learn and i still dont know much but i get by and i also get help from the guys here. The main reason i get help is the fact i have simply made an effort to learn and build things myself before asking the 100 or so questions people invariably do.

anyway, im done, bttd

[findbuddha]

hmm... the forum is not an issue as everything you need to know is here

Fair go, it can be a difficult decision to make when you have to choose between:

a - reading the forum for hours to find the info or even just the search term

b - posting what may be a stupid question in the hope that someone more knowledgeable can take 1 minute to tell you the answer.

:unsure:

[nILS]

Fair go, it can be a difficult decision to make when you have to choose between:

True.

b - posting what may be a stupid question in the hope that someone more knowledgeable can take 1 minute to tell you the answer.

Thing is - you are not the only one having to make that choice ;) If 60 people decide to ask, that's one hour of work for me (and 1 minute is pretty optimistic here, as an answer takes longer 98% of the time).

You seem like you've done your homework though, so it's all good.

Back to topic: Is some transport buttons really all you want?

[Googleberry]

Eeeeep!

I wasn't aware my question was so stupid. It is easy to see that the biggest

advantage of MIOS is how customizable it is. Like anything programming and

electronics based, there are probably 100 ways to achieve the same result. I

suspect this is why it is so hard to find the appropriate information... hence

my original question. I did actually spend considerable time searching the forums

prior to even registering to post this thread but to me it seems logical to find

out how other people have approached the same project.

The information is here... but it isn't particularly easy to find. If it is

causing such a problem, nILS, why not create META threads with a directory like they

have at GroupDIY? There could be a thread for "MMC STYLE TRANSPORTS" through to something

as generic as "COMPONENTS". Inside people can just post a link to the appropriate threads

on the forums. At least this way people can find the information quickly without having

to sift through potentially 100's of threads to find any relevant information at all.

Take a look at it: http://www.prodigy-pro.com/diy/index.php?topic=16013.0

Just a thought. I am quite happy to compile all the threads I have found relevant to the

project I am embarking on. I suspect you have enough intelligent resident forumites that

will be happy to place relevant links in relevant metas as well.

[TK.]

Here is the "meta thread" - would be nice if you could help to keep it up-to-date, because it seems that it hasn't been updated for 4 years

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=forum_highlights

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Googleberry]

Here is the "meta thread" - would be nice if you could help to keep it up-to-date, because it seems that it hasn't been updated for 4 years

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=forum_highlights

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Wicked. I'll be happy to. :thumbsup:

[Steven_C]

Googleberry, have you had any progress with this?

Custom apps for MIOS is a big undertaking if you are tight on time, or new to programming.

If your controller is for Logic, I would simply build the LC clone, and assign the functions to the buttons that you want. (back in my midibox-intensive days it was a matter of assigning din, ain pins etc in a text file, then compiling that with the rest of the app. Though a lot has changed since then, and unfortunately I haven't had the time to keep up)

If you want to use protools that may start to get tricky. If transport controls are all you want, there is at least one commercially available transport controller for reasonably cheap.