Old 07-11-2019, 09:05 AM   #1
Coachz
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Default Writing automation with tablet

A while back I had asked how to set up remote control with my Android tablet to be able to write automation. I never got a satisfactory answer so I wanted to ask for a feature request to enable this. My goal is to have a big fader on my tablet that I can drag up and down and write automation for the last touched parameter, whether it is an effect parameter or a tracks volume, mute or pan. Maybe someone can figure out a way to do this but my impression at the time was that it was currently not doable in Reaper. Thanks in advance for any ideas
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Old 07-11-2019, 03:05 PM   #2
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Consider using OSC apps like TouchDAW or TouchOSC.
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Old 07-11-2019, 04:32 PM   #3
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I tried touch daw but couldn't get it to work. The documentation is definitely weak on these apps to. Is touch Daw able to take a fader and assign it to the last touched parameter and also the volume mute pan parameters? I certainly could not figure it out. I would be happy to schedule a time to meet somebody in the Discord chat server to chat me through it.
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Old 07-12-2019, 05:36 AM   #4
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In case my workflow is not clear, let me clarify. I'm in Reaper and writing automation for one thing at a time. It might be a tracks volume, mute, pan or a last touched parameter.

I'm trying to find a way on my tablet to have one fader that can write the automation in those cases. I only need one fader to do it but if there need to be 4 of them for volume, mute, pan and last touched parameter that's ok too but so far I can't find a way to do it. Thanks for any ideas. I'm on an android tablet.
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Old 07-12-2019, 05:00 PM   #5
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HEY DEVS ! Can you please add midi learn to the volume, mute, pan for tracks? Thanks in advance. That way I could use one fader on an Android tablet to control let's touch parameter in volume, mute, pan I believe.

Or would this be totally useless and have to be relearned for every track. My goal is to have one fader on the tablet able to write automation for whichever track is selected

Last edited by Coachz; 07-12-2019 at 05:28 PM.
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Old 07-12-2019, 06:27 PM   #6
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A part from FX, touchDAW allows you to have one fader volume for first selectzd track and you can do automation from there.


I think Touch OSC is required for FXs as it as generic faders.


Also you can consider Realearn extension which adds midi learn new features.
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Old 07-13-2019, 04:11 AM   #7
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I got a reply from touchdaw support and while what I asked seems possible, i dont know how to do it. Anyone know how please? Here is my question to them and their kind reply.....

Hi, I use Reaper as my daw and wondered if there's a way to get touchdaw to be able to write automation onto my tracks. I'm looking to write four types of automation: volume, pan, mute, and last touched parameter. Thanks for any ideas as I have not seen any video showing how to do this that and would love to know what is possible.


Yes, sure. You just need to be aware that the DAW Controller part of the app is only a cheap software emulation of a Mackie Control Universal. All the available functionality is ultimately defined by the DAW's Mackie Control implementation and not by the app itself.

When it comes to Reaper and automation, you will have the standard Read, Write, Touch, Latch and Trim buttons in the master section on tablets. Those set the automation mode for the currently selected track. On the phone interface these are all crammed into a single "press repeatedly" button that replaces the "Mix" button when you engage "Shift" (bold arrow up) underneath the navigation cross. On the mixer view that button is available in the floating control bar. You can also assign the automation modes you actually need to the various "F Keys" to have them more accessible.

Which parameters Reaper will record into automation lanes depends on the target settings in the DAW (click the "Track Envelopes / Automation" field in the track header. I guess, you will probably know your way around Reaper better than I do). Whether there is a way to have control over the "last touched parameter" I don't know. The built-in Mackie Control implementation in Reaper is rather limited, but it may be possible with one of the extensions available on stash.reaper.fm. A little more info on that is here: http://www.humatic.de/htools/touchda...daw.htm#reaper . In any case: Make sure you read the documentation of whatever Mackie Control dll you are using, because that will decide what you can and can not do. The app itself in the end has absolutely no idea of what is going on inside the DAW. It will just show you and let you target what the DAW thinks should be visible and targetable from a Mackie Control.
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Old 07-13-2019, 04:23 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by X-Raym View Post
A part from FX, touchDAW allows you to have one fader volume for first selectzd track and you can do automation from there.


I think Touch OSC is required for FXs as it as generic faders.


Also you can consider Realearn extension which adds midi learn new features.
Thanks for the reply. Realearn would be required as a plugin on every track I fear.
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Old 07-13-2019, 05:29 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachz View Post
HEY DEVS ! Can you please add midi learn to the volume, mute, pan for tracks? Thanks in advance. That way I could use one fader on an Android tablet to control let's touch parameter in volume, mute, pan I believe.

Or would this be totally useless and have to be relearned for every track. My goal is to have one fader on the tablet able to write automation for whichever track is selected
These actions should help I think?
Track: Set volume for last touched track (MIDI CC/OSC only)
Track: Set pan for last touched track (MIDI CC/OSC only)
Track: Set mute for last touched track (MIDI CC/OSC only)
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Old 07-13-2019, 06:25 AM   #10
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Very interesting. Is there a way to trigger those actions from touchdaw?
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Old 07-13-2019, 10:06 AM   #11
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Quote:
Is there a way to trigger those actions from touchdaw?
No need to map them to touchDAW.


TouchDAW already control Mute / Volume and SOlo of first selected track in mixer view.


It is not clear where you are stuck.


Just install touchdaw on your phone, set it up to REAPER in options, install rtpmidi, activate your rtpMIDI port in REAPER MIDI devices, and it is all set up.
EDIT: also set it up in OSC devices as MackieControl.

THis is my set up:




5not that touchdaw wasn't acvtivated on my phone so latency is ??? instead of a number).



The only thing I dont think touchdaw can handle is "FX envelopes".
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Old 07-13-2019, 10:16 AM   #12
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This was the tutorial I watched for that:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfZfVJD_Sok&t=181s
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Old 07-13-2019, 12:57 PM   #13
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I think generic capacitive touch screens (commonly used in phones/tablet) are not the best controller for DAW works, because
  • Its precision is not accurate enough, or perhaps too sensitive especially for automation works.
  • when your finger leave the screen, even a tiny movement could be recognized as input (mouse/touch drag, especially for faders or drawing envelope).

IMO no matter how good you are with your fingers on screen, it’s very tedious to get accurate control compared to touchscreen devices which specifically design as a control surface (such as Raven MTi, it’s a night and day difference).

I think the main purpose writing automation with (hardware) controller is to mimic analog experience when fiddling with real faders, knobs, etc. thus the result expected to sound more natural.

As opposed using touch screen to write automation which felt weird and unnatural, a lot of trial and errors for a single envelope is inevitable. Drawing automation with mouse and editing with modifiers, keyboard shortcut, etc. is way faster, easier, and predictable.
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Old 07-13-2019, 04:55 PM   #14
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@jrebgmusic
I agree finger isnt very good but I got very nice results with pen tablet. These are mon thin and easier to handle.
Automation with phone isnt ideal but you can definitely have nice results.
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Old 07-13-2019, 05:15 PM   #15
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I got no luck with pen tablet also. It takes time to switch from mouse to pen, and back to mouse. It’s too slow for my workflow.

I’m happy with my both hands on mouse, keyboard and faderport.
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Old 07-25-2019, 10:22 AM   #16
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I can do volume/pan/mute automation with the faders but when I switch to the controller mode with the Shift key I don't get anything. Is there a way in Reaper to see the data coming in ?

I set TouchDaw with the Shift key and edited midi mode in it so TouchDaw sends out CC 14 on Channel 1 but I don't see it in Reaper. I have "Adjust last touched FX parameter (MIDI CC/OSC only)" action in Reaper set to Midi Chan 1 CC 14.

I can control faders from the main screen but don't seem able to send midi on the launchpads or faders. I have rptMidi running and have run out of ideas. Thanks for any help.




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Old 07-25-2019, 03:15 PM   #17
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I got a detailed reply from the fine TouchDaw support and it's working fine now. Here's details for others.


the app uses two MIDI connections:

Port 1 is for the DAW controller (Mackie Control)
Port 2 is for all the other MIDI tools including the mixer in MIDI mode

See the illustration at https://www.humatic.de/htools/touchdaw/quickstart.htm.

An rtpMIDI session directly "translates" to a virtual MIDI port that you will see in Reaper, ie. the driver will create a MIDI in- and output for every session you create.

Now it looks like you created two sessions ("touchd" & "touchd_midi"). That's fine.

You then want to connect the app's first session ("tdaw and(xxx) RTP 1") to "touchd" and use "touchd" in Reaper's Mackie Control windows.
"touchd" should be <disabled> in Reaper's MIDI settings (because funny bugs in Reaper...). Your "Control Surface Settings" screenshot shows that you are using "touchd_midi" there. That is probably not correct.

Then you want to connect the app's second session ("tdaw and(xxx) RTP 2") to your second rtpMIDI session ("touchd_midi"). This should be routed into Reaper as any other standard MIDI controller would be, ie. it's not a Mackie Controller and the "touchd_midi" ports should NOT be <disabled>. The screenshot of your MIDI settings shows that both ports are disabled. Again that's not correct and here probably lies the reason for you not receiving anything that's coming in over the second connection.

Do NOT connect both of the app's sessions to one rtpMIDI session. Each of them should be linked to one session only. The network stuff is nothing other than virtual MIDI cables in the end. A Mackie controller by definition requires a MIDI port (both in- and output) entirely for itself. You do not want any of the remote control data anywhere else in your setup and you do not want anything but the Mackie Controller and the DAW's remote control implementation to access this port.

The Mackie Control part of the app will then let you write Volume, Pan, Mute etc. automation (everything that Reaper can let you write from a Mackie controller, which as I said is entirely defined by Reaper's MCU implementation, not by TouchDAW)

The app's keyboard, launchpads and your CC 14 fader on the mixer in MIDI mode MAY let you control Reaper last touched FX parameter. Again I am not a Reaper user and basically have no idea of all that actions stuff. I just can assure you that you whatever CC you assigned to those MIDI mode faders will be sent out to the app's second MIDI port.
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