Control Surface Integration (CSI) Technical Feature Discussion

[Geoff Waddington]

Originally Posted by Cragster

@GEOFF
hey Geoff heres also files for the PlatformB. i know its an obscure surface and not many if any people use it but here are files for that as well if you want

Thanks for these files and the ones in the previous post !!

[Geoff Waddington]

Originally Posted by Navelpluisje

I just released a new version of the Reapinger BCF2000 CSI files.
I've added 2 more extras and did some minor fixes for the Hold functionality on some buttons.

This version is now also available via stash: https://stash.reaper.fm/manage_file/...000-v0.0.3.zip

Thanks for these files !!

[Geoff Waddington]

Originally Posted by poetnprophet

Posted a new video on some advanced CSI stuff, continuing from the last video from last year. There's just so much to cover! We should try to get Kenny to do these

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v9dTa17s_w&t=480s

Thanks man, great video !!

[Funkybot]

Originally Posted by Newman Ray

Thanks!
I set everything up per the instructions, but it's not working correctly. What mode should I be in on the X-Touch One? I've tried the MC-Reaper mode and MC-Standard. Thanks!

X-Touch One should be in MCU Std mode.

What's not working correctly? Were you able to setup CSI and add the device?

Did you disable the X-Touch One's MIDI port in Reaper's Preferences -> MIDI Devices?

[Newman Ray]

Originally Posted by Funkybot

X-Touch One should be in MCU Std mode.

What's not working correctly? Were you able to setup CSI and add the device?

Did you disable the X-Touch One's MIDI port in Reaper's Preferences -> MIDI Devices?

Yeah! It's working now. I think it was the fact that I had it setup in Track Control Panel mode instead of Mixer Control Panel mode. Once I switched that it worked great. Thank you!

[phillippeo]

Originally Posted by Funkybot

Try my X-Touch One files:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/21f9z72djk...evice.zip?dl=0

...definitely don't have the issue you described.

Hi Funkybot,

Sorry, Pilot error... For some reason, I had an artefact entry for the mossgrabber extension still active which was conflicting with CSI.

Thanks for your files. I had actually been using them as you supplied them previously.

[cemark]

Loving my X-Touch!

I wonder, does CSI support RGB for the scribble strips? I just realized the X Touch can display different colors in its strips.

Thanks

[cemark]

Guys,

I've set up zone files for a bunch of my favorite plugs on the X Touch Universal. Of course, the mappings may not be suitable for anyone else but me, but I'd be happy to share my zone files.

I have files for:

FabFilter Pro-Q 3
Sonimus Satson CS,
Sonimus SonEq Pro
Sonimus TuCo
UVI Thorus
Softube Fix Doubler (a plug I haven't tested yet, but heard good things about)

Coming up: FabFilter DS, Pro R, and Saturn

Let me know if there is any interest and I'll post the files somewhere.

[Funkybot]

Originally Posted by cemark

Loving my X-Touch!

I wonder, does CSI support RGB for the scribble strips? I just realized the X Touch can display different colors in its strips.

Thanks

Glad you're getting on with it. I really feel like that's the much better surface for use in Reaper compared to the Presonus!

[susbemol]

My X Touch One is also running really nicely with REAPER so many thanks to all involved in this great project!

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by cemark

does CSI support RGB for the scribble strips?

CSI supports (close to) everything it is configured to in the appropriate files.
-Michael

[cemark]

Originally Posted by mschnell

CSI supports (close to) everything it is configured to in the appropriate files.
-Michael

Cool -- any idea how (I can work with colors in my scribble strips)?

[mschnell]

you need to try to find or tweak appropriate configuration files.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful....

I seem to remember discussions on that issue.

-Michael

[tpulse]

How does CSI work with Reaper and Faderport 8 ??? Compared to studio one and Faderport 8

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by tpulse

How does CSI work with Reaper and ...

The question is rather inappropriate, as CSI works as defined in the configuration files you feed it with. These can be tweaked to define completely different workflows with the same hardware.

You might want to ask ? "How does the configuration file set xyz work with (e.g. Faderport 8) ? "

-Michael

[Freex]

Originally Posted by tpulse

How does CSI work with Reaper and Faderport 8 ??? Compared to studio one and Faderport 8

Faderport and Studio One are both made by presonus.
If they didn't work together you'd want your money back.

CSI is and add on to allow pretty much any control surface to work to lesser or greater degree with Reaper.

Take the Mackie C4 for instance, which is discontinued by MAckie and was pretty much rendered a paper weight for all DAW's.

CSI has brought it to be the controller it should have been at the start.

With CSI, and Reaper for that part, you get out what you put in, the more you understand, the more you can tweak to suit your workflow.

So to answer your question in the most basic term, CSI is like a glorious translator. (that's not a typo for glorified, it's the dogs balleric)

[airon]

Got some rather strange behaviour. The file below contains the MST and ZON file for a Faderport 16 in Studio One mode. The zone file has been edited down to a minimum.

The sends are accessed via a button:

Send ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends

The complete zone file is this

Zone "Home"
  OnTrackSelection MapSelectedTrackSendsToWidgets
  IncludedZones
    "Channel|1-16"
  IncludedZonesEnd
  Send ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends
  Track GoZone "Home"
  ShiftRight  Shift
  ShiftLeft   Alt
ZoneEnd

Zone "Channel|1-16"
  TrackNavigator
  FPScribble|            TrackNameDisplay
  TrackTouch+FPScribble| TrackVolumeDisplay
  Solo|                  TrackSolo
  Mute|                  TrackMute
  Select|       TrackUniqueSelect { 2 10 2  30 127 30 }
  Fader| TrackVolume
  TrackTouch+Fader| TrackVolume
  FaderTouch| TrackTouch
ZoneEnd

Zone "Send|1-8"
  SelectedTrackNavigator
  FPScribble|             TrackSendNameDisplay
  Mute|                   TrackSendMute
  Fader|                  TrackSendVolume
  TrackTouch+Fader|       TrackSendVolume
  FaderTouch|             TrackTouch
ZoneEnd

The zone file defines access to only 8 sends, and thus only the first eight faders will ever be used for the sends.

Geoff, is this normal, starting with a fresh Reaper, 30 tracks, each having a send to up to 8 other tracks:

• A track with one or more send is selected
• The "Send" button is pressed. Now the first eight faders show the send volume levels of existing sends on that selected track. The send destination track is displayed in the scribble strip.
  
• Pressing the "Send" button again removes the scribble strip contents and moves the first eight faders to -inf, i.e. the bottom. The faders now control nothing.
  
  
• Pressing the "Track" button triggers a GoZone "Home" command. The scribble strips now show the track names again, and the faders jump to the track volume levels.

In other words I need to press two buttons to get back from the send view.

This seems wrong, as I figured a toggle would jump back to normal home zone again.

Could this be a bug ?

I'm using the CSI beta from May 5th 2020.

The complete files, 3kB. I've cut out all kinds of button assignments that had nothing to do with the sends. I'll add it all back in when this problem has been dealt with.
https://stash.reaper.fm/manage_file/40063/FP16s1.zip

[airon]

Just to reiterate, it all works.

It's just that getting back from SEND mode requires a ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends and then a GoZone "Home" command.

I'm wondering whether the ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends command shouldn't be all that's required, or perhaps there's a mistake in my Zone file. I do want to know.

Now it's on to FX. Joy, oh joy.

[Freex]

Originally Posted by airon

Just to reiterate, it all works.

It's just that getting back from SEND mode requires a ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends and then a GoZone "Home" command.

I'm wondering whether the ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends command shouldn't be all that's required, or perhaps there's a mistake in my Zone file. I do want to know.

Now it's on to FX. Joy, oh joy.

Have you tried putting a Send GoZone "Home" in the Send Zone (not sure if it will work but an easy one to try)

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by airon

Just to reiterate, it all works.

It's just that getting back from SEND mode requires a ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends and then a GoZone "Home" command.

I'm wondering whether the ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends command shouldn't be all that's required, or perhaps there's a mistake in my Zone file. I do want to know.

Now it's on to FX. Joy, oh joy.

This is a bug. Not sure when it crept in - it wasn't always like this. My MCU behaves the same as your Faderport.

I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it (my sends also appear on the C4 as I select tracks, but I have the option of faders using ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends on the MCU)

EDIT: It seems to have appeared in the build dated 27th April (at least that's the first build I have where it appears) The build dated 24th April works correctly. I'll have to look back in the thread to see what was added/fixed in the later builds.

[airon]

Originally Posted by Freex

Have you tried putting a Send GoZone "Home" in the Send Zone (not sure if it will work but an easy one to try)

Tried that too. Thanks.
Trying to get FX going but having a hard time. The name of the zone files is not important, right ? The name of the plugin in the Zone file is, AFAIK.

[Cragster]

Originally Posted by airon

Tried that too. Thanks.
Trying to get FX going but having a hard time. The name of the zone files is not important, right ? The name of the plugin in the Zone file is, AFAIK.

Yes the plugin name in the zone file has to match exactly

[Cragster]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

This is a bug. Not sure when it crept in - it wasn't always like this. My MCU behaves the same as your Faderport.

I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it (my sends also appear on the C4 as I select tracks, but I have the option of faders using ToggleMapSelectedTrackSends on the MCU)

EDIT: It seems to have appeared in the build dated 27th April (at least that's the first build I have where it appears) The build dated 24th April works correctly. I'll have to look back in the thread to see what was added/fixed in the later builds.

Hmmm strange . Im not by having any issue with this on my ProX

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Cragster

Hmmm strange . Im not by having any issue with this on my ProX

What build are you using?

[joeyx]

Does anyone by chance have an answer to the following:

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=239749

Or does anyone know if CSI could be used to toggle on/off the steps in Megababy with TouchOSC as the control?

Cheers!

[airon]

Faderport 16 and 8 .MST and .ZON files are collected in this little ZIP file.

https://stash.reaper.fm/40068/fp16_and_fp8_csi.zip

Currently what is there works fine.

Faderport 16 & 8

Here is a very high resolution image from the Presonus website for reference.

Left SHIFT button is referred to as the ALT modifier.
Right SHIFT button is referred to as the SHIFT modifier.



Default state is Faders controlling track volume. The scribble strips indicate the track name. When a fader is touched, the current track volume value is indicated instead.

Modifers

Shift + Fader
This controls the PAN of the track

Alt + Fader
Controls the second PAN, i.e. width or channel 2 pan, depending on the panning mode the track was set to.

There are some other modifier functions, so the faders will jump around a bit every time you hold Shift or Alt.

Send mode

Press Send(to the right of the faders, third from the top) to show the send volume levels on the first 8 faders. Modifiy the Zone file is you'd like more. I don't know how to bank here yet. Mute buttons toggle the mute on the sends. The Select buttons still select tracks.

To go back to controlling the track volume, press Send again, and then press Track. This is due to a bug in CSI at this time. Usually just pressing Send should have been enough. When it's fixed, nothing needs to be changed.

Small Rotary knob in top left corner

Now controls a single selected tracks PAN, until you change it to do something else.

Automation

The automation buttons are easy. The Off button actually activates Latch Preview.

Alt+button changes the mode for all tracks.

Shift+button does a global override. Shift+Pan turns the global override off, which is why the Pan button may be lit up all the time.

Arming
I've taken this out, but feel free to add it back in. Place it in the "Buttons|" zone.

/ BUTTONS LEFT OF FADERS
  Arm    TrackRecordArm // arms selected tracks
  Shift+Arm Reaper "40490" // arm all tracks
  Alt+Arm  Reaper "40491" // unarm all tracks
  SoloClear Reaper "40340" // Track: Unsolo all tracks
  MuteClear Reaper "40339" // Track: Unmute all tracks

I might make a new thread for Faderport 16/8 users. This shouldn't muck up the conversation in the CSI thread unless it's about bugs.

[Matthijs]

A new thread for Faderport 8/16 users seems like a great idea Airon! Especially for older non-technical Reapers like me..

Thanks in advance!

Matthijs

[Cragster]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

What build are you using?

Im almost definite im using the latest build. Will double check tonight

[Cragster]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

What build are you using?

scratch that. you guys are correct. it is a bug. i wasnt using the latest build.
sry false alarm. sends dont toggle back to home in the latest build

[lubvic]

Originally Posted by cemark

Cool -- any idea how (I can work with colors in my scribble strips)?

did you find any solution? i'm interested in this too, my workflow (as anyone else, i suppose) is based on track colors, also due to the fact the text on xtouch scribble strips is hardly readable if not in the right angle of view.

[airon]

I've posted a new thread for Faderport 16, 8 and v2 users in this thread:
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=240162


Concerning colour on the X-Touch, iirc that's a Behringer-only thing for their x32 console control.

[mschnell]

Originally Posted by airon

Concerning colour on the X-Touch, iirc that's a Behringer-only thing for their x32 console control.

Their XTouch universal features the same colored scribble strips.
-Michael

[Equitone]

Hi,
I'm a blind Reaper user with an X-Touch. The guys at Reaper and SWS have done a great deal to make this software accessible, but there are still difficulties, i.e. controlling plugins. For obvious reasons, I've no interest in lights, colours etc, but would like the ability to control plugin parameters, along with all the obvious stuff like transport, markers etc. Am I dreaming, or is CSI the solution?
Thanks.

[mschnell]

Welcome to the Reaper forums !!

AFAIK, CSI does support modulating plugin parameters by the Control Surface "out of the box". I don't know about the state of the support for this in appropriate configuration files for the XTouch.

-Michael

[Pompeysie]

Hi guys

I have an X-Touch Mini and I'm having noob problems setting it up to control FX.

I have set up a very basic on file for ReaEQ with just one parameter so I can test it. This is the file:

Zone "VST: ReaEQ (Cockos)" ReaEQ
SelectedTrackNavigator
LayerA_Rotary1 FXParam 0 "Freq-Band 1"
LayerA_Rotary2 FXParam 1 "Gain-Band 1"
ZoneEnd

I have added this line to my main controller .zon home zone:

Zone Home
OnTrackSelection MapSelectedTrackSendsToWidgets
OnTrackSelection MapSelectedTrackFXToWidgets
IncludedZones
"LayerA_Buttons|"
"LayerB_Buttons|"
"Channel|1-8"
IncludedZonesEnd
ZoneEnd

I know the most and .zon files are OK because they work great at controlling tracks. So, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Simon

[poetnprophet]

hey there, you also have to make sure the file name of the zon file for the FX is written exactly right. Basically same as how it's listed inside the zone, but without the : and ()

Otherwise it looks ok

PS: why do you have the parameter name in "" ? I think that's just for display purposes, if there's nothing to display to I'm not sure if that messes things up.

PSS: also there's a video I did, toward the end I go though an exercise setting up some params on the xtmini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v9dTa17s_w&t=480s

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Pompeysie

Hi guys

I have an X-Touch Mini and I'm having noob problems setting it up to control FX.

I have set up a very basic on file for ReaEQ with just one parameter so I can test it. This is the file:

Zone "VST: ReaEQ (Cockos)" ReaEQ
SelectedTrackNavigator
LayerA_Rotary1 FXParam 0 "Freq-Band 1"
LayerA_Rotary2 FXParam 1 "Gain-Band 1"
ZoneEnd

I have added this line to my main controller .zon home zone:

Zone Home
OnTrackSelection MapSelectedTrackSendsToWidgets
OnTrackSelection MapSelectedTrackFXToWidgets
IncludedZones
"LayerA_Buttons|"
"LayerB_Buttons|"
"Channel|1-8"
IncludedZonesEnd
ZoneEnd

I know the most and .zon files are OK because they work great at controlling tracks. So, what am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Simon

Get rid of ReaEQ in

Zone "VST: ReaEQ (Cockos)" ReaEQ

or put it in ""

As @PoetnProphet says, the names in "" after parameters are really display aliases but people have been using them as a way of annotating the param numbers to no apparently ill effect.

The FX mapping isn't colliding with the Send mapping is it? They're both activated when you select a track.

Also, have you got 'Auto Map FX' ticked in the surface's prefs? or have a button assigned to 'ToggleMapSelectedTrackFX"?

[Pompeysie]

Thanks, guys, that helped. It's now working.

Simon

[Geoff Waddington]

Originally Posted by cemark

Cool -- any idea how (I can work with colors in my scribble strips)?

I'll look into that, when I finish this round of changes.

[Geoff Waddington]

Originally Posted by Equitone

Hi,
I'm a blind Reaper user with an X-Touch. The guys at Reaper and SWS have done a great deal to make this software accessible, but there are still difficulties, i.e. controlling plugins. For obvious reasons, I've no interest in lights, colours etc, but would like the ability to control plugin parameters, along with all the obvious stuff like transport, markers etc. Am I dreaming, or is CSI the solution?
Thanks.

Yes, CSI can do those things with the appropriate .mst and .zon files.

What would you like to do, specifically ?