Old 06-19-2020, 03:16 PM   #1
dave_t
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Default Momentary MIDI cc button to toggle switch?

I want to take the MIDI cc message from a single button on my controller (Novation Launchkey) and use it to toggle a setting (Sustain on/off) on a hardware synth (MeeBlip geode). I've looked in the forums and the REAPER stash and on google and everywhere I can think of for a solution. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The synth uses cc#64 to turn sustain on and off. The button I want to use outputs cc#52 - value 127 when pressed, value 0 when released.

I'm using MIDI Mapper X to take cc numbers output by my controller, and translate them into cc numbers that the synth understands. The faders and rotary knobs work great for continuously changing values like cutoff, etc. In a pinch I can use one of them to output cc#64, so sustain is on when the fader/knob is above 50%.

But the launchkey has buttons, too, and I want to use them if I can for settings that are on/off. The button I want to use acts as a momentary switch. The Launchkey doesn't let you change the buttons' mode between momentary and toggle.

MIDI learn lets you choose if a cc acts as a toggle on a VST synth, but I can't use it for cc's going to a hardware synth. I've looked at a bunch of JS plugins and piz midi utilities, but I can't get anything to achieve this.

Thanks

Dave_t
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Old 06-19-2020, 03:30 PM   #2
dave_t
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I seem to always wind up replying to my own posts

I've found a bit of a workaround. I can use one button and, in Midi Mapper X, constrain its output (using MSB minimum and maximum) to values over 64 - that's my Sustain On button. Then use another button and contrain it to send values under 64, and that's my Sustain Off button. Uses two buttons instead of one, but it frees up a fader.

Still interested in making a momentary button into a toggle, though.

Last edited by dave_t; 06-19-2020 at 03:36 PM.
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Old 06-19-2020, 09:57 PM   #3
mschnell
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave_t View Post
Uses two buttons instead of one, Still interested in making a momentary button into a toggle, though.
If it does not exist, doing a toggle Mdi filter JSFX would be very easy. But maybe it might be a good idea to include that feature in Midi Mapper X.
-Michael
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Old 06-22-2020, 02:16 PM   #4
Talagan
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Hi Dave,

This is interesting ; originally Mapper X was not designed to do so many things - it was meant to be applied on one continuous CC to tweak its response curve, but it has slowly mutated into something higher level on user requests, and what you describe is a high level control with single state memory, very simple, but yet it's kind of an "application", what I would call a "widget" ; I don't know if Mapper X should evolve at a higher level or not (it's a question of spirit) and if other types of "widgets" could be imagined and find their use inside of it. Maybe! But if we look at a higher level, we can imagine an infinite number of behaviors and widgets (with e.g. complex state memory, conditional routing on values, etc), and something will always be missing. So it's hard to find the good balance, but it's true that I've never taken the time to think about "button" controls in MIDI CC Mapper X. I will think about it carefully but I'm not sure yet if I really want to open the pandora box

But anyway, I've quickly wrote a rough script that does what you've described (if I understand it correctly). The script has two modes "Push Button" and "Toggle", and you should be interested specifically by the "Toggle" mode.

Tell me if it works for you, and if it's ok I'll probably make a pull request to get it merged to the ReaPack JSFX repo.
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File Type: zip talagan_MIDI CC Bistate Button.jsfx.zip (2.4 KB, 298 views)
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Old 06-22-2020, 06:38 PM   #5
dave_t
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Wow! That's amazing! Thanks so much!

Working great - I have my single purpose "sustain" button now, and I can create a bunch of new ones.

I never ceased to be amazed at the helpfulness of the REAPER community.

To be clear, I didn't mean this as a feature request for MIDI mapper X - that's already a fantastic plugin on its own - I recently discovered it and I've been adapting it to control every hardware synth I have that responds to MIDI. But, hey, if this feature made its way in there somehow...

And for sure, +1 to have this in ReaPack - the ability to turn any controller switch into a toggle has hundreds of possible uses beyond this request.

Thanks again!

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Old 06-23-2020, 01:30 AM   #6
Talagan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave_t
To be clear, I didn't mean this as a feature request for MIDI mapper X - that's already a fantastic plugin on its own - I recently discovered it and I've been adapting it to control every hardware synth I have that responds to MIDI. But, hey, if this feature made its way in there somehow...
No worries, it was just me thinking out loud It's true that most synths have "buttons" but very often they don't trigger any MIDI messages and there are just there to parameterize the synth itself. The MIDI spec itself does not explicitly take care of buttons, but meanwhile there are so common and simple that they could probably fit the spirit of Mapper X... the difficulty being to have a nice model that offers a large number of generic use cases.

Thanks anyway for your very nice comments! Really happy to hear that you've found your happiness in that plugin

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave_t
And for sure, +1 to have this in ReaPack - the ability to turn any controller switch into a toggle has hundreds of possible uses beyond this request.
On its way EDIT: Arrived.

Last edited by Talagan; 06-23-2020 at 03:22 AM.
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Old 08-28-2020, 05:30 AM   #7
petruccigp
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Default Exactly what I was looking for

Hey dave_t,

I've been struggling (and procrastinating) with my current setup, which includes an old Boss GT-6 that I use simply for MIDI control of my guitar amp simulation VST.

This particular BOSS stampbox insists on sending the same CC twice when a pedal is pressed (e.g. CC#69 00 CC#69 127 follow immediately), which my software detected as "ON / OFF" immediately.

This plugin is exactly what I was looking for and has made my setup work! Greatly appreciate sharing this nifty tool with the community.

Thanks!
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Old 08-28-2020, 10:32 AM   #8
Talagan
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You're welcome! Glad to read that it has proved to be useful once again
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