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Old 10-04-2019, 01:27 PM   #1
TabbyCat
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Default Control of FX params - help me understand a better way :)

Hi all! I am coming from multiple other DAWs, and have been using Reaper about 5 months. Having a great time

I am mostly using OSC for remote control, and the one thing I am unable to figure out - how to control the order in which plugin (VSTi, FX) parameters are presented. As far as I can tell, Reaper just dumps the full automation list to the remote client, and lets the client sort it out. So, because my FX controller has 8 knobs, the only way I can control (for example) parameter #57 is to scroll through 8 banks of parameters until I find the one I want.

What many other DAWs allow you to do is save a "short list" of remote control destinations - per plugin. So you identify the 16 or so you are likely to need, save them to a "quick control" list (e.g. Cubase) or "macro" (e.g. Ableton, Bitwig) -- and if you've done so, those are the ones that are presented to the remote instead of the full 512+ automation IDs

I'm using OSC, but as far as I can tell a different problem exists for MIDI - you have to hardwire destinations on an instance basis and save that specific instance/track template/etc.

Is there any way to do what I'm talking about (create a list of remote parameters per plugin, that change depend on the focused plugin)? Currently I'm using O-S-C to query the plugin name and build a new array on the fly, per focused device. But...this is tedious because I have to hard code it for every possibility

I'm ok if the answer is "saving automation IDs per plugin is not possible, you'd have to script it" - I'm comfortable with scripting, if there is sufficient exposure in the API and it can be stored/recalled somehow.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 10-08-2019, 10:27 AM   #2
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Here's a polite bump

I've had a look at the CSI thread - the thread is currently 100+ pages and therefore hard to tell what the actual specs are, does anyone know if CSI will help with this issue?
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Old 10-08-2019, 11:48 AM   #3
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CSI will help. You just have to roll up your pant-legs and get in there. The water will be cold at first! Don't be afraid, people will help you
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Old 10-26-2019, 09:58 AM   #4
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I think I'm looking for a similar kind of solution. Cubase has a quick control section for each track and the 8 knobs on my control surface are mapped to the "quick controls". Then when the track is selected, the control surface knobs control those quick parameters and they can be changed on the fly. This is much more flexible than hard coding each instanced plug-in to your control surface. From what I've researched, I haven't found a Reaper script or extension to do this. Please let me know if there is a way to accomplish this that I haven't uncovered.
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Old 10-26-2019, 09:11 PM   #5
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poetnprophet just answered exactly this in the message right above yours.

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Old 10-27-2019, 01:31 PM   #6
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I think LBX smartknob script will do exactly what you want https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=204972
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Old 10-27-2019, 03:11 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Regisfofo View Post
I think LBX smartknob script will do exactly what you want https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=204972
Yes, thank you. That's what I was looking for and was lost in the CSI thread.
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Old 10-28-2019, 03:55 AM   #8
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CSI is likely the most clever way of setting this up. It has some kind of learn functionality as well, so you can set something up. I haven't used it though, because CSI is currently having its modifier bits improved, after which different types of encoders will be added. That's a necessity for me, as well as support for my controller track displays . Faderport 16. Geoff will get to it.

OSC apparently is in... not 100% on that. In all CSI is the future.


My workflow consists of using relatively static, identical sets of plugins and sends on each track. My approach so far is to assign midi and OSC control resources on a per-track basis.

EQ - midi encoders , compressor - midi encoders , deesser - midi encoders. All of these midi encoders are saved as "Default" mappings in the "Param" button menu in the FX window.

Send volume - actions bound to midi encoders. Send mutes - actions bound to midi note triggers. Plus, a page of large OSC faders and buttons via Lemur for send levels and mute. Mute buttons just trigger actions(thanks Cockos) so no state feedback there.

I have midi note triggers to toggle fx #1-5 visible or not. My FX Chain window is docked, so I mostly use fx that fit that space.

There are midi triggers that in turn trigger Lua scripts that change banks on my encoder units, so I can control the pre-compression eq, the post-comp eq, the send levels in a relative AND absolute manner (two midi encoder bindings to the same action), and one bank for whatever else.

I have two 16-knob units, one 8-knob unit, another 16-knob unit of a different kind, an OSC tablet and a 16-fader controller.

CSI is way better for this, but I can't use it for my encoders yet. IMHO Cockos should pay Geoff and/or someone else to do controller stuff a LOT, because it's one of Reapers less than stellar bits when it comes to out of the box support and innovation.

And that's it.

The LBX smartknob may be great for you though. Definitely give it a try. It did not do for me what I needed, but I'm hearing nothing but good feedback on it.
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Old 10-28-2019, 11:23 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Regisfofo View Post
I think LBX smartknob script will do exactly what you want https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=204972
Ah perfect, thank you, exactly what I was looking for!

Yeah as greymattre98 mentioned (and airon helpfully detailed above), CSI may be useful, but I think it needs to come to maturity and get a half-page summary of concise bullet points...at the moment it's a little overwhelming. I literally just need plugin IDs saved

Quote:
Originally Posted by airon View Post
IMHO Cockos should pay Geoff and/or someone else to do controller stuff a LOT, because it's one of Reapers less than stellar bits
^^This. Since moving to Reaper I've been able to do almost everything I could have ever wanted using things like Cycle Actions. For those few things I couldn't do, there's been an already-written script sitting in ReaPack. But controller functionality has been the rare exception - still some old-school basics that need addressing. Happy to see the community taking this on of course!
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Old 10-28-2019, 01:18 PM   #10
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Yes, exactly, controllers are very important. Another topic worth checking in future: https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=226038

This is what I wanted always, export and import capabilities of all mappings, to simple text files, even in the long time ago Ableton Live times, which is not possible there, too, but now thanks to mespotine's latest additions to ultraschall api, it is theoretically possible, only someone needs to do it.
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Old 10-30-2019, 10:30 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TonE View Post
Yes, exactly, controllers are very important. Another topic worth checking in future: https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=226038
Really interesting - I also had a look at the thread in general, awesome LUA extensions!

I've spent some time with the LBX smartknob script mentioned earlier, and it doesn't seem to work for me. There are three separate elements to it: a host track, a dedicated plugin that has to run on the track (Faderbox), and then a separate script you manually launch to do the config. Somewhere the interoperability gets lost and the script throws a "can't connect" error when I launch it. I've followed all the docs on the git and watched Jon's (ReaperBlog) vid...not sure what the issue is. So still hoping for a remote control miracle for Xmas lol...
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Old 10-30-2019, 12:25 PM   #12
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Maybe we could help you with setting this up... I know it could easily be overwelming...
What is your os ?
Did you managed to attach your controllers knobs to the faderbox plugins ? (Do you see them moving?)
How did you set up your controller in midi devices?
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