Custom Controller Assignments with Osculator

Hello,

 

I've setup TouchOSC on my iPod Touch with a custom layout containing a few basic commands. The app communicates with Logic via OSCulator. I've simply setup OSCulator to send keystrokes to Logic which correspond to my keyboard shortcuts.

 

This has been working so well that I got greedy: I now want my CYCLE toggle button to actually toggle (visually), the PLAY button to stay lit while playing, etc. I've read the Logic Control Surfaces manual in some detail but for the life of me I can't figure out how to do this with an unsupported device (i.e. one which isn't a Mackie/Euphonix/JLCooper device).

 

Also, if anyone is using a similar configuration, I would like to know if it's possible to address Logic's function directly in some way (such as RECORD), rather than emulating keyboard commands (such as "*", which can change).

 

Thanks for your help.

I now want my CYCLE toggle button to actually toggle (visually), the PLAY button to stay lit while playing, etc.

I didn't think that TouchOSC accepted OSC commands to control the state of one of its widgets. But if you're saying it does.....

 

Also, if anyone is using a similar configuration, I would like to know if it's possible to address Logic's function directly in some way (such as RECORD), rather than emulating keyboard commands (such as "*", which can change).

If Osculator can send MMC commands, that's another way to control the transport that isn't key command specific. But then, why would you be changing your transport key commands?

Thanks for your reply. I didn't say TouchOSC could receive OSC commands, I'm just discovering the possibilities and was wondering if a two-way toggle switch was one of them.

 

An example for changing key commands: for a long while I had Left/Right Locators "set" and "'go to" commands assigned to F16-F19, right above the numeric pad which I use for most transport commands. But because OSCulator can't send any function key above F16 I had to change that. That's why I was curious if there was some "universal" way of sending out commands. I must have been kidding myself

 

Also, I can't get the kind of shuttle control you get with Mackie Control hardware by using keyboard shortcuts (you only get "shuttle left" and "shuttle right", can't be done with a two-way fader with travel distance controlling shuttle speed). Some control apps do that (ProRemote...) but I don't know how.

 

TouchOSC is amazing, regardless. I don't touch my computer keyboard anymore when recording, and it only took me a couple of hours to create just the interface I needed.

TouchOSC is amazing, regardless. I don't touch my computer keyboard anymore when recording, and it only took me a couple of hours to create just the interface I needed.

Yeah, I'm still working on this Sample Editor template:

http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=60696

But TouchOSC Editor is giving me some problems. Sometimes I get file corruption issues. Not sure what that's about.

Nice. A tip: make use of the different colors available in TouchOSC. It makes things much more readable at a glance. Edited September 26, 2010 by Scotty Ferguson

Would it be possible to set up commands like piano roll nudge and Controller data information with touchOSC?

I don't understand what you mean exactly, so I've taken these some screen caps for you. One of them shows all the interface elements that you can create in TouchOSC, and the other one shows all the possible destinations you can choose in OSCulator.

 

The large screen cap is from OSCulator, and you can clearly see TouchOSC control names on the left (these are all push buttons), and Logic Key Commands on the right.

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. They caps got posted in reverse order: the bottom-most one is from TouchOSC, the others are from OSCulator.

I didn't think that TouchOSC accepted OSC commands to control the state of one of its widgets. But if you're saying it does.....

 

Well, it does actually... as I've just found out. I got label widgets in TouchOSC displaying data sent from Logic via OSCulator. It's pretty simple, really, although it's still pretty basic stuff I'm doing.

 

Since now I delved back into the Environment, I was wondering if there was a way to monitor any MIDI message coming *out* of Logic, without plugging a Monitor object to a specific track. I know I can use a Monitor before "Sequencer Input" and see whatever goes into Logic (from different physical devices), and I'd like to be able to do the same for outgoing messages (i.e. stuff going to any software instrument, audio object etc).

 

Also, is there a way to monitor what messages Logic sends when using the Transport Bar (Play, Cycle, Stop etc). It must be sending *something* for Mackie Control-type devices to work...

 

Thanks for your help.

I didn't think that TouchOSC accepted OSC commands to control the state of one of its widgets. But if you're saying it does.....

 

Well, it does actually... as I've just found out. I got label widgets in TouchOSC displaying data sent from Logic via OSCulator. It's pretty simple, really, although it's still pretty basic stuff I'm doing.

That's good to know. Time hasn't permitted me to delve into that stuff as much as I'd like.

 

Since now I delved back into the Environment, I was wondering if there was a way to monitor any MIDI message coming *out* of Logic, without plugging a Monitor object to a specific track. I know I can use a Monitor before "Sequencer Input" and see whatever goes into Logic (from different physical devices), and I'd like to be able to do the same for outgoing messages (i.e. stuff going to any software instrument, audio object etc).

Try giving a specific example of something you want to do.

 

Also, is there a way to monitor what messages Logic sends when using the Transport Bar (Play, Cycle, Stop etc). It must be sending *something* for Mackie Control-type devices to work...

Much of the controlling logic for supported control surfaces happens behind the scenes. Since I have several supported devices, I don't have much need for messing with controller assignments, but there is something you can try.

 

In the Control Surface Setup, install a Mackie Control and set its in and out ports to Osculator. If you look at the play command in the assignments, and load up MIDI Monitor, you'll see that the MC sends and receives note messages to control Logic's transport. Logic then sends an appropriate note message that toggles the transport lights on the MC. So the point is that you may be able to have Osculator emulate an MC to some degree. Or something simpler like a Frontier Tranzport. Just have Osculator send the same messages and Logic will think that device is really there. Note that I haven't tried this.

I'd thought of the idea of going with an emulation of a Mackie Control but it seemed like a huge hassle. Your post made me check it out: either the Tranzport or a "genuine" Mackie Control device spit out *huge* amounts of MIDI data (as listed by MIDI monitor), including separate Note On and Note Off messages which I don't think OSCulator can handle. It seems, currently, like a huge investment is needed in order to make it work smoothly (unless someone else has already done that and cares to share).

 

I'll report here if I find anything useful but in the meantime I think I'd rather write some music...

Using TouchOSC in Logic mode, I see all the commands in the controller assignments window that correlate to the widgets in TouchOSC. I can create new widgets and assign them to things like volume for the current channel strip, but I'm trying to send CC data. Is there a simple way to do this in the controller assignment window? I tried making a modulation fader in the environment, hoping I could somehow assign the input from TouchOSC to control the fader, but no luck yet.

 

I know I can use OSCulator, but since there's so much already being done just using TouchOSC in Logic mode, all I'd like to add is a couple faders for modulation and expression (cc11) to the TouchOSC screen.

So im having an issue and ive tried searching all over to figure it out and cant quite get it. Basically I have an Akai APC20 and im trying to assign the faders on the controller to different volume faders in logic. However, after i do the easy learn mode, any of the faders will work for the one track I have selected. Ideally I wanted 8 different tracks working with their own unique fader. Does anyone know how to fix this?

@peanut wagon

 

You need to add the APC20 device in environment of Logic, see click & ports layer. You need to split the channels to 8 of there own, channel splitter. Then cable the first 8 to the 8 channel strips in Logic. There is more detail to it than this, but if understand the environment, pretty easy. I use my old Yamaha O1v digital mixer as a control surface, since it has midi. Building a custom environment for all my devices was the way to go for me.

 

I wish I could get Logic to talk back to the APC40/20 and my O1v. Some of the hacked user modes on my APC40 would be killer to use in Logic.

@ mrmeoff

 

So I watched a tutorial online but I feel I really didnt understand it. Is there a way you could explain in more detail? Sorry I really havent played around with logics environment feature and its super confusing to me.