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Nektar Pacer with Mainstage?


Dox

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  • 1 month later...

So I've got mine set up so that all the bottom keys start a loop when pressed once and it's fully lit, and a second press to dim light fades and stops loops. I've also programmed the A and B to do various functions in MainStage and have a couple of nectar MIDI pedals attached that control various volume/other parameters. I remember programming it wasn't the easiest by any means, but it's a pretty deep pedal. These are the last notes I wrote down for myself when trying to figure everything out. Let me know if this at all helps with what you're trying to accomplish and if not, let me know and I'll do my best to help.

 

Programming steps:

 

After you have activated more than one Step from a control, from the 'STEPS' option in the Control Edit menu, turn the Data Encoder to select 'TYPE'.

 

Stomp Switches [1]-[6] now represent Steps 1-6. The LED for the Stomp Switch which represents the Step which you are currently editing will be lit red. The LEDs for Stomp Switches which represent active steps will be lit white and the LED for Stomp Switches which represent inactive steps will be lit blue.

 

Now, with the 'TYPE' option selected, the LED for Stomp Switch [1] should be lit red, which indicates that you are editing step 1. If you have activated Step 2, the LED for Stomp Switch [2] should be lit white and pressing that Stomp Switch should result in the LED turning red (the LED for Stomp Switch [1] should now be white). At this point you are editing Step 2 for the selected control.

 

A common point of confusion is the meaning of the flashing LED. The Flashing LED is not related to Steps, rather it indicates which control is currently being edited. So if the LED for Stomp Switch [1] flashes on and off, it means you are editing Stomp Switch [1], if the LED for Stomp Switch [A] is flashing, you are editing settings for Stomp Switch [A].

 

 

http://support.nektartech.com/Support/pacer-support/Activating-and-Editing-Steps-Pacer

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks Nima,

 

After a few days of very careful reading through the Pacer manual, watching YouTube videos (particularly one by citizen warwick), a few hours testing everything out, and rewriting the User Guide for myself with all the missing information, I now fully understand how to use the Nektar Pacer with Mainstage and Logic Pro X.

 

Part of the difficulty is that the Pacer User Guide does not clearly explain the many alternative ways in which menus can be accessed using the Preset, A, B, C and D foot switches, and the Encoder rotary and push select knob. It also neglects to fully describe and illustrate the status and colour of the various foot switch LEDs and the simultaneous messages in the LED screen.

 

The editor Ploki suggested - https://francoisgeorgy.github.io/pacer-editor/#/ which is now suggested on the Nektar website, makes pgramming the Pacer very easy and clear. All I had to do was install Chrome and save a bookmark for the Pacer Editor. So when I want to program the Pacer I just open Chrome click my bookmark and edit the Pacer settings. However, I really think that Nektar should package this editor with the Pacer and make it a standalone application.

 

I have found that the Pacer can be used to control any action in Mainstage and Logic, as well as any hardware capable of receiving MIDI messages of any kind. A brilliant piece of kit.

 

PS Your shows are very impressive Nima

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Awesome. I'm glad you got it working. I remember it being a pretty big pain when I first programmed it too. It's the most versatile and programmable foot controller out there in my opinion. So I definitely hope they make a standalone version of the editor too.

 

And I didn't know about the Chrome based editor. Thanks for sharing it. And thanks for checking out my site and the kind words.

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  • 3 months later...

In response to the original post, I take you through the steps of MIDI assignments for the pedal and mapping on my webpage, which has links to the YouTube tutorial as well:

https://www.brandonxshaw.com/sound/ableton-pacer/ . I use MidiStroke as a workaround for some features that are missing (e.g., Undo).

(Note, I get further in my description than I did on the video tutorial.)

 

I've been wrestling with this in Ableton, which is even less integrated than Logic. Unfortunately https://francoisgeorgy.github.io/ isn't really working for me (though I tried it with Chrome), so I did manual assignment on everything.

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I would like to ask if anyone has been able to map a CC message on to buttons C or D? I'd like to send a MIDI message simultaneously when I select a new Preset. As I have a Preset assigned to each track (with the foot switches controlling plug-ins), I'd like to Record Arm that track as soon as I select the corresponding preset on the Pacer.

I've tried the instructions below, which certainly seem like they should do the job, but it doesn't appear that any MIDI message is being sent.

 

Agreed that there is a lot this pedal seems like it can do, but Nektar could do a bit more to help us unlock it.

 

https://nektartech.com/creating-and-customizing-presets-for-pacer/

Sending MIDI Messages, When Loading a Preset

When you load a preset, Pacer can be configured to send 16 MIDI messages. Relays can also be opened and closed this way. This is useful when you want a preset on Pacer to correspond to a preset on a device or in a performance application like MainStage. You can have a program change message transmitted when you elect the preset, so that the target device/application changes presets at the same time. You can then have preset that you loaded on Pacer, setup to control parameters specific to the preset that was loaded on the target device/application. Setting up MIDI Configurations for presets works in a similar manner to renaming a preset. You make changes in the ‘M CFG’ menu, then save those changes to a preset.

Press and hold the [Preset] Stomp Switch, then load any of Pacer’s presets.

Turn the Data Encoder to select ‘SAVE’, then press the Encoder Button.

Turn the Data Encoder to select ‘M CFG’, then press the Encoder Button.

The 3-character display will say ‘1’ to indicate that the first MIDI Config slot is selected.

Turn the Data Encoder to select a MIDI Config slot, then press the Encoder Button.

The 5-character display will say ‘Type’. Press the Encoder Button and the 3-character display will show the name of the current assignment type. Turn the data encoder to scroll through the different functions for the MIDI Config. You will find a table of the assignment types in the user guide.

Press the Encoder Button to select a assignment type.

Press Stomp Switch [C] to navigate the different configuration options for the selected assignment type.

Press the Encoder Button to accept the change or press [Preset] to cancel the change.

Press [Preset] button to exit the ‘M CFG’ menu.

The 5-character display should now say ‘STORE’. Press the Encoder button

Turn the Data Encoder to select the Preset, to which you would like to save, then press the Encoder button or press [Preset] to cancel the save operation.

Press the [Preset] Stomp Switch to exit the Save menu.

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  • 3 months later...
Guys.. this sounds very helpful I just ordered a pacer to use with Mainstage 3. I’m curios if anyone here would be willing to help me set it up. I have already designed my mainstage with functions, I just need to assign the board. I would be willing to Venmo if you can help me assign correctly. I want to use it to do live looping singer songwriter style and to turn on and off effects on my guitar channel and vocal Channel and of course change from song to song using different effects for each song
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Went footless: Switched to logic which means i can more easily sequence more things, since we play live with backing tracks anyway. And then i don't have to switch things, so i have more fun on stage.

 

160€ incl shipping within eu

 

Yes i were. But managed to migrate everything to Logic Pro so i don't use mainstage anymore at all

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  • 8 months later...
Guys.. this sounds very helpful I just ordered a pacer to use with Mainstage 3. I’m curios if anyone here would be willing to help me set it up. I have already designed my mainstage with functions, I just need to assign the board. I would be willing to Venmo if you can help me assign correctly. I want to use it to do live looping singer songwriter style and to turn on and off effects on my guitar channel and vocal Channel and of course change from song to song using different effects for each song

 

Did you ever get this to work? Mine arrived last week and I'm finally getting a chance to play with it. I sure could use some input on setting it up. I'm able to access the web configuration tool but when I try to make assignments in MS3 the top row of buttons don't register for other functions than transport or the like.

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