SKIz MUTEGROOPz -- key commands for muting tracks

SKIz MUTEGROOPz ENVIRONMENT updated, BETA v0.0a, cosmetic fixes only

This was programmed in Logic 7.1.1. It should work just fine in Logic 8. I will make an "official" Logic 8 version at some point. Depending on how much interest there is in using this Environment, and, time permitting, I will expand its capabilities. Please post your feedback and questions in this thread.

Please see the important setup note at the bottom of this post.

HERE WE GO!

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/smgov.jpg

WHAT DOES SKIz MUTEGROOPz DO? WHAT'S A MUTE GROUP?

I made this Environment based on paulmatthewcello's post asking if it was possible to mute multiple instruments (a "Mute Group") using a variety of methods, including key commands. Logic doesn't provide key commands for muting tracks or groups of tracks. But in this custom-programmed Environment, keys from the capslock keyboard become Key Commands that can mute up to 8 destinations per key in realtime! And all mutes can be written to track automation! (details below)

This allows you do realtime remix-style muting/unmuting of parts to create arrangements, breakdowns, etc. right from the computer keyboard. It's also good for manually gating pad sounds with whatever rhythm you play (quantize the automation data after you're done and you're golden!).

This setup can provide a nice alternative for people doing remix style arranging to play mutes in realtime without the need for a control surface, and without having to do lots of clicking on Logic's GUI. This should be especially useful to people working on laptops.

But applications for this aren't limited to remix-style arranging. Group muting has many other uses, including:

• orchestral arrangements --- temporarily muting different instrument groups playing from different sources (strings group, woodwinds group, etc. where the sounds for each group play from both audio and instrument tracks)

• effect kill -- temporarily mute auxes or busses returning effects

• comping vocals or A/B'ing one take over another

The possibilities are endless. Implementing new ideas and expanding the capabilites of the current system will depend on how much interest people express in seeing it grow. Please post your feedback in this thread!

WHAT'S IN THE ATTACHED FILE?

The file contains not just my custom environment but also a few very quickly thrown together tracks so that you can test it out immediately. Nothing to write home about, just some very basic synth sounds with kick, snare, and hh. All software instruments, contains no audio files. For testing purposes only.

(Please see the note at bottom to ensure that the capslock keyboard will work with your system. Once it does, turn on the capslock and have fun with A, S, and W in the little demo piece).

Now let the fun begin!

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/mg.jpg

THE CONTROL PANEL (Environment Window)

You'll probably want to keep the small Environment window open while you use SKIz MUTEGROOPz. This gives you quick access to the Write to Automation button, the Mute Group assignment menus, and lets you monitor the status of the Mute Group buttons.

ABOUT MUTE GROUPS

Currently there are 3 Mute Groups available, activated by using the A, W, and S keys on the capslock keyboard.

A = Mute Group 1

W = Mute Group 2

S = Mute Group 3

The Mute Groups are completely independent from one another. It may be possible to increase the number of mute groups in the future.

The =clear= buttons will reset all assignment menus for each Mute Group. Careful -- there's no UNDO for these!

THE YELLOW ASSIGNMENT MENUS

Use the yellow menus to assign up to 8 instruments or tracks to each Mute Group. In this beta version, only Instruments 1 - 8 and Audio Channels 1 - 8 are available. I think this is a good start for at testing out the system. This can be expanded to include many more Instruments, Tracks, Busses, Auxes, and Outputs at some point. I will probably keep the limit to 36 for any given object, as the complexity of this Environment grows tremendously with each additional addition. Did I just write additional addition? Yes, I did!

Here's a quick example of how the three different Mute Groups can be assigned:

Mute Group 1 (letter "A") = kick + snare + hh

Mute Group 2 (letter "W") = synth pad

Mute Group 3 (letter "S") = kick only

As you can see in this example, the Kick has been assigned to Mute Groups 1 and 3. This is an example of "overlapping assignments". Be careful when you do this, because you can accidentally turn a mute off with one group that got turned on with another group. It's better to use two Mute Groups programmed without overlapping assignments. Still, I feel it's better to have a more flexible system and not limit the creative possibilities

You can change assignments for each Mute Group at any time, even as you're playing down your song.

WHAT IF I NEED TO MUTE MORE THAN 8 TRACKS/INSTRUMENTS AT ONCE?

Up to two Mute Groups can be turned on and off simultaneously by pressing two keys simultaneously on the capslock keyboard (this is the behavior on my system). So if Mute Group 1 is assigned to eight Instruments, and Mute Group 2 is assigned to 4 Audio Tracks, playing a chord of "A" and "W" will mute all twelve tracks simultaneously.

Though inactive in this beta, there is programming in place to allow normal keyboard controller keys could to be used instead of the capslock keyboard keys. In this situation there would be no limitation on the number of keys that could be played simultaneously.

CUSTOMIZING THE ASSIGNMENT MENUS

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/mmenu.jpg

If you scroll the "Control Panel" window a little bit to the right you'll see another yellow menu on it's own called "Master". CNTRL+double click on the menu and you can change the labels. All yellow menus will reflect the changes when you close that window. This lets you customize the labels for the menus on a per-project basis.

AUTOMATION

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/wta.jpg

As long as a track or instrument is in Touch or Latch mode, all mutes generated by the Mute Groups can be written to automation by turning on the Write to Automation switch. Or, you can practice your mutes first without committment -- just turn the switch off. The Write to Automation switch can be activated/deactivated at any time.

You can watch your mutes being written in realtime if you have the automation parameter for each track/instrument set to Main > Mute. If you've written automation but you made a mistake you can UNDO your changes using Logic's standard CMD-Z. Note that you'll have to hit UNDO for as many instruments/audio channels as your mutes were written to. This is the same behavior as Logic uses when writing automation using Logic's built-in group function.

THE GREEN SWTICH

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/tgb.jpg

This green switch changes the behavior of the Mute Groups from toggle to momentary.

By default, Mute Group switches have a toggle action: if you press A (Mute Group 1), the assigned tracks/instruments will stay muted after you release the key. Press A again and the tracks/instruments will unmute. Toggle action, just like Logic's mute switches.

In momentary mode, A will mute the selected tracks as long as it's held down. As soon as it's released the tracks will unmute.

The response of the green switch is global, but can be changed on the fly. Try it out!

OTHER BUTTONS

There are two other buttons that don't work quite as well as I'd like them to at the moment. Feel free to play around with them if you want. Their function should be self-explanatory.

IMPORTANT NOTE!

Everyone's system is different. This includes where the capslock keyboard shows up on your Environment's "physical input". To ensure this works on your system:

• select screenset #2

• you should see something like this:

http://www.score2picture.com/logicpix/caps.jpg

Note how there's a red cable going from the Capslock Keyboard port on the physical input to the object called "startup fix". If, on your system, that red cable is not connected to the Capslock Keyboard port, do the following:

• grab the end of the red cable going into the "startup fix" object

• drag that cable back to the physical input. The connection should disappear

• click on the port (triangle) next to Capslock Keyboard and drag it to the "startup fix" object.

• go back to screenset 1

• enable the Capslock keyboard and press "A". You should see activity in the "control panel" window (the small Environment window)

SKEYz MUTEz Beta_0_0a.lso.zip

Very, very cool of you to share this with us, captain!

This is something that I intend on playing with - if I am luck - tonight!

Thanks a lot for the link, Ski.

Take care.

Hey WB,

Thanks! Lemme know if you find it useful. I've been having a blast playing with it myself LOL!

Right,

Thanks for that Ski!

The above looks amazing and works really well - i've tried it and all appears to just work off the bat.

Ideally i'm looking to try and make this work as you mentioned Orchestrally with probably East West running Play and Stylus with Auxes as seperate tracks as the output for all audio which can then be muted/unmuted.

A few questions therefore for the environment Don;

1. Can aux tracks be muted in the same way as midi tracks (e.g i want to be able to load up a multi instrument but use auxes as the outputs so i can seperate the multi into 8, in the case of Play, seperate audio tracks.

2. Can the Keyboard letter commands be transfered to a Midi controller where instead of pushing a button in the environment, you can push a physical button on the hardware Midi controller?

3. Can Logic load up unlimited auxes? (i.e over 100?)

4. Do the MuteGroopz work the same on Logic 8?

Thanks once again and it would be great to know the answer to those questions.

Hey Paul,

I was wondering what happened to you! Glad it's working for you!

The above looks amazing and works really well - i've tried it and all appears to just work off the bat.

Ch-ching!

1. Can aux tracks be muted in the same way as midi tracks (e.g i want to be able to load up a multi instrument but use auxes as the outputs so i can seperate the multi into 8, in the case of Play, seperate audio tracks.

Yes.

2. Can the Keyboard letter commands be transfered to a Midi controller where instead of pushing a button in the environment, you can push a physical button on the hardware Midi controller?

Yes.

3. Can Logic load up unlimited auxes? (i.e over 100?)

I think the limit is 128, but I'm not 100% positive. Maybe someone else could confirm.

4. Do the MuteGroopz work the same on Logic 8?

I believe so. I think I remember trying it out in L8 and it worked fine.

Just one thing that's a little bit scary... ...is the thought of the amount of work that would be needed to program upwards of 128 Auxes. Entirely do-able, but time-consuming. If time permits I can explain to you what the process is and perhaps you can take on the task. It's not hard, just repetitive. Lemme know if you'd be interested in that info.

Cheers!

Ski

Thanks Ski,

Good to know!

I was just wondering does the complexity of the setup come with the number of tracks or the amount of mute groups needed.

Also, does the fact that because you are muting auxes mean there should be no problem with held notes if you mute mid sustain because it is audio?

Trying to get my head round it

A quick reply...

EASY: to add names to the menu that reflect the nature of your additional destinations. For example, in the yellow menus there's a destination called "kick". The actual destination is an audio instrument hosting a plugin that's producing a kick sound. But maybe your track has two kicks, with the one called "kick" being the more aggressive of the two. To differentiate between them you can simply change the label "kick" (in the Master menu) to "Agr. Kick". Because of the way I programmed things (using "aliases"), "kick" will now appear as "Agr. Kick" in the individual yellow menus.

KIND OF EASY: there's programming already in place to support up to 36 destinations, though I've only enabled access to 8 instrument tracks in this version. It's relatively straight-forward to hook up the additional 24 destinations, which can be whatever you want them to be (audio tracks, instruments, auxes, etc.)

MODERATELY TIME-CONSUMING: adding additional actual mute groups. Sure, it's easy to copy and paste an entire mute group "block" (consisting of the on/off button, the menus, etc.) and create as many displays of actual mute groups as you'd like to have access to. But to make each copy act independently requires re-cabling objects and adjusting various parameters.

VERY TIME-CONSUMING: adding additional destinations and hooking up all the various menus and mute groups to manipulate them.

There is some programming in place to make these kinds of modifications easier (the "alias" objects I referred to above), but it still requires a lot of hand-cabling from one object to another to add additional destinations.

Anyway, gotta run, more later.......

I've sent you a PM - check it out!

this is very cool... very, very useful for me... just found it... love it...

Curtis