Midi CC Automation with Mackie Control (A Solution)

[UK User]

I recently posted about the lack of options for automating MIDI CC in a DAW. After a lot of research I realised most DAWS had not way to achieve this as getting Bi-Directional MIDI from MIDI CC lanes is almost impossible without some workaround.

 

I already own a Mackie Control. It bugged me why they had not built some kind of layer in it to do this and the other week I was playing around in Controller Assignments and happened to notice a mode to use Smart Controls. It got me thinking.

 

What if Smart Controls could be assigned to Midi CC? Then I found out you cannot do this, if you assign a CC to a Smart Control it just says “Missing”.

 

Then after a few searches online I stumbled on this script by the guy who runs Logic Scripts (by the way I bought a little script from him called ccMod which allows you to remap various CCs useful for say when East West decide to put their CCs to other uses).

 

I used this as inspiration to adapt with common CCs such as CC1, CC2, CC5, CC11, CC16 etc.

 

Then I needed to find a way to assign the automation to use with Smart Controls:

 

1. Go into Smart Controls and select a layout with knobs, I chose Factory Layouts > Pop Strings Main.

 

2. Click the i Symbol in the Smart Controls window and you can assign your choice of controls.

 

3. Under Parameter Mapping in the Smart Controls window from the menu below choose Scripter and to the right are the options I set.

 

Now assuming like me you either have a Mackie Control or another motorized controller that has the same controls and emulates Mackie Control (such as Icon Qcon, Behringer X Touch, possibly Faderport 8) and are using Logic Pro X heres how to use it.

 

1. Smart Controls are accessed on the MCU by pressing Shift + Instrument.

 

2. By default they are controlled by the V-Pots and the Scribble strip displays the Names / Values.

 

3. This is the great bit, press the Flip button and the faders now control Smart Controls!

 

4. To record automation you need to be in Touch, Latch or Write but on an MCU this is easy.

 

Now I have yet to see if there are any issues, but in this mode switching tracks auto updates the Faders or V-Pots.