Headrc Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 I am having quite a time trying to get Logic Pro X to control parameters of third party plug-ins with a midi controller. Specifically I want to use a looper plug-in and I have tried two different plug-ins, Enso and MSuperlooper. I have also tried as, two different interfaces Presonus Firestudio Project and RME Fireface 400. I have delved into the whole midi environment to drill down and try to see what is going on and have not been able to resolve this. I tried using the plug-ins on an aux channel which is where I eventually want to use this but I also tried them on a regular channel strip. The only thing I can get happening is turning on and off the plug-in on a channel strip. But I get nothing when trying to control parameters of the plug-in. And I have read through a lot of Apple Support documentation about midi implementation ....but I know there is a lot more to learn there. If there is some trick to this that I have not been able to find yet, someone please educate me. Thanks, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 You should insert the plugin in the instrument slot of a software instrument track, then having the track selected while you send the midi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Thanks ...How would you then send audio from another track into the looper then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 You set the audio tracks output to a bus, then set that bus as sidechain input in Sooperlooper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des99 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 You should insert the plugin in the instrument slot of a software instrument track, then having the track selected while you send the midi. Or you can use Controller Assignments instead, which map incoming MIDI to plugin parameters directly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Unfortunately that won't work for sooperlooper since the plugin uses an "external" gui, don't know about this Enso thing though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Will the software instrument channel then send midi messages straight into the plug-in? Both the Enso and the Superlooper have learn functions but using a regular audio track or an aux strip do not send midi messages straight into the Plug-in. In Logic's midi environment and using a monitor it looks like midi messages are transformed into fader message info when controlling stock Logic plug-ins and their learn function. But the third party plug-ins do not recognize these of course. I appreciate the help in figuring this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Yes, inserted as an instrument it will of course receive the midi just like any other instrument. I use sooperlooper myself using a midi footcontrol, and I cable it in the environment to the SL instrument channel strip. Doing it like this, I can have any track selected and still control SL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Thanks JakobP ...it seems like you are doing exactly what I want to do. I want to control with an FCB1010. So do I have to actually setup a midi instrument for the FCB1010 in the midi environment and then cable it to the software instrument? I thought if you setup a software instrument channel it is already cabled to midi input. I have to admit ...Logic Pro definitely seems a challenge at times to get midi control happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 In the enviroments default state, all incoming midi goes to the selected track. So, as long as you have the SL track selected, the midi from the pedal will reach SL, no need to go to environment. I did this cabling to be able to select other tracks and still control SL. In the environments click and ports layer, physical input object, hold option while you "grab" the cable from the pedal, and select your SL channel strip. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Ok ....I believ I understand and your help is great. In my Click and ports ...I then need to create the midi instrument and the channel strip? This may solvel a lot of other problems I have found. TY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 No, you don't need to create anything, you simply connect the pedals midi port to the channel strip. In the "Physical Input" object in click & ports, all your connected midi ports should be visible. To the right of its name, option click+hold the "connector" to get a menu where you choose "Mixer" and then the channel strip for SL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 Hi again JakobP ...as a result of your input I did finally get this working. Thank you. However just setting Superlooper as a software instrument still did not get midi input into it. And in the midi and ports environment all I saw was a click, and input window and a keyboard with note input indications. What I did was use a physical input module for the digital i/o in the mixer environment and cable that to the software channel. Now it all works. One other question since you seem to be using this like I want to. With anything you are sending to Superlooper ...are you turning off that source channel's output and having its actual audio output come from Superlooper ...with Superlooper's output into the Stereo Out? For me it seems to be the only way to do this because I would be actually adding gain with the main instruments output mixed in with Superlooper's Output ...unless there is some setting that I am missing in Superlooper that does an input to output mute until the loop recording is stopped. Thanks again! Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 First, I believe you are using another looper than I do, didn't realize there was a "Msuperlooper", I'm using "SooperLooper" (free) myself, but I think the principle is the same... I don't monitor the source through SL, I use a send on the source channel to the SL bus, and SL's input monitoring off. So source channel goes to stereo out. Regarding the environment, to connect objects in different layers, you can use the option click method, or simply open two environment windows with different layers and connect a cable between the objects. https://help.apple.com/logicpro/mac/10.4.7/#/lgcpb1b1e237 It seems you already modified your environment since the "Physical Input" object exists in the click&ports layer by default ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 You should insert the plugin in the instrument slot of a software instrument track, then having the track selected while you send the midi. Or you can use Controller Assignments instead, which map incoming MIDI to plugin parameters directly... Des, you're right. I was confusing "MSuperLooper" with "SooperLooper", my mistake... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 Thanks. I will have to take a look at Sooperlooper since MSuperlooper is an expensive plug-in. Yes I had aded physical input in in the Mixer Environment previously because of similar problems with controlling an external TC Helicon Voicelive module. Being new to the whole environments concept I never even looked at the Clicks and Ports window prior to doing this. Obviously I have more studying to do on all this. But I do find Apple's Support documentation limiting regarding it. It does not seem to be as extensive as some of their other manual tutorials. Again ...I really appreciate you reaching out and helping, that is very kind of you and hopefully I can pay it forward in the future. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 You're welcome Regarding the physical input object, in a default environment youi'll always find it in click&ports layer. When creating one in the mixer layer you are actually moving it... Have good fun with SL, it's a great plugin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headrc Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 Okies ....now looking at Sooperlooper ....are you using it as an audio unit plug-in ...or are you using it with Jack? Is there any real difference there? I am reading through the Sooperlooper documentation now. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 AU plugin. With Jack you run it "standalone". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Loavin Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Hey friends, help me, I have a problem with some terms in production like third party plugins. What are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des99 Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Software audio plugins from a third-party company (ie, any other company than Apple). Plugins are software that can be used within a DAW to supplement the DAWs own features - you can get many audio effects, and software instruments and use them in Logic just like Logic's own effects and instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsbaker Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 Useful info in this thread! Thanks @JakobP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakobP Posted December 18, 2020 Share Posted December 18, 2020 You're welcome ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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