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Using actual macbook keyboard as a controller for VCAs


paddingtonp

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Hey,

I've been wondering if there was a way to use my actual macbook keyboard as a control surface to solo/mute VCAs.

So far, I've been able to assign my Behringer X-Touch to do so, but wouldn't the same be possible by just assigning different keys of the keyboard?

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do that so far - but maybe someone here have an idea how to do that?

Exemple:

I'm not using the different screenset options, so I'd love to be able to solo my Drums VCA by hitting '1' on my keyboard, maybe 'Shift+1' to mute it.

'2' --> solo VCA2 (Bass) 'Shift+2' --> mute VCA2

'3' --> solo VCA3 (Guitars) 'Shift+3' --> mute VCA3

etc.

Would this at all be possible?

Thanks!

Clint

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hay David,
I'm sorry I never thanked you for your reply. Sounds very interesting.
Today I wanted to start working on a mix using my VCA mixing template that I had set up a while ago, so that I could solo/mute my VCAs using a behringer xtouch mini.

Unfortunately, the controller assignment in this case still doesn't work properly. I have spent the last two hours trying to find any kind of information on how to make it work - without success.
Do you know where I could find that sort information? Maybe even book a 1:1 with a Logic Pro X expert? I'm guessing it cannot be that big of a deal, but I just keep failing and none of my fellow producers can help me with that.

Thanks so much!
Clint

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Yes, I did - the way I tried to do it so far (and thought it had worked) was to click "solo" on the VCA track in the mixer (e.g. drums), then hit CMD+L to enable learn mode and then press the button on my behringer xtouch that I want to solo the drums with.

Then I had to change the mode under Value in the Controller Assignments Window from scaled to rotate (toggle wouldnt work, although it should be toggling!?), so that it would actually work both for enabling solo and disabling.

I repeated this process for all the VCAs (and mute) and ended up with a session, where the behringer successfully did what I wanted it to do. I saved that as a template and never looked back (or used it again) - until today.

Turns out it doesn't work anymore...

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1 hour ago, David Nahmani said:

Ok so that assignment is for controlling the Solo button on the "Master" channel strip

I'm not sure what that would be trying to achieve., especially as the Master channel strip doesn't even have a solo button (for fairly obvious reasons if you think about it!)

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18 minutes ago, JakobP said:

Actually the assignment is targeting the Master with an offset of 2, which would mean the solo button on the "drums" vca channel strip. Just tried it here and it seems to work fine...

Interesting - in the window, the offset value is greyed out when you select Master, indicating the offset value doesn't apply to the Master.

Perhaps this is an oversight when they implemented VCA faders as offshoots to the Master fader type? (As there isn't a VCA fader type). If you want to change the offset, you have to choose a different channelstrip type, edit the offset, then put it back to Master again.

At least learning the assignment does set the offset value correctly, by the looks.

Edited by des99
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Yeah, it used to work exactly the way I wanted it to, so then I saved it as a template. Unfortunately, I haven't got to mix using that template eversince and now it turns out to not be working anymore.

But I don't get it... If I click on the solo button (say for the Drums VCA) and then assign the respective button on my controller to it using cmd+L to enable learn mode, that relation should be captured, right? The only thing that's theoretically missing at that point is that the controller's button won't work in toggle mode under 'Value' which would be the appropriate mode for that kind fo action? I guess I'm missing something...

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40 minutes ago, paddingtonp said:

But I don't get it... If I click on the solo button (say for the Drums VCA) and then assign the respective button on my controller to it using cmd+L to enable learn mode, that relation should be captured, right?

It depends on the conditions. For example if the track is selected when you make the assignment then the relation is with the selected track. Meaning if track 2 is selected and you assign a button to the Solo button on track 2, then if you select track 8, the button controls the Solo button on track 8. If track 2 is not selected when you make the assignment then the button should always control the Solo button on track 2 whether or not it's selected. 

Also things can be expected to continue working as expected only as long as your template stays exactly the same. 

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