NanoKontrol knobs assignment

@seagreg

You're free to rewrite the MIDI Controller preset to do this. An example is shown at https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=midi-controller-files#example_2komplete_kontrol_keyboard.

The key is the parameter path macro/1, macro/2 etc. If you preferred to use an embedded Unify in the INST1 layer, and control that embedded Unify's macro knobs instead, you could change these to e.g. inst/1/macro/1, inst/1/macro/2, etc.

Shane,

I have the Script File set to "auxSend", but do not understand what this is meant to change. Are Knobs 16-23 supposed to change the GAIN on each Part? I verified my script file and everything is OK. I'm not getting any change in the Instrument when I turn a knob.

Thank you,

Doug

@dhsherbert

The auxSend/1 through auxSend/4 parameters for INST layers are equivalent to the AUX knobs which appear when AUX effect layers are added to a patch. They control how much of the INST layer's output is routed to the input of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th AUX layer. If there are no AUX layers, or you reference an AUX-layer number (1 through 4) higher than the number of layers, the parameter will have no effect; this could be why you are not hearing any effect when you adjust these parameters via your MIDI controller.

Simple example:

• Start with an INIT patch
  • Play on keyboard and you should hear sine-wave tones
• Add an empty AUX layer
  • Note that two new knobs appear to the left of the INST1 level slider.
  • The first is labeled "D". This corresponds to the parameter inst/1/directSend, which controls how much of the layer's output is sent directly to the MASTER effects layer. Its default setting is 0 dB, i.e. the full layer output is sent to MASTER.
  • The second is labeled "1". This corresponds to parameter inst/1/auxSend/1, which controls how much of the layer's output is sent to the new AUX1 layer you just added. Its default setting is -40 dB, which is effectively zero/off.
• Add an instance of Omega Delay to the AUX layer
  • You won't hear any change at first, because no sound is yet being routed to the AUX1 layer
• Adjust the aux-send knob labeled "1" while playing notes
  • You will hear echoes from the Omega Delay instance as you raise the level.

To learn more about all of this, see the following sections in the Unify online manual:

• Signal flow in Unify: https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=overview#signal_flow
• All about macro knobs and parameters: https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=realtime-params
  • The same set of parameters that can be linked to macro knobs, can also be used in MIDI Controller files
• MIDI controller files: https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=midi-controller-files
• Complete list of parameter paths: https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=param-paths

Thanks, Shane, for the info.

Doug

Edit: Those docs cleared things up and I now have the Knobs controlling the AUX1. This will help me figure out things on my own without bothering you. My wife and I mostly use our plugins hosted by Cantabile Performer. Will this (nanoKontrol2 setup) ever work inside a host in the future?

Thanks again,

Doug

Posted by: @dhsherbert

Will this (nanoKontrol2 setup) ever work inside a host in the future?

Good question. Not via the MIDI Controller files mechanism (which is specific to the Unify stand-alone app), but you can achieve the same things using Unify's macro knobs, which do work inside a host.

It has been very useful to have a standard MIDI CC assignment for knobs 1-8.  Now that we have an additional 24, could we have a standard for these too?  Or at least the second bank of 8?

Posted by: @robertpeveler

It has been very useful to have a standard MIDI CC assignment for knobs 1-8.  Now that we have an additional 24, could we have a standard for these too?  Or at least the second bank of 8?

Interesting request, but I can't imagine how to do this in an objectively "standard" way. Very few MIDI controllers even have 16 knobs, and there certainly isn't any standard for how their CC numbers are assigned.

The existing "standard" for the first 8 knobs isn't even a standard. All we have is a particular set of CC assignments (1, 2, 4, 67) which Laurent (Airwave) Veronnez chose for some older Omnisphere 2 libraries, followed by (I think) whatever CC numbers were set up on John's second-hand Maschine Jam controller for the next four.

The whole point of being able to set up your own CC assignments for knobs (and save them as a CC-Assignment preset, which is completely separate from the actual parameter-link definitions) is so you can choose whatever assignment works for the controller(s) you have.

Thanks Shane - I realise it is arbitrary, and I recall how it started, but it would be good if we could develop a “shared arbitrary” for Unify.  I have an SL mixface, with 8 faders, but have only recently realised that, via buttons, each fader can have up to 4 MIDI CC assignments.  I think similar can be done with Maschine Jam.  

It would also be great to have a brief explanation of how to configure controller buttons to switch Unify layers on and off - I can see now how to assign a knob to do this, but I’d love to be able to mute or solo Unify layers with the knobs on my Mixface. 

@robertpeveler

I'd suggest starting a new Forum topic specifically to canvas Unify users about developing a standard CC assignment scheme. Here's a quote from an earlier post of mine, which unfortunately was only visible to beta testers:

About the Korg nanoKontrol 2 setup

I have not yet implemented two-way communication with MIDI controllers, which would allow Unify to control the on/off state of toggle buttons.

The setup we have now requires that the "R" buttons on the nanoKontrol 2 be configured in toggle mode, with internal LED control. This is NOT the way the nanoKontrol is configured by default, so toggling layers on and off will NOT work until you set up the nanoKontrol 2 as described in the Unify manual at https://pluginguru.net/unify/manual/doku.php?id=midi-controller-files#setting_up_the_korg_nanokontrol_2.

Thanks - good idea - I’ll see what might work for me, and then share for comment.  Thanks for the link.

@getdunne actually that link seems to be broken - get a 404 error.

Probably only available to the ”Beta-people”?

@robertpeveler

Sorry, @thsve is correct. The post I linked before is only visible to beta testers. I have updated my post above.

Thanks!

So having looked at the range of options, it looks to me as if the best bet for knobs 9-16 would be CC 21-28.  It would be interesting to know if any other forum members have any clashes with these for other purposes.  The other two sets of seemingly unassigned controllers look to be 51-58 and 111-118 - I reckon they will be more memorable if we go for the 1-8 last digit.

So I plan to set up my controllers as 1, 2, 4, 67, 84, 85, 86, 87 for set 1; then 21-28, 51-58 and 111-118 for the other three sets as required.

Please flag if there are any reasons why this shouldn't work as a standard for future use.

@robertpeveler

Thank you so much for figuring this out. I'm attaching a zipped CC-Assignments Preset with CC assignments arranged as you specified.

Thanks.  Interested to see if anyone comments.