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Old 01-10-2010, 04:39 PM   #1
NessPJ
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Default MIDI Control/Mapping (Reaper + M-Audio Axiom + Sylenth1 VST)

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone here could help me out with some configuration problems i seem to run into...
Basically what i want to be able to do, is what this guy can do: Click

One of the VST's i use a lot is Sylenth1, most people that do a lot of stuff involving synthesis or dance music will probably know about it.



I really like this synth and to increase workability with it, i would like to configure my MIDI keyboard (M-Audio Axiom 61). so that most of its functions will be bound to control keys that are on there.



Now i don't know everything there is to know about MIDI control (which is probably why im stuck right now).
But my keyboard is set up in Reaper to communicate its control messages.

Right now the keys are fully working, together with the touchpads.
However the rotary knobs and sliders seem to be bound to completely random parameters throughout Reaper and my VST's.

I was hoping someone here could help me out and perhaps explain to me, what i have to do exactly in order for the Rotaties to be easily mappable or to find out where the current mapping takes place.
(I never set any of those knobs before yet they are mapped at random functions altogether).

I know Sylenth1 has a MIDI Learn feature which should work without a flaw, though i can't seem to map a single parameter using that...

Thanks in advance!
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Old 01-12-2010, 03:57 PM   #2
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Can anyone please help me out with this?
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Old 01-21-2010, 10:31 AM   #3
NessPJ
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Guys,

Can anyone please help me, like... at least explain how i can determine which buttons are mapped to which MIDI command in Reaper?
I think i would be able to figure out the rest from there on...
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Old 01-21-2010, 11:13 AM   #4
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a) I would think that your Axiom 61 is programmed to send certain MIDI CC messages from its knobs, faders and buttons. There may well be several different sets of message assignments that you can choose from. Or you can probably assign different MIDI CC messages to each control.

b) The details should be in your Axiom 61 manual. Once you have sorted out what MIDI CC messages you want your Axiom 61 to send from its various controls you can then use those messages to control things in Reaper.

c) you have 2 ways of controlling Synlenth 1

c1) send MIDI CC messages from your Axiom 61 and use Sylneth1's MIDI Learn to map those messages to its controls. Read the Sylenth1 manual for details of how to do that.

c2) select some of Sylneth1's parameters in the Reaper track [env] window to display them as parameter envelope lanes and use Reaper's MIDI Learn to map the CC messages from your keyboard to those parameters. See section 14 of the Reaper 3 User Guide for details.

Hope that's enough to get you started ...
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Old 01-21-2010, 11:48 AM   #5
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Sorry, this one seems to have slipped under the radar.

You can learn each parameter that is exposed by the plugin to Reaper's automation system to MIDI CC or note. The easiest way to get there is from the plugin's gui. Clicking the button labeled "Param" in the window header gives you some options for the last parameter you wiggled with the mouse, one of them is "Learn". It also appears on envelope lanes and in the window that pops up when you click on the env button of the track.

If you have many parameters to attach, it might be a good idea to use the corresponding action (FX: set MIDI learn for last touched parameter). That one is super-new, now that I try it the Learn window doesn't tell me which parameter is actually addressed by the current learn .

There are checkboxes in the Learn window to define the kind of control that is learned (relative or absolute) and whether the control is global or only happening when the track or the plugin UI has focus, so you can use the same CC number on multiple parameters.

When done save that instance of Sylenth as a FX chain from the FX chain window of the track (you can also save single plugs of the track as a chain by highlighting it and choose "save selected FX as chain" from the FX menu. That will save all learned parameters and track control knobs.

Seeing which CC already has been learned to which parameter is a pain in Reaper. You can only find out one by one by visiting the learn window.


What I don't get is the "the rotary knobs and sliders seem to be bound to completely random parameters throughout Reaper and my VST's" part. Might be Sylenth's own learn system.


Ah, yes the transport buttons would be learned from within the action window, like when you assign keyboard shortcuts.


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Old 01-21-2010, 11:57 AM   #6
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Hey guys,

Thanks a million for your explenations!

You both say, i can learn new functions through the envelope/automation window. I'm going to give this a try right away!

Though, as i stated my rotaries and sliders already do various things in Reaper and Sylenth1 (while i never mapped anything yet).
Does this mean, when i learn Sylenth1 something that the previous function that specific knob had will be overwritten by the new mapping i am 'learning' it?
(Or will it then perform 2 actions at the same time?).
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Old 01-21-2010, 12:01 PM   #7
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Hi gofer .
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Old 01-21-2010, 12:07 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NessPJ View Post
Though, as i stated my rotaries and sliders already do various things in Reaper and Sylenth1 (while I never mapped anything yet).

Does this mean, when i learn Sylenth1 something that the previous function that specific knob had will be overwritten by the new mapping i am 'learning' it?
(Or will it then perform 2 actions at the same time?).
Your rotaries and sliders are factory-programmed to send various CC messages. I doubt that they do anything in Reaper specifically as, by default, MIDI CC messages are not assigned to any actions (As far as I can remember). But those MIDI CC messages may be mapped by Sylenth1's developer to various functions. Check the manual.

You should be Ok even if some MIDI CC messages are mapped to Sylenth's controls. MIDI CC messages are only sent to the VSTi if you are Recording MIDI or playing back a MIDI Clip containing those messages.

If you are using Reapers' MIDI Learn, you do not Record the MIDI CC messages. Instead they are sent form you keyboard to the Reaper track, converted into parameter envelope values and Written to the envelope. On playback the values are Read from the envelope and used to adjust the VSTi parameters.
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Last edited by DarkStar; 01-21-2010 at 12:15 PM.
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