Control Surface Integrator (CSI)

[Freex]

Originally Posted by Funkybot

I've definitely used OnTrackSelection GoHome successfully in the past. I don't think I've specifically tried it on CSI v2.0, but I think it would still work. Give it a shot!

Yes it works, and now I can have my cake, eat it and go back and look at all the other cakes in the cake shop. lol

I added

OnTrackSelection Reaper "_S&M_WNCLS3"
OnTrackSelection GoHome

and now when I select a different track it closes any open FX windows and splays FXMenu/Send/Receive

if I open an FX with the mouse, it splays across the C4.
If I have a number of FX open, I can click on then to bring them into focus which in turn splays them across the C4

Perfect.

I don't know if I'll keep the "auto close" or not, but it's doing what i set out for it to do, so thanks to all for the input.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Freex

Yes it works, and now I can have my cake, eat it and go back and look at all the other cakes in the cake shop. lol

[Puck]

@FunkyBot: I've attempted all of your changes

- You can still bank through FX, you just have to press Shift to see the banking buttons.
*Pressing shift also reveals buttons on any of the Send/Receive stuff


@MixMonkey: I changed the SelectedTrackFXMenu to be like yours. There was also a problem with my SlickEQ Zone so it wouldn't have loaded for you even if I had everything correct in the first place. Loads now here.

*The alias is super important. I had a space between Slick and EQ but my layout is looking for "SlickEQ"

- Tried to make "Automation" and "Macro" buttons have "Feedback" like the other "Associated Zones" ("lol") This was mostly successful but I've introduced intermittent bugs so this maybe taken out.

- There's now a Gain Reduction meter on the FX Page selected track section.

- Track FX Menus should be blank on startup. (The one on the FX page however still needs to be fixed)

If anyone else wants to give this a go, feel free.

[MeWest]

if you assign the TrackSendVolume function to the encoder. When trying to assign to an encoder with a modifier ( alt or shift, no difference), I can't control the volume of sends. Is it solved somehow? Just with 32 encoder modifiers. With this scheme, there are only 8. It's a shame

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MeWest

if you assign the TrackSendVolume function to the encoder. When trying to assign to an encoder with a modifier ( alt or shift, no difference), I can't control the volume of sends. Is it solved somehow? Just with 32 encoder modifiers. With this scheme, there are only 8. It's a shame

ZIP up your CSI folder and post it so we can better understand what it is you're trying to do.

[Funkybot]

Originally Posted by Puck

@FunkyBot: I've attempted all of your changes

- You can still bank through FX, you just have to press Shift to see the banking buttons.
*Pressing shift also reveals buttons on any of the Send/Receive stuff


@MixMonkey: I changed the SelectedTrackFXMenu to be like yours. There was also a problem with my SlickEQ Zone so it wouldn't have loaded for you even if I had everything correct in the first place. Loads now here.

*The alias is super important. I had a space between Slick and EQ but my layout is looking for "SlickEQ"

- Tried to make "Automation" and "Macro" buttons have "Feedback" like the other "Associated Zones" ("lol") This was mostly successful but I've introduced intermittent bugs so this maybe taken out.

- There's now a Gain Reduction meter on the FX Page selected track section.

- Track FX Menus should be blank on startup. (The one on the FX page however still needs to be fixed)

If anyone else wants to give this a go, feel free.

It's looking and feeling really good now.

[MeWest]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

ZIP up your CSI folder and post it so we can better understand what it is you're trying to do.

Zone "SelectedTrackSend"
SelectedTrackSendNavigator
Shift Shift
Option Option
Control Control
Alt Alt
RotaryA| TrackSendVolume [ (0.001,0.02,0.04,0.06,0.1) ]
ZoneEnd

Zone "Track"
SelectedTrackNavigator
Shift Shift
Option Option
Control Control
Alt Alt


RotaryA7 TrackVolume [ (0.0011,0.005,0.01,0.1) ]
RotaryA8 TrackPan [ (0.005,0.01,0.02,0.05) ]

Alt+RotaryA1 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA2 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA3 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA4 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA5 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA6 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA7 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA8 NoAction


ZoneEnd

When adding Alt+Rotary to the "Track" zone. In the "Send" zone, the send volume does not work.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MeWest

Zone "SelectedTrackSend"
SelectedTrackSendNavigator
Shift Shift
Option Option
Control Control
Alt Alt
RotaryA| TrackSendVolume [ (0.001,0.02,0.04,0.06,0.1) ]
ZoneEnd

Zone "Track"
SelectedTrackNavigator
Shift Shift
Option Option
Control Control
Alt Alt


RotaryA7 TrackVolume [ (0.0011,0.005,0.01,0.1) ]
RotaryA8 TrackPan [ (0.005,0.01,0.02,0.05) ]

Alt+RotaryA1 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA2 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA3 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA4 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA5 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA6 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA7 NoAction
Alt+RotaryA8 NoAction


ZoneEnd

When adding Alt+Rotary to the "Track" zone. In the "Send" zone, the send volume does not work.

Please, ZIP up your CSI folder and post it so we can better understand what it is you're trying to do.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Puck

@FunkyBot:
@MixMonkey: I changed the SelectedTrackFXMenu to be like yours. There was also a problem with my SlickEQ Zone so it wouldn't have loaded for you even if I had everything correct in the first place. Loads now here.

working here, too Love the bespoke plugin GUI. Will you be creating those for all the plugins?

I solved my [ 0.5 ] issue. I cleaned up all the button definitions in the .tosc file and got rid of a lot of unnecessary touch entries that were created by importing a V1 file. Now it works with just the single entry, as it should.

[MeWest]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Please, ZIP up your CSI folder and post it so we can better understand what it is you're trying to do.

Here.

[Puck]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

working here, too Love the bespoke plugin GUI. Will you be creating those for all the plugins?

Absolutely not!

There are a few though

SSL 9000J
Lindell API
ReEQ

Are all fully fleshed out special layouts.

I’ve also developed a hybrid system where I use the main c4 layout for most of the buttons and if a plug-in has special radio style buttons I’ll make a page on the additional buttons pager and lay the whole thing over the regular c4 layout such that it all fits together.

Valhalla SuperMassive
SPL Iron

Are examples of this, but there are quite a bit more.

I plan on making videos on explaining how to add stuff yourself. Hopefully a little community and a repository where people will be able to share and pick plugins they want special layouts for. I suppose a donation could also motivate me to do a specific one

I was wondering if you had any other overarching opinions on the layout? I’m about ready to start making videos explaining everything so any thoughts would be appreciated.

I solved my [ 0.5 ] issue. I cleaned up all the button definitions in the .tosc file and got rid of a lot of unnecessary touch entries that were created by importing a V1 file. Now it works with just the single entry, as it should.

Great news!

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MeWest

Zone "SelectedTrackSend"
    SelectedTrackSendNavigator
        Shift Shift
        Option Option
        Control Control
        Alt Alt                           
         RotaryA|                TrackSendVolume [ (0.001,0.02,0.04,0.06,0.1) ]
ZoneEnd

Zone "Track"				
    SelectedTrackNavigator				
	    Shift Shift			
        Option Option				
        Control Control				
        Alt Alt								
	RotaryA7		TrackVolume	[ (0.0011,0.005,0.01,0.1) ]
	RotaryA8		TrackPan	[ (0.005,0.01,0.02,0.05) ]
	
        Alt+RotaryA1		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA2		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA3		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA4		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA5		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA6		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA7		NoAction
        Alt+RotaryA8		NoAction				
ZoneEnd

When adding Alt+Rotary to the "Track" zone. In the "Send" zone, the send volume does not work.

Ok, there's a few things going on here. The problem you've run into is trying to combine a Zone where you want to use the rotaries numbered individually (Track) at the same time as a Zone where you use the | construction (SelectedTrackSend). Trying to have these two active at the same time (which you are) won't allow you to have Rotaries 1-6 in the Track Zone, modified or not.

The way round this is not to have the two Zones active at the same time when you want to access Rotaries 1-6 for something other than sends (when the Track Zone is active).

I've made some modifications to your files and these are attached below. In brief, I removed SelectedTrackSends from the IncludedFiles and made them activate on TrackSelection instead, so the behaviour doesn't change from what you're used to. I then made RotaryPushA8 toggle between the Track Zone and SelectedTrackSends. Note: the operation of Rotaries 7 and 8 doesn't change between the Zones. Now, when you toggle out of the SelectedTrackSends, you end up in the Track Zone and you'll have access to Rotaries 1-6. I mapped TrackVolume and Pan to Rotaries 1 and 2 and Alt+Rotaries 7 and 8 to Pan and TrackVolume to make sure they worked, and they do

About other stuff; in CSI, the modifiers are global and only need to be defined once. So, I removed all the modifier definitions except those in the Buttons Zone. I also moved all your button definitions to the Buttons Zone (yeah, I'm a bit of a pedant)

If you're using the X-Touch Mini exclusively with CSI, you may want to consider using MC mode and a .mst based on that. The second layer available in standard mode offers no advantage in CSI and the standardisation of the MC mode definition makes it easer to swap Zone files with others. I tweaked a MC .mst file for you so you can try it out. There should't be any difference in operation, but you'll be using a standard hardware setup, available to everyone with an X-Touch Mini.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Puck

I was wondering if you had any other overarching opinions on the layout? I’m about ready to start making videos explaining everything so any thoughts would be appreciated.
!

Looks good to me It's a completely different approach to mine, which is based on a single screen, so I'm probably not the best person to ask.

I'm sure you'll get lots of useful feedback when you put it out there. My setup is as much about having a CSI test machine without leaving the comfort of my living room chair, as it is having a useful production tool

btw mine currently looks like this:

[MeWest]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Ok, there's a few things going on here. The problem you've run into is trying to combine a Zone where you want to use the rotaries numbered individually (Track) at the same time as a Zone where you use the | construction (SelectedTrackSend). Trying to have these two active at the same time (which you are) won't allow you to have Rotaries 1-6 in the Track Zone, modified or not.

The way round this is not to have the two Zones active at the same time when you want to access Rotaries 1-6 for something other than sends (when the Track Zone is active).

I've made some modifications to your files and these are attached below. In brief, I removed SelectedTrackSends from the IncludedFiles and made them activate on TrackSelection instead, so the behaviour doesn't change from what you're used to. I then made RotaryPushA8 toggle between the Track Zone and SelectedTrackSends. Note: the operation of Rotaries 7 and 8 doesn't change between the Zones. Now, when you toggle out of the SelectedTrackSends, you end up in the Track Zone and you'll have access to Rotaries 1-6. I mapped TrackVolume and Pan to Rotaries 1 and 2 and Alt+Rotaries 7 and 8 to Pan and TrackVolume to make sure they worked, and they do

About other stuff; in CSI, the modifiers are global and only need to be defined once. So, I removed all the modifier definitions except those in the Buttons Zone. I also moved all your button definitions to the Buttons Zone (yeah, I'm a bit of a pedant)

If you're using the X-Touch Mini exclusively with CSI, you may want to consider using MC mode and a .mst based on that. The second layer available in standard mode offers no advantage in CSI and the standardisation of the MC mode definition makes it easer to swap Zone files with others. I tweaked a MC .mst file for you so you can try it out. There should't be any difference in operation, but you'll be using a standard hardware setup, available to everyone with an X-Touch Mini.

Thank you very much!

[Puck]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Looks good to me It's a completely different approach to mine, which is based on a single screen, so I'm probably not the best person to ask.

I'm sure you'll get lots of useful feedback when you put it out there. My setup is as much about having a CSI test machine without leaving the comfort of my living room chair, as it is having a useful production tool

btw mine currently looks like this:

Fair enough!

Thanks for checking it out. Truly appreciated!

Yes, yours looks great! Different approach, as you say, but kudos to you for getting all that info on there in a usable way!

[Puck]

Originally Posted by Funkybot

It's looking and feeling really good now.

Thanks Funkybot!

Now it’s off to make some videos

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MeWest

Thank you very much!

You're welcome I forgot to mention, in the CSI prefs set the number of channels to 0 and the number of sends to 6, if they're not already.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Puck

Fair enough!

Thanks for checking it out. Truly appreciated!

Yes, yours looks great! Different approach, as you say, but kudos to you for getting all that info on there in a usable way!

I think the jury's still out on "usable"

I did some tests on my iPadAir4 before I started to see what the smallest button size was I could reliably operate with my fingers/thumbs. What you see is the result.

I think it's also important to make the distinction between layouts designed to be operated whilst holding the pad vs layouts intended for use with the pad on a stand at arms length. Mine is definitely intended to be held, which is why the most used buttons are positioned on the left and right edges and because it's close to your face, the control and text sizes can be smaller.

One point about the C4 FX grid, I don't intend those tiny horizontal faders to used to make adjustments (though you can) The manner of operation is to touch the parameter in the grid with your left hand, which then throws that parameter on to the LastTouchedParameter fader on the RHS where you can adjust it with your right thumb.

There are two sets of modifier buttons, because modifiers are always used in conjunction with another control and you don't know whether that control will be on the right or the left. So you want to be able to operate the modifier with one hand and control that is being modified with the other.

[Puck]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

I think the jury's still out on "usable"

All good points here and some great ideas for your use case.

Hoping this catches on and we get more CSI users in here. It’d be great to be able to push donations Geoff’s way.

But nevertheless I’m pretty happy where mine is at. It looks pretty impressive on a 22” touchscreen monitor and I’m close to selling my midi fighter twisters although I’m holding off on that.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Puck

All good points here and some great ideas for your use case.

Hoping this catches on and we get more CSI users in here. It’d be great to be able to push donations Geoff’s way.

But nevertheless I’m pretty happy where mine is at. It looks pretty impressive on a 22” touchscreen monitor and I’m close to selling my midi fighter twisters although I’m holding off on that.

What's up with track colors? The link seems to work, but the color is different.

[Puck]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

What's up with track colors? The link seems to work, but the color is different.

Are they all different?

99% of mine are correct but I have noticed a couple that were off. Particularly the default color. I think the remainder potentially stem from CSI sometimes not sending a “0” sometimes but I’m unsure.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Puck

Are they all different?

99% of mine are correct but I have noticed a couple that were off. Particularly the default color. I think the remainder potentially stem from CSI sometimes not sending a “0” sometimes but I’m unsure.

I'd say red and blue are reversed. Green is fine

[Puck]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

I'd say red and blue are reversed. Green is fine

That’s been a thing. Geoff has flip flopped the code a couple times. It’ll be an interesting thing to solve.

Worth noting that you are using the Mac build while I’m on windows.

[Funkybot]

Originally Posted by Puck

That’s been a thing. Geoff has flip flopped the code a couple times. It’ll be an interesting thing to solve.

Worth noting that you are using the Mac build while I’m on windows.

I was just about to say the same thing. Testing this on Windows, the track colors are accurate here. They were good in the last build, and I just double checked again and they're fine. Green is green, Blue is blue, Orange is Orange, Purple is Purple, etc.

I wonder if that means CSI on Windows is sending RGB but CSI on Mac is somehow sending BGR? That might also explain why they've been flipped back and forth multiple times. Fixing one, may break the other.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Funkybot

I was just about to say the same thing. Testing this on Windows, the track colors are accurate here. They were good in the last build, and I just double checked again and they're fine. Green is green, Blue is blue, Orange is Orange, Purple is Purple, etc.

I wonder if that means CSI on Windows is sending RGB but CSI on Mac is somehow sending BGR? That might also explain why they've been flipped back and forth multiple times. Fixing one, may break the other.

They're definitely flipped on Mac. I've got a colorwheel/rgb picker in Reaper for colors and if I turn red to 255, I get blue and vice-versa.

[Geoff Waddington]

New build is up.

CSI Exp.zip

Mea culpa on this, I misread a comment in the Reaper API docs.

// I_CUSTOMCOLOR : int * : custom color, OS dependent color|0x1000000 (i.e. ColorToNative(r,g,b)|0x1000000).

Try it now and let me know.

Also, this may break something elsewhere that I tried to fix by reversing r, g, b. Let me know if you find one of those as well please

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by Geoff Waddington

New build is up.

CSI Exp.zip

Mea culpa on this, I misread a comment in the Reaper API docs.

// I_CUSTOMCOLOR : int * : custom color, OS dependent color|0x1000000 (i.e. ColorToNative(r,g,b)|0x1000000).

Try it now and let me know.

Also, this may break something elsewhere that I tried to fix by reversing r, g, b. Let me know if you find one of those as well please

Nailed it! Colors now perfect. Really good match between MacBookPro screen and iPad.

[MT4U]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Reaper has 3 primary recording modes: Normal, Time selection auto-punch and Auto-punch selected items. I thought we could maybe use the Drop and Replace buttons to relect these (radio button style):
i) Both off: Normal
ii) Drop: Time selection auto-punch
iii) Replace: Auto-punch selected items

I got nothing for the 'Both on' combo

Hi there all.

After a while using CSI 1.1 with my X-Touch One and an X-Touch Extender y got myself an X-Touch Universal and am now in the process of having the three work together with CSI 2.
The X-Touch One was my first surface so instead of just replacing it with the Universal I decided to keep it as a button bank and a handy 2nd. wheel on the other end of the desk.
So, that is my hardware config and it's available should you need me to make any test in such configuration.

Now to the point. I'm starting to configure the X-Touch Universal with CSI 2, and wanted to make the buttons do what their labels say (as long as it is something possible in Reaper).

So... I've come to face the "Drop" button and found MixMonkey's comment (above).
In MCU Drop is mostly used for AutoPunch stuff, and I found a couple of Reaper Actions that would make it right and came to this attempt on my zone files (based on the "Marker" approach):

Zone "Buttons"
    SubZones
 	"Marker"
        "Drop"
    SubZonesEnd
...
  Drop       Reaper 40076       //Record: Set record mode to time selection auto-punch
  Drop       GoSubZone "Drop"
...
ZoneEnd

Zone "Drop"
    Drop      Reaper 40252      //Record: Set record mode to normal
    Drop      LeaveSubZone
ZoneEnd

The problem I found is that CSI doesn't seem to run the second command on the same widget, so if I put {GoSubZone "Drop"} after reaper action 40076, I only get my record mode changed without the "Drop" LED getting turned on. Is this a change in CSI2 by design that I missed in the forum or maybe I'm doing something wrong?

Thank you all!

[Funkybot]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Nailed it! Colors now perfect. Really good match between MacBookPro screen and iPad.

And it still looks good here on PC.

Thanks Geoff!

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MT4U

Hi there all.

After a while using CSI 1.1 with my X-Touch One and an X-Touch Extender y got myself an X-Touch Universal and am now in the process of having the three work together with CSI 2.
The X-Touch One was my first surface so instead of just replacing it with the Universal I decided to keep it as a button bank and a handy 2nd. wheel on the other end of the desk.
So, that is my hardware config and it's available should you need me to make any test in such configuration.

Now to the point. I'm starting to configure the X-Touch Universal with CSI 2, and wanted to make the buttons do what their labels say (as long as it is something possible in Reaper).

So... I've come to face the "Drop" button and found MixMonkey's comment (above).
In MCU Drop is mostly used for AutoPunch stuff, and I found a couple of Reaper Actions that would make it right and came to this attempt on my zone files (based on the "Marker" approach):

Zone "Buttons"
    SubZones
 	"Marker"
        "Drop"
    SubZonesEnd
...
  Drop       Reaper 40076       //Record: Set record mode to time selection auto-punch
  Drop       GoSubZone "Drop"
...
ZoneEnd

Zone "Drop"
    Drop      Reaper 40252      //Record: Set record mode to normal
    Drop      LeaveSubZone
ZoneEnd

The problem I found is that CSI doesn't seem to run the second command on the same widget, so if I put {GoSubZone "Drop"} after reaper action 40076, I only get my record mode changed without the "Drop" LED getting turned on. Is this a change in CSI2 by design that I missed in the forum or maybe I'm doing something wrong?

Thank you all!

I think the problem may be that there are 3 modes and they are mutually exclusive. Rather than use another Zone, I'd be more inclined to setup a two way SWS cycle action with "Normal" and "Drop" and map that to the Drop button.

[strangy]

Hi,

I have an idea to use a phone with CSI for surround panning.

But when I use XY pad, it produced bundled messages like


/xy1 0.34625 0.34563


What syntax should I use to work with such messages?

[Puck]

Originally Posted by strangy

Hi,

I have an idea to use a phone with CSI for surround panning.

But when I use XY pad, it produced bundled messages like


/xy1 0.34625 0.34563


What syntax should I use to work with such messages?

You don’t actually

You have to send one message at a time.

So you have to have two messages. One for X and one for Y.

and in your OST they would be two separate widgets

Widget someX
   Control /someAddress/someX
   FB_Processor /someAddress/someX
WidgetEnd

Widget someY
   Control /someAddress/someY
   FB_Processor /someAddress/someY
WidgetEnd

[MT4U]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

I think the problem may be that there are 3 modes and they are mutually exclusive. Rather than use another Zone, I'd be more inclined to setup a two way SWS cycle action with "Normal" and "Drop" and map that to the Drop button.

I tried it, I can achieve the functionality. The only problem is that cycle actions don't give me any LED Feedback.

My idea of calling a Reaper action and then load a zone was that the light would lit with the zone and the zone itself could just overwrite the functionality for the same widget to put things back and exit the zone with the corresponding LED off. That would allow me to turn "any" reaper action that gives no feedback into a visual aide.

[Jur451c]

What the title says! Indicating which tracks are being controlled as you bank up and down on the control surface would be a massive quality of life improvement, especially if you could have different colours for different surfaces.

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MT4U

I tried it, I can achieve the functionality. The only problem is that cycle actions don't give me any LED Feedback.

Works here:


It won't reflect the state if you change the mode with the mouse , but works fine from the surface.

[jakeman19]

Originally Posted by Jur451c

What the title says! Indicating which tracks are being controlled as you bank up and down on the control surface would be a massive quality of life improvement, especially if you could have different colours for different surfaces.

I've done this with just an MCU, I'll post more info about it when I'm back home. It's more of a Reaper programming thing then CSI.

Jd

[MT4U]

Originally Posted by MixMonkey

Works here:


It won't reflect the state if you change the mode with the mouse , but works fine from the surface.

Away form the studio now, but will check it out ASAP. There must be something wrong in my Cycle Action (maybe the Toggle configuration?) that makes my "Drop" button in the X-Touch execute the action but show no feedback on the LED.

As always, a great thank you MixMonkey!

[MixMonkey]

Originally Posted by MT4U

Away form the studio now, but will check it out ASAP. There must be something wrong in my Cycle Action (maybe the Toggle configuration?) that makes my "Drop" button in the X-Touch execute the action but show no feedback on the LED.

As always, a great thank you MixMonkey!

You're welcome Make sure the toggle bullet is on.

[chinpou]

Did I read on here once upon a time that there was an effort to have modifiers mirrored by qwerty keystrokes? I searched through the forum and couldn't find when it was discussed. Just wanna voice that I would greatly benefit from this!

I'm currently using a trial version of Bome MIDI Translator Pro to turn shift, cmd, opt, and ctrl into midi messages, and then SteerMouse to route four extra mouse buttons to shift, cmd, opt, and ctrl. It's working fine but I'd love to cut out as many middle men as I can ... and not have to pay for Bome hehe

[Funkybot]

I think at one point Geoff was trying to work on a way to pass an Escape keystroke to Reaper from a Control Surface button press, but I'm not aware of work having been done with modifiers.