chopchop wrote:Maschine has that sounds to midi notes feature wouldn't something like that solve things? and add a controller mode would make full use of the q links other buttons
Yes it probably would be a good thing. "Sound to MIDI" is very useful and you can stay in Maschine mode rather than have to toggle to Controller mode. It takes a little setting up, but what advanced MIDI routing doesn't? Of course you still have to use the standalone and route the MIDI with IAC or MIDI OX or whatever.
Then you have controller mode as a secondary option. It's Win/Win really.
Jerome wrote -
"Let me slow this down so you can comprehend what I am saying. Maschine needs its controller map app in order to be used as a controller. Without this app, Maschine doesn't transmit any MIDI data when its software is closed. Strike any pad, push any button, or turn any knob and nothing happens. The Ren doesn't need an app. As I pointed above, it sends MIDI without the need for any app. Now a 3rd party company CAN create a controller app for the Ren and/or possibly do something along the lines as ReTouch's Maschine R. The point is....Akai said they won't do it but the designed the Ren so its possible that someone else can.
Hopefully this is clear to you now but I won't hold my breath."
What is your point even? It's like you're trying to slight Maschine for doing it sensibly. Like it's a bad thing that the separate mode exists. And you're presenting your statement in a way that implies the app has to be running as an extra layer. Which you should know it does not, except to load a mapping, which takes all of 5 seconds and that's to open your template folder.
You know damn well all you have to do is press Shift+Control and do whatever and the app is to load maps. You're acting like the Controller Mapping Editor has to run for Maschine to do all these thing being discussed. You own one, I would figure you would know this. You probably do and just want save face while giving face to Akai as usual. A toggle MODE on a controller is NOT an APP running.
Now I'll set the dial to cretin speed just for you Jerome.
Maschine can send MIDI all over the place using Sound to MIDI with no controller mode. What point are you trying to make that Maschine doesn't send MIDI unless it's in Controller mode or Maschine mode? Those are the two mode it operates in, saying "well it does nothing when neither of the ONLY two operation modes aren't engaged"...yeah no shit. It's essentially just drawing power to light LCD and may as well not be plugged in. But it's obviously a moot point as a Maschine user has not one but two ways to accomplish these simple MIDI things.
If you mean as a plugin it doesn't transmit MIDI out, so what? You just go toggle Controller mode. Most people would prefer that as they can use one controller as two...like I don't know....ANY MIDI CONTROLLER ON EARTH. It's hardly better to have to have the internal MIDI broadcasts also sent to the MIDI Out on a unit with "hardwired" MIDI assignments through software imposed limits.
People just want an easy way to control other things in their sessions not hosted by the Ren. This is not an unreasonable expectation by any measure.
So I'll point out the obvious again. How will some third party (that will likely never be a reality) code an app to work like ReTouch's Maschine R when Maschine R relies on a controller mapping mode being available? If you think it will work using the Ren's MIDI functionality as it currently stands, how do they deal with a controller that apparently has it's MIDI CC #'s as not re-mappable?
So please tell us how did they design the Ren so a third party can make it user mappable and do MIDI out functions more efficiently when running as a plugin? Seriously I want to know. It would seem to require access to the Ren's code base, are Akai just handing that out to small third parties like ReTouch? Seems highly unlikely.
ReTouch and other similar apps work within the normal confines of the software/controllers they work with using the same things that are available to any user. But if it was ReTouch's Live app, not everyone can or would want to write a Python script. A Reason Remote script is easier to write, but again it's not everyone's cup of tea to write instruction sets/fill in variable fields. These apps are just very well made templates that any user could create with knowledge and patience. And in every case these apps utilize user mappable MIDI functions. So you can't say a third party app can sort it out when any potential developers have the same issue as the users from jump.
And that's the main issue, Akai hasn't provided a user script aspect, or a way to map the controller's CC transmissions. Not to mention how do you assign Momentary or Toggle and other mysteries.
So I ask again what aspect of the Ren's design would allow for a third party to solve this, when these apps you're invoking rely on the very functionality that Akai has denied users? (invoking workarounds that don't even exist and likely won't ever exist, you're really stepping up your corn game)
I knew something was fishy when I heard how 3 MIDI ports get disabled when in plugin mode. Same foolish artificially imposed limits as all this other business...
I await your description of the aspects of the Ren's design that allow for the potential and unlikely third party to sweep up this mess. If not that I'd expect a description of a SDK they have made available to third parties to allow for such an app. As I already stated, those apps rely on the same functionality available to any Maschine, Live or Reason user, functionality the Ren lacks by design. And if such things have been opened up to third parties, why would the end user be denied the same functionality?
The fact that it sends MIDI Out concurrent to it's internal MIDI broadcasting is not enough for one those apps to be created. One more time I'll state the facts, those apps REQUIRE the functionality that Akai stated they will not give users, those apps utilize user editable MIDI assignment functionality to operate.
So this talk that Ren has it set up better as it is now (provided some fantasy app from some possible third party is made) than Maschine having Controller mode is ridiculous. I would imagine Akai was just engaging in your latest pastime of pass the buck when they told you a third party could handle it.
