Automation or CC from one track to another?

Hi all,

I'd like to do a set up where I've got note data on Track One and Automation or CC Data on Track Two being routed to Track One. I'm struggling to understand the best way to do this or if it's even possible. I'm wondering if anyone out there has any successful experiences doing this? (I am not new to MIDI, but I am new to MPC workflow and terminology).

Here are the stumbling blocks I've found so far - though it's entirely possible I've missed something obvious

- any movement on Q-Link knobs seems to record to the track it's affecting only
- most internal plugins are quite limited in how they expose their control to MIDI CCs
- the exception, of course, is that nearly anything can be controlled with MIDI-Learn, but that seems to be very specific to the hardware controller you use to "learn" it, so, for example, if I set up an external knob as CC 80, and MIDI-Learn the filter cutoff on Track One to respond to that knob sending MIDI CC 80, the filter on Track One does NOT respond to another internal track sending CC 80 to it.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The ultimate goal is to have sequences where the length of the CC or Automation Data is not tied to the length of the NOTE Data. I want Cutoff patterns that fall out of sync from note patterns.

Is this possible, and, off so... how?

Thanks,
J

Have you tried to MIDI Send (found in the track settings) the CC track to the other track?

B-Wise wrote:Have you tried to MIDI Send (found in the track settings) the CC track to the other track?

Hi! Thanks for responding.

I have tried this, although it's entirely possible I'm doing it wrong. The issue (I think) I've encountered is that the plugin doesn't seem to react to MIDI CCs - just track automation. In order to get it to react to MIDI CC, I need to do a MIDI Learn, but I can't seem to route its own controllers to MIDI Learn.

But like I said, this is a new device for me, and though I've got lots of MIDI experience, I'm still learning MPC workflow and terminology, so it's entirely possible I'm doing this wrong

As of OS 3.8 for plugins, having plugin automations written on several tracks is simply IMPOSSIBLE. Period.

All the automations related to the plugin with be written on the plugin's own track, and not anywhere else.

Hi, thanks for your reply. That’s disappointing and a bit surprising. It makes sense for track automation, but I guess I’ve been spoiled by the world of Bitwig/Ableton/Logic where assigning a MIDI CC to a knob is as simply as a right-click.

Hopefully this is something that comes in a future update.

Ok - so this is convoluted BUT IT WORKS.

For anyone else looking control automation on a PLUGIN track from another track, this was a successful workaround. I used Drambo on my iPhone, but I can't think of a reason other devices wouldn't also be successful if this logic was applied.

I have Mini D on Track 1, and a MIDI track on Track 2.

I built a simple Drambo patch that had slider on it. Within Drambo, I set that slider to control CC 102 (I don't think it matters what the CC is, but it's possible it has some things preassigned that we don't know about that). Then, I used the slider on Drambo and MIDI Learned the MPC parameter (in my case, Cutoff) to that Drambo slider.

Then, I went to Track 2, and set up it so that its signal goes out to Drambo. I then MIDI Learned that slider in Drambo to one of the Q-Link knobs on Track 2.

Essentially, the workaround I've discovered is to route the signal out via MIDI and then right back in via MIDI.

It's a bit messy, but it works.

Ok, I've done a bit more experimenting, this time not as successfully. I routed a MIDI cable from an output directly to an input. I actually comes very close to working, but I cannot seem to figure out how to prevent a MIDI feedback loop. It *almost* works, but causes the values to start jumping around. I've tried many settings to see if I can prevent the feedback loop, and I've been unsuccessful. If anyone has any suggestions, please, pass 'em along.

MIDI cable loopback... I documented that a couple years ago - check if there is any trick there that might work for you.

Jean-Marc Liotier wrote:MIDI cable loopback... I documented that a couple years ago - check if there is any trick there that might work for you.

Hi Jean-Marc,

Thanks for responding! I think what you've described here is actually doable now all internally. Perhaps it's a newer thing in the OS - I'm new to the device - but you can send note MIDI data easily from one track to the next now, no cable needed. My issue is more about MIDI CC (or automation). I've got a couple angles I've yet to explore, but for now, it seems the only way to successfully do it is to involve another device.

I have any other successes. I will post about them here. But thank you for drawing my attention to your experiments - seems like we're trying to figure similar things out.

joelsquare wrote:what you've described here is actually doable now all internally [..] you can send note MIDI data easily from one track to the next now, no cable needed.

It was already possible - but it remains impossible to this days to MIDI Send internally to the MPC's arpeggiator. Sending chords from a pads track to the arpeggiator on another is why I had to loop back.

joelsquare wrote:My issue is more about MIDI CC (or automation)

I'm sorry I do not have any contribution specific to that.