Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

MrDobalina wrote:

SuperKonquer wrote:I think you'd be better off creating a midi program. Then you can recall your q-link assignments by just loading that program. You can expand this by using the project pages if you want to macro them.

Thanks - I'm curious for more info on what you think this makes better or easier?

Currently, I have set the mapping up once and I never had to to do it again. Using the one big midi file, my tracks line up in the right place. If I import new midi files, and I can copy those new track data to the pre-existing / mapped tracks.

Truthfully, I left 5 'unused' midi tracks and thats where my mappings live so I never have to mess with them.

But I haven't had to change or re-set up anything re: midi control since the first time I did it.

So, as a fairly mpc live noob, what benefit to I get from a MIDI Program?

I cant say what's better or worse for you. For me, that method seems like a lot of things to do and remember. Saving a midi program let's you load the program and it is then loaded however you saved it. You can load it on any track that you like so you are never locked to a template. You can save a midi program to match your hardware unit (or software) then put that hardware in a closet for year. When you dust it off and use it again a year later, you can just load that midi program. You can do all your hardware this way so your midi assignments are not tied to one file that you have to load everything every time. This gives you a bit more flexibility imo. More importantly, it makes setting up hardware drop dead easy with no need to remember what you set up 2 years ago.

SuperKonquer wrote:Saving a midi program let's you load the program and it is then loaded however you saved it. You can load it on any track that you like so you are never locked to a template. You can save a midi program to match your hardware unit (or software) then put that hardware in a closet for year. When you dust it off and use it again a year later, you can just load that midi program. You can do all your hardware this way so your midi assignments are not tied to one file that you have to load everything every time. This gives you a bit more flexibility imo. More importantly, it makes setting up hardware drop dead easy with no need to remember what you set up 2 years ago.

MIDI are one of best but slept on features. They are tedious to set up but worth it once you do. We should a MIDI Program Database for different external gear.

Squarp forum (company of the Pyramid & Hapax - 2 really powerful seqs) has this on their site & its such a great time saver. Plus, you can edited more after you load it but at least most of the grunt work has been done.

JethroJethro wrote:control an iPad synth with my MPC

B-Wise wrote:MIDI are one of best but slept on features. They are tedious to set up but worth it once you do. We should a MIDI Program Database for different external gear

Because those programs are XML files, they do well under version control. I made programs for some of my devices at https://github.com/liotier/AkaiMPC/tree ... 20programs - a directory of such initiatives would be useful.

JethroJethro wrote:Interesting stuff. Will have to try this to control an iPad synth with my MPC, I assume it works over midi usb also.

I sometimes control Roland Zenbeat on Android from the MPC, when I want a particular synth there.

... Works well, except Android is stuck at 48 KHz sample rate - so between the Android's Behringer UCA222's TOSLINK out (cheapest USB audio interface ever - 9€ used !) and the MPC's Komplete Audio 6 Mk2's SPDIF in, I had to insert a Behringer SRC2000 sample rate converter to satisfy my gratuitous obsession with remaining entirely in the digital domain.

SuperKonquer wrote: I cant say what's better or worse for you. For me, that method seems like a lot of things to do and remember. Saving a midi program lets you load the program and it is then loaded however you saved it. You can load it on any track that you like so you are never locked to a template. You can save a midi program to match your hardware unit (or software) then put that hardware in a closet for year. When you dust it off and use it again a year later, you can just load that midi program. You can do all your hardware this way so your midi assignments are not tied to one file that you have to load everything every time. This gives you a bit more flexibility imo. More importantly, it makes setting up hardware drop dead easy with no need to remember what you set up 2 years ago.

Thanks again for the suggestion.
I did set this up once, not over and over, so I’m still not fully seeing how the program fits in here.
Also does a saved midi program cover multiple tracks? My requirements were that I needed one q link to control a cc on channel 1, another on channel 2, all the way up to 5.
My understanding is this q link setup is project level - not program level.
But you’ve piqued my interest so please correct me if I’m wrong!
Can a saved midi program saved mapped q-links across multiple midi channels?
Or does it save project level q link mappings?

My limited understand makes me think the only solution to my issue was editing Project q-links, but if that’s not the case, do tell!

Thank you

I can see the midi program being useful for renaming ccs to what they actually are - is that accurate?
But I still need the mappings saved elsewhere, in my case a project file.
Again - I’m learning here so let me know if I got that wrong.

MrDobalina wrote:Thanks Lamp and B

From Lamp's original suggestion, I was able to figure it out. I think the confusion for me was they aren't called 'MIDI' or 'CC' or 'Controller' when I was assigning them...

For anybody else wondering, on firmware 3.x, the actual flow to assign a MIDI CC Controller to a Q-Link knob is this:

0• Set up your midi track as normal, with channel and port set to what you need
1• Go to Q-Link edit (hold Q-link button, then hit 'Q-Link Edit' in bottom left, or get there from Menu)
2• Change 'Mode' to 'Project 1' or 'Project 2' (you have two customizable pages of 16 Q-links)
3• Choose the knob you want to edit by tapping or getting there with Q-link button + knobs
4• Click the plus '+' icon to add an assignment
5• Parameter options pop up, choose 'Track'
6• Track options pop up, choose your MIDI track
7• Type options pop up, choose 'Edit'
8• All 128 MIDI CC's pop up, choose the one you want

Alternatively, you can do 'Learn', go to track edit, and move the parameter there.

I can see what you mean B, about customizing the track edit page, but that's more than I need for this case, I just needed to choose the CC from the list. I think I see what you mean about assigning them from here, assuming you've already done the 'learn' process from the Q-link edit page - thanks for the suggestion.

So thanks for the help yall, I'm set now

great set of instruction, even for newB

can you follow these instruction if you want to assign NRPN to (1?) Q link ?
-those would need 2 MIDI cc's to define +16000 values

has anybody successfully assigned or used NRPNs from an MPC ?

wavejockey wrote:an you follow these instruction if you want to assign NRPN to (1?) Q link ?
-those would need 2 MIDI cc's to define +16000 values

has anybody successfully assigned or used NRPNs from an MPC ?

I did with the Boss DR-202. Roland for whatever reason didn't use CC#'s for it's 3 real-time controls (Cutoff, Resonance & Decay) but it used NRPN. I had to figure out what all that nerdy shit meant but it's not that bad once you see a just another way to use MIDI data.

Anyway, I don't remember the much of the top, but to set the DR202 Cutoff to be assigned to the Force's crossfader macro , I assigned 3 parameters (one was CC#6=Data Entry, CC#98=NRPN LSB, CC#99=NRPN MSB)

The details on how to find the numbers is blurry but If you know about NRPNs I'm sure you can figure the rest, if not I'll look into exactly what to do. I just want to know it's possible, most people don't getting into this side of MIDI & there's hardly any info on it. Luckily the DR202 manual had a pretty good break down on it all works & I was so happy when learned how to do it. The Crossfader mixed with Akai FXs had the old ass DR202 sounding like a whole other synth!

wavejockey wrote:great set of instruction, even for newB

can you follow these instruction if you want to assign NRPN to (1?) Q link ?
-those would need 2 MIDI cc's to define +16000 values

has anybody successfully assigned or used NRPNs from an MPC ?

Thanks, I'm a MPC firmware3 newb, but I been in the game with an XL, a 1000, and deep midi lore for a loooooong time.

NRPN's are basically just combinations of CC's sent in a particular order, I believe these are:

CC99 Set NRPN Parameter MSB
CC98 Set NRPN Parameter LSB
CC6 Set Value MSB
CC38 Set Value LSB

MSB means 'big number', LSB means 'little number. So instead of getting just one 128 value byte, you get 128 * 128. The first two (99, 98) let you choose which parameter to adjust, and the second two let you adjust that parameters values over 14-bit high-resolution midi.

I'm not entirely sure how you'd do this, and it probably won't work perfect, but you could at least get some coarse adjust ment going.

For one knob, I'd start by adding a control for CC99, the parameter MSB. I would set the range on that knob to only allow the one option I needed (ie if I needed 55, I'd set the low to 55, and the high to 55, then I'd set the value at 55.
Then I'd add a second MIDI CC link in this same macro to CC 98, do the same thing re: ranges to lock it to the value you want.
THen I'd add a 3rd MIDI CC for CC06, and here's where it gets interesting.
Before I do anything else, I'd set a 4th MIDI CC for CC38, and I'd lock that to zero (using the range method, above).
EDIT: This might be optional - you might not even have to set up CC38.

This should, in theory, every time you turn the Q-link:

Send MIDI CC 99 locked to your NRPN Parameter MSB

Send MIDI CC 98 locked to your NRPN Parameter LSB

Send MIDI CC 06 with different values for you NRPN Value MSB (coarse adjustment)

Send MIDI CC 38 locked to 0 of your NRPN Value LSB (optional / not needed)

That won't give you 14-bit control, but it will give you coarse access to an NRPN.... in theory
...I don't have a way to test this.
good luck

B-Wise wrote:...most people don't getting into this side of MIDI & there's hardly any info on it.

This is true and I hate to say I feel getting a little neglected in newer mpcs, because people don't really need to understand it anymore. But a lot of the functionality is still there because midi is so well spec'd and flexible, but everybody's needs are so specific, it's hard to find a lot of folks talking about these special cases.

I won't ever forget what the 'MPC' first stood for