i have some troubles with plugin control with midimap. I know it’s not a new question and i have already read all i have found on the forum about this.
I want to control plugins with my control surface (bcr2000). The manual binding for each session take too much time. In the midi maping it’s needed to use bus, plugin number and parameter number in arguments. The problem is i dont know in advance which plugin i will use on which track. The other problem is all plugin dont start there parameters at the first index. For example the first parameter in some Calf plugin start in fact at 4.
So my question, is there a way to ovoid the plugin number and only use bus and parameter number, in the Ardour order whatever the plugin’s parameter index?
An other question, is there a way in Ardour to send all plugin setting midi control each time i change the track selection?
I hope i’m clear enough. Thanks by advance for your answers.
thanks for answer me Paul.
I know there is no simple fix. I dont ask a magical wand for a stuff with this complexity. But actually i just cant use my surface for plugins. If you could indicate me in wich files i can find the binding and midi control mecanism, i will try a diy myself, at least waiting more competent people than me find a durable solution.
ok i think i have a solution, using mididings. In ardour midimap, i use banksize=1, so each bank is a track, i use the msg binding for link a ctl value to the bank number, and channel/ctl for plugin parameter, for example ch1 ctl 1 to parameter B1 1 1, ch2 ctl1 to B1 2 1, etc… In mididing, i affect 8 buttons to the channel selection, switching channels for all BCR’s rotary. Like that, i select the track with a rotary and the plugin number with button. On a BCR i can easyly control 16 plugins of 50+ parameters.
It’s not heaven but better than nothing. I will write the script and see if it’s usable.
So, just for the feedback, it’s working nice. Ardour send plugins settings of the first track at bank change (and my banks have only one track). I use a controler for select the bank and 8 buttons for the plugins selection. I can control one plugin at time but switching bank and plugins is fast.
You’r right Paul :). But for now, it’s enough. My studio just starting so i need to work well and fast. Plugins are an important part of mixing process and my surfaces control make me win time.
I trust you and your devs team. Ardour is a great DAW and i know you will find a way to have a better plugins integration control than Protools, like Ardour have now a better routing and editing system.
I think, and it’s only my opinion, an easy way is to refresh more often plugins settings, broadcasting on midi control out (for example each time at track slection change). Otherwise, while i testing my script, i saw something about banks. I will try to be clear (english is hard for me):
If i take 2 tracks in differents banks, with a different number of plugins, for example track 2 in bank 0 with 2 plugins and track 10 in bank 1 with 4 plugins. Switching banks and control plugins for the 2 first plugins work fine. when bank 0 is selected, i correctly control those 2 plugins, and when bank1 is selected, i correctly control those 4 plugins. But when i come back to bank0, plugins control 3 and 4 in bank1 remain controlable. I think because “slots” 3 and 4 are empty. If i and 2 more plugins to this track, during a time, control is random between bank0 and 1 for plugins 3 and 4, and after a time, control is ok. Something may not impervious between banks controls.
I hope i was clear in my explanation.
In the sense of the original question, no, there isn't but simple binding of plugin controls - graphically, not by editing a config file, would go along way to solving it - as it does in just about any DAW - e.g. an obvious MIDI learn button on the ardour UI, you press it, then turn a plugin control, then move the corresponding control on the physical controller and the two are bound together, repeat as necessary - this could be done without modification to plugins at all, and Ardour could save the information in the session file.
Perhaps this is already possible? But it wasn't obvious on the last release I tried, and when I've mentioned / suggested it previously (A2), I've always lost the argument, although I've never understood why. (Surely Ardour already has to have almost all of the required functionality as part of the automation and existing MIDI mechanism)
linuxdsp: just ctrl-middle click on ANY MIDI-assignable control (faders, all plugin parameters and lots more) to start the MIDI learn process. It has been there for years. You do need Generic MIDI Control enabled and appropriately connected (the “MIDI Control” port, specifically).
