Bitwig

stradqaz · Post by **stradqaz** » Tue May 06, 2014 2:19 pm

I own a Faderport and wish to use it with Bitwig. Do I need to write a script for Faderport to get it work?

Thanks.

dsan@mail.com · Post by **dsan@mail.com** » Tue May 06, 2014 5:08 pm

Short answer - Yes.

Long answer - It is doubtful any of the existing scripts will work out of the box. You will likely have to make modifications to a script.

Fader Port is a unique controller in what it does. Most controllers have similarities to be able to make those script modifications fairly easily.

If you do not have the skills, like most of us here, to write a script for your device, I'm afraid you will find yourself waiting for manufactures to create one for their device. This could be a while as many are undoubtedly waiting to see where BWS goes before investing the time to create scripts. Time is money.

Bottom Line - If you can create a script it is obviously in your best interest to do so. I am confident others here will appreciate your contribution if you are successful and willing to share.

You may even find some here willing and interested to assist in the effort.

Happy Musiking!
dsan

muelb · Post by **muelb** » Fri May 09, 2014 9:38 am

Has anybody made a script for the Faderport yet?

If this would be fully working in Bitwig, it would be fantastic!

tubo · Post by **tubo** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 6:45 pm

hi

i got a solution! choose under preferences / controllers/ add controller manually/mackie mc pro
and then you should be able to add fader port ( see attachment)

have fun

cheers
patrick

stradqaz · Post by **stradqaz** » Sat Oct 25, 2014 2:02 pm

Hey mate,

Are you sure you got your faderport working that way?
doesn't seem like working at all...
Thx anyway.

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:37 pm

I asked for a Faderport and will do a proper script for it when we get it. Can't say how long it will take though, lot's of stuff on my list.

Cheers,

Tom

(do you need to set the Faderport to a specific mode to use it with the MCU PRO script? Does everything work so I can spare the effort of creating a script?)

tomsa · Post by **tomsa** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:00 pm

stradqaz wrote:Hey mate,

Are you sure you got your faderport working that way?
doesn't seem like working at all...
Thx anyway.

there's a piece of information missing- you have to set your faderport to "Mackie MCU Mode". To accomplish this:
1. connect your faderport
2. hold the "stop" button in the transport controls until the "output" button flashes yellow and "undo" lights up steady red
3. Press "output" and you will be in Mackie MCU mode. Press "undo" and you will be in faderport mode.

Tested, verified, and used on Ubuntu 14.04.1 X64, Bitwig Studio 1.1 Beta 6

はいどうぞ。楽しんでください。

TS

tomsa · Post by **tomsa** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:19 pm

ThomasHelzle wrote:I asked for a Faderport and will do a proper script for it when we get it. Can't say how long it will take though, lot's of stuff on my list.

Cheers,

Tom

(do you need to set the Faderport to a specific mode to use it with the MCU PRO script? Does everything work so I can spare the effort of creating a script?)

Tom,

Please see the instructions I just posted for putting the Faderport in to Mackie MCU Mode. It mostlyworks. from the top down:
1. The motorfader works beatifully.
2. The Panning Knob, mute, solo, and rec buttons perform as expected.
3.the arrow keys on the channel select strip work. Bank and output, not so much.
4.The fader mode and window view rows of keys have been sketchy at best. Usually when I try to figure out what they do, the DAW locks up and needs to be restarted.
5.All the transport keys seem to work as expected.

So, it's a mixed bag- a little awesome wiiiith...a little awful. A native script, when you or some other talented coder gets around to it would be pretty brilliant.

On an unrelated note; I noticed you wrote a script for the USB EWI. On the same day, I learned that there is a mode of performance on the usb ewi that is very well suited to trumpet players like me. That could make a lot of raw note entry, and performance things veeery different for me. I'm going to have to try that one out as well. You are all please feel free to come to my performances in the shelters when I'm derelict from all of the money I keep finding myself spending. The music will be bangin', the blankets will be warm, the soup will be average, and a few people might smell like carnies, but It should be a good show.

Thanks again for all of your hard work, y'all rock!
貴方に頑張ってください！
TS

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:51 pm

Cool tomsa, thanks for the detailed feedback. So yeah, I think I'll write a native script if the faderport doesn't do anything funny in it's Faderport mode (I got a bit wary over time, so many controllers don't send things properly...).

As for the USB EWI: I was pretty stoked when I got it for testing. It is such a different feel from all this keyboard stuff. I played the recorder/flute for about 9 years back in school and after about half an hour of irritated fumbling with the EWI, suddenly from one moment to the other I was right at home. Being able to play over 5 octaves with the rollers on the back is amazing and the modulation possibilities with breath are great. Even the pitch-bend-plates work better than I'd have expected.
I contemplate getting one myself now.

Downsides:
- It's very irritating that you can't really "blow" through it. I will need to learn some way to deal with the breath-pressure. I set the needed pressure very low so I don't feel all puffed up after a while.
- The USB cable has a pull-relieve thingy so it doesn't fall out, but it has exactly that much play that the USB connector CAN slip out of the port. This is totally stupid. I guess one would need to put some tape around the cable or a rubber band so it doesn't slip out anymore.
- The collected moisture comes out of a tiny hole at the lower end, directly above the USB cable, so it runs down the cable... Hm...

And the hole is very small, so I'm not sure how one is supposed to clean the inside...

You can also bite on the mouthpiece to create Mod-Wheel CCs but I found that weird so far. Need more practice but I'm not sure if I find that really practical.

The software that comes with it is quite simple and contains some Garritan Orchestral sounds. Nice for initial tests but not very convincing in the long run. With enough reverb some of it sounds nice though

If I ever should feel really bored it would be cool to unscramble the Sysex the settings-tool is sending so you could set all the parameters in BWS directly. But that would need quite some rainy sundays

So yeah, try to get one for a test and see if it clicks with you. I love it.

Cheers,

Tom

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 8:17 pm

Ok, got the faderport today.
It seems broken in that the Fast FWD button is non-functional but after about 2 hours of not getting the device recognized on my machine by the firmware updater and it behaving like a nicely laid out brick, I now have it mostly running.
As most of the functionality is already there with the MCU script (thanks again tomsa), I contemplate reducing that script to the bare minimum needed for the Faderport and then build on that for the buttons that don't do anything useful yet.

I won't do a super-deep script I think, but basically implement what's printed on the surface as far as possible.

Not sure how fast I can get it done, lot's of other stuff on my list but I thought I let you guys know.

As tomsa said, you can already get most of it working with the MCU script.

Cheers,

Tom

tomsa · Post by **tomsa** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 5:51 am

ThomasHelzle wrote:
I won't do a super-deep script I think, but basically implement what's printed on the surface as far as possible.

Tom

That's awesome! It'll be great to have the other functionality! Thanks!

webhamster · Post by **webhamster** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 12:21 am

Tom, did you ever do anything for the Faderport?
I've been fiddling a bit with it, but not getting very far. When just asking for its midi data most buttons send the same info. So I need to find a way of recognising them.

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 11:46 am

I fiddled with it for a while at the end of last year, but it acted kind of weird - not sure if our test device was wacky or if it's supposed to be like that - and I found the whole Mackie Protocol a real pain to deal with.
When I stopped working for Bitwig mid December I decided to drop the script, since it wasn't near to a point where I could have released it.

Sorry to not have better news.

Cheers,

Tom

webhamster · Post by **webhamster** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:07 pm

Did you get the fader working (reading and/or writing)? If so I would love to see your half finished script.
The buttons work fine for me, it is just that the fader does not show up as midi data.
I am still very much figuring out how Bitwig scripting works, so maybe I am missing something obvious.

Thanks!

ThomasHelzle · Post by **ThomasHelzle** » Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:45 pm

Like was said above, you need to use the Mackie MCU script and put the Faderport into "Live" mode - then most things should work. But I constantly lost the fader too after a while (even though I was sending the keep-alive-signal) and never fully figured out the idea behind the whole thing. I no longer have the unit here and I can assure you that you don't want my script.

It's just a different mess from what you have already.
Better start from the MCU script if you feel up to it.

I'm working on completely different stuff ATM (3D graphics) and can't provide any help on this, since I didn't understand it myself.

Cheers,

Tom

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