...I agree, for performing an instrument - how many hands does one have? Doesn't make any sense if people want to have a keyboard with an amount of sliders like a big mixing console and as many knobs as a big modular synth. That's for the performance side. But in a studio situation - or precisely, bedroom producer situation (I guess, that's Akai's target market pricewise) - it may be different, as the line between producer and performer doesn't exist. So, people (myself included to a degree) seem to have the idea that they indeed need to have the same one-controller/one-function access to their VSTis like on a hardware modular synth or a mixing desk.Big Tick wrote:You can map any parameter you want but you have a limited number of physical controls to map them to (4x8 knobs and 4x8 buttons). This might sound like a limitation, but is more than that really useful for performance playing ? For fine-tuning a sound, the best interface is the plugin UI anyway.
So, if the VIP software only allows to control a total of 64 parameters per preset, if I got that correctly, it might not be the as-little-mouse-action-as-possible solution, that people might seek, and I'm glad that you clarified that. Thanks! I take it, that the Advanced series and VIP are more geared towards performing musicians and that it is not a "total access" universal studio solution.
...I know, but, I meant as a document on Akai's website, so that I can see how the plug-in is mapped. Before I get the product, then recognise it's not laid out in a smart way and ship it back, because it's too much work to remap the stuff. I suppose, you can't please everyone and one will have to remap one plug-in or another, but I want to be able to estimate how much work I'd have to put into that before I buy it.Big Tick wrote:You can see the mappings directly in VIP UI, or on the hardware screen.
...that's cool! In Maschine creating your own mappings isn't reflected by the presets in the database. IIRC this hasn't changed in v.2 (don't know for sure - I'm stll on v.1).Big Tick wrote:You can also customize the mappings, either globally for a plugin, or for a specific preset. Either way, it does not affect the preset. Based on the mapping, VIP controls (and the hardware) update to show the actual preset values.
...ouch!Big Tick wrote:You have to view VIP less as a wrapper, and more like an enhancement to your DAW.Lotuzia wrote:And sorry Akai, but this is the same for any wrapper solution, until one will offer to get rid of the wrapper if necessary
Big Tick wrote:Also, contrary to automap, it doesn't create hundreds of duplicate plugins.
That's good!
...been there, too.Lotuzia wrote:Well I mused with the idea of proposing some for a while, because I have made many *pro* Automap templates for my synths.
Then something happened : I used on a secondary system a cheaper M-Audio Keyboard controller on a laptop. So no Automap installed. And guess what ? All my older project could NOT find any of the instruments that I had used in the projects ....... So dozens of 'Could not find Kontakt Automap thing' when opening EACH project. And when you bypass this, you have to REDO all your Kontakt layers, mappings, multis and reload regular versions of each VSTI you have used, and find each preset you were using in each synth. Oh, you did not take a note about the presets used ? Then good luck browsing in your thousands presets for each synth. And after that I sweared that I would NEVER use a wrapper again. Whatever handy they can be when you do projects, they are a real pita if you decide for one reason to change the brand of your controller and want to open old projects, ie your work, your music. Nowadays, I largely prefer to use VSTIs that SAVE a map of the CCs inside the Vsti itself. Because this way, my projects will ALWAYS be compatible. And sorry Akai, but this is the same for any wrapper solution, until one will offer to get rid of the wrapper if necessary, with the embedded code inside. So to end the story, I decided I would certainly not offer Automap templates to my users that I would NOT use myself
@Big Tick - thanks for your infos. I guess, Advance and VIP in it's current state isn't for me, but I will continue watching it.
Anyway, I have the feeling that this whole thing should be viewed under a different focus, i.e. separate the controller part from the database part. I think, it would be cool to have 1) a controller that can remote control a plug-in on the DAW level without any host or wrapper plug-in and 2) a database plug-in that lists all your presets and plug-ins and that allows you to drag & drop the preset into your DAW that would load both the plug-in and the preset. The part I agree with Big Tick is that selecting a bunch of categories to specify your search is that kind of fine-control that better should be done on the computer screen. I'm much faster clicking a bunch of tags with a mouse than selecting them with a datawheel on a controller...