MUTOOLS

ccDuckett · Post by **ccDuckett** » Fri May 29, 2015 3:04 pm

Relatively new Mulab user here-

and before it's asked- yes, I did RTFM

Is there a simple way to have MIDI input not focused on one instrument at a time, but being received by multiple instruments/racks? Let's say I've got two racks, each with an arp preceding a synth, FX etc., and I'd like to hear them both simultaneously.. within REAPER, this is a simple process, but it seems like MuLab insists on having only one live MIDI instrument audible at a time. Am I missing something glaringly obvious?

Other question: Let's say the 6 slots within a rack are full, the last 5 are effects, and I'd like to quickly experiment with changing the order of the effects. The current behavior with clicking/dragging one effect to another's slot is a dialog asking if I want to replace the effect in the slot with the one I've dragged there, rather than "bumping" the order of effects. I realize that part of what makes MuLab snazzy is the extended drag-n-drop functionality (and that's probably why the "bumping" behavior can't happen), but might there be at least a chance of selecting whatever's within a slot and having a "move up/move down" option? Again, if I'm missing something obvious, I apologize- but being able to quickly hear the differences in effects order is a big plus for me.

PS I really love the combination of depth, flexibility and ease-of-use that Mulab aims for, and once I get used to its particular idiosyncrasies, I'll consider it one of the best investments I've made in soundware

mutools · Post by **mutools** » Fri May 29, 2015 4:34 pm

ccDuckett wrote:Is there a simple way to have MIDI input not focused on one instrument at a time, but being received by multiple instruments/racks? Let's say I've got two racks, each with an arp preceding a synth, FX etc., and I'd like to hear them both simultaneously.. within REAPER, this is a simple process, but it seems like MuLab insists on having only one live MIDI instrument audible at a time. Am I missing something glaringly obvious?

See Project menu -> Edit MIDI Input Channel Targets.
Docs: http://www.mutools.com/info/docs/mulab/main-menu.html (scroll down)

Other question: Let's say the 6 slots within a rack are full, the last 5 are effects, and I'd like to quickly experiment with changing the order of the effects. The current behavior with clicking/dragging one effect to another's slot is a dialog asking if I want to replace the effect in the slot with the one I've dragged there, rather than "bumping" the order of effects. I realize that part of what makes MuLab snazzy is the extended drag-n-drop functionality (and that's probably why the "bumping" behavior can't happen), but might there be at least a chance of selecting whatever's within a slot and having a "move up/move down" option? Again, if I'm missing something obvious, I apologize- but being able to quickly hear the differences in effects order is a big plus for me.

"Bumping" is not yet supported but if all 6 slots are filled you could use Cut-Paste to use the clipboard as an extra memory slot. Or use another/extra rack and temporarily drop a plug there.

PS I really love the combination of depth, flexibility and ease-of-use that Mulab aims for, and once I get used to its particular idiosyncrasies

Feel free to list the things that in your opinion are idiosyncrasies.
The polishing and streamlining is a continuous process.

I'll consider it one of the best investments I've made in soundware

Thanks! Please spread the word!

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Fri May 29, 2015 6:52 pm

You could have one of your Rack slots hold another rack, a rack within a rack so to speak.

ccDuckett · Post by **ccDuckett** » Fri May 29, 2015 8:40 pm

Thanks very much for the speedy reply- I'll try not to pester overmuch, as I'm sure there isn't an army of support staff sitting poised and eager to answer my every last question

However- my stupidity isn't allowing me to understand how "Edit MIDI Input Channel Targets" will help me achieve my goal;
let's say, for a simpler example, I've got Aalto in one rack, and the native Abzynth in another. I'd like both synths to play when I press a key on my MIDI controller.

Looking at the "Edit MIDI Channel Targets" dialog box, I see "Target Module" and "Target Channel".

The "Target Module" has a drop-down list allowing for "Focused Module", and separated by a bar, "Session Mux" with all the various racks, containers, subcontainers etc. in typical drop-down tree fashion.

The "Target Channel" is a drag-to-change box which offers either "Focused Channel", or numbers (starting from 1) which seem to go arbitrarily high.

I've tried various combinations of Target and Channel selections, with the "focusing" feature turned both on and off, and can't seem to find one that allows me to do what I'm after.

I've even tried connecting the blue "Event Out" of a focused synth to the "Event In" of the 2nd synth to see if linear chaining might do it
(since in the modular view MIDI inputs are "wireless") to no avail.

(Also, in the course of explorations, I've found that synths can get "stuck" and was wishing for an audio and/or MIDI reset/panic button!)

I'm used to an environment either like REAPER, in which any and all tracks set to receive MIDI will pass that MIDI to however many synths are in those tracks, or from a modular standpoint, like AudioMulch, in which you have a "MIDI In" that can then be connected to as many instruments as one cares to.

I again apologize for my obtuseness, and if there are any MuLab power users with more patience that care to jump in, by all means!

*Edit: I'll also try the suggestion from bibzt1st- Thanks!

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:25 pm

Also, in the course of explorations, I've found that synths can get "stuck" and was wishing for an audio and/or MIDI reset/panic button!

Right click the PLAY button

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Fri May 29, 2015 9:29 pm

If you want to play 2 synths at the same time, for instance, create a MUX and put your 2 synths within that MUX connect both synths outputs to the Audio Out and away you go. Add as many synths as you want in this way.

mutools · Post by **mutools** » Fri May 29, 2015 11:11 pm

Yep using a MUX that's the way. You can also add effects in that MUX, doing a full sub-mix of those layered synths. Eventually you can also add (automatable) meta-parameters that control different parameters of those synths.

ccDuckett · Post by **ccDuckett** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 4:10 am

Much thanks, got that sorted now- guess I didn't RTFM as well as I thought *cough*.

I'm sorry if it seems like I'll be doing a bunch of "Why doesn't it do x the way I'm used to?" whining, but please understand-
I'm trying to be as transparent in my impressions and feedback as possible, bearing in mind that since MuLab's not nearly
as well-known as older DAWs, in all likelihood the majority of new users will be coming from other DAWs... I'm familiar with Sonar X1, REAPER, and ACID Pro 7 and to a lesser extent AudioMulch, Reason, LMMS, Ardour, Cubase, and Ableton (and if you want to go further back in time, CWMC 2003 and EZVision)- and basically, I'm hoping that my feedback ends up being useful in clarifying which aspects of Mulab's way of doing things will prove the least obvious to new users coming from ye olde paradigms

I get the feeling that if MuLab were the first DAW I'd ever used, I'd find many others clunky and embarassing upon trying them.

In any case-
I've had some crashes whilst playing around- just had another peek at the docs and I don't see an "Auto-save" feature;
IDK if there's been much call for it amongst other users, but for fools like me who can spend a good 30 min. tweaking parameters
and easily forget to back up manually, the reassurance of knowing I can dive into something that has a better than average chance of
crashing (like a project using older synths and effects that might not be stable), and already have the project set to save every 5 min. would be wonderful.

One more FR-type item, then I'll shut up (for now); I wish there was a way to browse samples using an Explorer-style view- since I have a drive that's pretty much where all downloaded or rendered audio goes, being able to view by "Date created" or "File size" would be extremely helpful.

OK. Shutting up now

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:29 am

Think you'd better RTFM again

Autosave is in the MULAB menu under edit prefs, good luck

ccDuckett · Post by **ccDuckett** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:49 am

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:04 pm

Haha dont be, Im just glad I can answer easy questions like that, when it gets a bit trickier it'll be up to others to come out of hiding

Taron · Post by **Taron** » Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:35 pm

who's hiding, I'm not hiding!

...oh...sorry, yeah, I better go back into hiding.

MUTOOLS

KVR Audio

Two newbie questions