APC40, APC40mkII and APCmini support is here!

[moss]

To celebrate the Bitwig 2.1 release, here is the matching APC4Bitwig version!

Get it from: http://mossgrabers.de/Software/Bitwig/Bitwig.html

# APC40 5.00
Requires Bitwig 2.1.

• New: Written now in Java.
• New: Added scale layout setting.
• New: Press Shift and move Volume Fader to move the fader to the current value of the matching track. On the screen you get information if you need to move it up or down.
• New: The scene buttons are now colored in green in Session mode.
• Fixed: MkII: Layer navigation did not work

# APCmini 5.00
Requires Bitwig 2.1.

• New: Written now in Java.
• New: Length setting for new clips

[ElectronicBattle]

Hello all

I'm a new Bitwig user (v2.1) - I'm on Linux (linux Mint 18.1) where I am also something of a novice! - and I am certainly struggling to get Jack/Alsa/MIDI ins & outs working. I got my APCmini today and it worked first time!

However, it then refused to work at all no matter what I tried. $ lsusb identifies the device and dmesg|tail shows it enumerate, and I can read data from it (e.g. using midisnoop).

This was using the new v5 script installed into ~/Bitwig Studio/Extensions. So out of desperation I got the older script v4 and stuck it into
~/Bitwig Studio/Controller Scripts and deleted the v5 "DrivenByMoss.bwextension" ... I started BW which immediately autodetected the APCmini and it is working well. Trying the v5 script again, back in its correct location, and BW couldn't identify the device.

Manually installing the device from the dropdown list shows the "DrivenByMoss" version to be available, but when I install it and configure it, the controller doesn't work. No lights, no onscreen response.

It's ether a bug or (more likely) me doing something stupid. Would anyone like to suggest some approaches I could try to help me to sort this out please?

I must admit that trying to get Jackd/Alsa and bridging with a2jmidid and then trying to understand how to map things with cadence and qjackctrl ... might be time for me to go back to just playing the piano and nothing technical!

[21/5/17 - further experimentation shows that the Akai controller (v4 script, old location) *sometimes* works when I select Alsa as the driver model, yet *never* works (no lights on the controller) if I select jack as the driver model].

My Alsa info: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=d7f65 ... ea8565a526

(Alsa isn't any good on my machine - lots of PC noise in the speakers)

[edit 22/5/17 - it is possible that this "first" detection was due to BW seeing the device via the earlier v4 script which I had installed in readiness, and subsequent removal of the v4 script has resulted in not being able to detect the controller. I have tried the Akai script v4/v5 and the two differing locations and the problem is repeatable. The relationship with Alsa/Jack might or might not be a factor - I am too much a "linux audio" beginner to be certain]

Issue registered at https://github.com/git-moss/DrivenByMoss/issues

[ElectronicBattle]

I upgraded to BWS 2.1.1 yesterday and the problem persists (as expected). In other words in v2.1 and now v2.1.1 we see that APCMini is autodetected every time using the v4 script and works very well, but the v5 script in its new /extensions location doesn't let BWS "see" the APC Mini. This is the linux version.

[KTlin]

To celebrate the Bitwig 2.1 release, here is the matching APC4Bitwig version!

Hi Jurgen
I just installed Bitwig v2.1 demo, and I see that it comes with a default script for Akai APC40 MK2 (under Add Controller menu), and next to it, it says "by Bitwig".
Is this different than your APC4Bitwig v.5 script? I couldn't find any info about this "by Bitwig" script.

[moss]

To celebrate the Bitwig 2.1 release, here is the matching APC4Bitwig version!

Hi Jurgen
I just installed Bitwig v2.1 demo, and I see that it comes with a default script for Akai APC40 MK2 (under Add Controller menu), and next to it, it says "by Bitwig".
Is this different than your APC4Bitwig v.5 script? I couldn't find any info about this "by Bitwig" script.

No, this is not my script.

[mgawwww]

Howdy!

First of all, a big thank you to Moss for his great work! I’ve been playing with the APCMini script (5.00) and I think this cheap controller has some great potential despite its modest features. I don’t know how keen you are on developing the script more, but I’d be happy to participate and help. Sadly I’m no programmer of Java and not really aware of the Bitwig API and its possible limitations, but I do know some javascript and UI/UX design..but anyways, here’s my notes and thoughts so far.

APC Mini bugs (5.00)
- Random freezing, especially when shift-button is pressed
- Browser Mode opens the browser but then freezes the APC mini
- Drum Sequencer: Drum cells fire double midi note when drum track armed (Arming the track is the only way to preview the sound currently)

"Relative" faders
More of than not when using faders we want "more/less of something", not an actual fixed number and in a live situation a sudden jump in value is not desired at all. If the Bitwig API allows, with some simple math we could remove the jumps and make it more relative. Here’s my fast javascript test, if you’re interested:
http://mgaw.s3.amazonaws.com/relative-fader/index.html

Next/Previous Device
Somehow it should indicate which device is selected: On-screen notification with the device name or highlight the selected device in the device panel as when selected by mouse, if possible.

Other ideas
(I could provide some ui/ux sketches if you think these are worth/possible to implement)

- "Tools" to Shift View: Delete, Duplicate & Copy (Paste when another clip cell is pressed + clears clipboard).
For eg: To Select Clip press and hold ~2 seconds > Selected clip starts flashing (twice as fast as when cued for playing) Note: Clip start/stop should then be on "note off" && != selected, to avoid problems, I think. (If it’s possible to listen for time/double presses).

- "Settings View". To have more space on Shift View move: 1 octave keyboard, two red change scale buttons, in-key/chromatic toggle to "Settings View". (Leave the Shift View for things you need more often).

- Add "Change New empty clip length" (for eg: 1-8 bars) to Shift or "Settings View".

- "User View", a clean view for custom mappings.

- Drum View: Mute/Solo drum cell

Hopefully that wasn’t too much Let me know what you think. Cheers!

[moss]

- Random freezing, especially when shift-button is pressed
- Browser Mode opens the browser but then freezes the APC mini

I cannot reproduce that. Do you have a description of how to reproduce that? Have you tried using a different USB cable?

- Drum Sequencer: Drum cells fire double midi note when drum track armed (Arming the track is the only way to preview the sound currently)

Thanks for reporting, will be fixed in the next version!

"Relative" faders

There might some native support in the future, so I will not look into that.

Next/Previous Device

Good idea. Will be in the next version.

Other ideas

Dont get me wrong but I think that this device is already very packed with features and I do not want to complicate it even more.

[ledufakademy]

hey, can you gave me a little help for porting this script for the APC Key 25 (akai too) ?
it's seem to be not simple as for bitwig 1.0, 2.x. but i can gave time to this stuff.

help would be appreciated for the beggining.

Where must i began, i saw that it's .jar file so JAVA coding : i knew a little java coding ...

[mgawwww]

- Random freezing, especially when shift-button is pressed
- Browser Mode opens the browser but then freezes the APC mini

I cannot reproduce that. Do you have a description of how to reproduce that? Have you tried using a different USB cable?

Random hang ups: Well they are random and so far I haven't figured out how to repeat them. Normally this happens when I hit Shift-key -> Cells go blank and doesn't respond or it stucks in the Shift View. Seems as it just doesn't refresh the view, since some commands go thru.

Browser bug: Shift + double Device button opens the browser and then gets also stuck in Shift View.
And yes I've tried different cables and usb ports. I can record you a video later this week if necessary.

(Bitwig 2.1.1. Mac OS X 10.11.6. Mbox 3 gen)

"Relative" faders

There might some native support in the future, so I will not look into that.

Oh I do hope so! This is crucial as currently faders are pretty useless for live use and also I'd think any non-motorized fader controller of any brand would benefit from it.

Other ideas

Dont get me wrong but I think that this device is already very packed with features and I do not want to complicate it even more.

Too bad. It sure has great features, thanks to you man! But for eg with Delete/Duplicate/Copy/Paste/(de)Activate Clips it could be used without a mouse or keyboard. Also I don't see why other controllers couldn't benefit from the same new commands. Do you mean by complicating it more would be confusing for the end user or that the controller API just cannot handle any more code?

Edit. A friend of mine's going to borrow me his Launchpad Pro, which I think has these features with Bitwig, so I just might as well sell the APC Mini and switch
Cheers!

[moss]

Edit. A friend of mine's going to borrow me his Launchpad Pro, which I think has these features with Bitwig, so I just might as well sell the APC Mini and switch

That is a very good idea

[moss]

Browser bug: Shift + double Device button opens the browser and then gets also stuck in Shift View.
And yes I've tried different cables and usb ports. I can record you a video later this week if necessary.

I think I found what is going on. Should be fixed in the next version.

[moss]

Update day!

Get it from: http://mossgrabers.de/Software/Bitwig/Bitwig.html

# 5.01

• New: Device and bank names are now shown on the screen when changed.
• Fixed: Could hang in Shift view.
• Fixed: Automatic lookup did not work on Linux.
• Fixed: Notes were duplicated in drum mode.

[ElectronicBattle]

I'm pleased to report that the .bwextension is now correctly autodetected/recognised by BWS (v2.1.1 linux) when it is copied to ~/Bitwig Studio/Extensions and all works very nicely. I will check it when the current BWS beta (v2.1.2) gets upissued to a full release and I am happy to hep with beta testing for your scripts.

The other point I wanted to make is - thanks very much Moss!

[cjgolden]

Any way to make the Footswitch 2 function of
"Creates a new clip on the selected track and slot, starts play and enables overdub,"
avalible on the APC 40 mkii, which only has one footswitch input?

I tried going into APC.js and flipping the midi values sent for footswitch 1 and 2.
So it works sometimes, but the script crashes often when I press the footswitch.
I really think that this function is important for my workflow.
Is there a better way to do this?

[moss]

Any way to make the Footswitch 2 function of
"Creates a new clip on the selected track and slot, starts play and enables overdub,"
avalible on the APC 40 mkii, which only has one footswitch input?

I tried going into APC.js and flipping the midi values sent for footswitch 1 and 2.
So it works sometimes, but the script crashes often when I press the footswitch.
I really think that this function is important for my workflow.
Is there a better way to do this?

The problem is that the Sustain data is directly routed to Bitwig. You have to decide if you want to do this on script start and cannot change this afterwards. If you want to make this work you have to remove the midi filter from the creation of the midi input. Look in the MidiImput class.