Right--got it, thanks. When I first sat down with this I actually thought it would be better to use the RemoteControl pages, but I think it's better to leave those alone as they're perfectly suited for knobs-on-keyboards, MCU strips, etc. but clunky and limited if you want something that's closer to control-per-function.
Anyway, I'll keep working on the reliable device selection issue and report back! 90% is good enough to experiment with. Pretty soon I want to move on to the actual mapping, which is the fun part. Those Yaeltex endless encoders with color LCD ring are really wonderful, and you can pack 32 on a board with space to spare. Once they implement a text display (which they've said is in the works) it'll be a whole new world!