How do I discover Midi CC Values in VSTi's?

[simondcmorton]

I have just bought a funky evolution UC-16 - an external box that sends midi CC messages via USB to Tracktion, so allows physical control of VST instruments.

If I look at a VST instrumet (for example 'Crystal'), how do i find out the Midi CC assignment of a particular slider or knob?

Yes, you can draw slider movement in tracktion as per usual - but I need to discover what the CC number is, so I can assign a knob on the UC-16 to control the VSTi in Tracktion.
Cheers,

Simon

[lowkey]

Try this...

http://www.freewebs.com/wallyaudio/VST- ... onitor.htm

Failing that read the manual

[simondcmorton]

mmmm, thanks, good idea, but this does not detect output from the vsti - it detects cc messages/ pitch bend etc from the sequencer (ie before the cc info has entered the vsti).

I am trying to discover how to find out what the cc value of any chosen slider on any vsti instrument is.

there has to be a way of doing this!!!!

[GlennO]

With Crystal, there's no need to look up the midi CC assignment for a knob. Just use the midi learn feature to attach any knob to any modulation target.

Choose MIDI CC Learn from a Source menu in the modulation matrix, wiggle a knob on your controller, then select something in the adjacent Target menu that you want to control.

- Glenn

[simondcmorton]

Cool, thanks, that works with crystal (what a cracking synth eh!).

But what about every other VSTi - ie CM303? There are a lot of great synth on the net which do not include cc assignment tables in their documentation, so how to you figure out the relevant cc assignment for their sliders???

Simon

[DarkStar]

Have another look, my copy of the CM-303 manual has them listed on page 4.

I would think that you will find the info you want somewhere in most manuals.

[simondcmorton]

Thanks - but my point is, what happens when there is no manual to refer to - then, how do you find out CC assignment!!!!

Simon

[chico.co.uk]

That's how you do it. You look up the manual. Alternatively you send Midi CC messages on every value, until something moves. Trial and error. There isn't a way to find out what a vst is "listening" on without reading the manual. Maybe they don't support midi cc at all. Some don't.

Not ideal, but that's the way it is

[simondcmorton]

Oh, ok, thanks for all your help.

1 CC down, 127 CCs to go..... perhaps I could make that into a song

Simon

[rockstar_not]

Simon,

In my experience most VSTi and DXi softsynth and effects plugs that don't document CC, use something similar to Crystal - a midi learn function.

-Scott

[lowkey]

You could load it into EnergyXT (if you have it). It will list every parameter by name. Then all you would have to do is assign it a cc and your off. It even lists parmeters that dont usally have a cc designation in cases.

Another way is to drag the "A" in Trackton to the filter you have instrment in. If your lucky it might show what your after.

[chico.co.uk]

That's a nice idea with the dragging the A. Didn't think of that one ...

[simondcmorton]

Well, energy XT does do the job pretty nicely once you figure it out....Still, would rather Tracktion did the job.

If Energy XT has figured out a way of listing every slider and knob on a VSTi, then technically it is possible....if that could be in T2, that would be great!!!

[tobybear]

No, it is not possible. EnergyXT merely has its own CC implementation that takes the incoming controller and maps it to an automatable plugin parameter, but there is no way you can "ask" a plugin what CC it receives and what they control. EnergyXT only works for plugins that have automatable parameters, with chunk-based plugins that only use CC automation, there is no other way than to look in the manual or (if they have it) assign CCs with MIDI learn.

Cheers

Toby

www.tobybear.de

[Scotty]

Simon,

Here is a simple trick I came up for my UC 16-

Create a track in your host, assign each controller knob from 1 to 16 - record the controller fades at a slow tempo - give it a good slow fade up and down and a good wiggle over 1 bar and only 1 bar. Repeat from controller 1 to 16. Reprogram the knobs from 17 to 32. Repeat until you have mapped and recorded all of the knobs. Link the resultant midi recordings into one long track. Remember to keep each knob sweep recording to 1 bar.When done you will have 128 bars of controller data. 1 bar = controller 1 ; bar 2 = controller 2 etc.

Now the fun part, assign a vsti to the controller midi track and set your tempo to a reasonable speed. As the knobs on the vsti move (or not) you can read the controller number off the bar count on your transport!

Save the midi file and use it whenever the need arises. I should submit this somewhere - just haven't got around to it.

Scotty