Setting up MidiShaper in Logic, Cubase, Ableton etc

[Jakob / Cableguys]

MidiShaper is an audio plugin that outputs MIDI data to control other software plugins as well as hardware devices.

The host sequencer needs to cooperate in routing the MIDI signal, which can be straightforward, for example in Reaper, or be quite complicated, as in Logic.

This thread should help with setting MidiShaper up in various host sequencers and discussing the topics that arise. I am sure that some of you are much better experts in using your host sequencers than we (Cableguys) are, so help is very appreciated!

For example we've still not gotten around to set up Studio One with MidiShaper (sorry for that!).

Also, you can see MidiShaper's website which lists some tutorials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH_abcnLiYA

[Jakob / Cableguys]

As a start, I've just uploaded a comprehensive tutorial on setting up MidiShaper in Logic. It's definitely trickier than in most other host sequencers and definitely provides some pitfalls. The tutorials shows what can be done and which limitations and flaws Logic provides.

http://www.cableguys.de/midi-shaper-logic.html

If you succeed, you'll get super-flexible LFOs added to your favorite hardware devices, to Logic's controls and to your software synthesizers and effects.

This does not include MIDI triggering in Logic yet (beta for that will start tomorrow).

[Jakob / Cableguys]

It's been a while.. we've just added more tutorials for setting up MidiShaper.

- MidiShaper and Ableton Live
- MidiShaper and Apple Logic
- MidiShaper and Steinberg Cubase
- MidiShaper and PreSonus Studio One
- MidiShaper and Native Instruments Maschine
- MidiShaper and Image-Line Fruity Loops

[Constructed Identity]

Any love for Sonar users?
I tried setting this up but I couldn't get it to output midi data.
Just to remember the process I set up another plugin for midi, Arto Vaarala's Kirnu, I got that one to work fine so I don't know what I did wrong.

[Michael / Cableguys]

Any love for Sonar users?
I tried setting this up but I couldn't get it to output midi data.
Just to remember the process I set up another plugin for midi, Arto Vaarala's Kirnu, I got that one to work fine so I don't know what I did wrong.

I am very sorry but MidiShaper won't work in Sonar. The reason is because Sonar doesn't allow any MIDI signal from an audio plugin. Kirnu is working, because it is a virtual instrument and not an audio effect. We've also thought about a VI version, but it seems that the setup in other hosts is a lot easier, if MIDIShaper is handled as an audio effect. And we are hesitating to publish two versions, only because of Sonar. Maybe Cakewalk will change the features or we have to reconsider a VI version.

[scook]

Are you sure it does not work in SONAR?

Here is what I did and it appears to work fine using the 1.2.1 demo.

Put plug-in is VST scan path

perform VST scan

check "Configure as synth" in midishaper VST properties

Edit registry, locate Midishaper.dll (and/or MidiShaper-64.dll) in VST inventory and set generateEvents to 1 (this is the tricky bit)

Add audio track and drop Midishaper into the FX bin

Enable MIDI out on Midishaper in the synth rack

Add synth to project, set input to Omni and record. Both the midishaper and keyboard input will be recorded at that time.

[Michael / Cableguys]

Here is what I did and it appears to work fine using the 1.2.1 demo.

Thanks a lot scook. We've used your little tweak for our new tutorial.

Check it out to see how to get MidiShaper working with Sonar X2:

http://www.cableguys.de/midi-shaper-sonar.html

Enjoy!

[Tricky-Loops]

MIDIShaper works great with synths & effects where you can assign an user-defined CC to a control.

But what can I do if a synth or effect (for example of ImageLine) only has MIDI-Learn? I don't have a MIDI pad, only a MIDI keyboard, so how can I assign certain CC numbers to these controls via MIDI-Learn?

[Breeze]

Just an FYI (this is likely a Cubendo problem): in Nuendo 5.5.6 I was driving a few softsynth parameters from a couple of instances of MIDIShaper and feeding the output of two synths into two instances of VolumeShaper. However I was unable to render a stem of the final group track these belonged to by offline or realtime rendering; I had to record the track by sending the output of Nuendo back to an input and recording a new track live. Neither offline or real-time rendering worked. Like I said, probably a Nuendo problem.

[scook]

Here is what I did and it appears to work fine using the 1.2.1 demo.

Thanks a lot scook. We've used your little tweak for our new tutorial.

Check it out to see how to get MidiShaper working with Sonar X2:

http://www.cableguys.de/midi-shaper-sonar.html

Enjoy!

Glad I could help, the tutorial looks good. You may want to alter the content of http://www.cableguys.de/midi-shaper.html It still claims using MidiShaper is "impossible to do as in Sonar"

BTW, the process is not unique to X2 it should work with older versions of SONAR too.

[meriter]

the process of setting this up in Logic is so tedious it's not even worth it imo. In logic 9 anyway. I REALLY wanted this to work but it's just so time consuming and awkward to work with I gave up

[Michael / Cableguys]

how can I assign certain CC numbers to these controls via MIDI-Learn?

If you can't assign the CC directly, you can use the MIDI-teach function of MidiShaper. This ensures that MidiShaper sends only on one CC channel, while all others are turned off.

So if you use the MIDI-learn function of your device, the chosen CC will be assigned to the control. Don't forget to turn the MIDI-teach off again.

[Michael / Cableguys]

the process of setting this up in Logic is so tedious it's not even worth it imo. In logic 9 anyway. I REALLY wanted this to work but it's just so time consuming and awkward to work with I gave up

Indeed, depending on the host, the set up can be quite complicate. And Logic is definitely not the simplest host in this regard. (See also the tutorial for MidiShaper and Logic on our homepage)

But if you get it running, it can be a very helpful and exciting tool. I personally saved a basic setup in Logic that I use as a template. So I don't have to go through the work every time again.

After all, I guess it also depends on your style of music production whether MidiShaper is the right tool for you or not.

[Greg Houston]

My head is spinning. My DAW is Cubase 7 x64 on Windows 7 x64.

1. I have 2 fx plugin inserts in a group track (bus).

2. I have assigned 2 controls from each plugin to a quick Control on this group track. So I have a total of 4 quick controls assigned to this group track.

3. I created a generic remote with the first 8 controls pointing to my plugin quick controls. These are assigned to midi channels 1 - 8. They all have address 7.

4. I have MIDI Shaper on an audio track and a MIDI track with that instance of MIDI Shaper as the input. I can see the level meter on my MIDI track making the sine wave produced by MIDI Shaper.

5. Under Modulations in MIDI Shaper I set the 6 Offs to MIDI CCs 1-6 and gave them each a random value for Source 1.

From here I am lost. How do I control my generic remote either directly from MIDI Shaper or from the MIDI channel that has MIDI Shaper as it's input?

Regards,

Greg

[Greg Houston]

I got this working finally. I've been trying to do something like this for several months. I'd spend a few hours just getting frustrated before finally giving up. This stuff is way more complicated than it needs to be in Cubase.

Getting this to work required downloading and installing loopMIDI.

Then back in the Generic Remote, in the firt table all the addreses need to be set to 1. In the second table all the devices need to be set to Mixer.

On a side note, Cubase keeps losing my Channel/Category settings which is super annoying.