MuTools

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 2:17 am

Hey, I don't know of any other host that can do this, not even FL Studio can do this, but Bitwig can. I bet the only reason FL Studio does not allow direct control over VST parameters in the midi item is because it wants to remain midi-compliant. FL Studio can of course modulate midi CC in the midi item. In Bitwig you can directly add a VST parameter envelope in the midi item, bypassing the "127-only" steps that midi CC provide. I think every DAW should have this feature. This allows you to marry the midi sequence and VST modulation, which is an important feature for pattern sequencing.

Edit: You cannot actually have VST modulation be contained in the midi item in Bitwig. You can see and edit the modulation while editing the midi, but that's it.

REAPER has per-item envelopes that have access to VST parameters IF the VST is located inside the item, which is not so useful because then you'd need one vst per midi item.

Are there any plans to add "useful" per-item envelopes or does MuTools have something like this already?

MuTools · Post by **MuTools** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:57 pm

Yes you can indeed draw Pitch bend and MIDI controller curves inside an sequence part.

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:40 pm

Can you do this in MuLab yet?: VST parameter modulation married to items / midi sequences.

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:30 pm

Same position as a year or so ago: yes.

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:56 pm

mutools wrote:Yes you can indeed draw Pitch bend and MIDI controller curves inside an sequence part.

pljones wrote:Same position as a year or so ago: yes.

Sorry, just want to be clear: the goal is to avoid midi controller data and go direct to parameter modulation.

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:09 pm

I tried to record a video but it caused an application error.

So:
- Run MuLab, choose the Factory New template
- Replace the "Basic Synth" in the rack slot with your VST of choice -- e.g. mdaPiano
- Right-click (the most important thing about MuLab) the mda Piano track header and select "Add Automation Sub-track". From the pop-up menu, expand the "mda Piano" section (inside the mda Piano rack section) and choose the VST Parameter you want to automate -- e.g. Muffling Filter
- Draw in your automation part on the track, double-click to edit, add your nodes (right-click the nodes to adjust curve types, etc).

MuTools · Post by **MuTools** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:13 pm

Or an alternative way:

* Open the VST editor
* Give a little tweak to the parameter you want to automate
* Drag-drop the focused parameter control at the top bar of the editor (in the MuTools area) to the [+] track button

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:14 pm

Ahh... yeah, there's all kinds of clever stuff I never learn

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:20 am

hmmm... no... automation items are nice, but I'm looking for automation married to the midi item. So I just downloaded MuLab. I made a midi item and copy/pasted it. Now if you change the copy, the parent updates, and vice versa. This is exactly what I want for automation as well.

Hmm... so when I copy an automation item and then edit the copy, the parent DOES NOT update.

........

Why not continue this logic/feature set for more than just midi?

I select the sequence and the automation, there's no option to group... that would be a START but grouping is usually an annoying system to work with in DAWs.

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 7:16 am

OK, not entirely clear what you mean but...

- New project, replace Basic Synth with your VST - mdaPiano again here
- Change the track target to the VST (not the Rack)
- Draw your part, open the sequence editor, in the lower section left-click, then on the pop-up select the VST parameter you want to automate
- Draw your automation

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 7:24 am

I'll make a video detailing what I'm trying to do... will be some time tomorrow.

bibz1st · Post by **bibz1st** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:41 am

Just a guess but I think he's refering to "shared sequenced parts" whereby if you edit one "shared part" then all the same "shared part" change accordingly.

MuTools · Post by **MuTools** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:08 am

Yes i'm aware there is room for improvement/extension there. "Shared automation parts" is one of the many items on the wishlist, as well as the option to integrate automation into a part, or group it.

Architeuthis · Post by **Architeuthis** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 3:36 pm

Ah good, that saves me the time of making a video. MuLab seems great, but I'm waiting for some DAW to have such a feature. I'd like to NOT use REAPER for composing music, but until a DAW has this feature I don't see the advantage.

pljones · Post by **pljones** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:17 pm

Ah right -- I'd not noticed even that automation parts didn't "contain" anything (unlike audio parts and sequence parts) and there's no automation "thing" in the browser.

MuTools

KVR Audio

I like how in Bitwig you can [NOT] modulate VST parameters inside the midi item