How to suitably use Melda Production plugins with a control surface?

[torstenanders]

Hi,

I would like to control Melda Production plugins with a control surface (i.e., faders and knobs to touch, not just using the mouse), and I would like to do this across various plugins, devices and presets. Is there perhaps some recommended way to do this?

I was considering to do the following. Is that a good idea, and if not why not? Any better idea?

My control surface shows the MultiParameters, so I can control them directly with controllers. The names are not ideal -- the beginning of the name is the group (e.g., Globals) and often mainly that group name is shown on the control surface, as the whole name is too long -- but I can see the MultiParameters listed in the plugin itself in edit view, so this is not too bad.

However, in many devices, between the (possibly long) list of named MultiParameters (those that usually matter) there are often distributed many unnamed and unused MultiParameters, and there might be some MultiParameters at indices that go beyond my control surface. So, what I consider doing is by using MultiParameter-Manager to simply move the named MultiParameter closer to each other so that there are no gaps.

Can such moving of all named MultiParameters at the beginning of the MultiParameter list perhaps break anything? Why are there commonly those many gaps in the first place?

Alternatively, I also considered controlling all MultiParameters with CC messages. It is nice to see that in the MIDI Settings there exists already the option to save a list of main controllers independently of the preset/device/plugin -- great! I was thinking that with this added abstraction layer of main controllers I might also be able to safe some similarly generic mapping of such main controllers to (multi-) parameters. I was planning to define a very simple mapping were Main 1 is mapped to Param 1; Main 2 to Param 2 and so forth and then safe that as a preset that I might then open in different devices or plugins, but it seems that is currently not possible. Right? Or did I perhaps miss something?

The advantage for me to use CC messages over any DAW integration of a controller could be at some stage that CC messages could also be send to plugins contained in some wrapper or be running on another machine (e.g., via Vienna Ensemble Pro), but currently this is not too important. Also, if the CC message approach would work, I could have more more controllers available (without switching any pages on the control surface etc.). Anyway, just getting one approach running is fine.

I am a complete Melda-newbie, so please bear with me if I misunderstood something.
Feedback on anything I possibly missed would be greatly welcome. How are others doing this?

Thanks a lot!

[noizejoy]

Caveat: IANAV (I am not a Voijtech), so this is just my understanding as a reasonably long time user -- corrections by more knowledgeable individuals are welcome!

Can such moving of all named MultiParameters at the beginning of the MultiParameter list perhaps break anything? Why are there commonly those many gaps in the first place?

Some multi-parameters control other multi-parameters. Those references break when moving the targeted multi-parameters into different slots. (Moving source MPs is fine).

And in MSoundFactory, Custom GUI Editor mappings break entirely when moving multi-parameters behind the scenes.

So leaving free spaces for future additions of multi-parameters means less moving and breaking. And it makes it easier to use some complex configurations as templates for future designs.

Also noteworthy:
* Multi-parameters double as UI elements for the "easy" (non edit) mode (spacers and dividers), so they aren't controlling anything except the UI.
* Multi-parameters are also used for meters (i.e. the reverse signal flow)
* Using Insert or Delete to get rid of an MP, moves everything behind it, so it can be very destructive and confusing on a configuration where some MPs control other MPs. Use Copy/Paste and Reset to avoid moving MPs inadvertently.

[torstenanders]

Thank you very much, much appreciated!

Perhaps I should have started by briefly motivating why I would like to control Melda Production plugins with faders and knobs. Doing so would not only speed up the workflow; it would also allow me to close my eyes while moving various controls to better focus on the resulting sound changes without being distracted by visuals. That is not possible when using a mouse, and also difficult when using a touch screen.

> leaving free spaces for future additions of multi-parameters means less moving and breaking.
I see.

I really love the flexibility that these MultiParameters provide, and I accept that such flexibility might lead to some drawbacks in other areas.

Anyway, is there perhaps some other suitable way to set up control surfaces that reduces the amount of work needed to set up mappings from faders/knobs to MultiParameters for various plugins and devices (and which don't immediately break if the interface slightly changes, e.g., once a MultiParameter is added). For example, could there perhaps some way using some kind of preset? Or is there perhaps some way to somehow "hide" from the view for control surfaces (and DAWs) those parameters that are not shown in the easy view either (perhaps also skipping meters)? Or some better idea?

Thanks again!

[astartes]

What DAW are you using? I use Bitwig Studio and in there i´m verry flexible when it come to Parameter Control.
All Parameters that are "readeble" for BWS are shown in a Parameter List with one extra Slot a the Top where, on most Plugins, the last touched Parameter is shown. That make it verry easy to Map things (Downside for BWS users: You alway have to map the Plugins yourself. Only Once, but you don´t have any premappings outside of BWS native Devices). Mapped Parameters are renamable...and that´s what i do a Lot while Mapping Melda devices.

Only MXXX is a PITA when it comes to Mapping cause it only shows the Multiparameters to the outside World. So you have to map the Parameter you want to use to a Multiparameter and only then you can Map it to a ontroller in BWS.