I am still configuring my live-act.
I am doing techno/abstract music live including my eurorack modular, 303, analog rytm and octatrack.
as I want to use the octatrack as the heart of the live-set (kinda like ableton, using it for playbacks, sample-playing and MIDI sequencin) I am considering a external controller to control the octatrack.
I found the oktacontrol but which seems a bit underequiped with only 8 faders and buttons.
what are you using?
is it pain in the ass to map/program it?
There is a now a new firmware update available for the Novation Launch Control XL and Launch Control which gives it the ability to plug it into a USB host to MIDI converter. This means that for the first time the LCXL can fire out MIDI to external devices without a computer… which is something I’ve wanted to do since before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU801ToMuWM…
With the Launch Control XL editor I’ve reprogrammed the 8 user templates to control OT audio tracks 1-8 (with track 8 being the master). This means the 24 knobs of the LCXL can control all the different parameters without having to go to the OT and select/focus on the appropriate page.
The other cool part is that the 8 faders are always set to control the volumes of the audio tracks regardless of which template I’m in. The 16 buttons are also set to always mute the audio and MIDI tracks
This means the bottom half of the LCXL always stays the same controlling the volume and mutes whereas the 24 knobs are changing to the track I choose via the user templates. It’s a really agile set-up and means that I can control parameters easily without having to switch parameter pages on the OT. The volume fader control of the tracks is also brilliant… I don’t have to select the specific track to change the volume anymore… its always there.
When you reprogram the Launch Control XL or the Launch Control via the editor the template is flashed into its memory and held through power cycles so its just ready to go.
I’m using the Kenton USB Host MIDI converter which is now working like a dream. I also use their MIDI merge box to get signal from my AK, expert sleepers USAMO (for sync) and Novation Launch Control XL… all into the OT’s MIDI in… it works like a treat and easily the best set-up I’ve had with the OT.
The beta firmware update will be on the Novation beta site soon and I have the templates and a set-up guide for the Launch Control XL too. When it’s all finalised I’ll post some links.
Since I´m at work and can´t watch YT videos right now, would you mind describing how you hooked up the LCXL to your OT?
What I mean is, do you need to (or would it be wise to) hook up both the MIDI IN and OUT of the LCXL to the Octatrack, for MIDI/LED Feedback or anything?
Because I have my Bass Station 2 hooked up to the MIDI In already, and I really wouldn´t want to get a MIDI merger just to keep that MIDI IN functional for note input…
By the way: if you really only need USB to DIN MIDI (out), there will be a new product coming out soon by some guy in Spain:
According to his facebook, he received the first batch or prototype just now, so it should be released soon, and it should also be cheaper than the Kenton unit.
I can really recommend the MPD32, as well as the MPK225, which I was using for quite a while to control my OT, and use it now to control my MPC.
You get 8 faders, 8 knobs and 16 drum pads, all with several pages. I posted details about the setup somewhere in this forum, in case you’re interested (title was something like OT+Midipal+Drum Pads=Great!)
The great advantage over a specialized knob/fader controller is that, well, you get some drum pads. Assign 8 of them to the 8 tracks, and you still got 8 for some pitched up/down notes and/or program changes. Add a MidiPal and you can play notes on the OT with velocity sensitivity and aftertouch.
Before I got the MPC, I was using the MPD32 to control a OT+Rytm combo without touching either of the Elektron machines while playing so it’s a very powerful tool.
Hey Xenosapien
No problems,
The LCXL is connected via USB to the Kenton box, the MIDI Din connections are not bi-directional so the USB host can either send or receive MIDI but not both. This does mean that LED feedback is not possible but it’s only missing off the Mute switches which I can easily monitor this from the OT LEDs itself.
Fair enough re. the Merger… it’s really useful for me though as I have OT to Ableton Sync (from expert sleepers USAMO), OT control from the Launch Control XL and external MIDI hardware control from the Analog Keys in ext MIDI mode. This works perfectly for my set-up but might not be needed by all.
I’ve been following the CerebralUSB for a while now and I’m really interested to see how that pans out. There are others as well; Bomebox, Iconnect 4+ and OP lab, I bought the Kenton last year but at that time the LCXL couldn’t work with it the big news for me here is that now it does
BTW have you updated the firmware on the BS2 too? its part of the current librarian software on the Novation website and gives you Arpeggiator/Sequencer MIDI output and triggering from MIDI input. It also gives much tighter clock and a Start/Stop function so it’s great for starting and stopping the OT too.
Nice shout…
Of course its Novation so I would say that
The thing I really like about the LCXL though is that I have 24 x 8 knobs for control.
So I can literally choose an audio track from the LCXL templates and then I have the track’s whole engine in front of me… well apart from one page due to number of knobs, I kept the LFO page unmapped (except for LFO 1 depth), but it’s no biggie cos I can keep the actual OT on that page anyway and hey presto, I have the full engine in front of me.
Hey Xenosapien
No problems,
The LCXL is connected via USB to the Kenton box, the MIDI Din connections are not bi-directional so the USB host can either send or receive MIDI but not both. This does mean that LED feedback is not possible but it’s only missing off the Mute switches which I can easily monitor this from the OT LEDs itself.
Fair enough re. the Merger… it’s really useful for me though as I have OT to Ableton Sync (from expert sleepers USAMO), OT control from the Launch Control XL and external MIDI hardware control from the Analog Keys in ext MIDI mode. This works perfectly for my set-up but might not be needed by all.
I’ve been following the CerebralUSB for a while now and I’m really interested to see how that pans out. There are others as well; Bomebox, Iconnect 4+ and OP lab, I bought the Kenton last year but at that time the LCXL couldn’t work with it the big news for me here is that now it does
BTW have you updated the firmware on the BS2 too? its part of the current librarian software on the Novation website and gives you Arpeggiator/Sequencer MIDI output and triggering from MIDI input. It also gives much tighter clock and a Start/Stop function so it’s great for starting and stopping the OT too. [/quote]
Hey, thanks for that - yeah, looks like I could use the LCXL for my purposes then, too - will surely pick up your template then, sounds awesome the way you´re using it!
RE: Bass Station 2 firmware update - if you´re referring to the one a couple of months ago (first and only one so far, I believe?), then yeah - I got that.
Sadly I was hoping for the start/stop being responsive to MIDI transport and not just a shortcut from the BS2 to trigger clock… I prefer the OT to be the master clock, so I´m not sure if I would benefit from sending start/stop signals from my BS2 to the OT…
At least I THINK the arp doesn´t start/stop at the same time, right?
But then again, I have enough rhythmic feel that I can hit the arp on the 1 of a bar pretty much every time…
Triggering the internal Arp by external notes is pretty damn useful, though!
hi
I posted a midi controller called OTC in the files section. It works with Lemur so it’s a tablet controller, but also a mapping tool for hardware controller
You can use it to map any controller on 8 faders and 2 xy and you can store 8 mappings as scenes.
For example you can control the volumes on scene 1. Some playback parameters on scene 2, effects on scene 3 etc. You can map anything you want really
It its also possible to control those faders with external controller, so you can use this to remap your hardware.
You can also trigger slices and custom notes with pads
Very useful for live control, or studio
I ll post a video soon
since the Octo apparently does midi feedback - I was thinking I’d try & connect a midifighter twister to it thru a little PD patch running on a Raspberry Pi. Week after next, I will have time to think about doing this…
i can recommend the MPD32 too. very solid - mine’s taken quite a bit of abuse without complaint.
i have an MPD/OT template combo here that i made a few years ago here. might be worth a dabble: http://goo.gl/OnscC5
so it’s a very powerful tool.
