Hello.
Just bought a Doepffer R2M ribbon controller.
I always hated midi, because I hate to set it up, and do not understand the logic. But I would really like to do this, so please help me - Im stuck.
Two different setups, I would like to use for different songs:
I want to control the crossfader with the ribbon controller.
I want to use the controller to realtime trig a sample, and pitch it (as a solo instrument)
The midi chart for the crossfader says: HEX $30 and Dec 48. And I do not know what this means :-/
As far as I understand, the 2 different setups, need different adjustments in: midi>control>Audio CC in and Audio Note In?
The ribbon controller has 2 possible control parameters: position and pressure. I can put these on and off. So far so good.
But among others I can set Midi Channel 1-16, Note/controller number 0-127, and pitch scale 0-255. I have tried to change the channels, set controller number to 30, and scale to 48 - but I have no idea what I am doing, even after reading the manuals on this matter. Midi IS weird for me…
When I just plug it in and touch the ribbon, it makes crazy stuff muting tracks and so on. When I try to adjust the settings (with my very little midi-knowledge), nothing works.
I downloaded and read briefly the manual for the R2M.
As you stated, the Octatrack’s crossfader value can be controlled by sending a MIDI message (Control Change number 48) to the Octatrack. I assume that you want to use the R2M’s ribbon position (not pressure) to do this. Therefore you could to use the R2M’s MIDI event menu (2-1) so that the MIDI event assigned to the position sensor is f (Control Change) and use the R2m’s MIDI parameter menu (3-2) so that the Controller number is 48.
The OT needs to be set up to receive the CC message from the R2M. I suggest that you set the MIDI channel of the R2M (3-1 on the MIDI parameter menu to be the same as the OT’s Auto channel, found in the OT’s PROJECT > MIDI > CHANNELS menu, so that the R2M will control the crossfader on whichever OT track is currently active. You need to ensure that the AUDIO CC IN setting in the PROJECT > MIDI > CONTROL menu is enabled.
The OT can play samples chromatically using MIDI note numbers 72-96 (therefore, a two-octave range). I assume again that you want to use ribbon position to play notes on the OT. Therefore, set the R2M MIDI event 1 (menu 2-1) to be b (Note); in the MIDI parameter menu set parameter 3-2 (lowest MIDI Note number) to be 72; in menu 4-2, set the number of octaves to be 2.
Set up the OT as in the first example, but ensure that the AUDIO NOTE IN setting in the PROJECT > MIDI > CONTROL menu is enabled.
These settings may not cure all the weirdness (you should temporarily deactivate as much as possible of the other data coming from the R2M until you understand what is going on) but it should be enough to give you a start. Let us know how it is going and, when it is working, please post videos of your system in use for us to enjoy!
Set up your ribbon controller to send CC48. You need to set up your ribbon controller to send on ANY of the MIDI channels for the Audio tracks OR the Auto Channel on your OT.
Which can be found when pressing:
Function + Mixer => (select) MIDI => (select) Channels
You also need to check your ‘Audio CC In’ setting in Control (found in the same menu under MIDI). Otherwise it won´t accept incoming CC# messages.
The crossfader is something that controls stuff GLOBALLY on the OT.
AFAIK, the OT makes no distinction of the Crossfader OR the MIDI message of CC48. Nor does it make any distinction of on which channel (of the OT Audio track channels and/or Auto Channel) that it received the MIDI CC48 message from. It can´t tell one from the other.
I e:
[ul]
[li]You can set up the ribbon controller to send on MIDI channel 1. And have your Audio track 1 being the same number. [/li]
[li]Or you can also select the Auto channel (in your OT) to be a MIDI channel that no Audio track uses, and set the ribbon controller to send on that channel. [/li]
[li]In both cases above, the CC48 message will affect all OT tracks since the crossfader is global.[/li]
[/ul]
Even if you´re technically able to perhaps have different CC# for pressure and position on your ribbon controller. I think it might be a bit confusing to having both pressure and position ‘activated’, because both will probably be sent every time you are just aiming for either of them. Unless you are able to set the ‘threshold’ for minimum pressure (to transmit anything).
Regarding realtime trigging AND pitch control it at the same time, that´s a bit trickier.
I guess we have to understand the ribbon controller and the OT features/limitations a bit more in-depth to see what workarounds we may need to setup. I´ll try to read up on that in the manual and get back to this thread if I come with an idea to test. Stay tuned…
Finally back. Daughter got ill, then my wife and finally me :-/
YES! Got it working thru your advice! Thank you!!
Now I can either control the crossfader, or trig a sample.
But new questions arise…
When trigging a sample, I can only play the whole length of sample - it does not stop when I lift my finger from the ribbon controller.
I can only trig the sample quantized (12 tone, major or…)
So If a hit the ribbon controller, and move my finger up (or down), a quantized note will play - with following quantized new notes. Good for some things (monophonic piano-like), but:
If I want to play like a violin: start note without quantizing, pitch the sample by moving finger and stop note when lifting finger - how to do this…
The R2M does have the option (for ribbons position) NOTE&PitchREL - but this only disables the retriggering when moving finger up and down.
I am thinking the “pressure” midi information from the ribbon controller, should start/stop the sample, and the “position” midi information should pitch the sample. should this be possible? Now Im lost again.