Hi,
here’s a topic that I hope is a good fit for this forum: how to control virtual instruments or effects with external controllers in a way that feels intuitive and close to using hardware. I’m mainly talking about playing instruments and controlling the effects on them. Maybe there’s some interest in discussing this and exchanging tips.
This is something I’ve been trying to achieve (and struggling with) for many years. There doesn’t seem to be an easy solution – you often need quite a bit of knowledge or even programming/scripting. And ideally, there’s also a community that shares mappings and such. So, as a thread starter, here’s a quick overview of what I’ve tried and learned.
I think the common approach for the hardware is to use endless encoders (usually 8 knobs) with a display to show parameter names. Ideally, there’s also support for buttons to switch things on or off. This is then combined with a software solution that lets you pre-map plugins.
Hosting plugins inside wrapper plugins (Maschine or Komplete Kontrol) gives you parameter mappings in named groups/pages, tags for presets and visuals of parameter values on the displays. NKS-ready plugins provide these mappings; alternatively you can create your own mappings/presets or use community-made ones.
With NKS 2.0, the newer keyboards also offer direct hardware integration with Kontakt – and, in supported DAWs, direct access to third-party plugins without having to load them through a Komplete Kontrol or Maschine wrapper. If a plugin supports NKS, the NKS mapping will be used. Otherwise, the DAW’s own mappings will be used – Bitwig’s Remote Controls probably being the winner there.
NKS 2.0 can also provide different parameter pages/groups depending on the instrument/preset, rather than being limited to one static parameter layout.
I really have no clue where NKS will go in the future. On one hand Komplete Kontrol software still does not support the Maschine controllers (of course you could use the Maschine software), so there’s been this tendency to keep everything closed, and it feels kind of geared towards selling specific NI hardware. On the other hand, even before the acquisition of NI by inMusic, little steps towards supporting more third-party controllers were already being made. And now there’s NKS Connect, with the Akai MPK Mini IV as the first supported controller, bringing NKS integration to Kontakt, Komplete Kontrol and Maschine.
• Resources: NKS User Library - Community
DAW integration with Ableton Push (I have a Push 2). Push gives you multiple ways to control plugins inside Ableton:
There’s the Configure function on a plugin device. Plugin parameters can be exposed in Live’s device view and reordered, making them controllable from Push. Cons: banks cannot be given specific names, and each parameter can only be mapped once.
Another approach is placing the plugin inside an Instrument Rack or Audio Effect Rack and mapping parameters to macros. Macro banks can be named and allow flexible mappings, including assigning multiple parameters to a single control. Cons: plugin macros operate on a normalised 0–127 range rather than showing the actual parameter values.
A more advanced solution is creating wrapper devices with Max for Live, which allows custom bank names, flexible mappings, and access to parameters with their original values, but requires building the devices in Max. Since Live 12.3, some buttons can also be accessed. A big con is how tedious it is to create your own M4L wrappers, I’ve honestly given up.
Finally, there is a case to be made for simply using stock devices or M4L devices made by developers who have put some thought into good Push integration.
In all cases, presets can be browsed and loaded directly from the Push browser. However, third-party presets need to be saved as Live presets first to be available in the browser.
Bitwig is arguably better thought out in this regard. Plugin parameters can be mapped to Remote Controls (which can be knobs, buttons or lists), have different colours and can be sorted into named banks. Bitwig supports quite a few MIDI controllers but for more functionality and Push support, you’d need the DrivenByMoss extension: The Site Of Jürgen Moßgraber - Software - Bitwig Studio Extensions
I know of some other dedicated hardware solutions for controlling plugins, although many of them are primarily aimed at mixing. SSL, Softube and similar solutions are probably not what I’m looking for – motorised faders and large mixing surfaces don’t necessarily work for virtual instruments, amps or pedals IMO.
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control is one of the more interesting solutions I’ve come across. I haven’t used one myself, but the basic idea is quite appealing: you can learn a plugin’s parameters and the mappings are stored on the device itself, so they can be recalled when you use the plugin again. It also has motorised, touch-sensitive knobs with configurable haptic behaviour - a pretty clever way of getting closer to the feeling of using actual hardware.
MIDI 2.0 might eventually be interesting in this context as well. I haven’t looked deeply into it yet, but things like MIDI-CI and Property Exchange seem to offer a better way for hardware and software to exchange information about controls and their properties. Whether this will actually lead to better plugin controllers, let’s see…