setting midi controller assignments to mixers

[judiefre1]

hello i just tryed setting midi controller assignment for the first time the my mixer(stock mixers) and saw it doesnt work .are there by any chance any mixers that allow u to controll the mixer with a midi controler? i want to controll things like faders, paning knobs...cheers
judie

[dawman]

If you looking a totally recallable mixer that can do the total recall there are a couple of good choices.
If you need Mackie control & MIDI wolf's 16 & 32 Channels are well made.
SpaceF's mixers also have this ability and have several intersting effects and AUX configurations for sub presets.
2 x MIDI channels works really well on the SpaceF stuff and can be used really well with Behringer controllers.They can recall every minute detail.
So there are many choices between these 2 guys.
I never tried the Creamware stock stuff so I can't say how they work.

[judiefre1]

great! im trying to compare the 2 mixers now. what advantages on each one.? also i just read on some thread that the wolf mixer was completely filling up his 3 scope cards! i m not sure that will work good for me since i only have a pulsar 2 at the moment. how is the spacef mixer dsp wise? thanks
judie-

[dawman]

I always advise one to get more DSP cards.
On the other hand the SpaceF mixers will work fine.
I suggest downloading the extremely well documentred FB5 Manual from his site.
All of the MIDI works the same in each mixer.
The FP106C is the Apex of live mixing.
The stereo AUX's are absolurely crucial for mixing the way I like.
The AUX's are stackable ( 2 slots ) which is really nice for underpowered FX as you can put an EQ in the second slot. Then bleed the AUX's over to each other, and even add Gain to adjust the entire AUX paths.
These Scope mixers have features that hardware can't begin to emulate.

[garyb]

the stock mixers work, right click on the knob, button or fader, move the controller, hit the plus button and viola....

do you have the midi connected to the mixer?

[netguyjoel]

The (stock) OEM mixers are great. Little DSP, and easy MIDI control. Just about anything will control them, like GaryB said...make sure you have the MIDI routed correctly in your project. Anything that can throw MIDI data works great. Right click on the fader or knobin Scope ...and twist the knob on the controller, or throw the fader on the controller, and you're done! No programming controller numbers, just save the preset in the synth, or mixer project for total recall. Mackie is good. Tascam US-2400 works too. I went for Behringer BCF for mixers, and BCR for synths. There are many users here, with the Behringer stuff. It's affordable & it works, with little programming.....

[dawman]

C'mon be fair now. Warn her about those mono AUX's.......................

[pollux]

great! im trying to compare the 2 mixers now. what advantages on each one.? also i just read on some thread that the wolf mixer was completely filling up his 3 scope cards! i m not sure that will work good for me since i only have a pulsar 2 at the moment. how is the spacef mixer dsp wise? thanks
judie-

Hi Judie,

I guess it's one of my posts on the XITE threads.

Wolf's mixers are DSP-intensive mostly when activating all the midi stuff related to the mackie control surfaces (including feedback to the controller). Yet he recommends a 15 DSP card for the 16 channel mixer, and two 15 DSP cards for the 32 channel mixer. This means: using the mixer with all the channels and options on, and keep some DSP for other things, like effects:

A 15 dsp scope board setup is the minimum requirement for this mixer to work, a setup containing at least 30 dsps is highly recommended to get serious work done.

My big mixing projects with several inserts per channel and heavy reverbs on the busses are who fill up my 3 15 DSP cards, not the mixer.


There is a demo version available on Wolf's site, so you can see by yourself if it fits your needs.

Cheers

[spacef]

great! im trying to compare the 2 mixers now. what advantages on each one.? also i just read on some thread that the wolf mixer was completely filling up his 3 scope cards! i m not sure that will work good for me since i only have a pulsar 2 at the moment. how is the spacef mixer dsp wise? thanks
judie-

Hi Judie,
I wouldn't advise any of my standalone mixer for a Pulsar 2 because they all take around 4 dsps (the "FP mixers", with all activated inside but no inserts loaded - note the difference with the "FB5" mixer which takes 7 dsps). 2 dsps left, is not enough to have fun with those mixers. The thing is that they load with all internal connections hardwired, contrary to most other mixers which load with most things "off" until they are activated manually or automatically. It is just a personal preference from my part for several reason (whatever is loaded is working, and no dsp reorganization in the middle of a project just because you decided to use 1 additional signal).
I have made a mixer that takes 1.5 dsp, called MixSat C2, but it is only in the BlackBox II package and is very small (16 channels, but no solo, only 2 aux and 1 insert slot per channel).
For midi assignments , well, mine and Wolf's are equivalent in this respect and offer deeper midi than the STM (and that's probably one of the main reason they were made)....
But for general purpose the midi is ok in STM and you can activate the midi by right clicking on a fader/pot and move a knob or your hardware controller, or open the list on the midi assignement window (that appears when you right-click on a device parameter) and assign manually by scrolling to the number you want and double-clicking on it.

But with a single Pulsar, there is no problem using the STMs, especially because they load very light and take dsp only if you connect audio or activate things here and there and they are ok with midi in most cases...
Sorry for any disapointment !
Good luck anyway !
Mehdi

PS: the mixers demo on my site are outdated, they are version 0.9, whereas the latest is v1.5 (for FP Mixers) and brings many improvements in functions and interface (and without taking more dsps).

[wolf]

Hey Judie,

Mehdi already said most of the things, I'd have said as well
Some additions though :
In my opinion a pulsar2 is too small for real mixing.
You could use my small 16cha mixer there, but with every new channel connected you'll need more dsp and will very soon hit the limit of your card.
So in general it's better in your case to use the card as fx & synth rack and do the mixxing natively.

A small tip for midi assignment -> if you want the stock mixers (or any control, which has a midi controler assigned) to send out value changes you did on the surface, the midi channel of the controlled device must be set to the midi channel of the control unit.
In any case not to "omni" since then nothing is send out midi-wise.

hope that helps,
Wolfgang

p.s.: Mehdi, I wouldn't say equivalent but maybe .. similar ?

[spacef]

p.s.: Mehdi, I wouldn't say equivalent but maybe .. similar ?

Yeah, i was refering to the consideration of midi as an important factor in the making of the mixers
Similar is ok with me ;- ) (they are clearly not the same mixers at all, it's true)