Hi,
I have a Kenton control freak live and am wandering if any of you folks use one as well?
Do I need to make any adjustments to my pulsar project in any way to incorporate the use of a control surface?
If I do please let me know. I thank you in advance of any replies and any help is much appreciated.
Regards
Fraz
Kenton Control Freak Live
Effectively I have inserted the control surface in between the ctrl. keyboard and the soundcard MIDI in.
In the SFP project I have Pulsar 2 MIDI A source-Seq MIDI dest.
The question is do I need to have a graphical representation of the control surface in my project or not?
Do I need to use anything like a MIDI merger for any reason.
I would appreciate some sort of feedback as I'm not Einstein! and have struggled learning my SFP.
Many Regards
Fraz
In the SFP project I have Pulsar 2 MIDI A source-Seq MIDI dest.
The question is do I need to have a graphical representation of the control surface in my project or not?
Do I need to use anything like a MIDI merger for any reason.
I would appreciate some sort of feedback as I'm not Einstein! and have struggled learning my SFP.
Many Regards
Fraz
-
Neil B
Hi Fraz,
I don't know about the Kenton Control Freak "LIVE" but I use the Studio Edition all the time, in all my projects, on all my tracks.
Keyboard to Freak, Freak to Midi in on card is fine.
I'm a bit unclear regarding your questions (graphical representation etc).
I'd love to help and you can email me for more details if you wish (although sharing it with others via this thread is better as more could benefit from it)
Please bear in mind that I'm desperately short of time for the next couple of weeks as I'm in the process of trying to buy a new home 500 miles away. If you can be patient, I'll help as soon as I have time.
As a test of your Freak, load up a CW synth.
Right click on one of the controls (say cut off filter) and assign a midi controller number to it.
Your Freak should have default programs for all the controller numbers. Select the same controller number that you assigned to the synth and try it.
I can send you one of my projects in terms of midi connectivity if you wish. My configuration is based on using Cubase but I have SFP projects only where the Freak is used too.
As I say, I'll be glad to help but you'll have to give me a couple of weeks breathing space. I will have a little bit of time on Monday and Tuesday but then I'm back off up to the Outer Hebrides for 10 days.
Good luck
I don't know about the Kenton Control Freak "LIVE" but I use the Studio Edition all the time, in all my projects, on all my tracks.
Keyboard to Freak, Freak to Midi in on card is fine.
I'm a bit unclear regarding your questions (graphical representation etc).
I'd love to help and you can email me for more details if you wish (although sharing it with others via this thread is better as more could benefit from it)
Please bear in mind that I'm desperately short of time for the next couple of weeks as I'm in the process of trying to buy a new home 500 miles away. If you can be patient, I'll help as soon as I have time.
As a test of your Freak, load up a CW synth.
Right click on one of the controls (say cut off filter) and assign a midi controller number to it.
Your Freak should have default programs for all the controller numbers. Select the same controller number that you assigned to the synth and try it.
I can send you one of my projects in terms of midi connectivity if you wish. My configuration is based on using Cubase but I have SFP projects only where the Freak is used too.
As I say, I'll be glad to help but you'll have to give me a couple of weeks breathing space. I will have a little bit of time on Monday and Tuesday but then I'm back off up to the Outer Hebrides for 10 days.
Good luck
Thanks Neil,
By graphical representation I mean a scope driver/little rectangular box that is added to your project though this may not be needed for it to work.
All the freaks are similar and I've tested the factory presets and they work. I've also downloaded the profiles and loaded the ones I need into Cubase 5.1 but for some reason I couldn't send the profile from Cubase to the freak and got confused.
I think it's import to the freak that I got wrong but I have only just connected it up and may well have overlooked something very basic.
Thanks for the reply it helps especially when the brain gets overloaded!!!
Fraz
By graphical representation I mean a scope driver/little rectangular box that is added to your project though this may not be needed for it to work.
All the freaks are similar and I've tested the factory presets and they work. I've also downloaded the profiles and loaded the ones I need into Cubase 5.1 but for some reason I couldn't send the profile from Cubase to the freak and got confused.
I think it's import to the freak that I got wrong but I have only just connected it up and may well have overlooked something very basic.
Thanks for the reply it helps especially when the brain gets overloaded!!!
Fraz
-
Neil B
Fraz,
I stopped on line for a few minutes when I saw you were logged in.
No, you don't need any graphical little boxes in your project. Imagine only that your keyboard is transmitting the controller codes - it's mearely an extension of your keyboard.
I've never had any joy with the Cubase programs either and don't use these - you don't really need them (I can elaborate in the future).
There is a bit of software that allows you to transmit from Cubase to the Freak (VCF Virtual Control Freak). I abandoned that as well.
If your Freak is working with a Pulsar synth in the way I described above, it will also work for any VST synhts that allow midi control. Make sure that you are not filtering out these controllers in your Cubase options though.
I'm sorry but I really have to go now.
It's chaos at the moment.
I'll give you all the help I can as time allows but be patient with me
I can send you lots of setups for Pulsar Synths and VST synths that I've already developed, buttons sliders etc.
BTW if you go into edit one of the controller sliders you will see a min and max value for the midi values (normally 0 and 127). You'll get more controller of Pulsar gear where the max value is only 100.
Sorry must go
I stopped on line for a few minutes when I saw you were logged in.
No, you don't need any graphical little boxes in your project. Imagine only that your keyboard is transmitting the controller codes - it's mearely an extension of your keyboard.
I've never had any joy with the Cubase programs either and don't use these - you don't really need them (I can elaborate in the future).
There is a bit of software that allows you to transmit from Cubase to the Freak (VCF Virtual Control Freak). I abandoned that as well.
If your Freak is working with a Pulsar synth in the way I described above, it will also work for any VST synhts that allow midi control. Make sure that you are not filtering out these controllers in your Cubase options though.
I'm sorry but I really have to go now.
It's chaos at the moment.
I'll give you all the help I can as time allows but be patient with me
I can send you lots of setups for Pulsar Synths and VST synths that I've already developed, buttons sliders etc.
BTW if you go into edit one of the controller sliders you will see a min and max value for the midi values (normally 0 and 127). You'll get more controller of Pulsar gear where the max value is only 100.
Sorry must go
OK Neil,
I'll explain in detail the 'minor' progress I've made and let you know now that after reading the freak manual it says clearly that the freak live and studio edition work exactly the same operationally which is good news for me!!!
To start with I've downloaded all the profiles from the Kenton website in addition to the virtual freak software and installed them on my Hard drive.
The profiles that I thought were the most appropriate to use were made by Laurent Kriegal.
The .xml file has been copied to the scripts folder in the steinberg programs folder for VST and the generic remote controller in VST has been set up and the .xml file has been imported into the remote controller via the edit switch.
Also all filtering options have been unchecked in MIDI system setup and RPN's and NRPN's have been checked so they are chased by VST.
All the MIDI files for the profiles have been imported into VST as MIDI files and labelled in VST to avoid confususion and saved as a default.
There are two options for the MIDI input within the VST remote controller which are Pulsar 2 MIDI in 1 and Pulsar 2 MIDI in 2. I have experimented with both of them and these are my findings.
Using the P2 MIDI in 1 within the generic remote my ctrl. My master keyboard does not register any MIDI out within the VST transport bar so I get no sound when I play the keyboard but I do get MIDI playback.
When I use the P2 MIDI in 2 within the VST remote I can play the keyboard and playback MIDI so this setting seems correct though I'm unsure.
The freak is connected from out keyboard into freak and out freak into MIDI in on Pulsar. I created a small MIDI part within VST looping it and was able over MIDI channel 1 to change the volume up and down on all 16 knobs on the freak but not moving the fader in VST. It appears to be working and is correctly connected but the freak isn't correctly configured with VST.
I know I'm supposed to set up sysx rx on the freak and set up a destination for the profile(s)but sending it from the PC to the freak is where I'm clueless. I think I've done most things correctly but have fallen at the final hurdle and need some step by step help. I have no experience with sysx yet but am aware of certain cc numbers.
Regards
Fraz
I'll explain in detail the 'minor' progress I've made and let you know now that after reading the freak manual it says clearly that the freak live and studio edition work exactly the same operationally which is good news for me!!!
To start with I've downloaded all the profiles from the Kenton website in addition to the virtual freak software and installed them on my Hard drive.
The profiles that I thought were the most appropriate to use were made by Laurent Kriegal.
The .xml file has been copied to the scripts folder in the steinberg programs folder for VST and the generic remote controller in VST has been set up and the .xml file has been imported into the remote controller via the edit switch.
Also all filtering options have been unchecked in MIDI system setup and RPN's and NRPN's have been checked so they are chased by VST.
All the MIDI files for the profiles have been imported into VST as MIDI files and labelled in VST to avoid confususion and saved as a default.
There are two options for the MIDI input within the VST remote controller which are Pulsar 2 MIDI in 1 and Pulsar 2 MIDI in 2. I have experimented with both of them and these are my findings.
Using the P2 MIDI in 1 within the generic remote my ctrl. My master keyboard does not register any MIDI out within the VST transport bar so I get no sound when I play the keyboard but I do get MIDI playback.
When I use the P2 MIDI in 2 within the VST remote I can play the keyboard and playback MIDI so this setting seems correct though I'm unsure.
The freak is connected from out keyboard into freak and out freak into MIDI in on Pulsar. I created a small MIDI part within VST looping it and was able over MIDI channel 1 to change the volume up and down on all 16 knobs on the freak but not moving the fader in VST. It appears to be working and is correctly connected but the freak isn't correctly configured with VST.
I know I'm supposed to set up sysx rx on the freak and set up a destination for the profile(s)but sending it from the PC to the freak is where I'm clueless. I think I've done most things correctly but have fallen at the final hurdle and need some step by step help. I have no experience with sysx yet but am aware of certain cc numbers.
Regards
Fraz