Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

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rghvdberg
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Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rghvdberg »

First : Is it possible to assign an arbitrary midi CC to the automation line ?

As at the moment it doesn't seem so I have to edit the CC messages in the midi editor.
A while ago I accidentally managed to draw a line and the CC messages (or velocity) would line up / follow this line, so I could make a smooth transition, but now I can't reproduce this behaviour. :?

I tried every key/mouse combination I could think off.

Please help, I feel stupid.

Code: Select all

 dpkg -l qtractor
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Naam                                                  Versie                          Architecture                    Omschrijving
+++-=====================================================-===============================-===============================-================================================================================================================
ii  qtractor                                              2:0.6.7-1kxstudio1              amd64                           MIDI/Audio multi-track sequencer application
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rncbc
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

rghvdberg wrote:First : Is it possible to assign an arbitrary midi CC to the automation line ?
yes. but those are different, separated concepts, but related though.

a. you can assign an arbitrary MIDI controller to some subject or parameter, say for instance, a MIDI track volume slider/fader. (cf. r-click menu/MIDI Controller...)
b. you can set automation curve to the same subject or parameter (cf. r-click or "A" track button drop-down menu/Automation).
c. assigned MIDI controllers are or should NOT be part of the performance MIDI sequence (the MIDI clip); nor is automation curve data, although this is stored in session track data as a MIDI track file, but don't confuse it with the MIDI clip.
rghvdberg wrote:As at the moment it doesn't seem so I have to edit the CC messages in the midi editor.
A while ago I accidentally managed to draw a line and the CC messages (or velocity) would line up / follow this line, so I could make a smooth transition, but now I can't reproduce this behaviour. :?

I tried every key/mouse combination I could think off.
the MIDI events or messages you edit on the MIDI editor are MIDI sequence performance data, not MIDI controller data nor automation data, although it was once called "poor's man automation" which were the times before TYOQA ;)

re. drawing velocity/values on MIDI editor bottom pane:

a. take care of Edit/Select Mode/Edit On and Draw alternate modes (the buttons with that pencil icon on top toolbar);
b. when Edit/Select Mode/Edit Draw is ON, you can "draw" free-hand new events and values around; for the current selected events, the velocities/values are adjusted to the free-hand drawing.
c. when Edit/Select Mode/Edit Draw is OFF, you can enter one new event and value per move; for the current selected events, the velocities/values are adjusted onto a straight line going through mouse-click and drag positions.

hth.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rghvdberg »

I'm trying to enter (for fun and exercise) the OSC #77 https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/osc-77-charlatan-2.
The idea is to make a song with only one synth. In this case it is Charlatan 2, a windows plugin which works just fine with carla as plugin host.

The parameters of the plugin are not 'exposed' via carla so I can't select them via the normal automation menu.
However, carla can assign a midi cc to any parameter of the plugin, so I want some of these midi CC to be automated.

As you undoubtedly know, in Ardour I can select any midi cc to automate, (see screenshot), I'd like this in Qtractor too.

FYI I can't use Ardour because it turns out that Ardour can't play midi files properly, a lot of times notes keeps hanging. http://tracker.ardour.org/view.php?id=6340 :roll:
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The automation menu of Ardour 4.1
The automation menu of Ardour 4.1
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rncbc
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

rghvdberg wrote:As you undoubtedly know, in Ardour I can select any midi cc to automate, (see screenshot), I'd like this in Qtractor too.
nope. qtractor doesn't do anything like that (MIDI CC automation). sorry. MIDI CC's are not automatable subjects in qtractor automation model.

of course you can enter, edit and "draw" MIDI CC's as any other MIDI channel event type as part of the MIDI clip performance data--as said, it's the old fashion "poor man's automation", remember? ;)

hth.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rghvdberg »

I still think you should add this Midi CC / Ardour style automation thing ...
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

rghvdberg wrote:I still think you should add this Midi CC / Ardour style automation thing ...
noted.

alas not in any of (my) short-term plans. sorry.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rghvdberg »

:cry:
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by fullbackup »

Is this feature still missing in 2016? I only work with midi hardware and I want to know if I can automate midi cc.

It looks like the best midi sequencer around for Linux, easy to use and program, better than ardour in midi aspects.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

fullbackup wrote:Is this feature still missing in 2016? I only work with midi hardware and I want to know if I can automate midi cc.
a. you can assign a midi cc to an automatable subject (eg. track or plugin parameter);
b. you can edit midi cc as regular performance midi clip sequence;
c. what you can't you can't do is having midi cc as an automatable subjects alone, although midi track volume (cc#7) and pan (cc#10) are the notable exceptions.
d. due to c. still being true on 2016 you can "fake it" by using either options a. or b. or a combination of both. :)

hth.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by d.healey »

Is possible to set qtractor so that when a MIDI note is moved the CC data at the same time as that note is also moved?
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

d.healey wrote:Is possible to set qtractor so that when a MIDI note is moved the CC data at the same time as that note is also moved?
nope.

midi note-on/off and cc events are absolutely independent events.

this is so by midi 1.0 spec. not a qtractor constraint whatsoever

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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by d.healey »

rncbc wrote:
d.healey wrote:Is possible to set qtractor so that when a MIDI note is moved the CC data at the same time as that note is also moved?
nope.

midi note-on/off and cc events are absolutely independent events.

this is so by midi 1.0 spec. not a qtractor constraint whatsoever

cheers
Thanks for the quick response.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

d.healey wrote: Mon Jun 17, 2019 10:59 pm
rncbc wrote:
d.healey wrote:Is possible to set qtractor so that when a MIDI note is moved the CC data at the same time as that note is also moved?
nope.

midi note-on/off and cc events are absolutely independent events.

this is so by midi 1.0 spec. not a qtractor constraint whatsoever

cheers
Thanks for the quick response.
there's a trick that might help you here: on the MIDI clip editor (piano-roll) you may select both the notes and the controller events, in the same selection group (use Shift/Ctrl do add/toggle selections) and then you may drag and move them all around, simultaneously of course.

hth.
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by d.healey »

Great idea! Is there a way to swap the CC that the data is assigned to. For example if I have data on CC2 but need to move it to CC1 can I do that with a single action or is it a cut/paste job?
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Re: Qtractor Midi controller editing + automation question

Post by rncbc »

d.healey wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:58 am Great idea! Is there a way to swap the CC that the data is assigned to. For example if I have data on CC2 but need to move it to CC1 can I do that with a single action or is it a cut/paste job?
yes, cut (or copy), switch controllers (2 to 1) and paste.
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