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Automating Buses: Tests and Conclusions
I'm investigating how to automate buses and I've found a working way.
I'm sharing screenshots and an example file.
I want to share my doubts and conclusions:
1_
Despite deactivating Control from options, it seems that if they are internal sends from the open instance, the MMCs continue to work.
2_
In my configuration we don't avoid the coupling (reflow, loop) of events. Simply because controls not preassigned in the midi standard are assigned, these reflows seem to have no consequences.
3_ /* Edit: It is not necessary to add any functionality, it can be solved with plugins as I indicate in "Automation without reflow problem" */
I think it would be relatively easy to avoid the reflow with a conditional, maybe I'm wrong. It would consist of adding a property that would enable or disable the reception of MMCs. When we want to create a bus to automate buses or tracks through midi clip, we simply deactivate the box and the reflow is avoided.
4_
The Bus faders are the only ones that refuse to receive MCC data, I don't know why.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 config-buses.png | 61.21 KB |
| auto-buses.gif | 1.65 MB |
| busMMC.png | 46.66 KB |
 SimpleAuto-BUSES.2.qtz | 7.13 KB |
I'm just gonna say it....
I'm just gonna say it....
Automating things via CC fakery sucks. Everything about it feels gross and requires so many tedious steps to both setup and then continue to to work with. These are the kinds of workflows that become missions onto themselves at the cost of what we're actually trying to do....... which is to "be in the moment" so we can create music.
Sorry to be so negative here but I'd rather discuss the very real gaps in the existing automation approach rather than scribble together a completely different workflow for automating this (or that) particular subset of things.
I understand what you're saying
But Qtractor doesn't currently support automating buses.
Implementing it would be a Herculean task.
The events user interface would have to be reconsidered, as would the architecture of the buses themselves.
I share a way that, although cumbersome, seems to allow automation in buses if the need arises.
Yep, I totally get it :)
Yep, I totally get it :)
Automation without reflow problem
I have found a configuration that seems reliable.
It solves problem 2 (reflow) and 4 (fader automation) mentioned initially above.
It works best with playback in stop mode, without what other DAWs and audio/MIDI applications call "learning MIDI".
We pre-plan the sends and receives. We assign them (configure them) and then we create the automations.
1_ Configure the CC reception as logarithmic and hook
2_ Include a MIDI CHANNEL MAP that guarantees that the signal is sent to a different channel (16) than the transmitter (1). I am going to reserve channel 16 in my projects to use it as a CC receiver. This way you guarantee that it does not conflict with any channel.
3_ Send to control from a MIDI insert.
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