[ardour-users] Control surface... what is planned ?

[MAtt]

Jesse Chappell wrote:

>>What would be very good in ardour, from the most important to the less
>>(and that i'm using in cubase) is :
>>-  A "selected channel" on which you can control the sends (aka auxs) :
>>Level, On/Off, the Pan (why not surround with a joystick - i'm doing
>>that in cubase), polarity,  and a generic set of plugin, present on each
>>track : a trim,EQ, comp.
>>    
>>
>
>How do you configure this in Cubase right now?  How do you know which
>controls do what? Especially for plugins?
>
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>
In cubase you have on big dialog box (generic remote) divided in 2 parts
In the first one you define the name of the controllers (said 
Fader01)and bind them to a midi CC.
In the second one you define the bindings of the controller (Fader01) 
with a function in cubase or eq control or a plugin present in the 
track. and that for each bank.
The midi control is fully implemented in the VST plugs (tried the B4fx 
with xfst-fully working), so you have all the parameters named.
It's very long to make that with the mouse, so i edited the 
corresponding xml files with wordpad, that's OK and not to complicated 
when you usually work with a debian ;-). then reimporting the xml files 
in cubase, and it worked quite good after a few... days.
I can send you an exemple of the file if you want, but i prefer the 
"learning" way a la ardour, it's very easy and not too long to make a 
template.

I know you can emulate the mackie-control with the BCF, but i havent 
tried that because it's not possible to personalize it.

I worked with differents digital mixing desks, and the worst was a 
Studer... I can't imagine the prize... On this console (which is very 
nice..), the controls are always at different places and it's quite 
impossible to mix, because you don't know where your knobs are. I don't 
know if i'm clear...
The stuff is to have a knob for a thing, and that the function 
controlled by this knob doesnt change too often (neither would be 
better), except for the faders.
However, a highly configurable template for each fader/mute/sel group 
would be very good, so you can change (only if you want) the assignation 
of the faders, make VCA, having the Drums group or VCA just after the 
overheads, etc...
I think it's important to keep in mind the analogic interface, because 
it's easier to use and because of the "old-minding" people who think 
digital is evil.

I made a mistake :

>- a play/write automation midi link of the whole selected track
>> (volume,pan, solo, mute, plugs.. etc...)
>  
>
No !!! Not the Solo !

But a "Solo Off" would be nice


>>- a midi return control of the record's state button
>>    
>>
>
>Ha!  This is actually a bug that is fixed in CVS already.
>
>  
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>Thanks for the feedback,
>
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Good !

Thanks to you, it's fantastic to use linux to make mixes, i miss a lot 
that good old JACK, freqtweak, the timemachine, xmms plugged on a ardour 
track with fader link on the BCF, etc...,  when i work with windoze. 
Ardour is a fantastic multitrack recorder, and it's not long to have a 
fantastic very big sequencer. The edit part is very good, and i only 
miss the full control surface and a few 'better' plugs. It's in the good 
direction, no problem. So thank you

MAtt