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Trigger Modstep scenes/clips from app (AUM)
Hi,
I’m trying to figure out a good workflow with Modstep and AUM. I can use clips in Modstep to play AU3 instruments in AUM. But Id like to be able to trigger clips, change scenes, etc in Modstep from AUM, without having to go back and forth between apps. So I thought of using AUM’s keyboard to launch clips.
Modstep has a handy midi-learn feature, but it’s meant for hardware controllers. I can’t see a way of manually (or otherwise) assigning a midi CC / Channel, that is, from another app, not a hardware device.
If that’s not possible. Does anyone do anything similar in AUM?. I thought of getting Atom sequencer, but I don’t know if it’ll cover this case, and Modstep is really powerful.
Comments
It is possible...
Make sure you have Modstep midi source enabled for note/cc
Make sure you route midi from keyboard (or dedicated controller like Mozaic f.e) to Modstep
Enable midi learn in Modstep, select what you want to assign to a note/cc
Switch back to AUM and hit the key.
xequence pads plugin would be good option to built a customlauncher this way from AUM.
That’s great, thank u!.
I was close. Inlebelive I was missing activating the midi notes cc per your first screen shot.
Now the keyboard is mapped. But the note value is an octave higher in Modstep, C3 becomes C2 in modstep. I can live with that, I have no idea why it happens.
Again, thank u so much.
Do you work this way?. Does it make sense?. I’m not mad about the keyboard in AUM, but it’s a start. Maybe there’s a AU3 more fitted for this?. Like being able to add some labels...
Cheers!
That's just a thing with MIDI. There's no standard for what note number "Middle C" is mapped to. It varies between apps, and hardware too. It's just one of those things you have to adapt to with MIDI.
Sorry if this seems overtechnical. The issue isn't that there isn't a standard for the the MIDI note number associated with middle C. (The MIDI note number for it is 60). The issue is octave numbers for naming notes -- which is not a MIDI thing -- isn't standard. Pre-MIDI there were already different conventions for octave numbering and that lack of standard carried on into MIDI.
Some manufacturers decided that 0 should be the same for both note numbering and note naming (i.e. C0 should be midi note number 0) and others decided to use other conventions when referring to notes by name.
Yes. It is over technical. Don't care.
... but maybe someone else does, so thanks for fleshing out the details. 👍🏼
Yep, like wim said above, don't worry about it, it's the same midi message (note number) just different label...
I used to use Modstep and I think it's a great sequencer, but these days I prefer to keep it all AU - easier to save/load projects.
I'd probably use Mozaic for midi stuff, but that's only because that's what I own and "know". I'm sure there are other options... f.e Midi Designer in slide over mode is pretty good solution.
If you want to have labels for your keypresses, you could use Xequence Pads AU to send the notes from within AUM to Modstep. Each of the pads pad be assigned an individual name, color, channel and note number. The plugin supports different layouts (like 6x1 for hoizontal layout or 1x6 for six vertical pads) and you can also add sliders to send CCs or pitchbend. The pads also rescale with AUMs window.
I use these pads to change between live-pads/fills/ending of the Reggae Drummer app with the need of switching out of AUM. I use the color feature to highlight the type of action: rhythms are yellow, ‚fill toggle’ is green and ‚end song’ is red and spaced aside after an empty pad
Super easy to use in a live jam.
Xequence Pads might be a better controller, but if you want to add some music theory, Tonality: Piano/Guitar Chords has the Chords Pad AU extension that works great as a remote trigger (along with its core features of chord / scale detection, circle of fifths, etc., etc.) You can set name, color, layout, etc. No CCs, but if you're using modstep I would assume you're setting up your modulations there (as that's what the app excels at!).
Regarding note naming: https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/30357/a-request-to-developers-re-note-naming
Oh sorry, you are right - i forgot about Tonality Piano/Guitar Chords AU pads. I mainly use these pads to trigger chords and the other bundled AUs to identify scales and chords - very nice and versatile plugin.
I just check the above use-case and at first i could not specify individual pad colors. After looking up the included manual, i found out about the (quite hidden) tool popup that includes pad recoloring - thanks for pointing me to this feature
You need to double tap the ø icon in the bottom right, choose re-color to change to the recoloring tool, press that new icon and then a pad to bring up a color selection dialog
All pads use midi channel one, there is no setting for midi channels.
Some good tips here, thanks.
I appreciate the explanation about the midi octaves, too, thought it might be some weird setting.
Xequence pads and Chrod Pads seem certainly better than the AUM piano roll. Better and dedicated...
I’m curious about Mozaic. Can you have multiple sequences like in Rozetta?