Any way to dynamically change control of parameters with MIDI?

1

I’m looking for a way to dynamically change the control of parameters with a MIDI controller. I feel like it should be possible, considering the modularity of VDMX, but I keep running into roadblocks that prevent it from working.

For example:
Set 8x LED-lit MIDI buttons to control on/off of FX for Layer A, then press a button to switch their control to on/off of FX for Layer B. Their LED values should then change, as with the “echo values back out to…” option.

I’ve tried using presets to map/unmap controls, but they’re tied to parameter values, so that would cause sudden changes of values and reduce flexibility. I’ve tried using the control surface, but that has a few issues that make it a dead-end.

Something like this is usually implemented in other programs so that you don’t have to have a dedicated control for everything. I’m hoping I’m just overlooking something!

Thanks,

Todd

2

Try mapping the on/off button of an effect to one of your MIDI controller buttons instead of the sliders. Then, inspect that button and click the “Val from Input” option in the Boolean Data Receiver panel. That ought to give you more button-like on/off control of your FX. If you already tried this and your buttons/sliders/etc. aren’t picking up MIDI, maybe there’s a problem receiving MIDI somewhere.

3

Hmmm, I think maybe there’s a bit of confusion here. My example above was mapping a MIDI controller button, not a slider.

I have no issue making MIDI connections between my controller and VDMX, the issue is with the way VDMX has implemented mapping them.

Thanks,

Todd

4

Oh, okay. Well, I guess I misunderstood the issue. Best of luck.

1 Like
5

I’m starting to wrap my head around this and I have a few ideas that might work in three examples (I can think of off the top of my head).

  1. If your midi controller can dynamically handle the mapping itself. VDMX’s mapping is great, but I admit is is 1 to 1 for the most part. A single Midi value, can toggle a single button. You can map it to as many buttons as you want inside VDMX, but if you sent that single midi value, it will toggle on and off all of the buttons mapped to it. Some controllers have it where, you can do a CC control button change on the controller itself. I believe the Korg Nano Kontrol has four MIDI CC presets to toggle through across the controller, but the Play, Pause, Stop, Loop buttons retain the same MIDI values no matter what preset you switch to. So the easy way is, the controller does it, but I’m assuming this is not the case.

  2. Switching the unswitchable! Yes, you can use presets to achieve much of this. From individual FX Presets, to layer presets, to workspace presets, you can switch back and fourth to many different layout, but that control is still going to send out the same MIDI values no matter what. This is where OSC or a MIDI rerouting application such as Osculator can come in handy. Essentially, you can map those midi commands to different OSC values and then do the 1 to 1 mapping that VDMX seems to like so much.

There are a few ways to do this sort of toggle chain with OSCulator. For one, you can make a multi-button under a custom control surface and have it switch between mutually-exclusive buttons that send out their own MIDI or OSC commands to OSCulator (telling OSCulator which mapping presets to switch to).

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In theory, you could also use something like TouchOSC to trigger a change in presets, but it would add some delay.

  1. A weird work around way to do it in VDMX, would be to make the multi-button mutually exclusive that triggers another control surface with various presets and buttons mapped to your midi controller, but as each preset changes, they could “send” different OSC values (that you create) back into VDMX to control the separate FX layers. It’s along the same lines as what you’d do with OSCulator, but you’d have come up with a good system since VDMX’s MIDI to OSC values will be tucked with in menus and the button inspector, vs Osculators all on one screen approach.

Also the 2nd control surfaces varing OSC values can simply echo out different color values (just change the number in the control surface button Opts.

Does this sound like what you are looking for?

6

Hey I’ve accomplished the same
Thing by doing the following:

  • create custom control surfaces for each “layer”. Map the controls to your midi controller. But ensure you check the “ignore receivers if not visible”
  • duplicate as many surfaces as you need.
  • place these surfaces in their own window group.

Now you need to set up additional midi control to “trigger” the activation of those tabs. If you select the tab at the bottom
And open the inspector. You can assign a midi control there.

Use your midi controller to activate the control surface that you want. Not those other midi controls will only adjust the visible control surface.

Oh yeah you’ll also have to map whatever it is you want to adjust to your custom
Control surface buttons, faders etc.