I’m new to this and I found some topics on the APC MK2. However I couldn’t find the answer to my questions. I’ve demoed the midi translator as well, and tried some setups I found of this forum, but before I purchase it I would like to know if the following is possible:
I use the APC Mini MK2, control surface set as ‘none’ in ableton, in order to do my own midi mappings. What I want out of the bome software is just for the buttons to glow white when idle, and then have a different colour when I press them (and then turn white when I press them back).
There are two approaches is you are not using MIDI remote scripts.
Use whatever MIDI Ableton Live sends back, if any, when pressing a button to update the LED state.
Using Bome MIDI translator Pro to update the LED state based on its own logic.
For option 1, obviously we would need Ableton Live to send MIDI feedback. We would then write translators to interpret that feedback for the desired state of the LED.
The advantages advantages is that LED’s would always be in sync with Ableton Live. However we really are at the mercy of how Ableton Live responds the MIDI messages.
Option 2 allows for full control but may not always be in sync with actual Ableton Live state.
You may find this tutorial on LED feedback useful which uses Option 2.
If you want absolute control of the LED toggle state, you would need to use Option 2 and global variables to maintain the current controller state to allow for toggle.
You could use the global variable to also vary the MIDI message sent to Ableton Live depending on the current toggle state.
This post describes how LED updates are handled on the APC-MINI MK2.
If you can provide more detail on.
What messages need to be sent to Ableton Live for each toggle state?
What messages are coming back from Ableton Live?
What is the desired LED behavior? Are you looking for the actual Ableton Live return information or a simple toggle state?
You may need to use the Bome MIDI Translator Pro Log window to capture number 2. This way we may be able to determine if Option 1 is possible at all.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
Thans for the welcome Steve, and above all for the quick reply!
OK, I read that post and watched the turorial already - but I guess my knowledge in MIDI mapping is too low to really get my head around this.
I’ll try to reply to your questions best I can:’
1-3. I’m a total newbie, so I might be in the wrong assuming that by messages you mean cc. I don’t know if this helps (might be confusing as some assignments are to the MPK mini:
I think what I’m looking for is a simple toggle state. I basically just want to be able to see which channel is muted in a 2 deck mixer (speaker on), so that the one that’s playing is lit green and the one that isn’t playing remains white.
Also it would be neat to use the same functionality over the whole unit, IE for instance make the button change colour when I push it to activate an effect, let’s say a high pass filter in ableton, and then turn white again when I push it the next time.
Upon detecting your APC MINI MK2 it should turn all matrix LED’s white and the bottom and side LED’s off.
Every button is set to toggle. The matrix buttons off = green and on=white. The bottom buttons are off and red, and the right buttons are off and green.
I use bitmapping to determine the state of LED’s instead of a bunch of global variable. That way I can bitmap 64 LED’s with only 2 32 bit global variables.
I set up my aliases as shown below:
You can learn more about aliases from this tutorial.
Most device selection is organized by preset.
For more information about device selection, see this tutorial.
Ableton is set up with controller type none and we use Remote on BMT 1 for control.
All global variables and their use are documented in the rules of translator 0.2 ‘Init Globals’
// first 32 buttons 0-31
g0=0
// second 32 buttons 32-64
g1=0
// bottom buttons mute 100-107
g2=0
// right buttons 112-119
g3=0
// bottom buttons solo 100-107
g4=0
// bottom buttonds rec/arm (mono) 100-107
g5=0
// Global on color
g6=87
// Global off color
g7=3
// use global colors
g8=1
// Brightness 0-6 is dim to bright
// 7-15 is variations on flashing
// midi ch
g9=6
// Colors Decimal
//Red 72
//Green 87
//Blue 41
//Yellow 74
//Cyan 78
//Orange 61
//Purple 67
//Brown 83
//Off 0
//White 93
//Pink 95
//Amber 96
//Turqoise 33
// valid device present
ga=0
// init matrix counter
gb=64
// bottom led counter
I’ve used a lot of features so studying and understand the project file would be advised, especially for a new user. Many of the concepts in the project are discussed in various tutorials.
Thanks for the help. I watched the tutorials and tried to load your preset, however ‘Bome MIDI Translator 1 Virtual In/Out’ aren’t selectable in my application drop down menu. I watched your tutorials but they didn’t show up there either.
Also, BMT 1 isn’t selectable in Ableton, and I suspect this is basically cause of the same issue. Any thoughts on how to make it selectable?
Thank you Steve. I bought the program now as I sort of got it to work. When I set the virtual ports up like you suggested.
The buttons on the right aren’t all working, but I’m, fine with that.
I’m on a windows 10 PC running ableton 12.
The setup you sent me is almost just like I want it to be, would you mind helping me with the last changes?
‘Every button is set to toggle. The matrix buttons off = green and on=white. The bottom buttons are off and red, and the right buttons are off and green.’
As I use this setup right now, green = on and white = off. On startup, all the buttons are off (without any light), and I have to press them manually for them to turn white. Would it be able for them to glow white on on startup (being off) and then green when I push them, and then back to white when I push again? Like this, but without dead leds: Unique Download Link | WeTransfer
Bottom and right buttons are fine just the way they are.
