Is this possible? SOLO button functionality, LED feedback, Launch Control XL and Octatrack

Bome Products
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1

Hi everyone,

My setup:

Novation Launch Control XL mk2
Octatrack MKII
BomeBox
Midi Translator Pro

Problem
Is it possible to replicate on the Launch Control XL the LED states and functionality of the Octatrack’s MUTE/SOLO buttons?

Current MTP file
I currently have the following scenario built out in MIDI Translator Pro and running on my BomeBox:

  • the first row of buttons 1-8 controlling SOLO 1-8 on the Octatrack

  • the second row of buttons 1-8 controlling MUTE 1-8 on the Octatrack

  • when an Octatrack track is not muted, its corresponding Launch Control XL MUTE button’s LED is 100% bright

  • when I want to mute an Octatrack track, I press its corresponding MUTE button on the Launch Control XL, and the button’s LED brightness goes to 0%

Future State
I’m hoping to program the Launch Control XL’s SOLO and MUTE buttons to react to a Launch Control XL SOLO button depress and have their states and brightnesses mirror what the Octatrack’s Trig buttons states and brightnesses are.

The outcome of this future state is to be able to use the Launch Control XL as the sole means of controlling the Octatrack’s MUTE/SOLO Trig buttons when the Octatrack’s Trig Mode is set to ‘Quick Mute’. I hope to not ever touch the Octatrack’s Trig buttons.

I don’t think that the Octatrack is able to send feedback to the Launch Control XL, at least not in a way which is driven by a button-press.

I used to do Crestron AV control programming in a former life, I think we used to latch HIGH/LOW states of buttons to drive HIGH/LOW states of other buttons to accomplish this.

This would involve doing things like:

when SOLO 3 button is active:

  • SOLO 3 LED is 100% bright

for tracks which were previously unmuted:

  • MUTE LED drop to 50% bright

for tracks which were previously muted:

  • MUTE LED remains at 0% bright

Question to the forum
Before I go on a whirlwind development session to try to figure this out, I wanted to find out:

a. if this kind of logic is even possible w/ MIDI Translator Pro
b. if has it been done before and I just need to go digging around
c. can someone point me in the right direction if they think it’s possible

Thank you,

Nick

1 Like
2

Hi,

In summary, I think you are asking if you can change the state of Solo buttons on your Launch Control XL when you press buttons on the Octatrack. The answer will largely depend on whether the Octatrack sends MIDI as yo press various buttons on it and what MIDI it sends.

Bome MIDI Translator Pro (running on PC or BomeBox), can translate message it receives to whatever you want to use for the Launch Control XL, however, if no message is sent, then there is nothing to translate.

I think to discover if this is possible, you will need to set up Bome MIDI Translator Pro to recognize MIDI IN of your Octatrack and then to open the log window in MT Pro to see what the Octatrack is sending when you press and release your solo buttons.

I think you meant Launch Control XL in the above statement, right?

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
3

Hello Steve,

Thank you for your reply.

I updated my post above to more accurately reflect what I wish to accomplish, and made a correction to a mistype.

I also put together a short YouTube video walkthrough describing what I wish to accomplish, I think it does a better job of explaining than my written post.

Midi Translator Pro - Launch Control XL - Octatrack

Thank you,

Nick

4

For fun, here’s the MIDI Translator Pro file in action.

Launch Control XL + Octatrack, Quick Mute LED feedback demonstration.

  • Nick
5

Hi,
So from the video, you are not looking at the Octatrack to update your Launch Control LED states, however you are looking for the Solo buttons to not only turn on solo when activated but also to Dim all muted buttons except where the solo is pressed, below. Is that what you want?
Yes, this is possible. Are you using one of the factory templates, or did you modify a user template on your launch control XL?

Please confirm that this is what you are looking for and I can show an example.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
6

Hi Steve,

I’m using the User 1. However, I can’t remember if I have modified it or not. I tinkered around with Novation Components so much when I got it and uploaded/downloaded lots of sysex files, updated the firmware, etc. to try to get things to work, cannot confidently say that User 1 is the factory version of User 1.

This is what I have on the Launch Control XL :

The bottom row red MUTE buttons are transmitting Note 73, 74, 75, 76, 89, 90, 91, 92 all on CH 1.
The top row green SOLO buttons are transmitting Note 41, 42, 43, 44, 57, 58, 59, 60 all on CH 1.

In MIDI Translator Pro, for MUTE button1, I have the following code to toggle the MUTE state of the Octatrack:

if ga==0 then Goto "Mute1ToggleOn"
if ga==1 then Goto "Mute1ToggleOff"

Label "Mute1ToggleOn"
ga=1
ha=127
exit rules, execute Outgoing Action

Label "Mute1ToggleOff"
ga=0
ha=0
exit rules, execute Outgoing Action

For MUTE button1, I have the following code to toggle the MUTE state of the Launch Control XL:

if ia==0 then Goto "LED1ToggleOn"
if ia==1 then Goto "LED1ToggleOff"

Label "LED1ToggleOn"
ia=1
ja=0
exit rules, execute Outgoing Action

Label "LED1ToggleOff"
ia=0
ja=15
exit rules, execute Outgoing Action

I hope this makes sense!

Thanks,

Nick

7

OK, I’m not sure if this is exactly what you want but this should get you started.

In this project file I use ga bits 0-7 for bitmap of mute state for mute.
I use gb bits 0-7 for bitmap of state for solo

I have translators to update the mute or solo stated depending on the buttons that you press. Then they update repeated timers to update all of the LED’s

If you change a solo state, I also have a repeating timer to update the mute state (dim or full color) depending on the state of solo. (After the mute state has already been updated)

I’m not 100% sure of the desired LED states if you have pressed mute after solo. You probably want to turn solo off if you enable mute but I didn’t go that far. This is to give you an idea and hopefully you can take it from there but if not, this is beyond free support so if you need me to do it for you, the PM or email me to talk about it more and figure a cost.

This should demonstrate how you get interaction between mute and solo buttons and their LED states.
Solo-Mute-XL-2022-04-14.bmtp (5.3 KB)

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
8

Steve,

Wow!

I took a quick peek at the file, it has a lot of proper programming stuff in it which I don’t understand, I’ll need to brush up on MIDI Translator Pro’s language to make sense of the logic.

Thanks,

Nick

9

Yes, well the main reason I use bit mapping and repeating timers is that:

  1. It requires less global variables ( I can map 32 button on/off states with 1 global variable)
  2. The interaction between the buttons is easier. (Less global variable mean I can do bit comparison on just a few global variables.

Here is a post on bit mapping tips and tricks.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
1 Like
10

A post was split to a new topic: MIDI Fighter 64 with Octatrack MKII

11

@Nicholas.White

Please see this post that I split, as it is relevant to your discussion on how the Octatrack works.

Thanks @DreamXcape !

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
1 Like