VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Chat about Show Buddy Active lighting & video control software
kasperraaby
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:03 pm

VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by kasperraaby »

Hey folks.
I have been looking same as many in trying to solve the issue with being able to control my banks and presets via a midi keyboard.

Heureka! That this has been implemented in the new Show Buddy Active via the performance panel and the buttons that now enables me to create various presets and drag them to the desired location. I can now control lights with a small Korg NanoKey2 how cool is that! And powerful. BUT...

This only works in the standalone. And my band run a fully programmed show in ableton where we use the VST plugin and select banks and preset via channel 15 & 16.

However, I would love the flexibility of being able to change to my desired presets. For instance blinders that are in a preset of their own for singalong parts or strobes that could be used for special times, or all lights flash etc. If this could be supported by the fact that the show is still toggling between presets as I have programmed it to, but I could change presets via my midi keyboard Korg Nanokey 2 as I can in the stand alone.
Is this possible? Does anyone know how I can have my VST plugin listen to the desired midi channel (say for example channel 9) and react when I press on the button? while also change on channel 15 & 16 when prgrammed to?
ojacques
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:44 pm
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by ojacques »

Does anyone know how I can have my VST plugin listen to the desired midi channel (say for example channel 9) and react when I press on the button? while also change on channel 15 & 16 when prgrammed to?
In SBA, from what I can tell (and DMXIS which seems to work the same way), each preset can already be controlled with channel 16 and bank selection with channel 15. From the manual:
You can also trigger Bank & Program changes using Note On messages on MIDI channels 15 & 16.
In SBA, the perform panel comes on top of channel 15/16 and by default uses channel 14.

So, what about
  • Create a new midi track in Ableton
  • set "midi from" to match your Korg NanoKey
  • set "midi to" to "master" / "16-Show Buddy Active"
  • Keep your midi track in Ableton which already sends to "master" / "16-Show Buddy Active" for your existing programmed show
ableton.sba.jpg
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Granted, you will have to find a way to send bank changes to SBA/channel 15 but with another midi track and a midi map, that is very do-able.

Hopefully I did not misunderstood your question :D
DMXIS since 2015, Show Buddy Active since 9/2019.
kasperraaby
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:03 pm

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by kasperraaby »

Thanks for the reply ojacques. It almost worked. I can control the changes to channel 16 the way you suggested. However, I cannot control the performance panel where I have some presets that are not present in all my different banks. For instance I would like to alway have "blackout" on one key and full strobe on another etc.
show buddy.jpg
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This all has to happen while the show run simultaneously as it is doing now with one midi track controlling ch 15 and the other controlling ch 16 changed by midi notes
ojacques
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:44 pm
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by ojacques »

I don't know myself. But I want to find out as I have the same use case: a pre programmed show from Ableton, on top of which I'd love to add some overrides (strobos, blinders) through midi.
DMXIS since 2015, Show Buddy Active since 9/2019.
jzimmem
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:26 am

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by jzimmem »

Hi Kasper, how did you actually assign a keyboard key press or a pad press to a preset, I have an akai mpk mini
ojacques
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:44 pm
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by ojacques »

I just tried, and I am able to (in Ableton using the SBA VST Plugin running on the master track):
* Control the "main programmed show" through channels 15 for bank select and 16 for program select
* Have presets from different banks assigned to several buttons in the "perform pannel"
* Trigger those presets leveraging midi channel 14 (which is routed to master track, channel 14 Show Buddy Active)
* When there is a cue change triggered by the programmed show, that just takes over

I think this is what you are after. So, there is hope :D

Which DAW do you use?
DMXIS since 2015, Show Buddy Active since 9/2019.
kasperraaby
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:03 pm

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by kasperraaby »

hmm that sounds exactly like that is what I need. So do I understand correctly that you now have a midi channel where they input is the midi keyboard - in my case the KorgNanoKey on channel 14 and then output goes to Master where I have the ShowBuddyActive running?

If that is the case then how did you make the performance panel respond to the midi inputs you are doing on channel 14 via the keyboard?
kasperraaby
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 9:03 pm

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by kasperraaby »

ojacques wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 5:33 pm I just tried, and I am able to (in Ableton using the SBA VST Plugin running on the master track):
* Control the "main programmed show" through channels 15 for bank select and 16 for program select
* Have presets from different banks assigned to several buttons in the "perform pannel"
* Trigger those presets leveraging midi channel 14 (which is routed to master track, channel 14 Show Buddy Active)
* When there is a cue change triggered by the programmed show, that just takes over

I think this is what you are after. So, there is hope :D

Which DAW do you use?
hmm that sounds exactly like that is what I need. So do I understand correctly that you now have a midi channel where they input is the midi keyboard - in my case the KorgNanoKey on channel 14 and then output goes to Master where I have the ShowBuddyActive running?

If that is the case then how did you make the performance panel respond to the midi inputs you are doing on channel 14 via the keyboard?
jzimmem
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:26 am

Re: VST plugin and Midi Controller to control banks and presets

Post by jzimmem »

Hi guys, how did you actually assign a keyboard key press or a pad press to a preset in stand alone mode. I can get midi to key or pad press to trigger in DMXIS itself, I just can't get what kasperraaby got to work in his Eureka paragraph at the top :)

I have an akai mpk mini

Thanks
Mike
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