To use Encoder like a Fader in pro tools

Hi, great software bome, i have a arduino sending midi standard signals to Pro Tools, i can use "mute" "banks" "select" functions, etc. But in the case of Fader (volume) i use a encoder (aka endless, rotary encoder, etc). ¿How i should do it?

Thanks a lot, i hope buy the midi translator, its a very great software, but first i must make it functional to me in Pro Tools.

Yes, I can help. I assume you are in Mackie HUI Mode, right?  If not please clarify what controller type you are using with Pro Tools.

I also assume you have it communicating in gernal since you can mute, select, etc. So we won't get into the HUI required ping and response. 

I would need to know what your encoders are sending. Are the absolute (sending 0-127), Relative twos complement (where 1-63 is up and 127-65 is down, or Relative binary offset (where 65-127 is up and 63-0 is down). Or some other.

If you can tell me that or send a log of what an encoder sends I can set up a translator for it. You can then do the rest.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

Thanks for answer me:

1-Yes, I configured in pro tools HUI/Mackie Control.

2-I use a example file of bome with 4 levels (fader touch, fader move, release , etc) and fader jump to down (-150bd) so, there´s communication.

3-If i understood, this is the code sending in hairless from encoder; 

+6280.5 - Serial In: Ch 1: Controller 16 value 1

+6280.5 - Serial In: Ch 1: Controller 16 value 65

So is 1 for positive (clockwise) movement and 65 for negative or the other way around.

Hi, please find the attached.

It has 4 translators

First one sends a fader touch command to Pro Tools

Second one sets a timer for release  100 ms later

The third one sends the fader position message 50 ms after the touch message

Final One is the timer that sends release message.

I use the global varable gc for the fader number

I use the global variable ga for the current fader position (it is a 14 bit value)

I use the global variable gb for the increment decrement amount for each incoming message

Translator 3 has rules to increment or decrement gb. I set it to 65 = left and 1 = right. If I have it backwards, you can change it.

Each fader will need to have it's own global variable to track the position.

Pro-tools requires touch/release message otherwise fader movement messages are ignored. (Most Mackie HUI enabled applications require this).

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

I might have qq and rr backward in translator 2. I think MSB (qq) needs to go first.

Thanks for file,I opened and at rotate the encoder,jump to max, +12db in pro tool's fader.

\"I might have qq and rr backward in translator 2. I think MSB (qq) needs to go first.\"

I fixed it this, and the fader moves correctly.

I will continue advancing the project, any questions, I will consult it here, regards.

Which parameters i must modificate to add a second encoder? I wrote "gc=1" in "Rules" but not working.

Hi, is it working for you now? Did you swap rr and qq in translator 2?

Touch Fader

b0 0f 0z b0 0f 40

 

Release fader

b0 0f 0z b0 0f 40

z is the fader number 0-7

 

Move fader

b0 0z hi

b0 2z lo

 

Again z is the fader number 0-7

The rules take care of manipulating the global variable to get to 0z and 2z .

 

Also each fader will need its own global variable.

 

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

I have 2 problems now:

1. I added second encoder and works fine, i repeat same steps to encoder 3 and 4 but not working.

2.When bomeMD close (20 min.later) and opened again, i move encoder in Pro Tools´mixer, fader jump to down.I think when i,ll use and open a session,faders jumps and arruined mixing.

PD: Sorry for my english,its not my native language,.. and thanks again.

Yes, we are storing the values of the faders in global variables. Global variables are not persistent between sessions. Also if you want to keep them accurate when you move them in Pro-tools, you will have to capture what Pro Tools sends and update the global variable values as well.  This can be done with separate translators.

Still any time you shut down MT Pro and open it again, the fader values will also be 0 unless they are updated either with your encoders or Pro Tools.

 

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

 

So, there´s no way that my proyect (surface control to pro tools) working?

For example in Reaper (Daw,like pro tools) the encoders doesnt keep values of fader, just increase or decrease the values, also, i see like bome receives midi feedback constanly,so,could update the values from Pro tools.

What is "separate translators" other bome running same time?

Yes, Pro tools will send back the fader values and you can capture those in the same variables using the same incoming message for move faders that you are sending. In fact, it may be better that you just send the values to Pro Tools and let the feedback from Pro-tools send back the value and capture them from Pro Tools instead. That way if you move a fader in Pro Tools or your controller, the values will always be in sync with Pro Tools. Steve Caldwell Bome Q and A Moderator and Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist bome@sniz.biz

In this point I lost, just want know; there´s some way that at close and open bome doesn't jumping faders values? or this is imposible?

If you close and re-open MT Pro , you will need to move your faders on Pro Tools and capture them in MT Pro. This would be true with any application as no external application would know the fader posiitions until Pro Tools sends them. Even for Motorized Faders, they will not move into proper position until Pro Tools tell them where they should be.
Saving the fader positions between sessions would not help anyway as there would be no way to know if they got moved by Pro Tools between sessions.

If just i send? For example in Reaper just increase o decrease the values if Reaper its focus, if nothas focus, i can move de encoder wherever i want, that Reaper dont change values, because Reaper dont sending signals to encoder.

 

If dont need send from Pro Tools to encoder (or bome) it could be posible make this to Pro Tools works?

Pro Tools will send values back to MT Pro, You will just need to capture them and update the variable. While working with Pro-tools you probably don't want to update the variable coming from the encoder. Just let Pro Tools update it as it will in HUI mode because it will echo back what you send it.

This should work with Pro Tools. We are no longer capturing the fader value on output except for sending. The value we send is based on the last captured value from Pro Tools. Since the CC is only 7 bit and fader is 14 bit, we just send the high value twice.

 

I tested in HUI mode with Cubase.

 

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz