Controlling Effects with A Pro

jdown


I am using Sonar Producer 8.5 64 Bit in Win 7.  I am trying to control the Lexicon Pantheon with my A Pro 300 and I swear it was working a little while ago, but I didn't like the way the sliders were assigned so I tried to change it using ACT. 
 
I have selected Band 2 and Control Map 0 but every time I move one of the sliders it is controlling track volume. I also don't get the standard message that I have changed x number of controls when I click the button to deactivate ACT learning and none of my desired changes have taken effect.
 
I noticed once that A Pro defaulted back to Control Map19 once, but tit seems to be staying on 0 now. 
 
Has anyone had luck controlling effects with the A Pro?
 
Thanks,
John
 
 

For what it's worth, my take on using ACT to control much of anything other than the DAW itself ... well it's more trouble than it's worth.  MIDI learn outside of ACT is a more straightforward proposition.  Map the A Pro transport keys (outside of ACT) to MIDI messages (and configure Sonar accordingly) and you can avoid ACT entirely for recording.  ACT is still probably useful in mixing, using the sliders for track level and knobs for pan position.  Just my personal opinion.
 
Also, I don't know what's going on with your setup.  In my experience, the A Pro will always switch to map 19 when ACT takes control.  I do wish it would return it to the initial map setting when it gives up control, which is another reason my default is to leave ACT off in Sonar.

Jdown, your problem with ACT (i think) is that you have B1 selected, which controls tracks, no matter what is 'in focus.'

On your A-PRO, press B2 (or B3) and click on the Lexicon Pantheon. Now you can use ACT and you'll only be controlling the plug in that's in focus.

WARNING LONG POST AHEAD - but worth reading if you own an A-PRO and havn't read my tutorial.

If your A-PRO is set up properly, and from the sound of it, it is - then the B1 to B4 buttons on the A-PRO change focus from tracks (B1) to plug ins (B2-4). For me, this is the best thing about the A-PRO because it means i can press B2 and edit the plug in (whether it's a synth or effect), and then if i have to change the volume of a track, for example, i simply press B1 on my A-PRO, and now i can use the knobs and sliders to control the tracks volume and pan. After i've changed the volume, i simply press B2 and focus is now back on the plug in.

Basically, the B buttons allow you to switch between controlling the tracks, and controlling a plug in. If you press B1 then no matter what you click (and therefor place 'in focus') only the tracks will be controlled. If you press B2, then you can click on whatever you want to control. If you want to control a synth, click on it, make the change. If you then want to control track, simply click a track number or name and focus will switch. I prefer to use the B1 button to switch to tracks though because then i don't have to use the mouse.

I strongly disagree with the above post that midi learn is better (sorry, no offence dmbaer) because ACT is focus based. If you use midi learn you're limiting your whole control session to the number of psysical controls on the A-PRO. For example, say you want to use slider one to control the volume of track 1 - that's now all you can ever use slider one for untill you delete the control. If you try and midi learn slider 1 with a synths cut off, it either overwrites the track one slider control, or it maps them together, so if you adjust one then the other moves aswell.

Also, with midi learn, you're limited to controlling tracks 1-8 only (without spending unnecessary time midi learning a new track number - but then you'd have to delete one of the other track controls.) With ACT, and the A-PRO, you can simply press shift and the foward button and the controls on the A-PRO will now be controlling the next 8 tracks. Press them again and you're controlling the next 8 tracks. Pressing shift and back changes the focus to the previous 8 tracks.

I've over explained everything. Basically, just press B2 on your A-PRO (inside Sonar) and then everything will be focus based - in that whatever you clicked on last will be controlled by the A-PRO.

As a final note, the way i use the A-PRO is to press B2 to control a plug in, then if i need to change the volume or pan of a track i just press B1. Then i can press B2 to change focus back to the plug in and so on... I've already mentioned this, but one thing to note is this....

For some reason (completly unknown to me) you have to click a track name or number first. God knows why though. So, open your project and press B2 on your A-PRO. Open Lexicon Pantheon (since you pressed B2 you can now set up the Lexicon Pantheon using ACT.)

Next, click on a track name or number. Move slider one on your A-PRO and it should be controlling track one's volume. Now press B2 on your A-PRO, and you should be controlling the Lexicon Pantheon. Press B1 and you're back to tracks. And so on....

Sorry for every explaining everything. I just wanted to show how much more powerful ACT is (with the A-PRO) than midi learn. And also point out that you can change focus with the B buttons (something that isn't even mentioned in the manual, or in the marketing blurb - although i have no idea why they didn't mention it because for me, it's the A-PRO's best feature!

Apoligies for the long post.

Yes, i see where you're coming from, in that we have no idea what gets mapped to what as far as synths go, but i always create a new map for each new synth i install. As a quick example, Rotary controllers 1-4 control filter 1 cutoff, filter 1 resonance, filter 2 cutoff, filter 2 resonance, respectivaly. The first 4 sliders are always the amp envelopes ADSR (Unless it has hold, or pre attack).

So you can kind of make them all controllable by the same rotary controllers and sliders, it just needs setting up - but then so does midi learn...

Finally fixed my problem.  I was using B2, but it would only control track volume, pan, master, etc.  I noticed I had "3-A-Pro" and 3-A-Pro Midi, etc.  ---- all of the A-Pro listings were preceded by a 3.  I had noticed previously that it had no prefix and then later was listed as 2-A-Pro. 

I totally wiped the driver and software and when I reinstalled, I was back to just APro and ACT was working fine.  The only thing I noticed was that I couldn't get A-Pro to control Room Size and a copule of other controls in the Lexicon Reverb.

I also noticed that it recently changed to 2-A-Pro.  Not sure why it keeps changing the listing under devices, but I can live with it if it keeps working.  

By the way I loved your guide to setting up A-Pro.

Thanks,
John

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