Mackie Control problems

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sethmopod
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2007/06/19 11:43:15 (permalink)

Mackie Control problems

I just got a new Mackie Control Universal for a great price! I'm still trying to figure out how to use it and have run into a few basic problems. I was wondering if anyone could shed any light... I'm using PE 6.2.1

1) I can't get mute automation to work from the MCU. According to the help file, I should push M1 + Mute on the appropriate channel. This does nothing. Even when I enable automated muting using the mouse, I can't control the mute button from the MCU, I have to do it with the mouse.

2) I can't manage to select time ranges using the MCU. Again, according to the help file, I should be able to hold M1 and use the FF/RW buttons to make selections. When I do this, the now time doesn't even move when I press the FF/RW buttons.

3) I tend to use a lot of layers in my initial tracking and then cut between takes. Is there a way to control solo & mute parameters within layers from the MCU?

4) The select buttons in the channel strip section work sometimes and don't work sometimes. I actually found a workaround for this in another thread. If you turn off Automation Write Enable from the Automation menu, the select buttons work again. I was wondering if these other problems have come up with other users or if there's something I'm just not doing right!

Any help is greatly appreciated
Seth
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    newfuturevintage
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    RE: Mackie Control problems 2007/06/19 12:16:03 (permalink)
    isssues, 1 & 2, I haven't experienced, so I can't comment.

    3) not to my knowledge...track layers came after the MCU control surface plugin, so I suspect it'd have to be rewritten to acommodate this functionality.

    4) that's the state of affairs currently. Cake are aware of the issue though, and will hopefully come up with a fix. In the meantime, the workaround you found in the other thread is the way to go. The issue affects both the MCU as well as the behringer BCF.

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    Duojet
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    RE: Mackie Control problems 2007/06/19 12:58:35 (permalink)
    1. Mute automation does not work in sonar. I have tried everything. I have inquired with cakewalk, no response.
    2. Don't have experience with this, I always select with the mouse
    3. You cant control track layers from the MCU
    4. This one is a known issue

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    psi777
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    RE: Mackie Control problems 2007/06/19 14:51:17 (permalink)
    1) Only way I know of to do this: enable automated muting on the track within Sonar, then use Sonar's Remote Cotrol midi learning to get that MCU Mute button to trigger the automated mute button in Sonar...this will, I believe, place the track in a sort of double-mute (normal track muting + automated track muting), but in terms of functionality, it gives you automated track muting from your MCU. Catch is: you can't re-order you tracks unless you disable and re-do this process.

    2) From memory, might not get this exactly correct: move now time to first position, toggle the "Select" button, hit M1 + RW. Un-toggle "Select" button, move to end position. Re-Toggle "Select" button, hit M1 + FF. You will now have a selected range...hardly elegant, but it works...gets faster with practice.

    3) as above, no layer control

    4) yup, that's just a bug at the moment.



    #4
    sethmopod
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    RE: Mackie Control problems 2007/06/19 22:21:38 (permalink)
    Thanks to everyone for the input!

    1) I didn't try this yet, but it sounds like a bit of a pain! I'll probably give it a shot next time I mix drums though - probably in the next couple of days.

    2) psi777 gives better directions that the online help does . A slight correction: Toggle the select switch on. Set the now time for one end of the selection. Hit M1 + FF. Set now time for the other end of the selection. Hit M1 + FF. There is no need to untoggle the select switch. Also FF & RW are interchangable in this process.
    #5
    sethmopod
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    RE: Mackie Control problems 2007/07/12 10:02:14 (permalink)
    An update:

    1) I've decided to not even fool with automating mutes. When I use the automute function, it just sounds too abrubt. I get pops & clicks, so I'm just using the faders and envelopes to bring tracks in and out.

    2) I've grown to love the select function on the MCU! I'm setting loop and punch points faster than I ever did with the mouse alone! Steps: a) toggle the transport section to select mode b) begin playback a measure or so ahead of the start of the selection c) hit stop just as you arrive at the beat for the beginning of the selection d) M1 + FF e) hit play f) hit stop just as you arrive at the beat for the end of the selection g) M1 + FF
    With this method, my loops are nearly perfect every time since I'm doing them by ear instead of by eye. At most, I'm having to do one or occasionally two minor adjustments to the start or end time to get it perfectly smooth.

    Seth
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