Scroll presets with control surface?

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Russ.15
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2017/10/17 05:31:17 (permalink)

Scroll presets with control surface?

It seems like it should pretty simple to dedicate one of the knobs on my control surface (an Alesis QX25 keyboard) to scroll through presets in a VSTi, but I have no idea how to go about setting that up. Has anybody done this, or have any suggestions on how to accomplish this?

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    bitman
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/18 03:03:52 (permalink)
    AFAIK access to a plugs preset list is not exposed in the control surface api.
    I don't think Sonar is even concerned with them. When you interface with a plugin's preset menu, you are
    playing with the VSTs code, not Sonar. Sonar connects it's i/o "pins" up and the rest is up to you and the mouse.
     
    There may be a clever way to pull it off but since plugin preset menus are by no means standard across VSTs it would be a rocky road to hoe.
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    Russ.15
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/18 04:21:14 (permalink)
    I guess you're probably right; I was just being optimistic that there was a way to do it. Thanks!

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    Bassman002
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/19 06:57:25 (permalink)
    HI:)
     
    Some Synths have "prev Preset" and "next Preset" in ACT Mode!
     
    Bassman
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    scook
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/19 07:18:03 (permalink)
    There are functions available in the global area to "Increment/Decrement Plugin Preset" in Preferences > Customization > Keyboard Shortcuts. They may be bound to a MIDI keyboard or possibly using the controller software written by user azslow3 (I have no experience with the controller software). These functions use the Cakewalk Preset Manager as the preset source.
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    KingsMix
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/19 14:05:16 (permalink)
    I think you're looking for something like VIP software that comes with midi controllers such as Akai and Alesis VX49. I am not sure where to grab the VIP software indepenently, but  it's available on it's on..
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    azslow3
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/19 15:32:52 (permalink)
    There are 2 types of "presets":
     
    I. When you save a project, you want all VSTs save there "states", so when you load the project again the state is restored and you get exactly the same sound as before closing the project. In Sonar (and other VST hosts) you can save this "states" for particular VST independent from the project (but using the same machinery). These are called "Cakewalk Presets for VSTs". These you see, can save and change on the top of each VST window in sonar, that part comes from Sonar and so it is the same (!) for all VSTs. "Next"/"Previous" in keyboard shortcuts (the same for Control Surfaces) operate with this type of presets (only). Scook has posted links to Sonar documentation about that functionality.
     
    II. Almost all VSTs have own way to save/load own state. They exists when you see some (custom for every VST) "preset selection" part in the GUI. There is no standard way to change these presets, so DAW can not provide an universal way to do this.
    Many (but not all) VSTs support "MIDI Learn"ing for "Next"/"Previous" own buttons. Check the documentation for particular VST for such possibility (some have fixed MIDI assignment, so you can not learn but you can configure your controller to send required messages).
     
    Recently 2 approaches hit the market:
    a) one from Native Instruments. They have introduced an addition to VST convention, which allows browse and select presets of type (II). They support the method in own VSTs and many VST producers also have "joined the club" (the club is private, that convention is proprietary for NI).
    b) another from AKAI. They have introduced VIP. They use presets type (I).
     
    There are 3 major points why people mention and propose VIP over build-in Sonar way (both use the same technology):
    1) VIP manage presets much more sophisticated way. In Sonar, you can not make a structure for presets and you can not put presets for different VSTs into one list.
    2) AKAI and its community have prepared complete lists of presets. CW and its community have created... no preset lists at all.
    3) AKAI and its community have prepared reasonable control mappings. CW and its community have... you can guess what 
     
    Note that using NI has other benefits, thanks to special "integration" from many VSTs. For other VSTs they are using the same approach as VIP.
     

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    Glyn Barnes
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    Re: Scroll presets with control surface? 2017/10/19 21:13:56 (permalink)
    Native Instruments S series keyboards will scroll through presets, but only with a NKS comparable VSTi in the Komplete Kontrol shell. It is a fantastic feature limited by compatibility.

    I think some of the AKAl keyboards have a similar function.

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