Hi folks.
Is it possible to control the various modes in the performance section via keyswitches? For example, in strumming mode switch between different strumming speeds through a keywsitch?
If not, this goes onto the wish list.
/Jacob
Hi @bigisland! Scaler 2 has something along those lines, except it’s currently implemented as mappable MIDI CC parameters, not keyswitches like the green keys for section A/B/C.
You can assign different MIDI CC messages to custom settings in the Perform section. Just right-mouse-click on the “Perform” text, then you see this menu item…
Which leads you to the mapping input screen…
There you tweak whatever button/knob on your MIDI controller you want to use to recall that particular setting.
There are peculiarities within a DAW, when MIDI controllers are already controlled by DAW Scripts this doesn’t always work right (we’ve had discussions about this here in the forum, and the Scaler devs mentioned that they may refine this functionality in future versions).
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If you look at the MIDI spec for CC information you’ll see there are many that are undefined. That being said it’s possible to still step on one if something else is using it either in the instrument you are using or the DAW. But there are plenty to choose from. Here is a list.
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Thanks!
I messed around with this and as far as I can tell this function is more of some kind of storage for settings. I’m able to save a particular state of all the performance settings (in this case strumming set to down and slow saved to midi cc 16) but if I now change the strumming to up and want to save that to midi cc 17 it says “mapping already assigned”.
Either its not able to do what I want or I’m doing something wrong.
Any clues?
/Jacob
Delete the assigned cc and reassign to a new one.
Doing that doesn’t really help me. Maybe I´m not clear in what I’m trying to achieve…
The wish is to be able to switch between lets say “up” and “down” strokes in strumming mode via midi. Some notes in a pattern should have the down stroke and some should have the upstroke.
The above method can’t help me with that as far as I can tell. It can only store one particular setting, it won’t let me switch between two settings…
Actually you can do this. I just did it if I understand what you are trying to do. I just assigned 2 cc controllers to performance Arpeggio. One for Up and One for down and I can go back and forth. Is this what you are saying?
I’ll see if I can explain what I did —
Set you Performance to your first recall - Say Performance>Strumming_Strum>Up
Right click on Performance and choose - Create Command Mapping “Recall Playback Settings”
Map your first CC and Save and exit.
Change the Strum to Down and right click on Performance. This time choose Edit Command Mappings
Then Add Command Mapping
Then Select a command
Then Recall Playback Settings
Map a different controller
And you’ll see this after Save
You can do that as many times till you run out of controllers. Here us a third command I used for Alternate Medium
In an ideal world you would map 1 controller per 2 changes i.e. say CC 27 for strum up and down with 1 setting Up and 127 setting down but we don’t have that option.
Is this what you need?
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Well I´ll be damned, now I managed to do it myself… 
In Logic it seems like you have to do the midi cc assignments in the event list and not in the piano roll.
Thanks very much for the help on this one!
/Jacob
Glad to help. Reminded me of what we can do in Scaler. I don’t use it that often since I use the Playback settings for most changes I need but it was good to refresh my memory.
You can also use Key commands from your Computer Keyboard that’s maybe a little faster for some things live. I don’t think Logic would handle those in the sequence though.
Scaler is a very cool and inspiring tool.
Using the Computer Keyboard works but as you noted it won’t register in the sequence so for me it will be midi cc.
The path of using articulation presets (which I find very handy in lots of string libraries) might be a way to this as well…
As much as I appreciate the initial approach to map Scaler performances to MIDI CC messages, at the current iteration I find it easier to just configure particular performances and drag&drop their chord expressions into DAW piano roll clips and then use something like a Launchpad or Maschine JAM controller with 64 buttons to recall the performance expressions. That’s easier to configure and recall for now. The real value add will be if we can tweak MIDI CC “knobs” to select between different songs/scales/expressions in realtime 
Why can’t you use them in real-time?
The mapping of controller to particular performances right now cannot be done in realtime. You have to preconfigure particular settings, which limits your options to a small subset of all possible combinations.
What I mean is that I want to have live (real-time) access to all performance settings via a MIDI controller. So say I am in any of the pulldown menues (song/perform/humanize/voice grouping), that I can choose from the list via a turning knob from the options. I do this with sound presets via Program Change, sometimes even automate that. For the multi-dimensional options in Scaler obviously we’d need more than one knob to navigate. I think I’ve elaborated on that somewhere in a feature request…
Yes you have. As good as that might sound I think, if it happens like that, it will be in a major upgrade/overhaul. The way it works now doesn’t stop me from being creative. Sometimes limitations open unexpected doors.
MIDI spec already has a spec that could apply to what you want but would probably would be quite a revamp. That’s the program change spec. It can be applied to banks and programs within the banks. Most DAWs let you access those. That would allow for real-time changes.
The MIDI spec is just that, a specification. The implementation has to be in the plugin. The MIDI spec has commands for song/bank/program select. But if you send these MIDI messages to a plugin that does not respond to them because it doesn’t have those functions implemented, then it is just a theoretical exercise.
Most traditional soft synths have these implemented. I understand why Scaler does not have this, since it’s not primarily a soft synth. Nor does the configuration structure of Scaler currently lend itself to preset banks - more a combination of configuration options, which in their combinatorial space would exceed the usefulness of the bank/program concept, and also question the creative flow.
Hence my suggestion to make every mouse-clickable (sub)menu with a list of options also selectable via a MIDI value (within a CC). Surfacing UI controls in a plugin is a standard development practice and not that unusual of an effort compared to other implementation details. The concept of minimizing interaction with the software on the computer screen during a live performance (to focus primarily on dedicated performance controllers) isn’t that unusual. If at all, more a philosophical stance on whether Scaler wants to support live performances in the future.
As a user I provide a feature request, as seems to be invited in the forum, given the category in the thread options. Since we don’t have an explicit prioritization scheme here in the forum, and I assume the prioritization of feature implementation is at the discretion of the Scaler product team, let me emphasize that from my perspective this would be a “nice to have” feature, and not a pressing “can’t live without one”.
I just want to counter the questioning of the value of the feature request. There’s a good reason for it IMHO. And if I am the only one who would benefit from this, so be it, no big deal if it gets punted (at the discretion of the product/development team). But have to put it out there to test the waters about general interest and feasibility. That’s all
And I fully understand that program change is just a MIDI spec just like CC is a MIDI Spec. I understand what you were suggesting and I am in no way saying it’s not a good idea or needed. If it was there I would use it. Not sure where you think I am downplaying it in anyway. I fully support access to that information as much as the next guy. I want things as well. Many things in Scaler are inset too far in menus and sub menus. Some stuff is in preferences when it would make more sense to be on the front GUI. I personally would like the ability to control the order of the pads when they play back synced to the DAW. We all want to see something that would make our workflow better.
All I’m saying is I think it’s coming but I can be creative now. Scaler is a good engine. I know it will only get better.
Cheers,
~ J
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BTW guys 2.4.1 allows replacing of assigned commands rather than having to delete and create a new one also allows < and > which makes browsing via remote much easier. Coming soon now
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