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DRUMS => Spark => Spark Users Community => Topic started by: stuey on June 25, 2013, 11:51:11 pm

Title: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 25, 2013, 11:51:11 pm
Hi all

In short, can it de done? I've seen this done in Logic and DP however I have Pro Tools and Ableton. Can I record Midi data out of the sequencer into either a Midi or Instrument track(Pro Tools).

I have set up mu IAC driver on the Mac and seeing they appear in other people's Spark prefs on You tube (Not seen this in Ableton or PT)
I can't see the IAC driver I have created in the Spark prefs.

Any help would be great

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 26, 2013, 12:14:05 am
Or is it only avaliable in AU plug ins?

I have added an AU unit in Ableton but get a message in Spark saying ####WOULD USE "IAC Spark1 Midi OUT" BUT THE PORT DOESN'T EXIST ####

Am using Ableton Live lite 8

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 26, 2013, 01:27:17 am
I'm also having issues just recording drum hits in Midi, from Spark. If I drag a Midi region in sometimes it appears blank. If i then manually input say a bass drum, it is mapped on a totally different key to that of the bass drum if I were to drag Midi in from the Spark library.

Should they not be mapped the same?

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 26, 2013, 10:57:15 am
No one uses Pro tools or Ableton with Spark?

Any help would be greatly received. Kevin? Do you have any light you can shed on this?

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: vaikl on June 26, 2013, 09:48:35 pm
Or is it only avaliable in AU plug ins?

I have added an AU unit in Ableton but get a message in Spark saying ####WOULD USE "IAC Spark1 Midi OUT" BUT THE PORT DOESN'T EXIST ####

Yep, the AU version of Spark plugin is buggy at that point. Arturia stated that it's an issue with Live or AU plugs in general and not their problem, but I don't think so.

Anyway, using the VST version works as it should, no probs here..
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 26, 2013, 10:23:47 pm
Yeah it's tough, if you want to qualify a product on all the plug in formats you need to spend time in R&D. I image it's hard but it's easy to say that it doesn't support a certain plug in format, but then that's not really an ideal situation to be in. Personally I use RTAS or AAX although they aren't without their issue either. One thing I do like about Ableton and the VST version is that you don't have to add automation tracks as I do in Pro Tools, then have to work out what they relate to. with Ableton, it only shows the parameters you've used.. Simple

From having intermittent and somewhat problematic succes with Pro Tools, I'm now having to rewire Ableton into Pro Tools then add the VST onto an Ableton Midi track.

Cheers, Stuart     
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 27, 2013, 09:42:13 am
Hi Stuart,
please look at section 7.6 of Spark manual. It explains how to record MIDI into Ableton and Pro Tools.

Concerning the AU issue, I can tell you that we have spent lots of time in R&D to try to solve it.
There is an API in Audio Unit to send MIDI from a Plug-In, the problem is that there is no AU DAW that is supporting it. If you can find an AU plug-in that is doing this better than us, please let me know.

Kevin
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 27, 2013, 09:53:18 am
Hi Kevin

I've looked through that section, it seems that when physically playing in from the pads, the midi notes are different to that if you drag in Midi from a 3rd party source or the Spark library.

Personally I would have not supported AU, most DAW either use VST or AU and as the VST works fine, there's no need to use AU. The RTAS has been resolved by the inclusion of AAX.

I'm of the mind that it doesn't matter what it does or doesn't support as long as that is clear to people who buy it expecting it to work. People buying this stuff don't really do their research properly before purchasing then get a nasty shock when it doesn't do what they expect :)

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 27, 2013, 10:10:12 am
Hi Kevin

I've looked through that section, it seems that when physically playing in from the pads, the midi notes are different to that if you drag in Midi from a 3rd party source or the Spark library.


Check the preferences:
Choose Drum map model for Midi Pattern Import
Choose Midi Drum map model for Pads

This should be the source of the problem.
Quote

Personally I would have not supported AU, most DAW either use VST or AU and as the VST works fine, there's no need to use AU. The RTAS has been resolved by the inclusion of AAX.

Unfortunately, Logic only supports AU.
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 27, 2013, 12:03:03 pm
Thanks Kevin, ill try that


Have a look at this, it a VST - AU wrapper

http://www.fxpansion.com/index.php?page=5

Maybe some kind of deal with fxpansion to incorporate that plug in into Arturia products so there's no need to use AU

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 27, 2013, 12:58:56 pm
I am aware about that but it wont solve anything.
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 27, 2013, 01:00:41 pm
Ok, just a thought

I imagine it still uses AU functionality, just wrapped as a VST?

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 27, 2013, 01:22:20 pm
RE Midi pads.

All those prefs are checked and although I can hear the notes if I hit the midi keyboard in Pro Tools, I can't record them in from the Spark pads.

I've swapped from Spark to GM to Addictive and tried all the variants of all the Midi prefs but still no joy

Thanks, Stuart 
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 27, 2013, 04:40:55 pm
Hi Kevin


So i've managed to get Spark to record Midi into Pro Tools but no matter what drum map I choose, the notes are record -2 octaves down and therefore are not playable back.

Can you clarify exactly how the private and public ports work and what they interfere with?

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 27, 2013, 04:42:20 pm
Ok, just a thought

I imagine it still uses AU functionality, just wrapped as a VST?

Thanks, Stuart
That's basically what we currently do.
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 28, 2013, 01:31:21 am
Hi Kevin


So, I have success ! Public in and out for playing in from pads or seq, switch back to Spark in Pro Tools for monitoring. Perhaps can we add that to an FAQ or an amend to the manual? As it seems that this trips a fair few people up, certainly it took me a time to get it to work. If private ports aren't really needed for convention USB use, can they not be hidden under the bonnet somewhere, perhaps in the Midi control centre

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 28, 2013, 09:23:04 am
Stuart,
you do not have to use public port to record MIDI from Spark plugin. These ports are used to Spark hardware as generic MIDI controller.
Concerning the Private Ports, if it was possible to hide them we would have done it.
But we are using the OS USB MIDI driver and this is not possible with this driver to do that.
We are considering using our own USB MIDI driver but this is something that is not trivial to do.

Kevin
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 28, 2013, 12:00:32 pm
Hi Kevin

In Pro Tools, create an instrument track and a master track. Insert Spark as the RTAS plug in on insert A.

On your instrument input section, choose Spark 1 Channel 1. Below that labelled, Midi output selector, navigate to Predefined Spark controller, Spark public OUT.
Presuming you have correct Spark prefs set up to record Seq or Pads, or both. You can record like this. I have been unable to record midi from Spark any other way. 

To monitor what you have just recorded change Midi output selector to Spark 1 Channel 1.

This is the only way I have been able to consistently record and monitor Spark in Pro Tools. If you can tell ne another way, I would be happy to hear it.

Thanks, Stuart
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 28, 2013, 02:00:17 pm
Hi Stuart.
- create a MIDI track A
- create a stereo instrument track B
- set track A input as track A
- set track A output to none
- click record on track A
- click record on main transport
- press play

Kevin
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: stuey on June 28, 2013, 04:35:29 pm
Hi Kevin

The point of an instrument track and specifically with software plug ins, is to route the midi inputs and outputs accordingly so that you don't have to create extra tracks in which to monitor the midi. This keeps the track count down if working with big sessions. The way you have described of course works, but it still means you have to switch the 'None' Midi output to Spark in order to monitor, which is fine but seems more set up involved than just creating 1 instrument track as Pro Tools intended it to be used. Having to configure an extra track everytime you want to add a Spark instrument seem more hassle to me, especially if speed is a factor.

Thanks, Stuart 


 
Title: Re: Midi record in Pro Tools and Ableton
Post by: Kevin on June 28, 2013, 05:27:50 pm
I know this is not convenient but this is the only way to do that correctly.

Kevin