Any way to program Buttons to send Program Changes (PCs) in DAW mode?

The MX Remote Editor only lets you program the knobs.  At least I didn’t see that option. I spot checked several of the control templates that come with MX61, and in most cases the buttons send note on/off changes, although in some cases they seem to have different behavior. So at least it looks like it might be possible, but not with Remote Editor?  Via SysEx maybe?

Thanks

The buttons do send switch ON/OFF commands if your setup is interpreting these as notes, this is a clear indication that Remote Control commands, which should be restricted to Port 2, are also being routed, incorrectly, to the tone generator. Check your MIDI PORT assignments.

What a button is able to send and how it is interpreted is DAW dependent.

Thanks BM.

Just for clarification: they are going out Port 2 and are interpreted by the remote system as notes on/off (not the MX tone generator, so that’s cool).

So then two more questions:
1.  what CC numbers are used for these switch On/Off?
2.  Is it possible to re-program them to send Program Changes? You would really need to be able to send three bytes for Bank MSB, LSB and Program Change. But just sending a program change, with MSB=0 & LSB=0 that would be just fine.

Thanks,

I’m not sure I understand what you are trying to do. You’re in the computer environment, you can probably increment and decrement through various VSTi presets - I don’t have one that has or requires Program Changes. But if you are addressing an external hardware device perhaps you want to use the Track to send the Bank Select and Program Change messages.

I have nothing to test this on, what is the application? Forgive me, I’m not following what you are doing. I don’t need a reason but can you give me any idea what your dealing with.

Np. One way to tese would be to connect the MX to an external tone generator or another synth via MIDI.

I am trying to control external sound “modules”.  One is Apple’s Mainstage – it is in a computer environment so I could do some programming on that side to have it respond to what the MX sends. That’s a bit tedious because I would have to create an on-screen button for each MX button and then it would be limited to 14 PCs, since the first 2 buttons on the MX are used for scrolling though the control templates.

Mainstage does respond to Program Changes directly, so in that case if I could send PCs directly from the MX, I would not need to do any programming, plus I could access up to 128 patches.

Right now, with the MX in Performance mode (not DAW mode), if I press the Shift key and a Part button, it will send a PC to Mainstage, but it will also change the MX performance at the same time. So, in essence, I would like to be able to do a similar operation while in DAW mode, so I can control each independently.

With hardware sound modules, like an MU128 (which I still have and use btw), sending program changes would be the only way to do this.

This is not a deal breaker any means. I may be pushing the limits of external control, but I love this little board.

Thanks for your help

Still not understanding… are you using a DAW? Your topic is “Program Buttons to send PCs in DAW mode?” if you are in DAW mode, I assumed you are using a DAW. If you are, you can easily send all of your Bank Select and Program Change messages via the DAW.

If you are in DAW mode on the MX, and are not connected to a DAW, please exit DAW mode… you were only kidding! :-)

It is not a DAW. It is essentially a software tone generator, but it is not a DAW per se.  The reason for going into DAW mode on the MX, is so that I can send messages to the external module on Port 2 and thus when I use a control on the MX, like a knob, it will change only the external module and not settings on the MX. The MX knobs control this external software module just fine in DAW mode. I can tell Mainstage what port to listen to and map the knob actions just fine. I would like to also send PCs from the MX to Mainstage, while in DAW mode.

What I mentioned about the Performance mode, was to provide an example of the type of operation I have in mind. Again, in performance mode, pressing the buttons change the patches on both the MX and the external module. I would like to do each independently.

Yeah, I see. DAW mode will not work for you - obviously designed to work with a DAW, thus the name. The PERFORMANCES in the MX send the Bank Select and Program Change message that would be used to recall the current Program (this is typical of every hardware synth).

The MX does not have a Master mode as you would find in the MOX or the Motif series.

The MX is able to stream .MID files via the EXTERNAL SONG function. If you prepare your files properly you can address the MX and whatever else you need to by simply recalling the file and pressing play.