Clip Launcher control via MIDI

[Davey]

Hi all. First post.

Has anyone found a way to control the clip launcher from an external MIDI controller that isn't an Atom or Atom SQ?
As far as pads go I have a LaunchKey Mini, an Akai MPD218 and a Korg something-or-other and I was hoping I could persuade one or more of them to trigger clips in the launcher. They can variously send midi notes or CCs.

I do have the Remote Control software on iPad and it has been updated for Launcher but unfortunately there is no clip display or direct control - just up, down, left, right to select a clip on the PC screen then buttons to play and stop it etc. I was hoping for a more direct approach!

 

[Vocalpoint]

I thought Launcher Control was a proprietary thing specific to the ATOM.

But I guess not

VP

 

[Branis]

Novation Launchpad X works without any setup, just plug and play.

 

[Vocalpoint]

Novation Launchpad X works without any setup, just plug and play.

Cool.

 

[Davey]

Novation Launchpad X works without any setup, just plug and play.

That's good news I think.

My Novation LaunchKey Mini (mk 3 I think) did not seem to work but maybe I'll try it again tomorrow. It has a few modes it can work in.

In about six years Launcher is the first feature that Presonus have added that has successfully parting me from my hard earned cash. I upgraded from V4.x to V7 because of it and being able to launch clips from a controller would be the icing on the cake. I wonder if they are planning to make an "Atom XL" with something like an 8x8 grid of pads.

 

[Lukas]

Well, the Launcher has more than 50 Studio One commands. Since Studio One commands can be triggered from MIDI controllers (by sending MIDI CC messages), you can basically control the Launcher from any MIDI controller that can send MIDI CCs.

Here's one of my videos showing how you can map commands to MIDI CCs:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

You can find all the Launcher commands by entering "Launcher" into the search field in the the Keyboard Shortcuts window.

The crucial question is what exactly you want to do and whether the necessary commands are already available. If not, we could collect here which ones are missing.

 

[Davey]

Thanks Lukas. I don't think any of those 50 commands really cover what I would like.

I'd like the same sort of functionality you get when using something like a Novation Launchpad or Ableton Push with Ableton's Session view. So pressing any pad on the controller will play/launch the corresponding clip. With the key commands you linked I'd have to navigate to a particular clip with up, down, left and right to select it before I could launch it. It's clear that the sort of functionality I would like is possible because Atom and Atom SQ do it.

So I'm intrigued by @Branis comment that Launchpad X just works. Does that mean Novation have had to write a special remote script/codec/something for Studio One? I'd love to see a video of that working if anyone has one.

 

[sintil8]

@Davey

If you scroll down to the section "Launcher Key Features" the Novation controllers are listed. How you get it into SO1 launcher mode was listed somewhere, you could always fire an email of to Novation. I've always found them to be very helpful.

Studio One Whats New

Latest features and updates to PreSonus Studio One.

uk.presonus.com

Kind regards

 

[Davey]

@Davey

If you scroll down to the section "Launcher Key Features" the Novation controllers are listed. How you get it into SO1 launcher mode was listed somewhere, you could always fire an email of to Novation. I've always found them to be very helpful.

Studio One Whats New

Latest features and updates to PreSonus Studio One.

uk.presonus.com

Kind regards

Unfortunately mine is a LaunchKey rather than a LaunchPad, although the its pads are the same as on the LaunchPads.

So it's just not recognised by S1 and the keyboard cannot be switched into "Session Mode" presumably because it can't see a suitable driver at the other end. I'd hazard a guess that the "Session Mode" protocol will be the same as the Launchpads so the S1 driver would probably be very similar for the 'Key range. But for now it's "close but no cigar".

I have asked Novation but my Launchkey has been superseded by a newer model so I'm not too hopeful.

Has anyone ever fiddled with the existing S1 device files to extend or alter them? I might have a play...

Of course, a more general solution would be for Presonus to give us some method of allocating MIDI triggers to the Launcher clips. Then we could use anything on any controller to "play" the Launcher.

 

[sintil8]

@Davey
From what I recall, Presonus gave Novation access to the the Launcher code. I imagine Novation looked at their controllers and created code for the most *capable* and most suitable controllers. (the ones that resembled Presonus's).
I would imagine if your gear is not listed by Presonus it's probably not going to fly. I'd be happy to be proved wrong on that tho'

That's about as much as I know about it.

Regards.