CONTROLLER EDITOR

CONTROLLER EDITOR ‘10 Operation Manual EFTA_R1_0017 102' EFTA01810123 Disclaimer The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not repre- sent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or record- ed, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, herein- after referred to as Native Instruments. All product and company names are TM or ® trade- marks of their respective owners. Document authored by: Nicolas Sidi Product Version: 1.2.5 Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but in making this a better product. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 2 EFTA_R1_00171022 EFTA01810124 Contact Germany Native Instruments GmbH Schlesische Str. 28 D-10997 Berlin Germany v,..timative-ins:rurnents.du USA Native Instruments North America, Inc. 5631 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90028 USA www.native-instruments.com NATIVE INSTRUMENTS © Native Instruments GmbH, 2010. All rights reserved. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 3 EFTA_R1_00171023 EFTA01810125 Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Welcome to the Controller Editor! 9 2 Installation 10 2.1 MASCHINE Owners: Installing from the MASCHINE Installation DVD 10 2.2 KORE Owners: Installing from the KORE 2.1 Update Installer 10 2.3 GUITAR RIG Owners: Installing from the GUITAR RIG 4 Installation DVD 11 2.4 TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 Owners 11 2.5 AUDIO KONTROL 1 Owners 11 2.6 Downloading the Controller Editor from the Native Instruments Website 12 3 Quick Start 13 3.1 Preparations 13 3.2 Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software 13 3.3 Loading assignments 18 3.3.1 Selecting a Template 18 3.3.2 Selecting Knob Pages and Pad Pages on the MASCHINE Controller 19 3.3.3 Selecting Knob Pages on the KORE Controller 21 3.3.4 Selecting Knob Pages on the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 21 3.3.5 Selecting Knob Pages on the AUDIO KONTROL 1 22 3.3.6 Ready to go? 23 3.4 Modifying an Assignment 23 3.5 Organizing Your Assignments 24 3.6 Saving and Loading Templates 26 4 Basic Concepts 28 Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 4 EFTA_R1_00171024 EFTA01810126 4.1 4.2 How the Controller Editor Works Overview of the User Interface Table of Contents 28 28 4.2.1 Application Menu Bar 30 4.2.2 Application Control Bar 30 4.2.3 Hardware Area 31 4.2.4 Inspector 32 4.3 The Mapping System 38 4.3.1 Assignments 38 4.3.2 Knob Pages (MASCHINE Controller. KORE Controllers, TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and AUDIO KONTROL 1) 38 4.3.3 Pad Pages (MASCHINE Controller only) 39 4.3.4 Templates 39 4.3.5 Configuration 40 4.4 To sum up... 40 5 Using your MASCHINE Controller 42 5.1 Assignable Control Elements 42 5.2 Special Control Elements 45 5.2.1 Switching Between Knob Pages or Templates 45 5.2.2 Switching Between Pad Pages 45 5.2.3 Switching Between MIDI Mode and MASCHINE Mode 45 5.2.4 Other Features of the SHIFT Button 45 5.3 The Status LEDs 46 5.3.1 Buttons 46 5.3.2 Knobs 46 5.3.3 Pads 47 5.4 The Displays 47 Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 5 EFTA_R1_00171025 EFTA01810127 Table of Contents 5.4.1 Switching Between Display Modes 47 5.4.2 Knobs Display Mode 48 5.4.3 Pad Pages Display Mode 49 5.4.4 Knob Pages Display Mode 50 5.4.5 Template Display Mode 51 5.4.6 Monitor Display Mode 51 5.4.7 Settings Display Mode 52 6 Using your KORE Controller 54 6.1 Assignable Control Elements 54 6.1.1 KORE 2 Controller 54 6.1.2 KORE 1 Controller 56 6.2 Special Control Elements 56 6.2.1 Switching Between Templates or Knob Pages 57 6.2.2 Switching Between MIDI Mode and KORE Mode 57 6.2.3 Other Features 57 6.3 The Status LEDs 57 6.3.1 Buttons 57 6.3.2 Knobs 58 6.3.3 Scrol lwheel 58 6.3.4 Pedal Inputs and Footswitch Ports 58 6.4 The Display 59 6.4.1 Switching between Display Modes 59 6.4.2 Control Display Mode 60 6.4.3 Knob Pages Display Mode 62 6.4.4 Setup Display Mode 63 Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 6 EFTA_R1_00171026 EFTA01810128 Table of Contents 6.4.5 Options Display Mode 6.4.6 Templates Display Mode 7 Using your TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 7.1 Assignable Control Elements 7.2 Special Control Elements 7.2.1 Switching Between Knob Pages 7.2.2 Switching Between MIDI Mode and TRAKTOR Mode 7.3 The Status LEDs 64 64 66 66 68 68 69 69 8 Using your RIG KONTROL 3 70 8.1 Assignable Control Elements 70 8.2 Special Control Elements 71 8.3 The Status LEDs 72 8.3.1 Foot Switches 72 8.3.2 Expression Pedal 72 8.3.3 Pedal Inputs 73 8.4 The Display 73 9 Using your AUDIO KONTROL 1 74 9.1 Assignable Control Elements 74 9.2 Special Control Elements 75 9.3 The Status LEDs 76 9.3.1 Left Button 76 9.3.2 Controller Knob 76 9.3.3 Middle and Right Buttons 76 10 Reference 78 Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 7 EFTA_R1_00171027 EFTA01810129 Table of Contents 10.1 The Application Menu Bar 78 10.1.1 File Menu 78 10.1.2 View Menu 84 10.1.3 Help Menu 85 10.2 The Application Control Bar 85 10.2.1 Device Menu 86 10.2.2 Connect Button 87 10.2.3 Template Select Menu 88 10.2.4 Minimize/Expand View Button 89 10.2.5 MIDI Activity Indicator 91 10.2.6 NI Logo 91 10.3 The Hardware Area 92 10.3.1 Label Fields 92 10.3.2 Selection Frame 93 10.3.3 Knob Page Area and Knob Page Menu (MASCHINE and KORE Controllers, TRAK- 94 TOR KONTROL Xl, AUDIO KONTROL 1 only) 10.3.4 The Page Buttons (MASCHINE and KORE Controllers) 95 10.3.5 The Pad Pages (MASCHINE Controller only) 96 10.4 The Inspector 99 10.4.1 The Templates Tab 100 10.4.2 The Pages Tab (MASCHINE Controller, KORE Controllers, TRAKTOR KONTROL 104 Xl and AUDIO KONTROL 1 only) 10.4.3 The Assign Tab 110 Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 8 EFTA_R1_00171028 EFTA01810130 Welcome to the Controller Editor! 1 Welcome to the Controller Editor! Welcome to the Controller Editor! This powerful tool turns your Native Instruments hard- ware controller device into a versatile and efficient MIDI remote control for your studio and/or live setup. With the Controller Editor, you can precisely define which MIDI message has to be sent upon any action you do on your NI Controller. This way, you can put all you music setup right at your fingertips and remote control every MIDI-capable software or hardware from your NI Controller. After having prepared your MIDI assignments with the Controller Editor, you can focus on what it's all about: making music! Yours sincerely, The team at Native Instruments About This Manual This manual is divided into three parts: • First, we will introduce you to the Controller Editor: after a short description of the installation procedure (chapter 12. Installation), we will start with a brief tutorial (chapter ' 3 Quick Start). • The second part illustrates the software's user interface, the Controller Editor's map- ping scheme and the various ways to interact with the software (chapter ' 4, Basic Concepts); it also shows you how to use your particular NI Controller (chapter ' 5, Us- ing your MASCHINE Controller, chapter 6. Using your KORE Controller, chapter t 7, Using your TRAKTOR KONTROL X1, chapter ' 8, Using your RIG KONTROL 3, and chapter 19, Using your AUDIO KONTROL 1). This will familiarize you with Con- troller Editor's workflow. • The third part is a detailed reference, describing the software interface and its opera- tion. Read chapter ' 10. Reference for information on every knob, button or field present on the Controller Editor's interface. MThis manual generally refers to all Native Instruments hardware controller devices simply as "NI Controller." If any information applies to a specific device only, e.g. the MA- SCHINE Controller, this will be mentioned explicitly. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 9 EFTA_R1_00171029 EFTA01810131 Installation 2 Installation 2.1 MASCHINE Owners: Installing from the MASCHINE Installation DVD The Controller Editor is included in the MASCHINE software package and should have been installed during the MASCHINE installation process. Thus, normally it does not need any specific installation. If for any reason the Controller Editor is not installed on your computer, please insert the MASCHINE DVD into your optical drive and launch the instal- lation process (for a detailed description of the MASCHINE installation process, please re- fer to the MASCHINE Reference Manual / Getting Started). During this process, when you get to the step asking you to choose which piece of software you wish to install, check only the Controller Editor checkbox, and click on the "Next" button. You can leave all other op- tions (installation directory, etc.) to their default value or choose different settings accord- ing to your needs. 2.2 KORE Owners: Installing from the KORE 2.1 Update Installer The Controller Editor is included in the KORE 2 software package starting from version 2.1. If you purchased KORE 2 after this date, the Controller Editor should have been in- stalled during the KORE 2 installation process. Thus, it does not need any specific instal- lation. If for any reason the Controller Editor is not installed on your computer, please in- sert the KORE 2 DVD into your optical drive and launch the installation process again (for a detailed description of the KORE 2 installation process, please refer to the KORE 2 Op- eration Manual / Setup Guide). During this process, when you get to the step asking you to choose which piece of software you wish to install, check only the Controller Editor check- box, and click on the "Next" button. You can leave all other options (installation directory, etc.) to their default value or choose different settings according to your needs. If you purchased KORE 2 prior to this date, launch the NI Service Center and download and install the last KORE 2 update—it will include the Controller Editor. During the instal- lation process, follow the instructions on the screen. By default, the Controller Editor will be installed in the directory "Programs/Native Instruments/Controller Editor" (on Windows systems) or "Applications/Native Instruments/Controller Editor" (on Mac OS® X systems). Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 10 EFTA_R1_00171030 EFTA01810132 Installation GUITAR RIG Owners: Installing from the GUITAR RIG 4 Installation DVD 2.3 GUITAR RIG Owners: Installing from the GUITAR RIG 4 Installation DVD The Controller Editor is included in the GUITAR RIG 4 software package and should have been installed during the GUITAR RIG 4 installation process. Thus, normally it does not need any specific installation. If for any reason the Controller Editor is not installed on your computer, please insert the GUITAR RIG 4 DVD into your optical drive and launch the installation process (for a detailed description of the GUITAR RIG 4 installation process, please refer to the GUITAR RIG 4 Application Reference / Getting Started). During this process, when you get to the step asking you to choose which piece of software you wish to install, check only the Controller Editor checkbox, and click on the "Next" button. You can leave all other options (installation directory, etc.) to their default value or choose different settings according to your needs. 2.4 TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 Owners The Controller Editor is included in the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 software package and should have been installed during the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 installation process. Thus, normally it does not need any specific installation. If for any reason the Controller Editor is not installed on your computer, please insert the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 DVD into your optical drive and launch the installation process (for a detailed description of the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 installation process, please refer to the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 manual / Getting Started). 2.5 AUDIO KONTROL 1 Owners The Controller Editor is included in the AUDIO KONTROL 1 software package starting from version April 2010. If you purchased the AUDIO KONTROL 1 after this date, the Controller Editor should have been installed during the AUDIO KONTROL 1 installation process. Thus, it does not need any specific installation. If for any reason the Controller Editor is not installed on your computer, please insert the AUDIO KONTROL 1 DVD into your optical drive and launch the installation process again (for a detailed description of the AUDIO KONTROL 1 installation process, please refer to the AUDIO KONTROL 1 Man- Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 11 EFTA_R1_00171031 EFTA01810133 Installation Downloading the Controller Editor from the Native Instruments Website ual/Setup Guide). During this process, when you get to the step asking you to choose which piece of software you wish to install, check only the Controller Editor checkbox, and click on the "Next" button. You can leave all other options (installation directory, etc.) to their default value or choose different settings according to your needs. If you purchased AUDIO KONTROL 1 prior to this date, launch the NI Service Center and download and install the last AUDIO KONTROL 1 update—it will include the Controller Editor. During the installation process, follow the instructions on the screen. By default, the Controller Editor will be installed in the directory "Programs/Native Instruments/Con- troller Editor" (on Windows systems) or "Applications/Native Instruments/Controller Edi- tor" (on Mac OS® X systems). 2.6 Downloading the Controller Editor from the Native Instruments Website You can also download the Controller Editor installer directly from the Native Instruments website. To do this, open your favorite internet browser and go to the following URL: http://www.native-instruments.com/updates Follow the instructions on the website, download the file "Hardware Controller Support Setup.exe" (Windows) or "Hardware Controller Support Installer" (Mac OS® X) and save it on your hard disk. This downloaded file contains the full installation package, including the background serv- ice needed to establish the connection between your NI Controller and your computer, and the Controller Editor software described in this manual. Once you have downloaded and saved the file, navigate to the directory where you saved the file and double-click it. This launches the installer. The installation process is straight- forward: follow the instructions on the screen (you can leave the few options at their de- fault values), and you're done. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 12 EFTA_R1_00171032 EFTA01810134 Quick Start 3 Quick Start This chapter provides a hands-on introduction to the Controller Editor. In chapter ' 10. Reference you will find all details about every element of the software. The use of the Controller Editor is straightforward. Most actions can be done either from your NI Controller or via the Controller Editor interface, and this in various ways—you can choose the one that best fits your needs. In the sections below, we will quickly mention different ways-of-doing for each step—but you will find all possible actions described later in this manual. 3.1 Preparations At this point, we assume that: • Your computer is up and running. • You have already installed the Controller Editor along with all its background compo- nents (see chapter ' 2, Installation for more info on this). • Your NI Controller is physically connected to your computer. 3.2 Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software First of all, except for the RIG KONTROL 3, it is not necessary to start the Controller Edi- tor software in order to use your NI Controller as a MIDI remote control! Pressing Shift + Control on the MASCHINE Controller, Fl then Control on the KORE 2 Controller or Shift + Hotcue on the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 switches your NI Controller to MIDI Mode even without the Controller Editor software running. For the AUDIO KONTROL 1, it is even sim- pler: it is always in MIDI Mode. In order to modify the assignments of your NI Controller as a MIDI remote control, on the other hand, you need to connect it to the Controller Editor software first. Launch the Controller Editor: • On Windows XP, select Start > All Programs > Native Instruments > Controller Editor > Controller Editor. • On Mac OS® X, open the Finder and double-click Applications > Native Instruments > Controller Editor. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 13 EFTA_R1_00171033 EFTA01810135 Quick Start Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software This will automatically switch any connected Controller to the MIDI Mode. You can check this by looking at the Connect button in the Application Control Bar, in the top part of the Controller Editor window: Fig. 3.1. The Connect button. If the Connect button is lit, your Controller is in MIDI Mode (and thus is connected to the Controller Editor). If, for any reason, this is not the case (for example, if you have started the MASCHINE, KORE, GUITAR RIG or TRAKTOR software after the Controller Editor), use either way to establish the connection manually: • On your MASCHINE Controller, press the buttons SHIFT + CONTROL (MIDI) to acti- vate the MIDI Mode: • On your KORE 2 Controller, press the buttons Fl then Control to activate the MIDI Mode: • On your KORE 1 Controller, press the buttons View then Control to activate the MIDI Mode. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 14 EFTA_R1_00171034 EFTA01810136 Quick Start Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software • On your TRAKTOR KONTROL Xl, press the buttons SHIFT + HOTCUE (MIDI) to acti- vate the MIDI Mode: • In the Controller Editor, click the Connect button to (re)connect your NI Controller to the Controller Editor. MRIG KONTROL 3: There is no way for switching to MIDI Mode from your RIG KONTROL 3. To do this, please use the Connect button in the Controller Editor. MAUDIO KONTROL 1: The MIDI Mode is the only available mode, and thus it is always ac- tive. Hence, there is no need for any kind of switching. Now, your Controller acts as a MIDI remote control and you can use the Controller Editor to create and edit MIDI assignments. MIf the Connect button is grayed out and inactive, check the connection between your NI Controller and your computer. Re-connecting the MASCHINE Controller to the MASCHINE Software If you want the MASCHINE Controller to control the MASCHINE software again, you need to re-connect it. To establish a connection between the MASCHINE Controller and the MA- SCHINE software again, use either one of the following methods: • On your MASCHINE Controller, press the buttons Shift + Control (MIDI) to switch it to MASCHINE Mode: • Click the Connect button in the MASCHINE software's Header to switch the MA- SCHINE Controller to MASCHINE Mode: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 15 EFTA_R1_00171035 EFTA01810137 Quick Start Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software More information on switching the MASCHINE Controller's modes is available in the MA- SCHINE manual and in section ' 9 2 2. Connect Button in this manual. Re-connecting the KORE Controller to the KORE 2 Software If you want the KORE Controller to control the KORE 2 software again, you need to re-con- nect it. To establish a connection between the KORE Controller and the KORE 2 software again, use either one of the following methods: • On your KORE Controller, press the button Fl, then Control (or View, then Control on the KORE 1 Controller): • Click the Connect button in the KORE 2 software's Header to switch the KORE Con- troller to KORE Mode: More information on switching the KORE Controller's modes is in section ' 9.2.2. Connect Button in this manual. Re-connecting the RIG KONTROL 3 to the GUITAR RIG 4 Software If you want the RIG KONTROL 3 to control the GUITAR RIG 4 software again (or one of its instances), you need to re-connect it. To do this: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 16 EFTA_R1_00171036 EFTA01810138 Quick Start Connecting your NI Controller to the Controller Editor Software 1. Show the Virtual Rig Kontrol in GUITAR RIG 4's interface by activating its button in the Toolbar, at the top of the Rack: 2. In the Virtual Rig Kontrol that appears at the Rack's bottom, click on the Active LED in the top left corner: More information on switching the RIG KONTROL's modes is in section 9.2.2, Connect Button in this manual. Re-connecting the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 to the TRAKTOR Software If you want the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 to control the TRAKTOR software again, you need to re-connect it. To establish a connection between the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and the TRAKTOR software again, do the following: • On your TRAKTOR KONTROL Xl, press the buttons Shift + Hotcue (MIDI): OWhen TRAKTOR is running, the MIDI functionality of your TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 can be disabled with a Preferences option on the KX1 preferences page called Switch to MIDI via Shift+Hoteue (enabled by default). The purpose of this option is to avoid erroneous switching into MIDI mode during heavy usage of Shift and Hotcue Buttons. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 17 EFTA_R1_00171037 EFTA01810139 Quick Start Loading assignments 3.3 Loading assignments 3.3.1 Selecting a Template You first have to select a Template—a full set of assignments for all assignable control ele- ments on your NI Controller. You can do this either from your NI Controller or from the Controller Editor software. OA Template is a whole set of MIDI assignments for your NI Controller. More info on this in section ' 4.3. The Mapping System! Hardware • On your MASCHINE Controller, while holding the Shift button depressed, use the Page Buttons (the two arrow buttons in the top left part) to scroll through all available Templates. • On your KORE 2 Controller, press the Fl button and use the Up/Down Arrow Buttons to scroll through all available Templates. MIf you have the KORE 1 Controller, use the View button instead of the Fl button. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 18 EFTA_R1_00171038 EFTA01810140 Quick Start Loading assignments a On the RIG KONTROL 3, TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and AUDIO KONTROL 1, there is no possibility to select the Templates. To do this, you have to use the Controller Editor inter- face (see below). Software • In the Controller Editor, select a Template from the Template Select menu in the Ap- plication Control Bar, in the top part of the Controller Editor window (after having checked that the Device menu on the far left displays the Controller that you are cur- rently using): Fig. 3.2. The Template Select menu also allows you to load the desired Template. Either way, the Template will automatically be loaded upon selection and its assignments will be displayed. You can now control the software from your NI Controller. Each assignment is recalled at the last state of use: the software remembers the last value for each of the control elements assigned in this Template. If it's the first time that you load a Template, all assignments are at their default value. 3.3.2 Selecting Knob Pages and Pad Pages on the MASCHINE Controller Some of the control elements of your MASCHINE Controller can have multiple assign- ments which are organized in pages: • The eight buttons and eight knobs sitting around the two Displays. The so-called "Knob Pages" are subgroups of assignments for these control elements. • The sixteen Pads. The so-called "Pad Pages" are subgroups of assignments for these control elements. The Pad Page feature may be activated or not in the selected Tem- plate. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 19 EFTA_R1_00171039 EFTA01810141 Quick Start Loading assignments OMore info on Knob Pages and Pad Pages in section t4.3, The Mapping System! Thus, you may need to select a particular Knob Page and/or Pad Page of assignments for loading. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Select the Knob Page that you want to use. Again, you can do this from your MA- SCHINE Controller, for example by using the Page Buttons (the same two arrow but- tons as above, but without holding Shift depressed —see picture below), or in the Controller Editor, for example by using the Knob Page menu (the orange menu above the orange frame). 2. Provided that the Pad Pages are activated in the current Template (see section '4.3. The Mapping System), select the Pad Page that you want to use. This can be done both from your MASCHINE Controller by pressing one of the Group Buttons labeled A to H in the Groups area (see picture below), and in the Controller Editor, for example by using the Pad Page menu (the blue menu above the blue frame around the Pads). Fig. 3.4. The MASCHINE Controller Group Buttons. The Group Buttons on your MASCHINE Controller allow you to select the desired Pad Page (a set of assignments for the Pads). Section 1 5.4, The Displays will show you another way to select and load Templates and Knob Pages from your MASCHINE Controller, via its two Displays. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 20 EFTA_R1_00171040 EFTA01810142 Quick Start Loading assignments 3.3.3 Selecting Knob Pages on the KORE Controller Some of the control elements of your KORE Controller can have multiple assignments which are organized in pages: • The eight Controller Knobs and eight Controller Buttons. The so-called "Knob Pages" are subgroups of assignments for these control elements. Thus, you may need to select a particular Knob Page of assignments for loading. To do this, use one of the following methods: • From your KORE Controller, use the Up and Down Arrow Buttons to switch to the pre- vious or next Knob Page (provided that you are not in the Settings nor Options Display Mode—see section P 6.4, The Display): You can select the previous/next Knob Page via the Up/Down Arrows Buttons on your KORE Controller. • In the Controller Editor, use the Knob Page menu (the orange menu above the orange frame) to select the desired Knob Page. Section ' 6 4 The Display will show you another way to select and load Templates and Knob Pages from your KORE Controller, via its Main Display. 3.3.4 Selecting Knob Pages on the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 Within each Template, all control elements on your TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 (with the ex- ception of the Shift and Hotcue Buttons) can have two assignments organized in two so- called "Knob Pages": the Basic page (default name) holds one set of assignments for the whole controller, and the Shift page (default name) holds another set of assignments. Thus, you need to select a particular Knob Page of assignments for loading. To do this, use one of the following methods: • From your TRAKTOR KONTROL Xl, use the SHIFT Button to switch between the two available Knob Pages: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 21 EFTA_R1_00171041 EFTA01810143 Quick Start Loading assignments Fig. 3.5. The SHIFT Button on the TRAKTOR KONTROL X 1. MThis Shift Button can have two operating modes: it activates the new page whether for the time it is hold depressed (Gate mode), or until the next time you press it again (Toggle mode). Please refer to section t 7.2.1, Switching Between Knob Pages for more info on this. • In the Controller Editor, use the Knob Page menu (the orange menu above the orange frame) to select the desired Knob Page. 3.3.5 Selecting Knob Pages on the AUDIO KONTROL 1 Within each Template, all control elements on your AUDIO KONTROL 1 (with the excep- tion of the Left Button) can have two assignments organized in two so-called "Knob Pa- ges": the Basic page (default name) holds one set of assignments, and the Shift page (de- fault name) holds another set of assignments. Thus, you need to select a particular Knob Page of assignments for loading. To do this, use one of the following methods: • From your AUDIO KONTROL 1, use the Left Button to switch between the two availa- ble Knob Pages: Fig. 3.6. The Left Button on the AUDIO KONTROL 1 MThis Left Button can have two operating modes: it activates the new page whether for the time it is hold depressed (Gate mode), or until the next time you press it again (Toggle mode). Please refer to section 19.2 Special Control Elements for more info on this. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 22 EFTA_R1_00171042 EFTA01810144 Quick Start Modifying an Assignment • In the Controller Editor, use the Knob Page menu (the orange menu above the orange frame) to select the desired Knob Page. 3.3.6 Ready to go? If you only plan to use this Template (and Knob Page/Pad Page) as it is, i.e. without modi- fying any of its MIDI assignments, you're done! As you may have noticed, you can do all this from within your MASCHINE Controller, KORE Controller or TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 —this being of course the preferred way for any live situation. If you used the Controller Editor, you can close the application now—the corresponding NI background service will take care of everything —and you can start using your NI Controller as a MIDI remote con- trol right away! 3.4 Modifying an Assignment Now, if you want to modify some of the assignments stored in the selected Template (and possibly one of its Knob Pages and/or Pad Pages), continue with these few more steps: 1. Select the control element for which you want to edit the assignment. You can do this either in the Controller Editor by clicking on the control element within the hardware representation (see picture below), or from your NI Controller by touching the control element (for this, the Touch Select option needs to be activated in the General tab of the Preferences window—this is the default setting). A double-click on the control el- ement—instead of a single click—at this point brings the Inspector's Assign tab auto- matically to the front, for faster editing! The control element selected for editing is then surrounded by the red Selection Frame in the Controller Editor: 2. Go to the Inspector (the right part of the Controller Editor's interface) and click on the Assign tab: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 23 EFTA_R1_00171043 EFTA01810145 Quick Start Organizing Your Assignments 3. In this tab, all assignment's properties for that control element are displayed. Modify them according to your needs: at the top, you can edit the name of the assignment, and below, all MIDI properties like the type of MIDI message to be sent, the MIDI channel to use, and so on. The assignment's details differ depending on the type of MIDI message you choose. Fig. 3.7. You will find a detailed explanation of all possible tweaks on the MIDI assignment in chapter 10. That's it! Now, the corresponding control element on your NI Controller triggers the MIDI message that you just defined. 3.5 Organizing Your Assignments Thanks to its powerful mapping system, the Controller Editor lets you organize your assign- ments as you like. You can define various Knob Pages, Pad Pages and Templates to ad- dress various situations: For example, you could define different Knob Pages to control dif- ferent instruments in your setup. Furthermore, you could prepare different Templates for different songs of your live performance, with all necessary Pad Pages and Knob Pages in- side. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 24 EFTA_R1_00171044 EFTA01810146 Quick Start Organizing Your Assignments To manage (create, delete, duplicate, etc.) your Templates, Knob Pages or Pad Pages, use the two other tabs of the Inspector, namely Templates and Pages. The Templates tab and Pages tab allow you to organize your assignments. On the Templates tab, you find a list of all available Templates (both factory and user-de- fined), along with an Edit menu holding all managing commands (e.g. New, Duplicate, De- lete, etc.). Below, one or two additional menus allow you to choose a Pad sensitivity (MA- SCHINE Controller only) and the MIDI port to use (either internal or external) with the se- lected Template. On the Pages tab, an equivalent list is available for the Knob Pages (at the top) and, only for the MASCHINE Controller, for the Pad Pages (at the bottom), along with their corre- sponding Edit menus. The pages functionality is not available on the RIG KONTROL 3. Let's say you have just defined a Knob Page that controls one of your software synthesiz- ers. You might want to rename it so that you easily remember its purpose: 1. In the Knob Page List, double-click on the Knob Page that you just defined (let's say "Knob Page 3"). Its name gets highlighted. 2. Type a new name for this Knob Page (for example, "Absynth Lead") and press [Enter) on your computer keyboard to confirm the change (You may want to put this Knob Page at the top of the list, e.g. if you plan to use this synthesizer at first in your song and want to have direct access to its parameters from your Controller): 3. Click on the Knob Page Absynth Lead in the list, hold the mouse button depressed and drag your mouse toward the top of the list. An insertion line appears to show you the place where the Knob Page is going to be moved to. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 25 EFTA_R1_00171045 EFTA01810147 Quick Start Saving and Loading Templates 4. When the insertion line reaches the top of the list (or the desired insertion place, wherever it is), release the mouse button. The Knob Page "Absynth Lead" takes its new place in the list. MThe two available Knob Pages on the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and on the AUDIO KON- TROL 1 cannot be reordered. This way-of-doing can also be applied to the Pad Pages (at the bottom of this pages tab, only for the MASCHINE Controller) as well as to the Templates (on the Templates tab). The Edit menus offer more managing features—you will find all necessary info in the next chapters (mainly sections 14.2.4, Inspector and 10.4.3, The Assign Tab). For a detailed description of the mapping system, please refer to section t4.3, The Mapping System. 3.6 Saving and Loading Templates Once you have defined a set of assignments that fits your needs, you have the possibility to save it. Actually, you don't necessarily need to save it, since the Controller Editor automatically saves any changes made to the Template on which you are working (and its included Knob Pages, Pad Pages and single assignments). So if you only plan to use this Template later on the same computer, you can quit the Controller Editor, the Template will be recalled with all modifications next time you switch your NI Controller to MIDI Mode and select this Template again (if you switched to another Template in the meanwhile). But you may want to use a modified or a newly created Template on another computer or you may want to share your Template with other users. For that, the Controller Editor al- lows you to export a Template as a Template file (extension ".ncm", ".nck", ".ncg", ".nckx1" or ".nckl"): 1. Go to the Templates tab of the Inspector and select the desired Template by clicking its entry in the Template List. The selected Template is highlighted: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 26 EFTA_R1_00171046 EFTA01810148 Quick Start Saving and Loading Templates 2. Below the list, click on the Edit menu and select Save As: 3. A Save template dialog opens and lets you choose the destination and the name of the Template file to be exported. Please note that the file name that you choose can be different from the Template's name inside the Controller Editor. Once this is done, click on "Save" to export the file and you're done. You can now transfer this Template file to another computer, share it with a friend, etc. On the other side, as you would expect, the Controller Editor also allows you to load a Template file. To do this: 1. In the Templates tab of the Inspector, click on the Edit menu, select Append and choose Open. An "Open template" dialog appears that lets you navigate through your file system on your computer and choose a Template file to import. 2. Select the desired Template file and click on "Open". The Template will be loaded and appended to your Template List. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 27 EFTA_R1_00171047 EFTA01810149 Basic Concepts 4 Basic Concepts In this chapter we will introduce you to the basics of the Controller Editor. You might have already checked the previous chapter, which gives you a first idea of how to use the Con- troller Editor. Here, we will approach the system in a more general way. 4.1 How the Controller Editor Works The Controller Editor allows you to define the links between your NI Controller and the au- dio applications running on your computer or your external MIDI devices. It lets you decide how your actions on the NI Controller will be interpreted. For this purpose, the Controller Editor implements a powerful mapping system allowing you to define as many MIDI as- signments as you want for each Knob, Pad or Button available on your NI Controller. The Controller Editor works in conjunction with a small background service installed on your computer during the Controller Editor installation procedure. This background service takes care of all communication matters between your NI Controller and your MIDI-capa- ble targets, both on the software side and on the hardware side. It stays alive even if you close the Controller Editor application. This especially means that you don't necessarily need to have the Controller Editor open on your computer to use your NI Controller as a MIDI remote control! You can select and/or tweak your assignments in the Controller Edi- tor and then quit the application —the assignments (and Templates / Knob Pages / Pad Pa- ges, see below) stay active thanks to this small background service. Thus, the Controller Editor can be seen as an assignment editor: use it to check or edit your assignments. 4.2 Overview of the User Interface Let us have a closer look at the Controller Editor user interface now. When you bring the Controller Editor to the front in your operating system, you can see something like this: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 28 EFTA_R1_00171048 EFTA01810150 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface Fig. 4.1. The Controller Editor user interface: the big view (Windows version pictured, with the MASCHINE Controller in the Hardware area). The user interface is divided into four main areas, namely: 1. Application Menu Bar 2. Application Control Bar 3. Hardware area 4. Inspector In the following sections you will find a brief introduction to all areas of the software and their corresponding control elements. For a detailed description of each of these elements, please refer to chapter 110, Reference. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 29 EFTA_R1_00171049 EFTA01810151 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface 4.2.1 Application Menu Bar At the top of the Controller Editor window (or at the top of your computer screen on Mac OS® X), the Application Menu Bar is similar to the one found in most applications on your operating system. It consists of three menus (File, View and Help) controlling the general functions of the software: 6le IreW belP Fig. 4.2. The Application Menu Bar. The Controller Editor's Application Menu Bar with its three menus (Windows version pic- tured). 4.2.2 Application Control Bar Right under the Application Menu Bar, the Application Control Bar holds menus and but- tons controlling the overall mapping system: Fig. 4.3. The Application Control Bar. From left to right, we have the following controls: 1. Device menu: allows you to switch to another Controller and states which Controller you are currently working with. 2. Connect button: allows you to "call" your hardware—in other words, to switch it to MIDI Mode and connect it to the Controller Editor, in case it is currently connected to its dedicated software. 3. Template Select menu: allows to select the desired Template (Templates are explained in the next section, '4.3, The Mapping System). Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 30 EFTA_R1_00171 050 EFTA01810152 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface 4. Minimize/Expand View button (the little arrow): switches between two Views of the Con- troller Editor, by hiding/showing the Hardware area. 5. MIDI Activity Indicator: shows any incoming/outgoing MIDI data. 6. NI Logo: opens the About dialog. 4.2.3 Hardware Area Below the two previous bars, the left (and biggest) part of the user interface holds the Hardware area. The Hardware area basically represents your NI Controller and all its con- trol elements—most of them are freely assignable to MIDI messages. OIf the Controller Editor is reduced to a small column on your screen, it means that the Hardware area is hidden. To show it, click on the Minimize/Expand View button (the little arrow) in the Application Control Bar above. The Controller depicted in the Hardware area depends on the device selected in the Device menu located in the Application Control Bar (see above). Compared to your real NI Controller, the Hardware area holds a few additional graphical elements: • Every control element that can be assigned to a MIDI message comes with a Label Field which displays a name describing its current assignment. • A red Selection Frame highlights the currently selected control element. • An orange Knob Page menu allows you to select a particular Knob Page of assign- ments (see section '4.3. The Mapping System for more info on this). The Knob Page area, denoted by an orange frame, holds the control elements affected by the Knob Page selection in the Knob Page menu. MThe Knob Page feature is not available on the RIG KONTROL 3. • MASCHINE Controller only: If the Pad Page feature is activated, an additional blue Pad Page menu allows you to select a particular page of assignments for the Pads. The blue frame highlights the Pad Page area, which holds the control elements in- cluded in the Pad Pages—namely the Pads. Please refer to section ' 4.3.3. Pad Pa- ges (MASCHINE Controller only) for more info on this. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 31 EFTA_R1_00171051 EFTA01810153 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface You will find a detailed description of each Hardware area / NI Controller and its assigna- ble control elements in the respective Controller-specific chapters, later in this manual. 4.2.4 Inspector At the right of the Hardware area, the Inspector is the control tower of your mapping sys- tem. There, you can precisely define what has to be done on your target when you press or turn anything on your NI Controller. Moreover, you can organize all your assignments into Knob Pages, Pad Pages (for the MASCHINE Controller) and Templates. Section - 10.4. The Inspector of the reference chapter will give you a detailed description of all what you can do with the Inspector. The Inspector is divided into three tabs, each of them controlling a specific part of the mapping scheme: the Templates tab, the Pages tab and the Assign tab. The Templates Tab The Templates tab allows you to manage your Templates. It shows a list of available Tem- plates along with a few editing functions. OA Template holds a whole mapping configuration for all control elements of your NI Con- troller. For more info, please read section ' 4.3 4. Templates below. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 32 EFTA_R1_00171052 EFTA01810154 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface Fig. 4.4. The Templates tab in the Inspector (here for the MASCHINE Controller). The Templates tab holds the following elements, from top to bottom: 1. Templates List: shows all available Templates with, for each Template, an index num- ber (not editable) and a name (editable). There, you can select a Template for editing by clicking on its name, and modify its name by double-clicking on it (You can also select a Template via the Template Select menu in the Application Control Bar, or possibly from your NI Controller). 2. Template Edit menu: provides you with editing functions like New, Save As, etc. 3. Template Properties area: gives you access to the properties of the Template that is currently selected in the upper Template List. ElThere is no Template Properties area for the TRAKTOR KONTROL Xl. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 33 EFTA_R1_00171053 EFTA01810155 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface The Pages Tab The Pages tab allows you to manage your Pages. This feature is not available on the RIG KONTROL 3—if you are currently working on a Template for the RIG KONTROL 3, you cannot activate the Pages tab. When working with the MASCHINE Controller, if the Pad Pages button of this tab is acti- vated, you can also manage your Pad Pages here. OA Knob Page/Pad Page is a set of assignments for the control elements located in the Knob Page area or for the Pads (MASCHINE Controller only), respectively. For more info, please read section M.3, The Mapping System. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 34 EFTA_R1_00171054 EFTA01810156 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface Fig. 4.5. The Pages tab in the Inspector for the MASCHINE Controller. The Pages tab holds the following elements: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 35 EFTA_R1_00171055 EFTA01810157 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface 1. Knob Page List: shows a list with all available Knob Pages with, for each of them, an index number (not editable) and a name (editable). There, you can select a Knob Page for editing by clicking on its name, and modify its name by double-clicking on it. On the MASCHINE Controller and KORE Controllers, you can rearrange the Knob Pages' order via drag&drop (You can also select a Knob Page via the Knob Page menu above the Knob Page area, or possibly from your NI Controller). 2. Knob Page Edit menu: provides you with editing functions like New, Duplicate, etc (For the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and the AUDIO KONTROL 1, this Edit menu is replaced with a Shift Mode menu with the two options Gate and Toggle, allowing you to choose the behaviour of the Shift Button when switching between Knob Pages from your con- troller. See section 1 7.2.1. Switching Between Knob Pages (TRAKTOR KONTROL X1) and ' 9.2. Special Control Elements (AUDIO KONTROL 1) for more info on this.). 3. Pad Pages button: activates/deactivates the Pad Page feature. If the Pad Page feature is deactivated, the rest of the area is grayed out and won't react to user action. 4. Pad Page List: shows a list with all available Pad Pages with, for each of them, an in- dex number (not editable) and a name (editable). There, you can select a Pad Page for editing by clicking on its name, and modify its name by double-clicking on it. You can rearrange the Pad Pages' order via drag&drop (You can also select a Pad Page via the Pad Page menu above the Pads, or with the Groups Buttons labeled A to H in the Hardware area and on your MASCHINE Controller). 5. Pad Page Edit menu: provides you with editing functions, like New, Duplicate, etc. m Buttons 3 to 5 are available if you are working on the assignments for the MASCHINE Controller. The Assign Tab The last tab in the Inspector is the Assign tab. This is where you specify all details of the assignment for a particular control element. This tab shows the properties of the currently selected control element: Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 36 EFTA_R1_00171056 EFTA01810158 Basic Concepts Overview of the User Interface Fig. 4.6. The Assign tab in the Inspector. The Assign tab shows different properties depending on the type of element currently se- lected. 1. Description area: this area is common to all control elements. It shows the following information about the currently selected control element: The index number and the name of the Knob Page or Pad Page of the selected control element (this is empty for the elements not included in a Knob Page / Pad Page). The element description (not editable) and its name (editable). 2. Properties area: holds the MIDI assignment properties for the current control element. Please refer to section ' 10.4.3. The Assign Tab in the reference chapter for a de- tailed explanation of all these properties. Controller Editor - Operation Manual - 37 EFTA_R1_00171057 EFTA01810159 Basic Concepts The Mapping System 4.3 The Mapping System Whatever you do on your NI Controller, the Controller Editor translates it into a MIDI mes- sage that is then sent to the desired MIDI port—this is what the Controller Editor is all about: mapping human actions to MIDI events. The Controller Editor's mapping system is structured in a way that allows you to efficiently organize your assignments. This makes the whole mapping process a lot easier and in- forms you about what will happen whenever you actuate a control element on your NI Con- troller. The next paragraphs will introduce you to some basic concepts. 4.3.1 Assignments An Assignment defines which MIDI event is triggered by a particular control element. Available MIDI event types are "MIDI Note-On", "MIDI CC", etc. Every action on a control element is translated into one MIDI event, the corresponding assignment defining the rules of that translation. Depending on the type of control element (button, knob, pad, pedal input, footswitch...), the available assignments will differ. For more details about all available assignments for each type of control, please refer to chapter 10, Reference. 4.3.2 Knob Pages (MASCHINE Controller, KORE Controllers, TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 and AUDIO KONTROL 1) For some of the control el