O
osiris
New member
can I use my ddx3216 as a midi control surface for software? Is this possible with pro tools or is the mixer only compatible with certain software applications? How do you do it?
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ssscientist
Info you can use...
I can't tell from the Behringer web site if the midi continuous controllers the DDX3216 sends are assignable or fixed...
This may be the determining factor in compatability with your software because if neither the board nor the software have the ability to reassign midi continuous controller numbers you may be shit out of luck.
Read the manual, both for the board and your sequencing software - what you're looking for is the midi section of both manuals and then (hopefully) the assignment process for one or the other. You won't need to reassign both - just one or the other.
In an ideal setup you could control the levels and effects sends of the first 32 tracks in ProTools with the midi cc's of the DDX3216 and take advantage of the moving fader automation. Since midi has only 16 channels there would need to be a bank select command involved to access tracks 17 to 32. The common midi volume control is continuous controller 007 with the effects send continuous controller numbers being up to the software/mixing board.
This may be the determining factor in compatability with your software because if neither the board nor the software have the ability to reassign midi continuous controller numbers you may be shit out of luck.
Read the manual, both for the board and your sequencing software - what you're looking for is the midi section of both manuals and then (hopefully) the assignment process for one or the other. You won't need to reassign both - just one or the other.
In an ideal setup you could control the levels and effects sends of the first 32 tracks in ProTools with the midi cc's of the DDX3216 and take advantage of the moving fader automation. Since midi has only 16 channels there would need to be a bank select command involved to access tracks 17 to 32. The common midi volume control is continuous controller 007 with the effects send continuous controller numbers being up to the software/mixing board.
O
osiris
New member
What are continuous controller numbers? How do they work?
Do you know if pro tools is assignable or fixed? I am trying to decide what software to get.
Sorry, I've never dealt with midi before. This is all new to me.
thanks for your help.
Do you know if pro tools is assignable or fixed? I am trying to decide what software to get.
Sorry, I've never dealt with midi before. This is all new to me.
thanks for your help.
T
tedluk
New member
I'm not a ProTools user, but my understanding has always been that you have to use their hardware.
Loking at the Behringer manual, you CAN assign the controllers. Not having worked with it, I don't know how difficult the process is, but you should be able to use it as a control surface for other devices.
This means it should work with any program that has MIDI, but different programs might have varying degrees of MIDI implementation.
I take it you already have the Behringer. Tell us what mind of music you want to make. Describe the rest of your setup. All hardware and software decisions should be driven by what your goals are, not the other way around.
Ted
Loking at the Behringer manual, you CAN assign the controllers. Not having worked with it, I don't know how difficult the process is, but you should be able to use it as a control surface for other devices.
This means it should work with any program that has MIDI, but different programs might have varying degrees of MIDI implementation.
I take it you already have the Behringer. Tell us what mind of music you want to make. Describe the rest of your setup. All hardware and software decisions should be driven by what your goals are, not the other way around.
Ted
O
osiris
New member
All I have is the mixer, an adat machine, and a pc (laptop). I've been using cool edit pro (which I believe has limited midi applications) for mixdown. A friend of mine has pro tools and i'm hoping we can integrate our setups.
I've been considering various software programs and soundcards. I know that protools only recognizes digidesign hardware, but I'm not sure if that includes midi devices.
My goal is multitrack recording (mostly rock) and automated mixing. Is protools the way to go?
I've been considering various software programs and soundcards. I know that protools only recognizes digidesign hardware, but I'm not sure if that includes midi devices.
My goal is multitrack recording (mostly rock) and automated mixing. Is protools the way to go?
T
tedluk
New member
For a lot of us, I don't think ProTools is the way to go.
Somehow, it's become something of an industry standard, but I'm not sure why exactly.
Two big problems (or maybe they're part of the same problem) with ProTools- First, proprietary hardware. Second, can you say EXPENSIVE?
Of course, since it's become a 'standard', it has the advantage of making your mixes easily portable to other ProTools studios. Using something else doesn't make this impossible, but perhaps a little more complicated.
I don't know a lot about ProTools, but aren't its MIDI capabilities fairly limited? I'm not sure how your Behringer will integrate into a ProTools setup. I suppose, if you use it strictly as a controller surface for softsynths and render the subsequent performances as audio, it would work. But I'm only guessing. Someone who knows what the heck they're talking about should jump in before I embarass myself further.
For most of us here, I think you'll find we're using a mix of programs like SONAR, Cubase, Logic, N-Tracks, and others. Hardware choices are even more diverse. There is no single "right" answer.
Ted
Somehow, it's become something of an industry standard, but I'm not sure why exactly.
Two big problems (or maybe they're part of the same problem) with ProTools- First, proprietary hardware. Second, can you say EXPENSIVE?
Of course, since it's become a 'standard', it has the advantage of making your mixes easily portable to other ProTools studios. Using something else doesn't make this impossible, but perhaps a little more complicated.
I don't know a lot about ProTools, but aren't its MIDI capabilities fairly limited? I'm not sure how your Behringer will integrate into a ProTools setup. I suppose, if you use it strictly as a controller surface for softsynths and render the subsequent performances as audio, it would work. But I'm only guessing. Someone who knows what the heck they're talking about should jump in before I embarass myself further.
For most of us here, I think you'll find we're using a mix of programs like SONAR, Cubase, Logic, N-Tracks, and others. Hardware choices are even more diverse. There is no single "right" answer.
Ted
L
lostdave
New member
In short...yes you can use your DDX3216 as a control surface....
The Controller Messages are fixed and quite well detailed in the DDX3216 Manual
I have been using it with sonar for quite some time now...and it was easy to configure.
Not having tried it with ProTools, I can't comment.
Dave
The Controller Messages are fixed and quite well detailed in the DDX3216 Manual
I have been using it with sonar for quite some time now...and it was easy to configure.
Not having tried it with ProTools, I can't comment.
Dave
ssscientist
Info you can use...
tedluk said:
L.O.L.
I agree --- I think it's because of the name.
If Audacity was called ProTools every idiot, near idiot, newbie, bum and shyster would hold forth on it's clean sound, ease of audio manipulation and 'industry standard'-ness.
Have you EVER heard anything that actually sounded good that was identified as having been recorded in ProTools from start to finish? If so, please identify it so I can listen too...
T
tedluk
New member
I'm sure I probably have. I mean, who knows really?
The point is that we now have the tools at our disposal where, with a modest amount of knowledge and effort, we can produce high quality recordings that would have been unheard of even 10 years ago. I simply don't buy that there is some inherent superiority of any given system that renders all others sub-standard.
Frankly, when I see the threads about how one program "sounds" better than another it seems ridiculous to me. Define "better". Sound is in large measure subjective. Music is even more so. It's all nonsense.
To put it another way, I'll bet that were you to record the same project in ProTools, SONAR, Cubase, Logic, N-tracks etc, do it using decent recording techniques in a good home studio, I'm willing to bet that these so-called "golden ears" wouldn't be able to tell you which program produced which result. And even if they could, so what? It's MUSIC!!! Here's a novel concept- If it SOUNDS good, then it IS good! Does anyone sit and listen to the radio and think, "Wow! What a great song, too bad they didn't record it in ProTools." I don't think so.
Somewhere else I pointed out that we're still listening to and loving recordings that were made in crappy studios with 4 or sometimes only 2 track analog recorders. By today's standards those recordings wouldn't be considered "radio" quality, but they still sound pretty damn good to me!
Ted
The point is that we now have the tools at our disposal where, with a modest amount of knowledge and effort, we can produce high quality recordings that would have been unheard of even 10 years ago. I simply don't buy that there is some inherent superiority of any given system that renders all others sub-standard.
Frankly, when I see the threads about how one program "sounds" better than another it seems ridiculous to me. Define "better". Sound is in large measure subjective. Music is even more so. It's all nonsense.
To put it another way, I'll bet that were you to record the same project in ProTools, SONAR, Cubase, Logic, N-tracks etc, do it using decent recording techniques in a good home studio, I'm willing to bet that these so-called "golden ears" wouldn't be able to tell you which program produced which result. And even if they could, so what? It's MUSIC!!! Here's a novel concept- If it SOUNDS good, then it IS good! Does anyone sit and listen to the radio and think, "Wow! What a great song, too bad they didn't record it in ProTools." I don't think so.
Somewhere else I pointed out that we're still listening to and loving recordings that were made in crappy studios with 4 or sometimes only 2 track analog recorders. By today's standards those recordings wouldn't be considered "radio" quality, but they still sound pretty damn good to me!
Ted
ssscientist
Info you can use...
tedluk said:
Amen, bruddah.
And I've heard that 'if it sounds good it is good' mantra somewhere before...
Oh yeah! I always say that!
