Controls
Reference for control sources like MIDI, keyboard and ControlDeck.
A control is the input side of a mapping: the button, fader, key or pad that fires a value. Its kind decides what it sends and which targets it can drive.
Kinds
| Kind | Value | Comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | On and off | A button press and release |
| Absolute | 0 to 1 | A fader |
| Relative | A delta | An encoder |
| twoD | An x and y pair | A pan and tilt pad |
| Color | Hue, saturation and value | A color picker |
A mapping only works when the control's kind is one the target handles. When they do not match, the mapping row shows a warning and a tooltip explaining which side does not fit.
Setting up a MIDI device
MIDI devices connect to the machine the kernel runs on. Set them up in Settings → MIDI before you can map them.
- New Device creates a device and asks for a name.
- Open it and pick the Input Device. Pick an Output Device too if the controller has LEDs or motor faders.
- Add controls with the Button, Fader and Encoder buttons.
- For each control, press Learn and follow the prompt on the hardware.
Learn captures the note and channel automatically. A button asks you to push and release, an encoder to turn both ways and a fader to move it.
If the input or output port cannot be found later, the device shows a warning, which is what you see when a controller is unplugged or listed under a different name.
Currently controllers do not automatically reconnect when they disconnect. You need to reopen the app, or clear the input and output device, go back, and then pick them again, to get it working.
Feedback colors
Feedback Color Mapping on the device maps numeric values to colors. Controllers with RGB pads use those values to light a button, so a mapping can show state in color rather than just on and off.
MIDI controls
| Control | Fires | Options |
|---|---|---|
| MIDI Button | Trigger | Device, control, Send feedback, on and off values, blink and blink speed for each state |
| MIDI Fader | Absolute | Device, control, Send feedback |
The on and off values run from 0 to 127 and pick the color or brightness the controller shows. Blink speed is set in milliseconds.
Keyboard control
A Keyboard control fires a trigger from a single key.
Keys 0 and 1 through 7 are reserved for selecting Function Groups and cannot be rebound. Other hotkeys may have some side effects too.
ControlDeck controls
ControlDeck widgets are controls too. A button fires a trigger, a fader fires an absolute value, a pad fires twoD and a color picker fires color.
You can bind them directly from the widget's Properties, but the result is an ordinary mapping that shows up alongside the others.
Buttons additionally offer blink settings for their on and off state, like MIDI buttons.