Fadermapper MIDI control and learn for Logic 5.x — by Opus Locus

Fadermapper is a free, full-featured, flexible, generic environment for control and automation of Emagic's Logic Gold/Platinum 5.x software (Mac or Windows) from any external hardware device capable of sending midi CC messages to Logic — synths, knob boxes, faderpacks, digital mixers, etc. Fadermapper includes midi learn, extensive global and track-based memory, soft takeover, value scaling, track automation recording & rewriting, and other features.

Fadermapper is now free for download, but is UNSUPPORTED. Do not email me for support, you’re on your own. The support archives at the Yahoo fadermapper-users group may be of some assistance if the included documentation is not sufficient.

Features

Controller mapping

Mapping of external controllers (CCs) from a faderpack, digital mixer, synth-knobs, modwheel, etc, to appropriate CC or Fader events for control of Logic's onscreen faders and knobs etc.

Full automation accessibility

Logic 5’s new track-based automation can be controlled and recorded in Latch/Touch/Write modes, with soft takeover functional for automation rewrites. Control/automation data may also be recorded as old-style object-based midi automation.

Learn function

Easy assignment of external and onscreen controls by simply moving the relevant control, including learning of plugin controls and control range.

Value scaling

Use a physical knob or fader’s full 0-127 range to adjust onscreen controls whose values do not span the entire 0-127 value range.

Multiple banks

Each contains mappings for all 127 midi CCs. Up to 126 banks are available (32 in the demo version). Changing banks can be externally controlled.

Soft Takeover

Onscreen control does not move until the external control "catches up" to its current value, avoiding sudden jumps when switching banks, tracks, or controls, including during track-based automation writes/rewrites.

Track memory

Each Arrange track can remember which bank of fader mappings it uses, and switch to that bank on receipt of a "sync" command. 31 memories (8 in the demo version) are available for each track (and for multitrack mode), allowing quick access to just the banks needed for that track. Plugin slot number or midi instrument channel can be remembered, and the mapped channel overidden automatically, avoiding the need for separate mappings for the same plugin used in different slots, or for the same controls used for different midi instruments or multi-instrument sub-channels. A single "global" memory is also available for use across all tracks. Changing memories can be externally controlled.

Shift function

In multitrack mode, controller mappings can be moved up/down by a user-configurable number of objects, avoiding the need for separate mappings for the same group of controls used across different groups of tracks. Object ID shift can be externally controlled.

Small screen area

Fadermapper's main control module is very compact, requiring only 200 x 90 pixels onscreen.

Requirements

Logic Gold or Platinum 5.2.0-5.5.1 is required

I built this in Logic Platinum 5.3.0 on Mac OS X. Logic Gold 5.2.0+ will also work. Logic Audio 5.2.0+ doesn't work with Fadermapper. Micrologic definitely won't work as it doesn't have an environment. Fadermapper has been successfully tested on Mac and Windows systems.

Logic 6 and higher are incompatible due to bugs introduced in Logic 6. Opening Fadermapper in Logic 7 may result in non-working Macros or other problems, and is thoroughly untested.

Logic 5.0.x and 5.1.x are only partially supported. Track-based automation is not externally controllable in these versions — Fadermapper will only work in midi mode (object-based automation). Do yourself a big favour and get the free upgrade.

Logic 4.x or earlier is not supported. Track-based automation does not exist. Plugins do not output their control values except when in record mode (this seriously affects Learn mode and Soft Takeover), and Fader events do not exist (this makes the track memory feature almost impossible). You might be able to modify Fadermapper to provide simple controller mapping, but I will not assist you...

External midi CC controller

Any external controller capable of sending midi CC messages to Logic (or any midi message that Logic can transform to a CC event, though you must set up the transformation yourself in Logic). At its simplest, this can be the modwheel on your synth. Faderpacks, knob controllers, digital mixers, synth knobs and sliders can all potentially be used. The external controller does not need to receive any midi feedback from Logic.

I used a Roland JP-8080’s knobs, sliders and buttons to control stuff onscreen while developing Fadermapper. I'm now using a Fostex VM200 digital mixer. The knobs on my MTP AV midi interface can be used. Other users have reported success with a Line6 Pod, Midiman Oxygen 8 keyboard, Doepfer Pocket Control, Yamaha 01v digital mixer, Roland PCR-30 keyboard, JL Cooper CS-32 minidesk, etc. If it can send midi messages to Logic, you can probably use it.

Fadermapper does not support the Logic Control, though it can do a few things that a Logic Control can’t...

Download

Fadermapper 1.0.1 and documentation are available for download as a 548kb Stuffit archive — click to download. If your browser is not configured to recognise .sit files, the file may display as garbage in the browser window. If so, you should right-click (Mac: control-click) the download link and choose "download to disk", or the equivalent for your browser. To expand the .sit archive, use Stuffit Expander, available free for Mac/PC from www.stuffit.com.

John Pitcairn, Opus Locus — ©2002-2007. All rights reserved. Unathorized reproduction prohibited. This page is built using fairly simple, validated XHTML 1.0 and CSS 2. Best viewed on a standards-compliant browser (Safari, Firefox, Camino, etc). If your browser screws it up (cough, MS Internet Explorer), perhaps you should be bitching at your browser manufacturer about better support for web standards…