Use 2 buttons on controller to make an action?

[DvlsAdvct]

I'm gonna try and explain this as best I can. If it confuses you further I apologize.

Modifiers are used as shift keys. You use them to change what your MIDI controller commands do.

So, for example, you are using a standard VCI-100, set up like any other controller. You want to make your transport buttons (Play/CuePause/CuePlay/Cue) control your loops instead. So you create a modifier. M1V1. You create four commands on those same four buttons (Loop Size Up/Loop Size Down/Set Loop/Reloop). You set them to M1V1. Now, whenever the button you assigned for Modifier 1 Value 1 is active, those buttons control your loops. Now, you need to tell it that the transport buttons should not work on M1V1, so the default is M1V0. Whenever no modifiers are set, those buttons will work as transport buttons.

Now, this is where the logic of modifiers comes in on a personal level. You can designate individual Modifier numbers for individual functions. So, M1V1-7 will be different modifiers for loops only. So, M1V1 will set loop size and drop it, M1V2 will set custom loop sizes (Set Cue In/Set Cue Out/Loop Move Fine Up/Down). Now you will want to switch between them, so you set a command to set M1V2, depending on the function you are going for at the time.

Now, you want to augment your controls even more. You can't have controls set to M1V1 AND M1V2 at the same time. It just doesn't work. Modifier 1 can't have two different values at once. So you want to have four deck control on your two deck solution. You create M2V1. When M2V1 is active then you control Decks C & D. Now, you go through and set all of your commands that change (EQ, Volume Fader, Transport, etc.) to M2V0 for A/B and M2V1 for C/D. Now, this is where things get big.

You have your transport buttons set to M1V0 already. Now, you set them to M1V0 M2V0 to control A/B, and then M1V0 M2V1 to control C/D. But you want those same loop functions for the other decks. So now, when M1V1 M2V1 is set Loop Size Up/Loop Size Down/Set Loop/Reloop works on decks C/D also. You wouldn't be able to do this with only 1 Modifier with 7 values without a LOT more being put into your .tsi. And, at that, you have 8 Modifiers with 8 values (0-7). That leaves... a lot of different modifier combinations to play with, making any controller completely individualised based on the individual DJs needs.

I don't know if this helped at all, though. If it didn't, sorry :-)

[claudek]

Hi,
Thanks for your help! I am kind of getting this. I have made it where some buttons by holding on mod buttons make buttons do other things..
Like you showed me. I just cannot get the buttons to work as a simple button "on" & "off" state. I can only get things to work via "hold" in modifiers.
I tried direct and so on..Now I am trying to make it where if a button is clicked
once it will make the pitch control, control deck c. Click again and back to deck a / b..Like changes midi pages in Traktor 3.. Sure it can be done..

[DvlsAdvct]

It can be. I did it in my .tsi I posted. I think the big thing is the different buttons you use, some can be toggled and some can't, I think. If you check that .tsi out I have M1V1-4 set to toggle through with outputs on the 4 black buttons. :-)

[claudek]

maybe it is some buttons on the VCI-300 and maybe there is or is not a toggle..but they Toggle with itch, but maybe a toggle can be simulated with modifiers??

[DvlsAdvct]

it can. Can't remember how I did it off the top of my head. Tonight or tomorrow I'll sit down and go through it again. I think it was just with Direct.

[claudek]

I kind of like this modifiers thing..Kind of fun..Now I am trying to program the mixer volume slider (VCI) left to control the volume of the mixer volume of Deck C when using modifier 3, I made..(guessing around)..Problem is now the volume slider of the mixer is assigned two times..What am doing wrong??
(see the snaps)
Thanks so much for your help

[DvlsAdvct]

Nope, that's right. That control has two assignments. The modifiers makes it okay, though. Make sure that M3V0 is set for when you don't have anything activated, though. Then it won't do both.

[claudek]

cool..works..I understand V1 & 0..like on /off, but values 2-7 I am a little lost.
Thanks again

[claudek]

it can. Can't remember how I did it off the top of my head. Tonight or tomorrow I'll sit down and go through it again. I think it was just with Direct.

see what you can find out.. Holding down HOLD all the time will be hard while trying to adjust pitch and dj on deck C

[DvlsAdvct]

Alright, this is what I figured out.

I set a button to Modifier 1 Value 1, Direct. When I hit it it sets to Modifier 1 Value 1 and holds it.

Now, the problem is that you can't get OUT of M1V1 without telling it. So you need to set a command that says "If M1V0 Then M1V1" and "If M1V1 Then M1V0". So when M1V0 is active and I hit the button it makes it M1V1. If M1V1 is active and I hit the button it makes it M1V0. Both as Direct. Try that.

Values 2-7 would be used when you want the same buttons to do similar things that should never overlap. So, for example, you want the transport buttons to never have conflicting commands. If you have, hypothetically, all of your modifiers as toggles (Direct) instead of Holds this can cause problems. If you turn M1V1 on and then want it to be M2V1 you need to make sure M1V1 is off. If not you can end up having two different commands going off at once.

You want Modifier 2 to control your deck switches, while Modifier 1 to control your transport buttons. We'll use a new example.
SETTING 1
Button 1 -> Play
Button 2-> Cup
Button 3 -> Cue
Button 4 ->Cue/Out

Those are what you've assigned your Cue Buttons for. Now, you want to switch them to control your loops. You create a modifier M1V1. When M1V1 is active then
SETTING 2
Button 1 -> Loop Size Previous
Button 2 -> Loop Size Next
Button 3 -> Cue Drop
Button 4 -> Cue Out/Loop out

Alright, so when you hit your modifier button the transport buttons become your loop controls. Makes sense. Those buttons would never control both functions at once. You wouldn't want to hit Button 1 and have the loop size go to next AND the track pause. This could work for anything. So you also want to have those buttons jump to hot cues. You wouldn't want to have it make multiple actions at once, so you set that to M1V2. Now, when M1V2 is active
SETTING 3
Button 1 -> Jump to Hotcue 1
Button 2 -> Jump to Hotcue 2
Button 3 -> Jump to Hotcue 3
Button 4 -> Jump to Hotcue 4

Okay, so now, here we go. You decide to set your controls for 4 decks. You want those buttons to control Decks A and C depending on when you hit another button.

If you do this on Modifier 1 you need to reset everything. So, on M1V3 it will be SETTING 1 for deck C. Then M1V4 will be SETTING 2 for Deck C, etc. etc.

Realistically, you still need to code everything, but it's less modifiers to create, and less buttons to hit.

Hope that helps a little.