Further musings...Notes for a Logic developer regarding practical usage of

Question

It does seem like the control section of Logic was designed specifically for the Logic control, using their own dialog and terms. I have been struggling with Logic since I switched to it, simply because I make dance music, and I rely super heavily on automation as both my style of arranging (I mute the kick drum when it drops out, I don't sequence that type of stuff) and also for simply enhancing my mixdown and giving my overall mix life. NOw, I never read the manual's section on using Logic with a M/L control, until now, and I realize when you use a MIDI controller as a control surface, you are using the mackie control interface +dialog. Now some things make a lot more sense to me, like why there are even options like flip mode etc...
Anyway, now I have a lot more perspective. I should have kept a weblog going, since for the past few months I have been banging my head against a wall, trying to wrap my head around all of this.
Now I see, I am simply not using the right gear, and Logic simply is not designed for use without a dedicated control surface, and a dialog other than Mackie protocol.
Now, this explains why there are so many confusing options when I use my Novation or 01V as a control surface.
For example, I still do not understand what track class "index" means. I thought it was the actual sequential position of the fader itself on the track mixer, so if you are looking at the mixer, the third fader from the left is index #3. This is almost NEVER the case though, and I am just not sure of what criteria is used for index track classes. Although I use that class a lot, because it is the one that make sense sometimes.
I have noticed, if some of my controller's sliders are track class "software instrument" and some are "index" I run into a lot of little glitches once I start getting intense about several automation assignments and parameters..
while assigning a series of knobs in seccession, some will be "scaled" some will be "rotate" this seems to be completely arbitrary as I am not sending any data except the CC, and I have checked using utilities like MIDI monitor as well as Logis own MIDI monitor.
I should have kept a weblog as I have been dealing with this problem for a while and might have helped apple to help me : )
Does anyone make DUB or Techno records out there? I'm talking about the live arrangement style that made King Tubby + Lee Perry started, and the DEtroit guys adapted and started calling techno... basically why all the techno guys got into Acid first, and Live next...
Thing is, I need my 64 busses and sidechain mod capabilities, so I can't go to one of these consumer DAW programs as my main.
SO these are my notes today, and if you see anything you would like to correct (as it relates to Logic and the use of Logic) Please do. If anyone has more insight about navigating through the MAckie controller assignments dialog with a midi controller, I would love to hear about it. I am still shocked after a few years at how hard it is to use a midi controller for random parameter assignments and I would LOVE to hear from someone who has succeeeded.
Thanks very much and cheers!

Answer 1

You'll have to bear with me, because I'm doing this from memory. Like I say, I was really into exploiting these features and spent some time developing a control surface support (and I also have an MCU as well). But I gave up in the end, because it was too flaky.
Well, I can't use an MCU, I do random paramter assignments, and I don't discern
between fader, send plug in parameter, synth, etc. They are simply considered
"the ones I need to control during the arrange sessions. I need to be able to
control one or two given parameters, for a combined "total." I don't need every
sythn parameter available to me while I am writing the tune, just one or two.
Sure. You can define your own modes and use the controls on the MCU (or other conttrol surface) for whatever assignments you want, without explicitly using the regular MCU modes. So for instance, you could hit your F1 button which you've setup to go to a user mode, and have each fader, pan pot or whatever controlling different things.
However, I'm not sure that you can control multiple things on multiple plugins in different tracks/channels offhand. For instance, I can't remember offhand whether you can set up fader one to be controlling the filter cutoff of a synth on audio instrument 4, and another fader to control the filter cutoff for a synth on audio instrument 12 at the same time. You probably can, I just forget some of the finer details without going back and getting stuck in and reminding myself again (which I won't do until they fix the bugs.)
B, please tell me what you mean by dynamic as it is used to describe the index
track classes. Does this mean if I make a index track assignment then delete
some tracks from my mixer window will lose any index track class assignments following it?
I seem to remember being quite unsatisfied as to how this was implemented, at least for my purposes, because of the behaviour you mention.
Please tell me about using a generic controller which transmits CC data ONLY,
and making assignments for various track classes and parameters which are
to be controlled simultaneously when mixing down?
Yes, this was what I was developing my Korg microKontrol assignments for - developing a flexible, powerful portable little control surface.
Logic hates this, it is always hoping to be in "instrument" mode, THEn Fader
(I suppose by scrolling on an MCU) etc etc....
Er... I don't think so - I set up my own modes for my own purposes. If I hit one pad, I'd flip to my instruments mode to control my own custom set of parameters for the loaded instrument, another pad would be insert FX (again with all custom assignments to bring the most useful parameters under control), another would be a mixer layer, another would be a bus/output layer and so on. You can define zones and modes for whatever purposes you need.
Be aware that how I was developing my own setup doesn't mean our requirements are similar...
Also, I need to be able to pause playback when doing my mixdown, drastically
change many parametrs in Logic, then resume playback and writing automation,
to create an abrupt change in the song.
Yes, I'm aware of your other posts. Did you send detailed feedback to Apple on it?