How do I control Mute/Solo by DDX3216

Has anybody a solution to make this work?

All the rest works for me so far:
Time Code Sync
Fader Control
Pan Control

But I’m missing that Mute/Solo Control. Any ideas?

Regards
Tim

@dtk: what protocol are you using? I know its MIDI, but are you using MMC? MIDI CC messages?

@paul: In the menu I have chosen sending and recieving mmc. MTC is also chosen just as generic midi.

@dtk: sorry, that doesn’t make any sense. I’m asking about what the DDX is sending.

@paul: Where can I get those informations about what it sends?

The DDX has currently the following settings:

MMC/MIDI -> RX/TX:
Program Change - RX & TX
Control Change - TX & TX
Machine Control - TX
Direct Par SysEx - RX & TX

TX/TX Only: Fader, Pan

And on the setup page the mmc device stands on 7f = all.

And these are the Midi Control Changes out of the DDX Manual:
MIDI controller no. Description of Value range RX TX
X X
1 Fader volume Channel 1 0…127 O O
: : : : : :
32 Fader volume Channel 32 0…127 O O
33 Fader volume Bus 1 0…127 O O
: : : : : :
48 Fader volume Bus 16 0…127 O O
49 Fader volume Aux send master 1 0…127 O O
: : : : : :
52 Fader volume Aux send master 4 0…127 O O
53 Fader volume FX send master 1 0…127 O O
: : : : : :
56 Fader volume FX send master 4 0…127 O O
57 Fader volume FX return 1 (L of pair) 0…127 O O
: : : : : :
60 Fader volume FX return 4 (L of pair) 0…127 O O
61 Fader volume Main mix 0…127 O O
62 - - - X X
63 - - - X X
64 Panorama value Channel 1 0…127, 64 = mid O O
: : : : : :
95 Panorama value Channel 32 0…127, 64 = mid O O
96 Panorama value FX return 1 (L of pair) 0…127, 64 = mid O O
: : : : : :
99 Panorama value FX return 4 (L of pair) 0…127, 64 = mid O O
100 Balance Master 0…127, 64 = mid O O
101 - - - X X
102 - - - X X
103 - - - X X
104 Channel mute on - 1…61* O O
105 Channel mute off - 1…61* O O
106 Snapshot save on - 1…61* O X
107 Snapshot save off - 1…61* O X
108 Automation rec/play Set to manual mode 1…61* O X
109 Automation rec/play Set to rec ready mode 1…61* O X
110 Automation rec/play Set to record mode 1…61* O X
111 Automation rec/play Set to fadeback mode 1…61* O X
112 Automation rec/play Set to play mode 1…61* O X
113 - - - X X
: : : : : :

  • X X

So mute seems to be supported (104 / 105) but no solo.

You can get the manual here:

and watch out for chapter 18

I read the manual. This device sends normal MIDI CC messages for almost all the buttons & faders. All of these can be bound to Ardour mute/solo/rec-enable/transport controls. As you note, it does not send anything for the solo button, so there’s nothing to be done there.
http://ardour.org/generic_midi_control provides an overview of using this kind of control for Ardour.

@paul: Ok, but when I press CTRL+MiddleClick on the disabled mute-button in ardour, then pressing mute-button on the DDX, it doesn’t work to bind that knob. Perhaps I can edit this manually?

@dtk: you need to turn on MIDI tracing (“Trace Input” in the MIDI tab of the preferences dialog) and start Ardour from a terminal window. That way you’ll be able to see what MIDI data arrives.

After reading more and more informations I will wait for a3. So with a MIDI binding map I guess I could control that mute button. I will give it a try and report it in the comments to http://www.ardour.org/ardour_midi_binding_maps

But a big Thank you and kindly excuse for any inconvenience

Trace result is following:

Moving Fader:
control input: Channel 1 Controller 1 Value 98
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 1 a c f7 ]
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 1 a 9 f7 ]
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 1 a c f7 ]
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 1 a 10 f7 ]
control input: Channel 1 Controller 1 Value 100
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 1 a 13 f7 ]

Switching Mute button on:
control input: Channel 1 Controller 104 Value 1
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 2 0 1 f7 ]

Switching Mute button off:
control input: Channel 1 Controller 105 Value 1
control input: System Exclusive (13) = [ f0 0 20 32 0 b 20 1 0 2 0 0 f7 ]

It seems to send the right value and right controller no.

Ah, I have found the difference after enabling the Midi Feedback option:

After assigning the controller no. to the mute-button in Ardour it gives the following feedback aftoer operating it in Ardour:

Enabling mute in Ardour:
control output: Channel 1 Controller 104 Value 127

Disabling mute in Ardour:
control output: Channel 1 Controller 104 Value 0

Enabling mute on DDX:
control input: Channel 1 Controller 104 Value 1 —> Value describes the channel of the DDX

Disabling mute on DDX:
control input: Channel 1 Controller 105 Value 1

Any idea to fix this?

This would require some coding, and my guess is a fair amount, in Ardour to address. It is a very ODD way of implementing button MIDI messages. Go ahead and file a mantis report on it.

  Seablade

@dtk:Yes, the use of two different controller messages to enable and disable a remote controlled parameter is a bit wierd. I have no idea what would support that. I’m not even sure that Ardour3 will do that… It also appears that the DDX does not deliver any MIDI messages when its solo button is pressed, so that much is impossible, but that won’t change with ardour3, or Logic, or ProTools.

However, the DDX also sends sysex messages that could be used instead. I don’t have time right now to check if they are regular MMC or not.

I began to prepare a binding map file, so there are different sysex messages for on/off:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

First line switches off mute on DDX (“0”) and second switches on (“1”)

I don’t know if that will work, but I will give it a try when I finish my actual project of producing so there will be time to compile and test a3.