Keyboard Controller Faders & Metro

[fastlanephil]

Hello Jerm

I have a CME UF6 keyboard controller with faders and pan knobs and transport control buttons. I was told that I should be able to get my DAW and this keyboard to work together. Iv'e studied the online help about Metro's Remote Control Window and have the UF6 manual but so far I have only been able to manipulate the record enabled MIDI track and use the keyboard for Transport controls.

I read in the Metro Remote Control help that you state "For input events this is the input device that is generating the MIDI event. This device must be selected as a 'record from' device in MIDI setup. Select 'All' to use any input device that generated this MIDI event."

When I select a device there is only my MIDI Sport Port A and MIDI Sport Port B to choose from. I have the UF6 in my MIDI Setup record from list but it's not showing up in the Remote Controller device pull down menu. CME says in their manual that they can't guarantee compatibility with a DAW.

Here's a pict of the first eight fader numbers and Master for what it's worth.






Here is what I have set up in the Remote Control window.



In the Command pull down menu I can only select Controller, Note, SysEx and Pitchbend but not Output Volume.

Do you have any suggestions about what should try. I can't connect the UF6 directly to my iMac because they have never updated their USB drivers.


Phil

[Jerm]

Hello Phil,

I am not sure I fully understand the problem but isn't Master Volume just contoller number 7? Insert controller number 7 and then assign it to the function you want it to control.

note: there is a known bug in the remote control input select on macs before Metro 6.5.0.2 so if you need that version contact me directly.

I am 99.99% certain that your keyboards faders and pan knobs are fully controllable.

[fastlanephil]

Well, I was able to set up the volume faders. I can also pan the different mixer channels if I set the out channel on the UF6 to match the mixer channel.

I've been getting a error box -10833 "MIDI no connection, attempt to close a non-existent connection." Not sure why. It comes up every time I select MIDI Setup in the Setup Menu and also when I apply changes to devices in the Apple MIDI Setup utility. I don't notice any issues.

I now have the keyboards showing up as devices in the Remote Control window but I can only select all or Metro quits and a crash report is sent to Apple. I'm running OSX 10.7.3.


Phil

[Jerm]

That sounds like the known bug. Send me an email and I will directly email you a copy of Metro 6.5.0.2

[fastlanephil]

The Remote Control window is functioning properly now and I haven't noticed any other issues.

My UF6 has some Transport control buttons but I don't see any way to link them to Metro. The Record button sends sysx and the rest send MTC.

I have the UF6 keys programed for this but was just wondering if there is possibly a way to link those buttons with the Remote Control.

Thanks,


Phil

[Jerm]

The UF6 manual states:

Hints:
1.Those functions need software support, and you must make the right setup in the software before you can use those buttons properly. 2.If you press one of the 6 buttons after the keyboard is powered on, the keyboard will start sending MTC(MIDI timing clock). To stop sending MTC, press "Reset" compound, or just turn off then turn on the keyboard

This is very peculiar. Have you tried pressing record in Metro and seeing exactly what the keyboard sends when you press the transport buttons? I don't see why a keyboard would send MTC. How would it even know the master time of your sequence?

[fastlanephil]

I tried pressing the transport buttons on the UF6 while Metro was in record mode and besides getting sysex data when I push the record button on the UF6 on and off which shows up in note display in Metro I don't se anything happening.

[

I don't know how other Keyboard controllers transport buttons work but from what you say the UF6 buttons are probably not usable. I can at least rest the bottom of my Apple wireless keyboard on them.

Thanks for looking into this.


Phil

[Jerm]

I sent an email to CME so we'll see if they respond.

Are all those sysex's from record? or do you get a different one for each button press. Click on the sysex and see if the data is the same or different. If they are different I can support it in the future by adding a sysex event.

[fastlanephil]

[b][b][b][/b][/b][/b]

I sent an email to CME so we'll see if they respond.

Are all those sysex's from record? or do you get a different one for each button press. Click on the sysex and see if the data is the same or different. If they are different I can support it in the future by adding a sysex event.

I get a different sysex from each button press. On and Off.

This is the data from four button presses

F0 7F 00 06 06 F7 button on

F0 7F 00 06 07 F7 button off

F0 7F 00 06 06 F7 button on

F0 7F 00 06 07 F7 button off


Thanks a lot for the support!


Phil

[Jerm]

Hello Phil,

I got a reply from CME. They say

the UF6 has stopped produced for a long time, we don’t have any in stock right now

So they cannot lend me one for implementation of a remote control preset.

They also say

But we can provide you some information below, maybe it will help you.

KEYBOARD MARKER MIDI OUT USB OUT(Drive v1.04)

TOP TOP F2 00 00 B0 73 7F(CC#115)

REW REW F2 nn rr B0 74 7F(CC#116)

FF FF F2 nn rr B0 75 7F(CC#117)

REC REC F0 7F 00 06 06 F7,F0 7F 00 06 07 F7 F2 nn rr B0 72 7F(CC#114)

STOP STOP FC B0 76 7F(CC#118)

PLAY PLAY FA B0 77 7F(CC#119)

This looks to me like if you have the correct driver you should be receiving continuous controllers (CC#s) for the buttons over USB which should work with Metro.

If I had the keyboard I would write a driver for it but without the keyboard it is not possible.

Jeremy

[fastlanephil]

Hello Jeremy,

Too bad CME dosen't have one of the original UF keyboards available. It probably wouldn't be practical to send you mine with coast to coast shipping costs. Maybe CME will come up with one and contact you.

I'll be using mine until I eventually upgrade to something else.

Thanks much for looking into this.


Phil

[Jerm]

Phil,

It sounds like you have connected your keyboard through a MIDI interface and not direct via USB. Have you tried connecting it direct via USB with CME's latest driver? I think it should work that way.

Jeremy

[fastlanephil]

Jeremy,

I do have the UF6 connected through MIDI because the USB connection has never worked. The latest driver was released in Sept 06. I just tried installing it again but no luck. CME says to uninstall the old driver first but they don't include the tool to do this. I can't find the driver in the Library with a search or poking through the folders.

Do you have any idea where it would reside?


Phil

[fastlanephil]

I found a compatibility list on the CME site and the UF 6,7,8 are not USB supported. They say to use a MIDI interface.

I think I'll look into a PreSonus FaderPort.


Phil

[Jerm]

Have you looked at the M-Audio Axiom series?