Choose Snow TI Channel remotely - Any ideas?

[Luddite]

Hello everyone,

I am a new one on here and have had no joy searching the site and rest of internet for an answer to this question.

TI in Snow allows me to play three different synth patches at once (four actually but only three on separate channels). This is great but the display on the snow only shows one of them at a time (of course).

When I want to edit a patch on the fly on the synth itself, I know that I can bring it to the LED display by going back to the VST and selecting it. In a live situation though that would not be so practical.

Is there a way to midi assign each channel going out so that I can press a button on my midi controller and choose which synth patch to edit remotely and that particular patch will be displayed in the LED display of the Snow?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Many thanks!

[CleverConQueso]

Hello,

I'm not using the VST, I'm using a sequencer, but the answer is effectively the same, I believe. The knobs are assigned to either a Control Change (CC) number or to a real value in the synth like Delay Send.

In the case of the former you say for example knob 1 is CC#3 (or 9, 14, etc) then in the Mod Matrix you say CC#3 controls say delay feedback (for example). If you're in Sequencer mode (which I think you are if you're using the VST) then voice 1 is MIDI 1, the last voice is MIDI 4. So from your sequencer you define a knob called Delay Feedback, MIDI channel 1, Control Change value = 3. That turns the knob on voice 1. MIDI 2, all other things being equal, turns the knob on voice two. Etc.

If you want to take the second example where the knob is set to a real value like Delay Send, you may get lucky and find the CC value here - http://elektron-users.com/index.php?...=520&Itemid=30
but you're probably best off doing it with a real CC like 3, 9, 14 etc and the mod matrix.

HTH,
CCQ

[Luddite]

I was really excited to see I had a reply but...

...I am afraid you misunderstood what I want to do.

I am talking about hands on editing of the internal parameters of each synth in TI mode, not just assigning the soft knobs to cc numbers (which I know how to do no problem).

The problem is that only one synth patch is represented in the LCD screen. It seems that the only way to edit one of the other currently playing synth patches is by opening the Plugin window and then selecting a different patch by pressing the appropriate button on the VST.

This is not practical in a live situation.

I want to be able to select the synth patch to edit without opening up the VST window. Ideally I would like to play with the computer well out of site and do all my synth work and sequencing with external devices.

Thanks ever so much for taking the time to answer though. I really appreciate it.

So I ask again...any ideas anyone?

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by Luddite

So I ask again...any ideas anyone?

First, this is weird because I seem to be having pseudo deja vu here or something. I would have sworn I posted a possible solution to a thread like this once before a few weeks back, yet I went to look for my post and it doesn't seem to exist! Maybe I was in the process of responding to your question (or someone else's which was similar) and got sidetracked? Who knows, but I'll try again:

There are probably multiple ways to skin a cat and I don't own a Virus at the moment so I'm shooting blind here, but I can tell you the approach I would take based on what I know. If my assumptions are correct (#1 you are using a DAW in the live setup but #2 you just don't want to open VC to change patches). In that case I would assign the patches to different MIDI channels like 1-3, then in the DAW assign a new midi out instrument track or whatever your DAW calls it assigned to that channel. Your DAW no doubt has an easy keystroke to move prev/next through your active instruments, or your MIDI controller probably has a way you can assign a couple of spare buttons to do this easily (if not get a MIDI controller that does, or just get one of those small wireless keyboards to stick on the MIDI controller). Then your patch changes are just a press of a button (and from your keyboard, no need to touch the Virus). In Cubase I have a special controller that has track up/down buttons that do this that if I played live (I don't) would probably be what I would use, just due to the size and convenience.

Good thing about this approach is it works with any multi-timbral hardware as long as there's no problem mapping patches to separate MIDI channels, and saves you from reaching for each individual module or rack unit. Bad thing about it is that it requires a little setup/planning testing to be sure you don't get let down by it in the middle of a gig.

[Luddite]

Many thanks for making the effort. I will try this in the studio. I am not sure if it is quite what I was after though. It is not the ability to change patches alone that I would like but the ability to edit patches that are on different outputs of the TI VST. This means having them displayed in the LCD display. Let me see though if your method actually not only plays a particular patch (no reason why it shouldn't) but also brings that patch into the LCD window (here's hoping!)

Many thanks. Will let you know how I get on!

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by Luddite

Many thanks for making the effort. I will try this in the studio. I am not sure if it is quite what I was after though. It is not the ability to change patches alone that I would like but the ability to edit patches that are on different outputs of the TI VST. This means having them displayed in the LCD display. Let me see though if your method actually not only plays a particular patch (no reason why it shouldn't) but also brings that patch into the LCD window (here's hoping!)

Many thanks. Will let you know how I get on!

I think I got too caught up in the changing of patch solutions and didn't really address the on-the fly editing of patches. I still think you would need to do something (the specifics are going to be a little different for each DAW) to set up the routing between the DAW and the MIDI parameters you want to change. I'm guessing you could do that pretty easily with Automap software, if you have a Novation controller as your primary or are willing to get one, then when the controller is in Automap mode, you could assign separate knobs even to the edits you want to make for each patch (I assume fairly simple ones like cutoff).

I'll be honest though, I think editing multiple patches while gigging live is something most folks would use separate hardware instruments for, just because its so much easier to set up and keep it working (albeit a more expensive approach). I think any other solution is going to be inherently wonky and risk prone. Gigging on stage is the one time where simplicity and reliability really takes priority, it's not good when the shit hits the fan in front of an audience

[Luddite]

Many thanks again for the reply. Yes, what you say is all sensible. I am not sure though that I want to be using more midi controllers as there are a lot of functions to assign even if I just do the essentials. I hear what you are saying about live editing being risky but I find Snow quite straight forward. I've never "lost" a sound or anything whilst making changes. It all adds to fun anyway.
Imagine though even if you only wanted to do live edits with the so-called soft knobs, you still have the same problem in TI mode. Namely that we need to go back into the VST before we can make edits on the device itself. Not good in a live situation.
Let me see though if your solution works somehow. Otherwise I will write to Access directly for advice.

Many thanks again!

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by Luddite

Many thanks again for the reply. Yes, what you say is all sensible. I am not sure though that I want to be using more midi controllers as there are a lot of functions to assign even if I just do the essentials. I hear what you are saying about live editing being risky but I find Snow quite straight forward. I've never "lost" a sound or anything whilst making changes. It all adds to fun anyway.
Imagine though even if you only wanted to do live edits with the so-called soft knobs, you still have the same problem in TI mode. Namely that we need to go back into the VST before we can make edits on the device itself. Not good in a live situation.

Will look forward to your update to see how things go. I quoted the above because I wanted to point out that I think we're on the same page in the sense that editing on the instrument itself is always going to be fairly fool proof and reliable (that was what I meant when I said I think the only way you would achieve same reliability/ease is to have multiple hardware instruments in a live environment). Unless the instrument itself gives you an easy way to navigate between currently loaded singles that constitute a multi, I think there's probably an alternative solution (perhaps even what I suggested), but it's going to come with some tradeoffs that will be less than solid compared to what you're doing with a single active patch now.

Do let us know! Best of luck.

[Luddite]

Well, program change messages can change the patch (as we thought) but do not automatically bring the desired patch to the actual display of the Snow. Would be really simple if we could midi assign the selection buttons in the TI VST itself. No idea why this hasn't been implemented!

Anyway, I will get onto Access about it.

Thanks for all your helpful input though!

[Luddite]

Well, it was as easy as pressing a couple of buttons on the synth itself. When pressing "part" button, four lights come up where the RAM selection bank buttons would normally light up. They represent from left to right patches one to four. Press the appropriate one and that patch is then represented in the LCD display.

Can not believe that I didn't work that one out.

Thanks for your answers though!