Supports any (MPE) MIDI controller with 1 midi in-/output. You can assign several commands in Bitwig to the knobs, button, faders, etc. of your controller, which will then be readily available each time you start your DAW.
The Generic Flexi needs to be added manually. Open the controller settings and click on Add controller, select Generic, and then Flexi from the list. After that, select the input and output of your MIDI controller.
Linux: If the file dialogs to save/load do not work make sure you have zenity installed. To install zenity from the command line enter: sudo apt install zenity
- Your settings are not automatically stored! Use Save (see below).
- MIDI notes are blocked when mapped
- If you have selected All for the keyboard channel the note is blocked on all channels!
- The blocked notes are only updated when loading a configuration or when switching between slots.
- Using CC as a target can only be used with VST plugins in Bitwig. It cannot be mapped with the Bitwig mapping system, which will always see the original MIDI command. Instead use User parameters.
- In the Load/Save section click on the Save button, enter a file name and confirm the dialog to store the settings.
- Click on Load to load a configuration (make sure to Save your current configuration first).
- The last selected file (shown in the filename text field) will automatically be loaded when the DAW starts the next time.
You have 300 slots to map buttons, knobs, faders, etc. to a function in your DAW. It is a good idea to save the settings to a file before you start to do any mapping, then regularily click on Save again.
To map your controller do the following:
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Select the slot in which you want to put a mapping.
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Next press a button, move a knob/fader or press a pad/key on your controller. You should see the transmitted MIDI command (CC, note, Program Change, Pitchbend or MMC (other MIDI data types are not supported)) that was sent by your controller. Alternatively, you can select the values manually.
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Click the Set button to assign the received MIDI values to the selected slot.
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Finally, select the function you want to assign from the various drop down lists. The special mode commands are explained below.
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Select the next slot and continue with step 2. If you want to clear a slot, set the MIDI trigger type to "Off".
Each slot has the following parameters:
- Type: MIDI status type, which triggers the function: CC, a note, program change command or pitchbend
- Number: The CC, note or Program change number, which should trigger the function (ignored for pitchbend)
- Midi Channel: The midi channel (1-16), on which the MIDI message should be accepted/received
- Resolution: High resolution of 14-bit is available for pitchbend (always) and CC messages below 32.
- Knob Mode: This option only applies to continuous functions like changing the volume of a track. Depending on the possibilities of your controller knob you need to choose the matching mode.
- Function: Choose a function from the different categories that should be executed, when the configured MIDI message is received.
- Send value to device: This option only applies to continuous functions like changing the volume of a track. If it is enabled, the current value is sent to the controller with the configured CC.
- Set Item value 1-8: 1) Change Volume of selected track 2) Change Panorama of selected track 3-8) Change volume of Send 1-6
- Select Item 1-8: Select track 1-8 in the current bank page
- Select Next Item: Select the next track (if any)
- Select Previous Item: Select the previous track (if any)
- Select Next Item Page: Select the next page of the track bank
- Select Previous Item Page: Select the previous page of the track bank
- Set Item value 1-8: Change Volume of track 1-8 in the current bank page
- Other controls are the same as in track mode
- Set Item value 1-8: Change Panorama of track 1-8 in the current bank page
- Other controls are the same as in track mode
- Set Item value 1-8: Change Volume of the Send X of track 1-8 in the current bank page
- Other controls are the same as in track mode
- Set Item value 1-8: Change the value of parameter 1-8 in the current bank page
- Select Item 1-8: Select parameter page 1-8
- Select Next Item: Select the next device (if any)
- Select Previous Item: Select the previous device (if any)
- Select Next Item Page: Select the next page of parameters
- Select Previous Item Page: Select the previous page of parameters
- Set Item value 1-8: Change the selection of filter 1-7, knob 8 changes the selected result
- Select Item 1-8: Select next item in filter columns 1-7 and result column
- Select Next Item: Select the next tab in the browser (if any)
- Select Previous Item: Select the previous tab in the browser (if any)
- Select Next Item Page: Confirm the browser selection and close the browser
- Select Previous Item Page: Discard the browser selection and close the browser
If the controller is a synthesizer (or only a synthesizer) you can configure Program Banks from which you can select Programs to send MIDI program changes to the synthesizer. This way you can select patches directly from the document settings in Bitwig (right hand pane).
The program banks are contained in a file which must be placed in the same directory as the properties file for the Flexi configuration. The difference is that the ending is programs instead of properties. E.g. if you created a setup MatrixBrute.properties you need to have a file MatrixBrute.programs. The resources folder of DrivenByMoss contains an example file (Example.programs).
For each bank in the file you need to have one line of the format
$BANK=bank_name$MSB=msb_value$LSB=lsb_value$CHANNEL=midi_channel
for example to have a bank named Bank A, which is addressed by MSB 0 and LSB 0 on MIDI channel 1, write:
$BANK=Bank A$MSB=0$LSB=0$CHANNEL=0
After that up to 127 lines with program names can follow (you can have less).
Note (Bitwig): To make changes in this section become effective a restart of the extension is required (turn it off and on again).
If your controller has a keyboards or pads you can enable it by configuring the MIDI channel. The MIDI channel can also be turned off or set to all. If a MIDI note is mapped to a function on this MIDI channel, the note is blocked from being played.
The Modulation Wheel (CC 01), Sustain Pedal (CC 64), Timbre (CC 74) and Pitchbend can be directly routed to your In that case they are not available as a mapping source.
If the controller supports MPE, enable the MPE switch. In that case the lower MPE zone is enabled using all 15 channels. Furthermore, the direct routing of Timbre should be activated, which normally is used as another MPE modulator besides pitch bend.
You can set several preferences which are stored when you exit the DAW. These are global settings and not specific to projects.
- Selected: The selected mapping slot to edit (1-300)
This block configures the MIDI command, which needs to be received to trigger the function of this slot.
- Type: The type of MIDI command to trigger the command
- Number: The number of the MIDI command
- Midi Channel: The MIDI channel on which to receive the command. Can also be set to All to accept the command on all MIDI channels. In that case the Send value to device option cannot be executed.
- Resolution: High resolution of 14-bit (16384 values instead of 128) is available for pitchbend (always) and CC messages below 32.
- Knob Mode: The encoding of the value sent by a knob, e.g. relative or absolute knobs
- Send value to device: Enable if value changes of the assigned function should be reflected back to the controller. Only works, if the controller uses the exact same command for sending and receiving.
- Send value to device when received: Sends back the received value to the controller. This is necessary to update button states on some controllers but can confuse others.
You can select only one function from the lists. If you select a function from a different list the previous list will be set to Off.
- Browser: Select a browser related function
- Clip: Select a clip related function
- Device: Select a device related function
- FX Track: Select an effect track related function
- Global: Select global commands
- Layout: Select layout related function
- Marker: Select a marker related function
- Master: Select a function which is related to the Master track
- MIDI CC: Sends a MIDI CC message to the DAW. This can also be used to transform a MIDI CC to a different one (e.g. Expression to Modulation)
- Modes: Select a mode related function. See the mode descriptions above.
- Note Input: Functions to control Note Repeat and Tranposition of the attached keyboard/pads.
- Scene: Select a scene related function
- Track: Select a track related function. The function Toggle trackbank allows to switch between the Instrument/Audio track bank and the Effect track bank.
- Transport: Select a transport related function
- User: Select a user parameter related function
- Action: Function to execute one of 8 actions. The 8 actions are selected below under Options
- Type, Number, Midi channel: Displays the received MIDI values
- Set: Press the button to assign the received MIDI command as the MIDI trigger for the currently selected mapping slot.
- Filename: An absolute path to the filename to automatically load when started.
- Save: Store the current configuration into the selected file.
- Load: Load the configuration from the selected file.
Changing these settings requires restarting the extension to make them active! If the connected device has a keyboard or pads, the following settings allow to configure it.
- MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE): Enable if your controller supports MPE.
- MPE Pitch Bend Sensitivity: Sets the sensitivity of the pitch bend modulation when MPE is active.
- Midi Channel: The MIDI channel on which the keyboard sends its data
- Route Timbre: Enable to send received MIDI timbre commands to the DAW. Disable if you use MIDI modulation as a slot trigger. Enable if you use MPE.
- Route Modulation: Enable to send received MIDI modulation commands to the DAW. Disable if you use MIDI modulation as a slot trigger.
- Route Expression: Enable to send received MIDI expression commands to the DAW. Disable if you use MIDI expression as a slot trigger.
- Route Sustain: Enable to send received MIDI sustain commands to the DAW. Disable if you use MIDI sustain as a slot trigger.
- Route Pitchbend: Enable to send received MIDI pitchbend commands to the DAW. Disable if you use MIDI pitchbend as a slot trigger.
- Selected Mode: The currently selected mode (if modes are used).
- Action 1-8: Select the DAW Action to execute if the functions Action 1-8 are used.
- Knob Speed Normal: Adjust the speed of the knobs
- Knob Speed Slow: Adjust the speed of the knobs when used with Shift for fine adjustments
- Exclude deactivated items: If active, deactivated items like tracks will not be displayed on the controller. This cleans up the displayed banks but also prevents the options to activate an deactivated item from the controller.
These settings are specific to each project.
- Active: Enable note repeat
- Period: The repeat rate of the note repeat
- Length: The length of a repeated note
- Mode: The arpeggiator mode
- Octave: The octave range which is used by the arpeggiator
In this section configured program banks are displayed for selection. See Configuring Program Banks above.