Getting isolated MIDI back from Logic

[camille]

Hi Somatic,

I got your PM, thanks for pinging me back about this question.
I started working on the Logic MIDI plugin, and have something that starts working.

OSC can be used to control the fader level, mute status, solo status, etc.
Most transport and mixer commands are implemented.

I would like to work on this a little bit more before sharing with you, I will come back to you early next week.


Best,
Cam

[camille]

I would like to explore that possibility but I can't promise when I'll have time to devote on this. Currently, I am working on new feature that I would like to include in the upcoming version (2.12), and beside updating the manual, I have lots of little things to polish. Would it be ok if you PM'ed me in a couple of weeks?

[somatic]

It was done by Apple and is embedded into Logic as a MIDI plugin.

You have confirmed my suspicions ::sigh::

Any clues as to what it takes to write such a midi plugin? Or is this a dead end, as only Apple can include this functionality in logic?

[camille]

Ah, that's correct, those controller assignments work only one way, which is annoying to say the least.

As for the TouchOSC's Logic layout:

It was done by Apple and is embedded into Logic as a MIDI plugin. The MIDI plugin works by converting a virtual control surface into OSC messages in both directions, unfortunately this is only compatible with TouchOSC as you can not change the OSC destination (hard coded into the control surface's code). You will notice that TouchOSC also automatically changes its layout to the Logic layout once activated.

[somatic]

I think there is a mapping option that allows you to do that, but I've never had it working.
For instance, in the "Controller Assignments" panel, isn't the "Channel Strip: 'Selected Track'" supposed to do just this?

I've also seen this one option as the only clue anywhere in logic that this would be possible. However, this is still handling the input side of the equation, and not the output. This option menu lets you either hard-wire a particular control to a particular logic object or to whatever you have selected. But I've never been able to figure out how to use the "controller assignments" to get any data back from logic, let alone the "selected track".

I have to believe this is possible somehow, as touchOSC has an OSC layout that works very much like a standard control surface, in that the faders reflect bank changes and even focus on the selected track. But my best guess as to how they do it is some kind of actual built-in support in Logic for touchOSC, where logic is recognizing touchOSC as a real control surface and sending OSC data to it somehow (I've examined the layout and it's no different than what I've built). The same setup does not seem possible for the user to create (at least not in controller assignments). I had hoped that I'd be able to get a little more control with OSCulator, but there's still something missing....

[camille]

Hi Somatic,

First off, thank you for this detailed post. Unfortunately, and this is has been often asked, there is no simple solution for bi-directional MIDI support in Logic. Bi-directional communications are either handled through a environment hack (like in your case), by using a standard control surface protocol (like Mackie), or by though a Logic MIDI plugin (something I would like to implement in the future).

Logic is great at taking whatever MIDI data is coming into the sequencer and automatically mapping it to the currently selected arrange track - no matter what channel it's being transmitted on - making it dead simple for my touchOSC template faders to control *only* the track I have selected. The problem is the return MIDI - if I cable the output of a specific object to OSCulator in the logic environment, I only get midi feedback for that particular object - not to mention the problem that if it's a multi-channel midi instrument, I get all 16 channels, which includes CC data for 16 independent tracks. So if they're all reading CC data changes, they're all getting funneled to OSCulator, and all trying to move my touchOSC faders at the same time!

I am at the same time surprised (because I find crazy that Logic still has no simple and well made mapping system), and not surprised (because of what I just said).

So I don't think this is actually a problem that can be solved within OSCulator. Really I guess I'm asking if anyone knows how to limit/filter an output stream of MIDI data to *only the track currently selected/active in the arrange window* (just like all incoming midi data is only routed to that same track). This would allow my single bank of faders to display only the data from that particular track - mimicking the behavior of typical control surfaces that both input and display only the data for a selected track. I could switch tracks on the fly, and my visual display in touchOSC would reflect the current track, as well as allow input for that track.

I think there is a mapping option that allows you to do that, but I've never had it working.
For instance, in the "Controller Assignments" panel, isn't the "Channel Strip: 'Selected Track'" supposed to do just this?

logic mapping.png


Best,
Cam

[somatic]

So I've been working with TouchOSC for some time now, and only recently started using OSCulator as a bridge (when program changes didn't play nice with TouchOSC alone and I wanted better bidirectional support).

I've converted my previously midi-only touchOSC template to OSC-only, and have successfully mapped the midi CC data. I've even read through the tutorials on setting up OSC in Logic via control surface automation learning (not how I'm doing things). I'm really working purely in MIDI CC and program changes. I've built a series of faders to control stuff like modwheel, expression, filters, etc.

What I'd really like is to have them update visually in touchOSC in sync with what's been recorded in Logic. The only bidirectional tutorial is a bit overboard for what I need. I've already figured out a rudimentary way to simply pass the MIDI CC that's been recorded to a track back to OSCulator by simply creating an instrument set to the OSCulator port and cabling the output of an environment object to it. I've configured the return midi data in OSCulator, and my faders move in sync. It's wonderful!

...however...

Logic is great at taking whatever MIDI data is coming into the sequencer and automatically mapping it to the currently selected arrange track - no matter what channel it's being transmitted on - making it dead simple for my touchOSC template faders to control *only* the track I have selected. The problem is the return MIDI - if I cable the output of a specific object to OSCulator in the logic environment, I only get midi feedback for that particular object - not to mention the problem that if it's a multi-channel midi instrument, I get all 16 channels, which includes CC data for 16 independent tracks. So if they're all reading CC data changes, they're all getting funneled to OSCulator, and all trying to move my touchOSC faders at the same time!

So I don't think this is actually a problem that can be solved within OSCulator. Really I guess I'm asking if anyone knows how to limit/filter an output stream of MIDI data to *only the track currently selected/active in the arrange window* (just like all incoming midi data is only routed to that same track). This would allow my single bank of faders to display only the data from that particular track - mimicking the behavior of typical control surfaces that both input and display only the data for a selected track. I could switch tracks on the fly, and my visual display in touchOSC would reflect the current track, as well as allow input for that track.

Anyone?