Alphatrack emulation

Can anyone please help me out with implementing the Alphatrack fader?

Basically I need to have the Selected (Cubase) chanel controllable via Lemur. The standard "Generic Remote" only gives a 7bit resolution (too low), and the NRPN route is way to complicated.
So my idea is to use an Frontier Design Alphatrack implementation instead. It uses 10-bit resolution PitchWheel data but I don't know how to "lose" 4 bits and make it bi-directionally controllable via a fader.


Here is the info about the Alphatrack's fader implementation:

FADER (move)............................
Movement update to computer: e0 yy zz (MIDI IN)
Command from computer: e0 yy zz (MIDI OUT)

where yy: 3 LSB’s in the form 00, 10, … 70
where zz: 7 MSB’s in the form 00, 01, … 7f
Together, yy and xx form a 10-bit fader position.

Hi
With the Logic the AlphaTrack Control Surface seems to work with Fader simply set to Pitchbend (14bit/0 to 16383)- did you try that at all?
Or try changing the scaling -0 to 1023 (10bit) and see how that goes . . .

Or you could do some scripting like the 14bit / NRPN MIDI stuff discussed elsewhere on forum.
Though someone may have to confirm the data format - i think that should 00,01,...07 for the 3bits . . .

Cheers
MM

Thank you so much, Macciza!
It works perfectly.

I did try this option before but it didn't work. Probably I messed up something else...

I am trying to improve my Alphatrack emulation on Lemur. I would like to add the selected track's name - maybe via a SurfaceLCD object. I read that in the past this was not possible due to Lemur not allowing certain SysEx messages. Apparently the recent update corrected this.

Anybody has any advice about how to achieve this?

the update will allow you to do it ,
create a script on sysex,
on the condition MIDI_ARGS = the alphatracks display header,
extract the display hex from the header using the subarray instruction,
then set attribute of a text objects 'content' to the subarray.
using a text object is better than the lcd object as its more flexible as in size and position and you dont have to use a loopback to convert the header

Thank you, wul. I'll try to get it implemented. Not sure if I am up to the task, but I'll give it a try. It is the subarray operations that puzzle me the most.

EDIT: Wow, I did it!! Thank you.

Congrats! Hopefully I didn't overlook this, but is this something you'll upload for community use?

Thanks

Hi,

Here is the link to the whole AlphaTrack Module, including Track Name retrieval and volume meteres with Peaks functionality.

http://liine.net/en/community/user-library/view/408/

Thank you all for the help!

Catalin

Hi gang

OK I know I must be daft. But I cant get the alphatrack emulator to work.
I have put the .cn.bundle in the right place, installed it in the devices, added the generic remote, and set it all to midi deamon port 2.
No workie for me...

All the other lemur projects I have tried has worked so Im sure im missing something. But what?

I would love to figure out how this is used and if possible make it work in Nuendo 64bit as well (Alphatrack does not show under devices in 64bit mode on OSX as far as I can see).
I really only want to "steal" the hi-res fader and metering and get it to work properly with the layout Im building.

Any suggestions?

my guess is that has something to do with the cn.bundle and 32/64 bit. I remember I once installed the wrong dll (in Windows, the Cubase component for AlphaTrack is a dll) for my 32-bit Cubase, and the hardware device didn't work. Installing the right dll (32-bit) solved the issue. But, mute/solo/W/R, and also the meter should work for you already, because they are mapped with the Generic Remote. And if you're only interested in the fader/meter, I'm sure I can help. There's a meter that is not perfect, but quite usable: http://forum.liine.net/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=971&p=3440&hilit=cubase+meter#p3440

Catalin, you did a great job here. The track name retrieval is just great. Quite possible that I will use that for my advanced Cubase template that still is in the works. The meter however, I think it is not accurate. It shows much too high levels. That's why I used single LED's in my template to get a more realistic response. Unfortunately it is not possible to make it stereo, I'm afraid. At least not with the Generic Remote.

Thank you very much. This track name retrieval is important I think. I wasn't aware of your post and User Library entry because I was not so up-to-date this summer.

Thanks Phil!
Ill try to have a look again. 32&64 bit functionality are both needed unfortunately. Perhaps it's not even possible to get both?

What i really want is a collection of useful stuff and to create a layout that is optimised for my workflow.
What I prefer to "steal" at least from a concept view is:
Hires selected channel fader, metering for selected channel and name retrieval for selected channel.
Those are the parts I'm somewhat struggling with. The rest is "just" hard work with generic remotes that I will develop over time.

My layout will be for film/TV audio post. So there's a lot in most templates I don't need, and quite a few that I do need that's simply not there in any existing template.
I'm not complaining!
I will learn it all proper in due time, but I'm anxious to get going with what i need most.

I had the AlphaTrack working in 32-bit and 64-bit Cubase. Just a question of using the right dll's (or bundles in your case) for each version. But I'm talking about Cubase 5.5.3, support for the AT stopped at around 2009, so it is possible that it can be problematic with later Cubase versions.*

And for this template, without using the actual hardware, the AlphaTrack driver doesn't have to be installed. Only the dll/bundle in Cubase components.

*and I found this:

Cubase /Nuendo OSX Plug-in v1.0.7 mac

v1 2009-02-10
AlphaTrackCN_OSX_v1.0.7.zip - 44KB
*This plug-in currently will NOT work in Cubase 6’s 64-Bit mode but may work when in 32-Bit mode. AlphaTrack control surface plug-in for Cubase 3 and Nuendo 3 and later on Mac based systems. Plug-in v1.0.7 corrects a delay in the Solo/Mute/RecArm button operation of the default Steinberg control SDK. Follow instructions in the “Cubase/Nuendo Guide” below and copy this bundle file into the Components folder of the appropriate version of Cubase or Nuendo. *** NOTE – AlphaTrack, and this plug-in DO NOT work with Cubase LE/SE, and some bundled versions, prior to Cubase LE4

http://frontierdesign.com/Support/Downloads

Thanks Phil, that's what I thought when I read it as well. But I hoped it wouldn't be true.
Ok alphatrack is out then.

I still need to choose a way to get a hires fader and metering and channel names. The rest should be possible to deal with using generic remotes and midi.
I'm starting to think that mackie control might be the choice, although I'm not sure if its the best choice still.
I wish Steinberg would include OSC support as that has better resolution.

this AlphaTrack emulation is just great. Since long time I have the device, but it never crossed my mind to emulate it in Lemur. I hope we can get a timecode display with this emulation, but until now I don't know the sysex for it. With the Mackie emulation it was not possible to get the timecode into Lemur.

Here is a MIDI table for the AlphaTrack:

note---command

50---flip
86---loop
87---previous track
88---next track
91---rewind
92---fast forward
93---stop
94---play
95---record

54---F1---parameter page down
55---F2---parameter page up
56---F3---user definable
57---F4---user definable

it is not complete, but that's what I could find. End of October I'll be in my practice room where my AlphaTrack is, and then I can make a complete table of MIDI commands. At least with the buttons, they're just notes. The timecode display would be superb, but I'm not so familiar with sysex. And the touchstrip, I don't know. Maybe. Would be nice. Catalin, where did you get the sysex info for the channel names anyway? Just with a MIDI monitor?

Again, many thanks to Catalin. Just discovered the level peak functionality of yours. Didn't know about that. Immediately included in my Cubase WIP project. Channel name retrieval, clip indicator, I'm making progress thanks to you. You know, this is quite important for me, because usually I have already one or two Mackie emulations, be it QCon, BCF2000, or V-Control (iPad app). Therefore it's more convenient to use an AlphaTrack emulation with Lemur. And it works so well! The channel name display holds 15 characters, much more than all Mackie emulations. This is a very important detail.

Hi
Are you after an AlphaTrack running in NativeMode or in its HUI emulation?
I have one that I worked on a while ago for Native mode before realising neither Live or my DAWs really supported it an I started on a TranzPort . . .
Had most of the stuff running from memory - Will dig it up and review it and post it here for you to check out if you want . . .
It was meant to mimic the device (which I don't have) so an actual users inout would be good

Cheers
MM

I (we) are interested in the native mode. I think it should be possible to get the timecode display sysex with a MIDI monitor ... and maybe also the touch-strip. And then bring the timecode onto a Text object in Lemur, the same way Catmann did for the channel name.

There is also a Live mode for Ableton. Did that not work for you? Ah well now that you have the TranzPort, the AlphaTrack is probably obsolete. Although I always liked the first encoder for very quick channel selection. Still using it in our practice room which I'll visit in about two weeks.

But I think a complete MIDI table could be of interest for many Lemur templates, for many DAW's.

Here ya go . . . Ooops maybe not, last minute weirdness. . ..
Have got it all working fairly well except for the ribbon controller which does not seemed to be mapped in Logic
Everything else seems pretty ok when it runs just a few weird issues that I needed to track down
And then the usual last minute 'hmm, it was working properly a moment ago . . .' problem . . .
LeAlpa screenshot.tiff
Will p0st the file once I have rechecked it to make sure it is working . . .
Sorry about that . . .
MM

PS I don't seem to get any time or level info back from Logic with this but I do get it with the Tranzport project ??
PPS Might look at a combined AlphaTranz . . .

ho, you're using your big-letter-display here? I know you've done the entire alphabet some time ago. Might be a good idea here, to have a (switchable) big display for the time-code and channel name. If we can get the sysex data for both.

Nicely done! Also the shift button and the R/W/rude solo indicators are very useful. And yeah, why not implement some of the TranzPort elements? I usually don't like to have too many devices/emulations for one Lemur template, but when it's worth it, why not?

This is great. I really wonder why I haven't had this idea earlier. Probably I didn't expect it to work, although it's fairly easy as we can see, at least for the buttons and the fader.


Edit: found some interesting info:

http://www.frontierdesign.com/download/pdf/AlphaTrack/
http://www.frontierdesign.com/download/pdf/AlphaTrack/AlphaTrack_Native_1.0.pdf

http://www.frontierdesign.com/download/pdf/TranzPort/
http://www.frontierdesign.com/download/pdf/TranzPort/TranzPort_Native_1_3.pdf

MIDI table.zip

we have the touch-strip!

AlphaTrackTouchstrip.jzml

Hmm
It seems to not be setup with Logic properly for me . . .

Heres where the rest is at . . . . ^^LeAlpha 0.9.jzml

See how it runs for you . .
Cheers
MM