Controlling virtual console faders with midi cc in Ableton (or any daw)

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Progfox
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2023 10:45 pm
Real Name: Andrew

Hey folks!

Anyone have any experience with automating faders in virtual console through midi commands? I've rigged an entire programmed show with Ableton and QLC vc talking to each other, and while trying to put together something quick, I was struggling to figure out a good way to work with faders using any CC commands from Ableton.

For example, if I just want my lights to slowly fade out using a dimming fader in VC as I would with a console, I'm not sure how to achieve this without very complex multiple midi steps. I ended up needing to create some specific sequences to fade but it's a little more awkward this way and results in me using more midi cc in Ableton.

So any way to control light intensity through faders with midi cc in Ableton or any daw as suggestions?
janosvitok
Posts: 1274
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:05 am
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Real Name: Jano Svitok
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Hi,

can you post your files so we can see how far did you get?

Basically the idea is that you
1. map MIDI output to a free QLC+ universe input (you can always add more universes in QLC+) https://docs.qlcplus.org/v4/input-output
2. create input profile that maps incoming MIDI messages to virtual DMX channels https://docs.qlcplus.org/v4/input-output/input-profiles
3. add faders to VC as needed
4. set external control of the faders to MIDI from Ableton. https://docs.qlcplus.org/v4/plugins/midi#channels-map

With CC, the value (from range 0..127) is mapped to range 0..255 and fader position is updated accordingly (0 - bottom, 255 -top; but you can reverse it if needed).
Feel free to ask if something is not clear enough.

Jano
Progfox
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2023 10:45 pm
Real Name: Andrew

Hey Jano, thanks for the reply! I can share my workspace tomorrow, though there isn't really anything worth sharing yet in terms of fader functionality, right now I'm just triggering buttons with midi notes.

Thanks for the info, I'll have a deep dive into it tomorrow after work and see if I can make it work!
MichelSliepenbeek
Posts: 504
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am
Location: Nederland
Real Name: Michel Sliepenbeek

You could use a Speed Dial to control your Fade Times.

Just have a look at the Example.
You can set the Fade Time by using the Preset Buttons or by using the Loopback Fader, it is up to you to connect your MIDI control accordingly.

The essence here is in having two "Black (Dim)" scenes (with different names). One you set up (in the Speed Dial) for Fading, the other one to operate immediately.
Attachments
Color Fade Easy Example 1.qxw
(11.22 KiB) Downloaded 182 times
A QLC Workspace is like a Bob Ross painting: "it's your world, you can create whatever you want!"
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