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I just bought an M-Audio Code 61, and it is an amazing controller for the price, but figuring out how to get the the most out of it, with "Mackie HUI Mode, Midi Mode, and HID mode" in Studio One 5.2 can be challenging. I'm guessing since these controllers are sold out on Sweetwater, Amazon, Musician's Friend, and other sites, a lot of people are buying them, and with Presonus releasing Sphere which is also amazing, it might be worth having a Tips and Tricks topic on the forum.

I'm not an expert, I'm learning as I go with this setup, but for basic setup there is a good set of instructions here. https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ar ... tudio-one/

What i have seen so far is the basic transport controls (Play, record, rewind, stop etc) don't show up as buttons when you add a new keyboard go into setup, and start hitting buttons in MIDI Learn, , but they are all predefined when you add the Mackie "Control" device (don't screw up and add a Mackie HUI device... add the Mackie "Control" device it's got more functions, and most of them are mapped already so you won't have to).

Your "new keyboard" device that you hopefully picked M-Audio and called Code-61, is where you are going to do most of your work. When you go to set that up, set everything to MIDI mode (RED BUTTONS). Your button banks, your fader banks, your knob banks, and your X-Y controller can be independently assigned to the different control types (MIDI, HUI, HID) but for now we're just concerned with MIDI mode.

Presonus Studio One is already going to know what to do with your 4x4 grid of drum pad buttons, your pitch bend, mod wheel, volume pedal. (if you have one) the volume pedal needs to be a rocker type controller not a piano type pedal. The expression pedal can be a piano type of pedal. (You can assign all this stuff to different functions if you want to, but for your MIDI controller setup, I'd say just leave them with the default settings for now, and later on if you want to do something else with them, do it on that song not your entire global mapping setup)

Now lets setup the controller:

Watch this video even though it's about a BCR 2000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG76UEQqcuI

He's talked about plugins, but the same information can be applied to all the VST Instruments. What I would do differently is setup a new empty song, call it "Control Link Setup" add your first VST Instrument to track one, make sure it's named the same thing as the VST Instrument, and when you are setting up an M-Audio Code 61 remember this. X-Button is linked to the button, the X-axis on the pad, AND knob #1. I know normally you'd just work left to right, but on an M-Audio Code series, setup the X button, as a knob, setup the Y button as a knob. Then setup your buttons left to right, define them as buttons (transmit value doesn't matter) Setup your faders left to right (Right clicking each one and defining it as a fader), setup knobs 3-9 left to right.

When you are setting up an M-Audio Code 61 and you move the first fader marked MASTER it's going to automatically add faders (as knobs) 1-4, and if you didn't read this sentence you're gonna be like bleep!?!? Just remove the next four faders it adds, if you don't want them grouped. That is sort of helpful if you want your MIDI controller to act as a mixer bus, but not too helpful if you just want to use it as a musical instrument.

IMHO My best suggestion for the M-Audio Code Series would be to add 2 assignable buttons for "Next Patch/Preset and Previous Patch/Preset" because I have played keyboards for many years and those are the 2 most commonly used buttons. I tried to assign the 2 "bank" buttons to this function until I got was a headache... it's not possible, don't hurt yourself. Just do what I outline next.

When I am doing my "MIDI Learn" setup, I take the button under the MASTER fader and the button under fader 1 and then define them as ON/OFF type buttons and then right click them and choose "Assign Function" > and then type "Preset" and then choose "Next" for the first one, and do the same with the button under fader #1 and choose "Previous" for the button under "Fader 1" (Now you just write off those 2 buttons as keyboard shortcuts for next / previous patch, and never use them for anything else again!)

Now your instrument is setup in a logical way. You have Mackie HUI controls on all your transport buttons (from Sweetwater instructions, adding it as a Mackie "Control"). You have all your keys, pads and expression devices setup with default settings for any "New Keyboard" template (from Sweetwater instructions (Adding it as a new keyboard)), you have all your knobs and faders, and your X-Y pad ready to assign to virtual instruments (from my instruction, and the video), and effects (from the video).

Probably a good time to save the "Control Link Setup" project, and get another beer.(pause)

Now let's start setting up your first VST Instrument! (In my case Impact)

Go to your instruments tab, grab Impact > pull it to Track 1 and drop it..

The hard choice is what you want to assign your X-Y pad to (I feel your pain) but I feel like a good "default" choice for the X-Y pad is Cutoff on the X-axis, and Resonance on the Y-axis.

Make sure your have Code 61 selected from the drop down menu to the right of the -> button, and make sure you have Code 61 selected on the upper right menu on the top of the VST Instrument,, and click on it to highlight it Yellow (so it's affecting the Global settings), and not just track 1 in this project (see the video above), This is a crucial skill you want to learn from the video above.


Now the Click the "X" Button on your Code 61 Controller > Click the Cuttoff knob in Impact > now up in the upper left corner of S1 it should say "Cutoff" in the left box, and (Some control knob number) in the right box. > Click in between them like the guy showed you in the video to highlight the little yellow triangle which maps the function > Now hit the Y button > click on the Resonance knob in Impact " Mash that yellow triangle again > Now say, "I'm smart and I love myself" > You just mapped your X-Y pad, Knobs 1+2 (if you want to control Cutoff & Resonance independently) and the X & Y buttons, you are going to LOVE this setting when you start playing!!

Now go through your knobs 3-9 and map them to the knobs in Impact through the same process of clicking the knob you want to assign then twiddling the knob you want on the M-Audio, then clicking the little yellow triangle to map it. > Now go through the faders using the same process > Buttons 3-9 with the same process. Now save the "Control Link Setup" project again get out a roll of masking tape and a pen > Wait what? did he just say masking tape and a pen? > Yes I did... (pause while you find it) > Now go label all the functions you just assigned on your M-Audio by writing little masking tape labels under each function you just mapped (this is important before you start mapping your 2nd VST Instrument) I'll wait... ... .. Write small and try to leave some space on the tape!

Now you have little masking tape labels under the most common functions, you've mapped > pull your next VST Instrument into track 2 > Start Mapping functions and map the ones you have masking tape labels for to the same functions that are common between both instruments > Map the leftover functions until your M-Audio has a piece of tape under every knob, fader, and button, until you get a "Usually Used" label for each function on the M-Audio Code 61. (It's a pain in the butt, but you'll thank me when you start producing every day) (Also this is an organic process based on how you play, what effects, VST instruments, and perimeters you tweak most, and this is why people keep masking tape in their studios, but I believe in you... you'll figure it out!)

Now when you've used up all your faders, knobs, and buttons, you've labeled them with tape and you still ran out of assignable controls, you are going to start using those "bank buttons" and you can go back into your instrument setup, click the bank button,Click MIDI Learn > start twiddling knobs, button, and faders, and they will show up as new assignable midi buttons, knobs, and faders. Stay away from the two buttons you assigned for next and previous patch buttons, stay away from knobs 1 & 2, the X-Y buttons, and the X-Y pad (These you either map the same way with every new VST or effect, or maybe you go a different way, but now you can decide that for yourself... I don't know how much masking tape you have). You can now assign 4 more banks of assignable faders, knobs 3-9, and even buttons, and go back and define the "non-masking tape" buttons, or add new scribbles to your existing masking tape, or anything else you want.

Past this you just have to methodically go through every VST instrument, and every plugin you have, adding them to a new track, setting up your knobs, buttons and faders the way you want them, and saving after you add them, and from now on every new song you write, every new track you create, you'll have all your common presets mapped and labeled, and you will only ever need to go back and edit the "Control Link Setup" project when you add a new VST, Plugin, or you want to permanently change your control mappings, not just for a new project or track, but for all future mappings. If you just want to change your control mappings for the track you are working on, all you have to do is uncheck the yellow in the upper right hand of that VST or plug in where it says "Code-61" and you can change the mappings for that one performance.

I know there is a lot we haven't covered, but I feel like this will be a good building point for this little subject in the forum. I'm sure there will be edits, and if you have any questions, I'll try to figure it out, but hopefully this will be a good "first setup" tutorial, and you will avoid making MANY of the mistakes I made!
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by scottproctor on Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:19 pm
Like I said, I am learning as I go, so I found problem setting up Impact XT in my instructions above. I'd setup all my buttons, knobs, and faders the way I wanted them, and realized I had only set them up that way for whatever sample gets loaded to Pad C1 (lower left on the pad grid)

That's no good, I want them all setup. I found out I could highlight all the pads by holding the control button [ctrl] on my laptop keyboard and then clicking all the pads, then clicking the pad focus button in Impact XT, then going though and assigning all the controls to match my labels (twiddle > click > yellow arrow)

Then I saved the project and now all my controls are pinned for all 16 pads.

I think if you load samples into the next 16 pad by picking the B bank of pads in Impact XT (along the left side) you might have to go through this procedure again for the rest of the pad banks, but I don't know how often I'll end up doing that so I probably won't set that up until I need it.
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by scottproctor on Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:05 pm
I ran into another problem this morning, and honestly I am not so sure how to sort this one out. I have picked up a few "non-Presonus" VST3 Instruments, and I went to set them up today in my Control Link Setup project, and it would seem that they are fighting with one another for control assignments. For instance I have one control I always assign to master volume and another I always assign for pitch, and when I went to assign them it wouldn't let me because it was acting like they were already assigned in Arturia Analog Lab V. I suspect I may need to setup additional "Control Link Setup" projects and assign their controls there so they won't be fighting with each other for MIDI cc values.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there a better work around than having to have a new Control LInk Setup Project for each new VST I buy? I'm also curious if I do it that way and then add 2 VST instruments with the same controls assigned in a future project if they will fight with each other?

I don't seem to have this problem with the Presonus VST instruments.

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