MIDI Automation problem

maw

If I load a single instrument, assign CCs to its various functions and save it, when I reload the nki the controllers work as defined. However, when the instrument is loaded as part of a multi, they do not. And of course a single CC may have been assigned to different functions in different instruments. Shouldn't the CC work for the currently selected instrument? What am I missing?

MyStudioOne

If, like you say, you load a single instrument, kontakt will by default assign the instrument to midi channel 1. When you describe it not working when you load it in a multi, it would need to be the first loaded. If loaded 2nd it is assigned to midi channel 2 and so on and so it would not play properly unless you manuall change the keyboard to midi channel 2. Did you try manually changing the midi channel in the multi (click the i beside the camera symbol and above and to the right of purge) or changing the midi channel on your keys to match Kontakt?

maw

This has nothing to do with the MIDI channel. The problem has to do with assigning MIDI controllers to instrument functions that are represented as sliders or knobs in the UI.

stephen24

I don't have this problem (in K5).

Possible clue: When you save a multi, all the instrument settings are saved as they are in the multi at the time of saving, not necessarily as they were last time you saved the individual instruments.

maw

But in the case I’m talking about even the instrument I saved with assigned controllers, which works fine when loaded by itself, does not respond to the controllers when loaded as part of a multi. Furthermore, the MIDI Automation tab does not show the red dot that should appear when a controller is activated. Are you saying you have a multi with multiple instruments responding to assigned external controllers?

stephen24

Yes (many)

When you edit an instrument which is in a multi, save the instrument but also save the multi again. (This is routine in my workflow)

maw

Having done so I see only one instrument at most responding to controllers. Perhaps you could describe your workflow in a bit more detail? Thanks.

Jeremy_NI

@maw If we are talking MIDI CC from an actual MIDI controller, then in a Multi, MIDI channels are very important, like @MyStudioOne said.

Could you also explain your setup/workflow? Maybe with screenshots of your multi, showing what MIDI channels are selected for the instruments like here:

You can see the 3 instruments MIDI channels here, 1, 2 and 3. If I had a controller assignment for Noire as a single instrument set to MIDI channel 1, it would not work in the multi unless I change the MIDI channel of the controller to 3. But maybe I did not fully understand what your issue is. Then please give more details.

stephen24

Well I have built ensembles with up to 16 instruments in a Kontakt instance, each controlled by around 20 ccs, and saved them as multis, for around 20 years. If it doesn't work for you I can offer no explanation.

I'll have one more go

Monday build and save a multi (nkm).

Tuesday open the multi and edit and save one of the instruments (nki).

Wednesday open the multi. It'll be the same as it was on Monday. You haven't changed the nkm file, which contains all its own information for all of the instruments.

maw

Are any of the CCs assigned to multiple instruments?

Is each instrument on a distinct channel ?

What I have tried up to now is to load single instruments, assign CCs to various functions and save the nki. Then I have loaded them into a multi and seen that at most one instrument responds unless they are on the same channel, which I want to avoid. This is a problem when using the physical controllers. On the other hand it works fine when using the CC assignments in Finale, where in fact each instrument is assigned a unique channel.

stephen24

Sorry - more basic than I had realised.

You've got to get channels sorted out. It's how you play many instruments at the same time. Normally each instrument would have its own channel. Each CC message includes a channel number, so as to control an instrument on the same channel - not sure how you're sending yours.

I'm sure you'd find it useful to bone up on the MIDI protocol - how MIDI messages work. It's not rocket science. Recently hardware manufacturers and software authors have progressively dumbed stuff down so users don't think it's necessary to understand these basics. I think it's a mistake.

maw

I think I understand the basics pretty well. I think I have neglected to say that this problem is happening in the Kontakt UI - it works fine when messages are coming from the sequencer.