The Buttons'nFaders session is also the factory default session. The first time you run the MIDI Control Panel (or always, if you're running the demo!) you will almost certainly get a MIDI configuration error message. This is because you are unlikely to have the same MIDI devices as the system used to create this demo. So the first thing you will do is configure your MIDI ports, from the Setup Menu. Read the next paragraph first (When the Config MIDI Port screen is visible you can't scroll this help window)...
Don't bother selecting anything other than the MIDI In port(s) you use to connect your external keyboard(s)/guitar MIDI converter to, as the current version of MIDI Control Panel cannot use MIDI In data from synthesizers (synths can dump data as well as accept it, so they show up on both the MIDI In and Out lists). For outputs select anything you want to control with MIDI messages. If you have a soundcard with a synth that has a separate effects unit, such as the TurtleBeach Tropez Plus, you will definitely want to include the Effects port in the MIDI Out list. Be sure to include your external out port(s) if you have (an) external synth module(s). External synthesizers often have a more complete MIDI controller implementation and better sound than soundcards. They usually cost much more too...
So now you can configure the session's MIDI ports, hit 'Ok' and close the MIDI Port Configuration panel.
We're not done yet. If your favorite MIDI synth is not number 1 on the list (the complete list, not your selections. Tropez Plus users are included here. The effects unit is on port 1) you will have to change the MIDI out ports used by each Control Panel in this session. Don't whine, this isn't that hard, and you get to learn some things about the program. Roll the mouse to a port selector box (don't click). The right-most message box on the Status bar at the bottom of the MCP screen will display the name of the current MIDI device. If this is the synth you want to use you don't have to make any of the port changes mentioned below, but you might want to read along for the information. Otherwise, you can skip to the descriptions of the hidden panels further down.
There are 3 control panels visible: From left to right, a play sequence panel with a segment of 'Road To Mystery' from my soon to be released album of the same name, a vertical faders panel with its controls set to control the volume of each track in the sequence, and a buttons panel, whose first button is configured as a hold pedal.
If we glance down at the lower left corner of MCP, the Status bar shows us there are 6 panels total, so 3 are hidden (if you don't like where the status or tool bars are, you can move them, we've put them in a different place in each example to illustrate this). Let's do the visible ones first. The play sequence panel is just a front end for the MS Media Player, so it always plays on the default Windows MIDI device. This is probably set where you want it already. If not, use the MS Control Panel (Multimedia-->MIDI...) to change it now.
The vertical fader panel controls are all set to MIDI out 1 (which is a problem for the Tropez Plus). Click on the 1 in a port box. The port's name will appear in a selection box. Drop-down the list and select your synth's port.
Now go directly to the duplicate icon (1-->4) at the upper right of the fader panel, next to the blue hand. Press the duplicate icon, and select 'Port' from the pop-up menu that appears. All the ports should now be set to your selection.
Do the same thing to the buttons panel, although, in this case, you don't need to duplicate ports, since the last three buttons are remote controllers.
Now for the hidden panels. First of all, roll the mouse across each of the 'Push Butns' labels on the buttons panel. The rightmost message box on the status bar will give you the name of the panel the button is set to control.
Go to the Windows Menu and select 'Hidden Panels...'. The remote control panel names should all be there. Select each panel and adjust its MIDI ports.
Each of the hidden panels is a buttons panel and most of the buttons are configured to send an automated controller sweep of MIDI messages.
The 'All Fade Out' panel sends a decreasing volume sweep to each channel (track) of the sequence. This could have been a simple sweep from max vol to 0, but, since this is a realtime controller with an auto-reset function, the volume will jump back to maximum as soon as you release the button. We have used a repeating sweep here, with a triangle shape, so that there is a less obvious volume change if you release the button while the music is still playing. If you hold the button down, the volume will fade in and out smoothly.
The 'All Pan Away' panel uses automated pan messages to sweep 2 of the sequence's tracks to the right and the other 2 to the left. These sweeps also repeat if you hold the button down.
The 'Bend Over' panel only affect the channel 4 track (vocals). Three simultaneous sweeps, pan, pitchbend and volume fade, are applied in addition to a hold pedal message.
You can look at the settings later. Now it's time to play the demo. Re-hide the 3 controlled panels either with their blue hand icons or with the ID icon at the upper left corner of a panel. I used a waveform icon from the Icon Palette for these. From the pop-up menu you can hide all panels with the same ID icon with one click. Save the session, either by clicking on the diskette icon on the toolbar or by selecting 'Save Session' from the File Menu. This saves the default session. You should also use 'Save as' from the File Menu to save the session as 'ButtonsnFaders'.
Click on the play button of the sequence player panel. Push and hold each of the buttons on 'Buttons Controls 1'. Try using the 'Bend Over' remote control button right at the end of a vocal phrase.
Are we learning yet?
There are a couple of other example sessions. Click on the folder icon on the Tool bar or select 'Load Session' from the File menu...
