Very minor caution about M-Audio Code-series keyboards (Code 49, etc.)

Hey all. I’m new to Cantabile but I’ve discovered an issue about M-Audio Code-series controllers that I thought I would share. Code-series controllers have Presents, which are essentially a collection of assignments for each knob, pad, etc. Very handy if you want one preset for Hammond organ, one for drums, one for synth, one for strings, etc. My new Code 61 has 12 Presents.

If users want Cantabile to send Program Change commands to the controller to switch preset assignments, regrettably, you can forget it. To my surprise, Code-series keyboards don’t respond to Program Change commands from hosts. So if you set up a binding to command your Code-series controller to change presents, your controller will just sit there and do nothing without even smiling. It turns out, M-Audio didn’t include this in their feature set for these controllers. And despite many requests from users, they still haven’t implemented it. It’s a silly omission, but there you have it.

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Hi Chris and Welcome!

Thanks for the heads up I know a few folks that have M-Audio Code keyboards, I’ll pass it along.

Dave

I do it the other way around: I have one fixed setting on my Code 61 and different settings/routings in a Cantabile rack. I can switch between them with states “Hammond”, “Drums” etc. That gives me much more flexibility.

Greetings, Tom

@MightyTonewheel, you should consider allowing Cantabile to handle ALL of your MIDI routing. This makes it a hell of a lot easier to simply swap out a keyboard when necessary. Plus, defining splits and layers is a whole lot easier in Cantabile as well.

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Makes a lot more sense to do it that way - Cantabile is far more powerful in terms of routing, preset management etc. My Code49 has exactly two settings I use: one for Cantabile and one for Cubase, No need at all in a Cantabile setup to fiddle with master keyboard settings - you can assign keyboard zones, layers, splits directly in your Cantabile song; same with any pad, fader or rotary controls. Simply set them to a unique note or controller and then use Cantabile’s mapping.

Note: I set the drum pads on all my controllers to send on a different MIDI channel than the keyboard - makes it easier to route them separately :wink:

Cheers,

Torsten

Makes a lot more sense to do it that way - Cantabile is far more powerful in terms of routing, preset management etc. My Code49 has exactly two settings I use: one for Cantabile and one for Cubase, No need at all in a Cantabile setup to fiddle with master keyboard settings - you can assign keyboard zones, layers, splits directly in your Cantabile song; same with any pad, fader or rotary controls. Simply set them to a unique note or controller and then use Cantabile’s mapping.

Yes, I see. I’m still a newbie at Cantabile so I’m still learning what can be done. That approach is obviously better. However, the only downside is that the Code presets include the keypads – anywhere between one colour and four – which can be helpful if you’re playing organ and you want to glance down and immediately know how the organ is set up. B3 organ has seven on-off console switches and it would be nice to have a custom preset with seven pads that are two-colour switches. But it’s a small point, and thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Note: I set the drum pads on all my controllers to send on a different MIDI channel than the keyboard - makes it easier to route them separately :wink:

Why?

Drums are typically a different instrument plugin - you would not want your pads playing the same instrument as the keys are, generally speaking. The traditional MIDI channel for drum signals is 10, though many also use 9.

Terry

Perhaps a MIDI training course and extremely simplified C3 startup guide is needed on site for the many repeated questions to be referred. Search engine seems to be grossly neglected. :slightly_smiling_face:

Drums are typically a different instrument plugin - you would not want your pads playing the same instrument as the keys are, generally speaking. The traditional MIDI channel for drum signals is 10, though many also use 9.

Ah. I use the pads mostly for other reasons.

Perhaps a MIDI training course and extremely simplified C3 startup guide is needed on site for the many repeated questions to be referred. Search engine seems to be grossly neglected.

Well, as I said , I’m brand new to Cantabile so I’ve got to start somewhere. If repeated/newbie issues bother you, you could create a new post entitled “Newbies Start Here” with links to repeated answers.

As long as you set them to send CC messages, you’ve got nothing to worry about, but once you set them to notes, there’s no way to differentiate if a note has been triggered by hitting a pad or striking a key. Makes it a bit difficult to trigger percussion sounds on the pads and a piano on your keys…

Cheers,

Torsten

No, newbie questions don’t bother us - although if the questions are too basic, we refer people (in a nice way) to @brad’s excellent guides and videos in the support section of the website.

But joining a forum as a self-professed newbie and then calling attention to yourself with a somewhat sensationalist post cautioning everyone about a perceived massive deficit of the M-Audio keyboards, which most of the more experienced users don’t really see as a cause for cautioning other users off these keyboards is possibly not the best way to introduce yourself? Just saying…

Usually this forum is one of the best-behaved and helpful I’ve ever experienced, so if you have any questions that the guides and videos don’t answer to your satisfaction, DO come back and ask a question - you’ll usually get very competent help…

Cheers,

Torsten

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Sorry man…I addressed that to Terry. Don’t have problems with newbies or you. We all were newbies at one time. I still ask a lot of questions. I have proposed Sticky Notes. Brad has posted videos for beginners and guides. The search engine is a very good place to find many things. Terry said at one time during discussions on this he wanted to make some beginner vids and he would be great at it. Again, I replied to Terry…not you. Sorry if I upset you. Had no intention of doing so. Everyone here is very helpful and courteous, and I would hope for your experience here to be the same

Regards

Corky

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Sorry man…I addressed that to Terry.

Thanks for the clarification, Corky. Appreciate it. No harm done at all. :+1:

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But joining a forum as a self-professed newbie and then calling attention to yourself with a somewhat sensationalist post cautioning everyone about a perceived massive deficit of the M-Audio keyboards, which most of the more experienced users don’t really see as a cause for cautioning other users off these keyboards is possibly not the best way to introduce yourself? Just saying…

Thanks for your reply, @Torsten. I certainly did not mean it this way. So far I really like my Code 61 and I didn’t intend to dissuade others from using it, nor did I intend to be sensationalist or attention-seeking in any way. For me, I would have preferred to know about this omission beforehand, so I thought I’d share. My intentions were good but I do appreciate what you’ve said. :slight_smile:

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All good - no harm done! But TBH, when I read just the headline of your post, I pretty much expected a warning about Code keyboards going up in smoke or failing completely - preferably while on stage (happened to me with my Akai masterkeyboard…).

We tend to keep things nice, cozy and low-key here :smiley_cat:

In any case: welcome to the community!

Cheers,

Torsten

I second that. My welcome as well. I use 2 M-Audio keys and I, as Torsten, thought, oh no, now what…as I headed to gig with M-Audio in tow.

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But TBH, when I read just the headline of your post, I pretty much expected a warning about Code keyboards going up in smoke or failing completely - preferably while on stage (happened to me with my Akai masterkeyboard…).

Yikes – no. Point taken. I’ve renamed the headline to something that is hopefully more appropriate.

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Nag - Nag - Nag!!! Geesh! Can’t you all see how busy I am??? (Cues up latest Luke Cage season 2 on Netflix…)

Ok, I’ll finally get to doing some videos. I’m all set up for it - just have to turn on the microphone. Really… I’m such a procrastinator. I think I talked about doing those two years ago!!! (Does that qualify as “Super-Procrastinator Deluxe”, or what?)

Terry

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Why Terry, you are never busy. You, like me, never have anything to do but sit on your arse and eat bon-bons. :rofl:

I think it was 2 yrs ago, but Super-Procrastinator Deluxe…nah. Maybe “Super-Procrastinator Supreme with extra cheese. :joy:

Can I quote you on that? Ooops…I just did !

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