Mackie C4 Commander User Manual
External midi hardware control software
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- Programming manual (12 pages) ,
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Summary of Contents for Mackie C4 Commander
- Page 1 U S E R ’ S G U I D E C4 Commander External MIDI Hardware Control Software For Mackie Control C4...
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Page 2: Mackie Software License
C4 Commander Mackie Software License sions of this License. Upon termination you must Please read this license carefully before using destroy the Software and related documentation the accompanying Software. By downloading and and all copies thereof. using the Software, you are agreeing to be bound 5. Export Law Assurances. You agree and certify by the terms of this license. Software as used that neither the Software nor any other technical herein means all computer code (both source and data received from LOUD Technologies, nor the object) including, but not limited to, all interfaces, direct product thereof, will be exported outside navigational devices, search engines, databases, the United States except as authorized and as per- menus, menu structures or arrangements, drivers, mitted by the laws and regulations of the United development tools, icons, operational instructions, States and with LOUD Technologies’ express per- scripts, commands, and syntax, whether created, mission. or licensed from third parties by LOUD Technolo- gies Inc., including all associated documentation. 6. Government End Users. If you are acquiring 1. Software License. the Software on behalf of any unit or agency of the Any Software whether on United States Government, the following provi- disk, in read-only memory, or on any other media, sions apply. The Government agrees: and related documents are licensed to you by LOUD Technologies Inc. You own the disk(s) on... - Page 3 C4 Commander 9. Limitation of Liability. YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY UNDER NO CIRCUM- ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY STANCES INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, SHALL FROM STATE TO STATE AND FROM COUNTRY LOUD TECHNOLOGIES BE LIABLE FOR ANY TO COUNTRY. INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, 8. Disclaimer of Warranty on Software. You LOST PROFITS OR EARNINGS, DAMAGE TO expressly acknowledge and agree that use of PROPERTY OR PERSON, OR ATTORNEYS’ FEES the Software is at your sole risk. The Software THAT RESULT FROM THE USE OR INABILITY and related documentation are provided “AS TO USE THE SOFTWARE OR RELATED DOCU- IS” and without warranty of any kind. LOUD MENTATION, EVEN IF LOUD TECHNOLOGIES TECHNOLOGIES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL OR A MACKIE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUD- HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY ING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUEN- USE. LOUD TECHNOLOGIES DOES NOT WAR- TIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION RANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIRE- NO EVENT SHALL LOUD TECHNOLOGIES’ TO-...
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Page 4: Iconography
Note: Visit our website at www.mackie.com to obtain the latest manuals and downloads for all your Mackie products. “Mackie” and the “Running Man” figure are trademarks or registered trademarks of LOUD Tech- nologies Inc. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged. -
Page 5: Table Of Contents
Control C4 ------------------------------------------- 9 Instruments ----------------------------------------- 9 The Edit Window --------------------------------- 10 Layouts ---------------------------------------------- 10 Assignments ----------------------------------------- 11 Display -----------------------------------------------1 C4 Commander Graphic Interface ------------ 1 V-Pots -------------------------------------------------1 Scribble Strips ------------------------------------- 14 SPLIT ------------------------------------------------- 14 LOCK ------------------------------------------------- 14 FUNCTIONS ---------------------------------------- 14... -
Page 6: Introduction
C4 Commander Introduction Main Features Thank you for choosing Mackie software products for your computer-based audio recording system. • Middleware control for C4 The C4 Commander software package is designed to • Easy drag-and-drop instrument assignments be used with the Mackie C4 virtual instrument con- • Vast library of MIDI instrument definition files troller. It serves as "middleware" between the C4 • User-configurable layouts and an external MIDI synth, effects device, or other • Interactive graphic display of C4 controller MIDI hardware device and translates the controls • Easy switching between open layouts on the C4 into the correct MIDI commands to con- trol the external device. • MIDI Common (e.g. Note On/Off) and MIDI Controller (Continuous Controller) assignments It comes with an extensive library of the most com- available to drag-and-drop monly used MIDI synths and instruments. You A brief word about MIDI Controllers simply drag-and-drop the instrument assignment onto the C4 Commander software control panel and... -
Page 7: Installing The Software
C4 Commander Installing the Software You probably have acquired the C4 Commander soft- ware package by downloading it from the Mackie website. There are two versions, one for Windows XP and one for Mac OS X. Installation instruc- tions are included when you download the software package. Visit the Mackie website if you need the installation instructions (http://www.mackie.com/ products/C4Commander). When you install the software, a folder called “C4 Commander” is created on your hard drive that contains the C4 Commander application (C4 Com- mander.exe on the PC, and C4 Commander.app on the Mac), a folder called “Instruments” that con- tains all the instrument definition files, and a file called “local.c4s.” This is where your layout files (.c4l) are stored by default. You should keep all your layout files together to make them easy to find, and easy to back up. C4 Commander File Structure — Windows XP C4 Commander File Structure — Macintosh OS X User’s Guide... -
Page 8: Connecting The Hardware
MIDI Effects Processor CONTROL C DESIGNED BY MACKOIDS IN WOODINVILLE, WA, USA • MANUFACTURED IN CHINA • FABRIQUE EN CHINE • COPYRIGHT ©2005 "MACKIE" AND THE RUNNING MAN FIGURE ARE TRADEMARKS OF LOUD TECHNOLOGIES, INC. • PATENT PENDING SERIAL NUMBER MANUFACTURING DATE... -
Page 9: The Settings Window
C4 Commander Banks: There are eight V-pots in a bank (hori- There are three settings under the Control C4 zontal row). There are four banks of V-Pots on tab. the control surface of the C4. Midi Ports: This is where you let your computer Pages: A page is comprised of four banks, 32 V- know which MIDI ports you are using to con- Pots (8 x 4 = 32). When there are more than 32 nect the C4. parameters to control on an instrument, you can You must have a MIDI IN and a MIDI create a second page, which gives you 32 more OUT connected between the C4 and your controls to assign to instrument parameters. You MIDI interface to the computer so that can create as many pages as you need to control MIDI data can travel in both directions. all the parameters for an instrument. Use the PAGE L/R buttons at the bottom of the C4 to Controls: Many times, a parameter's control can scroll among the pages. be modified by pressing the SHIFT button on the C4 to change the speed at which the control Layouts: A layout is comprised of all the pages increases or descreases the value of the param- for a particular instrument, or group of instru- eter. The default shift increment value is 10, but ments. You can create a layout to control some you can change the value in the Controls box. of the parameters for an instrument, all of the parameters for an instrument, or parameters for Note: MIDI provides up to 128 increments for two (or more) instruments. a control, but a control may not necessarily use 128 increments. Once you've assigned all the desired parameters... -
Page 10: The Edit Window
C4 Commander The Edit Window Likewise, you can remove an instrument from the "Controlled" list by selecting it and clicking the left-pointing arrow. Click the Edit button in the upper-right corner of the C4 graphic interface window to open the Note: If no instruments appear in the list of Edit window. available instruments, make sure the Instru- ments folder is in the same folder as the C4 Layouts Commander application, or click on the navi- This is where you create, open, or remove the gation button at the bottom of the window to layouts that are available to the C4. You can navigate to the location of the Instruments Defi- have multiple layouts open at any one time. nitions Folder on your computer. New: Click the New button to create a new Once you have completed your settings for the layout, beginning with a "clean slate." All the C4, click the OK button at the bottom of the Set- V-Pot controls and displays are blank, and an tings window to save your settings and close "Untitled" layout appears in the Layouts list. the window. You may proceed to assign parameters to the There is a link at the bottom of the Instruments V-pot controls, and then save the layout with a tab that will launch your internet browser and unique name using the Save As button. take you to Mackie’s website where you may Open: Click this button to open a saved layout find new or updated instrument definition files. and make it available to the C4. The "Select a User’s Guide... -
Page 11: Assignments
C4 Commander layout file" window opens and you may select Assignments any layout (.c4l) file that you have created. Each instrument that you have selected in the Click Open and the selected layout appears in Settings window appears in the Instrument list the Layouts list. under the Assignments tab. Save: If you make any changes to an open lay- Click on the "+" sign in front of the instrument out, click the Save button to save the changes to see an indented list of all the parameters to the layout file on the hard drive. available for that instrument. Click on an in- dividual parameter to see the details for that Save As: If you make changes to an existing lay- parameter, including the manufacturer, model, out file, but want to keep the original, click the MIDI Out device, MIDI channel, parameter Save As button to save the modified layout file name, MIDI message, minimum and maximum under a different name. Or you can use Save As values, and the default value. to simply rename a layout file. Typically, you would assign an instrument to a Remove: Use the Remove button to remove a MIDI Out device and MIDI channel by clicking selected layout from the Layouts list. This does on the instrument name and selecting the MIDI not delete the layout from the hard drive, but Out device and MIDI channel in their respective simply makes it inaccessible to the C4. You can drop down boxes. All the parameters for that always add the layout back to the Layouts list instrument are automatically assigned to the using the Open button. -
Page 12: Display
C4 Commander Display Clear: Click this button to clear all the con- trols on the current page. Click on the Display tab to open the Display window. This allows you to modify how things Bank: You can give each bank a unique name. appear in the scribble strip displays. This name appears in the top line of the scribble strip display of the selected bank. Click the Bars Page: You can give each page in a layout an checkbox to display a dashed line across the individual name, perhaps suited to the type of scribble strip, on either side of the bank name. controls that are located on each page. This ap- pears in the top line of the C4 graphic interface, Group: You can group two or more adjacent but does not appear on the C4 itself. controls under a common name, to assist in rec- ognizing several controls that adjust different You can also add, delete, and clear a page in the parameters of a common function. For example, Display window. you could group the Cutoff, Freq, and Q controls Add: Click the Add button to add a new page for a filter and name the group “Filter.” after the current page. To create a group, select two or more adjacent Insert: Click this button to insert a new page controls (Shift+click). Enter a name for the before the current page. group to create it. The name appears above the selected controls in the first line of the scribble Delete: Click the Delete button to remove strip display. Click the Bars checkbox to add a the current page, and all the controls con- dashed line on either side of the name, and click tained on the current page. the Pickets checkbox to add a vertical dashed line on the right end of the group. -
Page 13: C4 Commander Graphic Interface
Now you are in Run mode, and the C4 V-Pots around the V-Pot to indicate the relative po- and buttons should now control your MIDI de- sition of the V-Pot control. vice. Try it out and see how the device responds when you make adjustments on the C4. Boost/Cut mode lights a single LED at the Boost/Cut 12 o'clock position, and lights LEDs to the Note: The C4 controls are inactive while left or the right of the center position as the you are in Edit mode. If the controls on V-Pot is rotated. This is typically used for an the C4 are not doing anything, make EQ boost/cut control. sure the C4 Commander is in Run mode. Wrap Wrap mode lights the LEDs continuously C4 Commander Graphic Interface around the V-Pot as it is rotated to the right. The C4 Commander graphic interface is the Spread mode lights a single LED at the 12 main window that opens when you first launch Spread o'clock position, and lights LEDs to the left the C4 Commander software. It displays a rep- and right of the center position as the V-Pot lica of the front panel of the C4, with its four is rotated. banks of V-Pots and associated scribble strip On/Off mode simply toggles between fully lit displays, and a number of push buttons at the On/Off and fully off. This is typically used for on/off bottom of the window. Some of the button labels functions. at the bottom of the C4 Commander graphic interface differ from those on the actual C4. -
Page 14: Scribble Strips
C4 Commander Scribble Strips FUNCTIONS The scribble strip displays a name describing There are four buttons in the FUNCTIONS sec- the parameter. The name can be modified in the tion: VALUES and RUN/EDIT, and two buttons Edit window. that are not used. VALUES: Press this button to display the cur- SPLIT rent values of all the controls in the scribble The SPLIT button toggles the controls on the strip. The LED above the button lights to indi- C4 such that two open setups can be displayed cate that the VALUES button is active. Press on a single C4 page. Use the arrow keys to again to return to displaying the parameters. scroll through the currently selected bank's RUN/EDIT: Press this button to open the Edit parameters (as shown by the C4C on-screen window. It performs the same function as the highlighted controls). Run/Edit button in the upper-right corner of the Press the SPLIT button once and the 1/3 mode GUI. The LED above the button lights while in is activated. Bank 1 controls the current layout, Edit mode. and banks 2-4 control the next consecutive open layout (as displayed in the Edit window). MODIFIERS Press the SPLIT button again, and the 2/2 There are four modifier buttons: SHIFT, LAY- mode is activated, where banks 1 and 2 control OUT, VALUES, and one button that isn’t used. the current layout, and banks 3 and 4 control SHIFT: When this momentary button is pressed, the next open layout. -
Page 15: Bank/Page Navigation Buttons
The SINGLE left and right buttons scroll the scrolls up from the bottom or down from the parameters across the banks, one by one, as top. A horizontal dotted line indicates the divi- if the pages were aligned horizontally, side by sion between pages. side. A vertical dotted line indicates the division PAGE L/R: These buttons scroll through the between the pages. pages in a layout. The right button scrolls in as- You can also use the LAYOUT left and right cending order (1, 2, 3, etc.) and the left button buttons to scroll between open layouts in the scrolls in descending order (3, 2, 1). Layout list. If you have two or more instruments Navigating the C4 Commander you want to control with the C4, this makes it easy to quickly change the V-Pot assignments to control different instruments. The C4 has four rows of eight V-Pots, for a to- tal of 32 controls. For many MIDI controlled But wait...there's more! What if you want to instruments, that is enough to handle all the have access to a few (or many) frequently-used parameters for the C4 to control. But some controls on two different instruments at the instruments have more than 32 parameters to same time? Use the SPLIT function to divide control. The Emu Planet Phatt, for example, the C4 so that some of the banks control one has 224 parameters to control. This would re- instrument (Layout 1) and the other banks quire seven C4's (224/32=7) to control all the controls another instrument (Layout 2). You parameters required. -
Page 16: Creating A Layout
C4 Commander Creating a Layout 4. Click OK to close the Settings window. The Oberheim-Matrix 6/1000 should now appear in the Instrument list under the Assign- Let's go through the process of creating a sam- ments tab in the Edit window. ple layout, just so you get the idea. 1. Open the C4 Commander software application. 2. Click the Edit button in the upper-right cor- ner of the C4 graphic interface to open the Edit window. 3. Click the Settings button in the upper-left corner of the C4 graphic interface to open 5. Click the New button next to the Layouts list the Settings window. Click the Instruments to create a new layout. It is given the default tab. Select an instrument to control; the name "Untitled." Oberheim-Matrix 6/1000, for example. Click 6. Click and drag the Oberheim-Matrix 6/1000 the right button to add it to the list of Con- from the Instrument list over to the first V- trolled instruments. Pot in the upper-left corner of the C4 graphic interface, and release the mouse button when the V-Pot is highlighted. User’s Guide... - Page 17 C4 Commander All the parameters for the Oberheim-Matrix 6/1000 are automatically assigned to the V- Pots on the C4 sequentially. 7. Click the Save As button next to the Lay- outs list and name the layout an appropriate name, such as Oberheim. Click Save to save it to the C4 Commander folder on your hard drive. 8. Click the Run button in the upper-right cor- ner of the C4 graphic interface to close the Edit window. 9. You have now successfully created a layout. Go ahead and experiment with the naviga- tion buttons to see how the controls scroll up and down and side to side. User’s Guide...
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Page 18: Customizing A Layout
C4 Commander Customizing a Layout • Click the Assignments tab and click-and- drag the Novation-BassStation to the first V-Pot in Bank 4. Since there are only seven You may find that there are certain parameters parameters to control on the Bass Station, that you never use, and want to assign only they will all fit on one bank. those parameters to the C4 that you use fre- quently. You can customize a layout to suit your • Again, we can modify how the parameter needs. names appear in the display in the Display tab (see graphic below). Let's say you have an Akai DR16 Hard Disk Recorder and a Novation Bass Station keyboard • Click the Run button and save the modified that you want to control with the C4. layout. We now have all the controls as- signed to the C4 that we want for the DR16 After you select the Akai-DR16 and the No- and Bass Station. vation-BassStation from the Instrument list, create a new layout (let's call it DR16_BassSta- This is a simple example, but it gives you an tion.c4l). idea of the flexibility that you have with C4 Commander in assigning and control virtually • On the DR16, you want to use the C4 to ad- any MIDI parameter that you want with the C4. just the levels for tracks 1-8 on the DR16. • Click the Edit button in the upper-right cor- ner of the C4 graphic interface and click the Display tab. - Page 19 C4 Commander CONTROL C 4 MACKIE CONTROL C4 DSP PLUG-IN CONTROLLER VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT CONTROLLER MACKIE CONTROL PHATT CHANNEL SLOT UP FUNCTION ASSIGNMENT MODIFIERS PARAMETER BANK LOCK MARKER TRACK SHIFT OPTION SINGLE TRACK L TRACK R SPLIT SPOT ERASE CHAN STRIP...
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