Instrument support for Mackie Control surface

Control of Synth Rack synths

Sonar Mackie Control support now allows control of the synth parameters of all synths in your Synth Rack.

Sonar exposes the Synth Rack as an additional strip, just like tracks, buses and hardware outputs are seen as strips. In the case of the Synth Rack, however, there is only one channel, and each synth is seen as a separate entry in its FX Rack.

To access the Synth Rack

On the Mackie Control MCU. Hold down M1 and press Plugin

On the Mackie C4. Hold down Track button and select SynthR from the menu

On other surfaces. Hold down Cycle or Scrub* and press Channel 4 Solo button

While in Synth Rack mode, the Mackie MCU/C4 cursor keys allow navigation through the synths within the rack, and their parameters. The up/down cursor keys navigate through each instrument in the Synth Rack; the left/right cursor keys navigate between through the banks of parameters.

On surfaces without cursor keys, pressing the Mute keys and Record Arm keys while holding down the “Cycle” (loop on/loop off) or the Scrub button will allow you to select which synth to control and its bank of parameters. For example:

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 1 Mute. Selects the first synth in the Synth Rack.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Mute. Selects the second synth in the Synth Rack.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 1 Rec (arm). Selects parameters 1-8 of the currently selected synth.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Rec (arm). Selects parameters 9-16 of the currently selected synth.

The channel V-Pots (i.e. pan controls) are used to alter the parameter values.

 

Note: On the Korg nanoKONTROL Studio, you must use the Scrub button (labeled as Scene), having first used the Korg KONTROL editor software to configure the Scene button as Scrub.

Improved mode switching for Mackie compatible surfaces

For surfaces which lack the buttons for accessing many of the MCU functions, the following key combinations can be used when the Cycle (loop on/off) or Scrub* button is held down:

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 1 Solo. Control tracks.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Solo. Control buses.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 3 Solo. Control hardware outputs.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 4 Solo. Control Synth Rack.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 7 Solo. Channel Parameter Mode (also toggles between single/multi channel).

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 8 Solo. Plug-in Parameter Mode (also toggles between single/multi channel).

Improved plug-in effects navigation on MCU / compatibles

While controlling plug-ins on the MCU, the cursor keys now navigate through the plug-ins and their parameters rather than controlling the cursor keys within Sonar. Note that Edit mode on the MCU must still be engaged to navigate through the banks of parameters*

On surfaces without cursor keys, pressing the mute keys and record arm keys while holding down the “cycle” (loop on/loop off) or Scrub button will allow you to select the parameter bank or effect.

For example:

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 1 Mute. Selects the first effect in the FX Rack. **

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Mute. Selects the second effect in the FX Rack. **

…

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Mute. Selects the eighth effect in the FX Rack. **

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 1 Rec-arm. Selects parameters 1-8 of the currently selected synth.

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Rec-arm. Selects parameters 9-16 of the currently selected synth.

…

Cycle/Scrub + Channel 2 Rec-arm. Selects parameters 57-64 of the currently selected synth.

The channel V-Pots (i.e. pan controls) are used to alter the parameter values.

* Using Cycle/Scrub + Ch.4 Solo to enter synth mode, or Cycle/Scrub + Ch.8 Solo to engage Plug-in Parameter mode will also automatically invoke edit mode. Pressing Cycle/Scrub + Ch.7 to engage Channel Parameter mode will also leave edit mode.

** The Pro Channel EQ and Pro Channel Compressor will appear before any effects in the FX Rack.