MIDI Mapping Vfx Control in Cross 3.0

[bostonDJ]

Hello all,
I am using the Vfx controller and Cross 3.0 full ver. I want to use all 4 players (players A & B) for audio and (players 3 & 4) for video. No matter where I place my audio & video files, Vfx and Cross seem to default full functionality to Players A & B only. When I view my MIDI mapping settings in Preferences, I notice Players 3 & 4 have no MIDI mapping settings at all...empty.
Players 1 & 2 have settings but some channels are different (ex. Player 1 uses channel 1 for set cue button and Player 2 uses channel 2 for set cue button, etc...) based on the initial Cross install.

My questions are:
1) How do I map Players 3 & 4 to emulate the functionality of Players 1 & 2?

2) Is there a straight COPY routine I can do to get the MIDI data from both players 1 & 2 into 3 & 4?

3) Will I mess anything up by trying to guess at channels or should they be different for players 3 & 4 than 1 & 2?

4) Does anybody have MIDI mappings or mapped successfully Vfx & Cross for 4 players that I can import into Cross 3.0?

I have read the manual on how to create MIDI mappings but seems like it would be very tedious to do many mappings for many buttons for several players. Any help or direction would be appreciated. Thanks in advance...

[FigDJ]

Hello all,
I am using the Vfx controller and Cross 3.0 full ver. I want to use all 4 players (players A & B) for audio and (players 3 & 4) for video.

Cross support the following configurations
1. 2 Decks (A and B) + 2 Samplers (C and D)
2. 3 Decks (A,B,C) + 1 Sampler (D)
3. 3 Decks (A,B,D) + 1 Sampler (C)
4. 4 Decks (A,B,C,D) +0 Sampler

Decks A and B support all video capabilities
Sampler C and D support video sampling for sample pad 1-4
Decks C and D only support audio.

No matter where I place my audio & video files, Vfx and Cross seem to default full functionality to Players A & B only. When I view my MIDI mapping settings in Preferences, I notice Players 3 & 4 have no MIDI mapping settings at all...empty.

The Vfx controller was designed as a two deck only controller so the standard mapping will only support deck A and B. There are ways to program 4 deck functionality by using a bit of MIDI mapping trickery with the Shift Logic Modifier commands just as I have done with the U-Mix Control Pro-2.

Players 1 & 2 have settings but some channels are different (ex. Player 1 uses channel 1 for set cue button and Player 2 uses channel 2 for set cue button, etc...) based on the initial Cross install.

My questions are:
1) How do I map Players 3 & 4 to emulate the functionality of Players 1 & 2?

4 Deck functionality can be programmed with MIDI command but it would only support video sampling for Samplers C and D and only audio for decks C and D.

2) Is there a straight COPY routine I can do to get the MIDI data from both players 1 & 2 into 3 & 4?

No

3) Will I mess anything up by trying to guess at channels or should they be different for players 3 & 4 than 1 & 2?

You must be very carefull when MIDI programing by hand as one character out of place is the difference between working files and non-working one.

Make sure that you make copies using the Cross utility and then edit your copy. Back up regularly.

From my initial take on the Vfx mapping

Channel 1 = Deck 1
Channel 2 = Deck 2
Channel 3 =Mixer
Channel 4 = Shift Operations for Deck 1
Channel 5 = Shift Operations for Deck 2
Channel 6 = Shift Operations for Mixer

4) Does anybody have MIDI mappings or mapped successfully Vfx & Cross for 4 players that I can import into Cross 3.0?

I have never seen one. Perhaps somebody has done it. it can be done as it is not anymore complicated than the UMCP-2 but it will take some time since I am finishing custom mappings for the DDJ-SX in the current and upcoming versions and I can't test any maps for Vfx since I don't own the controller.

For now you should download the UMCP-2 4 deck mapping and examine the file to learn how to do it for the Vfx

[FigDJ]

Hi bostondj

After a close look at the Vfx MIDI messages, I can make a 4 deck map for the Vfx Control.

Couple of things
1. To switch from deck 1 to deck 3 you will have to press shift+Cuemonitor at which time the AV lights for effects will blink as long as deck 3 is selected for control. Same thing for deck 2 and 4 on the right side shift+cuemonitor will switch from deck 2 to 4 and back.

2. Your sample pads will only work when the side (left or right) have a sampler selected.

3. Remember that deck 1 and 2 support full video. 3 and 4 only audio and samplers 1 and 2 support video samples on the 1st 4 pads.

let me know if that sound like a viable solution or do you prefer a different button to switch decks and a different indicator light.

[bostonDJ]

Hi and thanks for responding. I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to the MIDI mapping but yes it sounds like a viable option. I was trying to place 2 songs on players 1 & 2 (up top) and 2 videos on players 3 & 4 (bottom) but I guess that is not an option based on the Vfx design & what you are telling me. That's OK, I can live with the videos on 1 & 2 & the audio on 3 & 4 but it seemed like I wasn't getting any effects on the audio in that scenario...in other words I wasn't getting much control of the audio on 3 & 4. In Cross 3.0, I was using the drop down boxes up top to select Channel C (player 3) and on the right drop down Channel D (player 4) to try and control the effects (delay, echo,etc...) of the audio on 3 & 4 but no go. Only the video players up top would respond.
If you can please map some control (effects) of the audio on players 3 & 4 then yes I would be grateful. Whatever magic you can do, I don't care what button I select to get there...just let me know what I would owe you!! lol...
As a sidebar, I used to be able to hit <Shift><Play> in Vfx software to get an immediate Brake effect ...song would pretty much stop on a dime. That was a nice feature that I miss. Will I be able to map that in time?
Thanks for all your help. Appreciate it. Please let me know if there is anything I can do on my end.

[FigDJ]

...but it seemed like I wasn't getting any effects on the audio in that scenario...in other words I wasn't getting much control of the audio on 3 & 4.

FX units 1 and 2 can be set for audio only. video only or both audio and video. make sure that they are set to A+V on the effects bar.

...I used to be able to hit <Shift><Play> in Vfx software to get an immediate Brake effect ...song would pretty much stop on a dime. That was a nice feature that I miss.

In Cross just pressing the play button will start/stop the track. You can adjust the start/brake time for each deck from the settings menu.

Also Shift+Play sets the particular player as the master.

Keep in mind that this is going to take some time as I don't work for Mixvibes I am just another DJ trying to help here.

Once I post the file I would need you to test it right away because sometimes one character or space in the wrong place would bug down the mapping and I can't really test it since I don't not own the controller.

[bostonDJ]

Sounds great! Thanks FigDJ.

[FigDJ]

VFX4D.zip

Alright. I think I have an operational file for the Vfx 4 Decks mapping.

Couple of caveats. Once again I don't own the controller so I can't fully test this file. So let me know how it goes with it.

Things to look for to make this work.

The Vfx was created with a different software in mind. Whenusing Vfx Control with Cross, LEDs 1 to 5 in the FX sections will indicate the FX input mode as follow:

1. MASTER
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. D

LED #6 is not used by Cross so I modified the mapping to indicate if Deck A or C for the left side and Deck B or D for the right side are in use.

Left Side
LED6 off = Operating Deck A
LED6 blinks = Operating Deck C

Right Side
LED6 off = Operating Deck B
LED6 blinks = Operating Deck D

The way to switch Decks is by pressing Shift+ CUE (the one above jogwheel).
So if LED 6 is off you are in Deck A and when you press Shift+Cue LED 6 will blink and you are in Deck C.

Same for Decks B and D on the right side.

Kepp in mind The switch also changes mixer channel fuctions from Line 1 to Line 3 and Line 2 to Line 4. All that means is that when you switch Decks the Mxer buttons also change to control the correct Deck.

Line 1= DeckA
Line 2= DeckB
Line 3= DeckC
Line 4= DeckD


Couple extras.

Shift+Bass = Channel filter.
Shift+Crossfader = Video Crossfadr Only


I am sure I could code in more fuctions but I don't have a MIDI reference table for the Vfx. Hell I am not even sure if all the commands would work.

Please let know and test the
switchings command
filter commands
video only crossfader.

[daniel clark]

as always your efforts are outstanding figdj ,, karma too you ,,ohh i forgot

[sylMV]

Yes Daniel, kar... (=word censored) to him

[daniel clark]

just glad to see someone with the ability to do thease things stepping up ,,way over my head ,, have gotten figdj to modify two versions of the U-Mix Control Pro 2 mappings and they work like a charm,