Newbie questions

edited June 2019 in General chat

Hi! I'm a day-one owner (it was an instabuy after many-many-many hours spent in NS1 years ago) but I only recently started actually giving NS2 a go, I didn't realize how well it could fit my workflow.
I have a few questions (and yes, I'm aware that audio tracks are coming later ;) ):

  1. I love the FX chain-saving feature. Is there something similar for saving an entire track, with an instrument? I have a combination of Rhodes > Reverb > Saturation that I use in pretty much every single track.
  2. Is there a way of making Slate send MIDI notes to an AU (or external) drum machine?
  3. Can I send a MIDI track or AU MIDI plugin to multiple tracks?
  4. Can AU effects be used on individual Slate pads?
  5. Can I assign external MIDI CCs to AU parameters directly, without assigning the AU parameter to a numbered Knob first?
  6. Can I assign external MIDI CCs to AU effect parameters?
  7. Can I control playback, record and tempo with an external MIDI controller?

Thanks!

Comments

  • edited June 2019

    Hello, welcome here.

    Answers to your question:
    1. not at the moment, but on todo list
    2. yes - to AU just add "MIDI send" in track send tab into track with AU instrument. To external synth - just add "External MIDI" instrument and again add MIDI send from Slate to this ext. MIDI track
    3. previous point - you can add as much midi sends to other tracks as you want
    4. No, but Slate has 4 own internal buses with own FX chain (with own build-in fxs), you can choose to which of those buses is pad routed. Every pad has own filter/waveshaper fx.
    5. No
    6. No. AUfx is not possible to automate, but this one is on todo list with high importance
    7. No (but also on todo list)

  • Thank you!

  • @jipumarino said:
    7. Can I control playback, record and tempo with an external MIDI controller?

    If you have Audiobus with the MIDI Learn IAP, you can load NS2 in it, then map your MIDI controller to the AudioBus start button for NS2 and the AudioBus tempo control, and it will work for all but record.

  • BTW:
    Feature request: expose NS2 record button in the AudioBus transport bar. Should be pretty easy to do, I think.

  • edited June 2019

    @number37 said:
    BTW:
    Feature request: expose NS2 record button in the AudioBus transport bar. Should be pretty easy to do, I think.

    We discussed that already ;) After every "pretty easy" feature is hidden few problematic question to be answered ;) In this case - thing is there IS already record button - if you have active audio recording screen in NS, it's record button IS available in AB bar.

    Problem is how to add global sequencer recording button and do not mess it with local audio recorder record button.

    Anyway, Matt had already some ideas how to visually make difference between them, eventually i will remind this thing to him, more users already asked for this.

  • edited June 2019

    @jipumarino said:
    1. I love the FX chain-saving feature. Is there something similar for saving an entire track, with an instrument? I have a combination of Rhodes > Reverb > Saturation that I use in pretty much every single track.

    If you use it on every track, you can just save it on the default project template and it will be ready every time you create a new project. I have all my track groups, side chain and master bus set up on the default.prj

    Save your project as ”Default” into the ”Templates” folder.

  • edited June 2019

    @number37 thanks, that helps a lot in the meantime
    @Stiksi thanks, that's exactly what I did with this specific setup, I have others that I don't use that often that would really benefit from this feature, I'm glad it's already on the roadmap

    @dendy: would you be able to say if there's any chance for NS2 to have some kind of clip-style (Ableton/BeatMaker) sequencing?

  • edited June 2019

    Nvm

  • @dendy: would you be able to say if there's any chance for NS2 to have some kind of clip-style (Ableton/BeatMaker) sequencing?

    There is real chance ;-) Of course do not take it as official promise from Blip Interactive ;) But during development we discussed this topic and after all current top prio milestones (iphone, audio tracks, aufx automation) will be done, it will be re-considered again for sure, because this is very popular feature.

  • @dendy said:

    @dendy: would you be able to say if there's any chance for NS2 to have some kind of clip-style (Ableton/BeatMaker) sequencing?

    There is real chance ;-) Of course do not take it as official promise from Blip Interactive ;) But during development we discussed this topic and after all current top prio milestones (iphone, audio tracks, aufx automation) will be done, it will be re-considered again for sure, because this is very popular feature.

    Oh nice, I'm glad it has at least been discussed :)

  • Welcome @jipumarino

    A few more details in case it helps...

    Is there a way of making Slate send MIDI notes to an AU (or external) drum machine?

    You can set the MIDI note for each pad under Pad -> Setup. Manual link

    Fun fact: if you set two or more pads to the same MIDI note, tapping any of them in the UI will trigger all of them. So if you always want, say, a snare and clap to trigger at the same time, just set them both to the same MIDI note.

    Can I send a MIDI track or AU MIDI plugin to multiple tracks?

    For more in Dendy's send answer, check the manual's Sends section. They are stupid powerful.

    Can AU effects be used on individual Slate pads?

    As Dendy said, this isn't possible from within a single Slate instance. Thing is, Slates are dirt cheap, processor wise. So, just make a new Slate track, copy the pad (or the entire kit) to the new instance and add your effects there. You can find copy and paste tools in Slate's top right "hamburger" menu. It defaults to "PAD" (based on the last touched pad) but you can select "KIT" on the left side. Example:

    image

    If you copy the entire kit, the lazy man's method is to then copy the original MIDI clip(s) and just mute all of the other pads. :) Less lazy method is to copy the original MIDI clip, edit it, select the notes you want to keep, tap SELECT then INVERSE and delete the lot. You can keep the original in place and just mute the pad in the original kit or delete the MIDI notes.

    If you want the additional Slates to be processed along with your 'main' slate instance (say, a single compressor for all), drag them both under a 'No Instrument' track and put your processing there.

  • @Will said:
    Welcome @jipumarino

    If you copy the entire kit, the lazy man's method is to then copy the original MIDI clip(s) and just mute all of the other pads. :) Less lazy method is to copy the original MIDI clip, edit it, select the notes you want to keep, tap SELECT then INVERSE and delete the lot. You can keep the original in place and just mute the pad in the original kit or delete the MIDI notes.

    Not lazy enough, you can just set a midi send from the first slate to all its children in one tap. 😴 (mixer, sends, midi send)

  • @Stiksi said:

    @Will said:
    Welcome @jipumarino

    If you copy the entire kit, the lazy man's method is to then copy the original MIDI clip(s) and just mute all of the other pads. :) Less lazy method is to copy the original MIDI clip, edit it, select the notes you want to keep, tap SELECT then INVERSE and delete the lot. You can keep the original in place and just mute the pad in the original kit or delete the MIDI notes.

    Not lazy enough, you can just set a midi send from the first slate to all its children in one tap. 😴 (mixer, sends, midi send)

    Oh right! I should really do this.

  • edited June 2019

    -

  • Hello all. First post/question on the forum and it is probably laughable but I can’t figure out the simplest thing of all...

    How in the frozen hell do you delete a project in NS2?🥶

  • @KingMidas said:
    Hello all. First post/question on the forum and it is probably laughable but I can’t figure out the simplest thing of all...

    How in the frozen hell do you delete a project in NS2?🥶

    In the Load project list, you can select it, tap the "…" menu and then tap "Send to Trash"

  • @jipumarino said:

    @KingMidas said:
    Hello all. First post/question on the forum and it is probably laughable but I can’t figure out the simplest thing of all...

    How in the frozen hell do you delete a project in NS2?🥶

    In the Load project list, you can select it, tap the "…" menu and then tap "Send to Trash"

    Thanks! 🙏🏾

  • @KingMidas said:

    @jipumarino said:

    @KingMidas said:
    Hello all. First post/question on the forum and it is probably laughable but I can’t figure out the simplest thing of all...

    How in the frozen hell do you delete a project in NS2?🥶

    In the Load project list, you can select it, tap the "…" menu and then tap "Send to Trash"

    Thanks! 🙏🏾

    Just remember, you can't delete a project while it's open.

  • @Stiksi said:

    @KingMidas said:

    @jipumarino said:

    @KingMidas said:
    Hello all. First post/question on the forum and it is probably laughable but I can’t figure out the simplest thing of all...

    How in the frozen hell do you delete a project in NS2?🥶

    In the Load project list, you can select it, tap the "…" menu and then tap "Send to Trash"

    Thanks! 🙏🏾

    Just remember, you can't delete a project while it's open.

    Or, if it’s the only one.

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