# Question about Using PreSonus's Faderport 8 as a MIDI Controller



## Rory (Jun 20, 2020)

The idea of using a Faderport 8 to control both my DAW (Logic) and MIDI is attractive. Double duty makes the price (US$600) more palatable. Has anyone run into any problems using a Faderport 8 with Logic, either as a DAW controller or as a MIDI controller? The fact that the MIDI functionality is fairly new makes me especially interested in knowing how well it works in practice.

This is PreSonus's overview of the new MIDI functionality:


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## ChrisHarrison (Jun 20, 2020)

Saw that. Sure is works great haven’t used it. I picked up an avid artist mix for 350 the other day. They’re on sale. It does many things Faderport doesn’t.

Motorized Automation for cc data (needs Cubase)

auto bank faders


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## Rory (Jun 20, 2020)

ChrisHarrison said:


> I picked up an avid artist mix for 350 the other day. They’re on sale. It does many things Faderport doesn’t.
> 
> Motorized Automation for cc data (needs Cubase)



Hi, I use Logic. Congratulations on your new controller.


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## muziksculp (Jun 22, 2020)

I use Studio One Pro 4 with a *FaderPort 8* Controller. 

For MIDI the Faderport is quite limited at this time, mainly because once you switch the FP8 to MIDI Mode, the eight faders are Pre-Assigned to specific CC#s. i.e. 11, 10, 7, ... , you can not change them to your needs, this is something I requested from Presonus, and hoping they offer a customized CC# per fader as the user needs. Maybe they will offer this via an update in the future. On the other hand, the FP8 has been great for mixing, automation, vst editing, inserting markers, transport, etc etc . The FP8 is compatible with many DAWs. So.. You might want to wait if MIDI Faders functionality is the primary reason you are interested in the FP8.


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## Rory (Jun 22, 2020)

Thanks @muziksculp, that is extremely helpful.


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## HeliaVox (Jun 23, 2020)

Also, when using the Faderport as a MCU, Presonus uses their own version of the protocol. So you won't be able to do everything that you can with a compliant MCU controller. It's what stopped me from getting it to control Bitwig. I just wanted to throw that out there.
I'm still in search of the perfect controller, lol.


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## Kent (Jul 4, 2020)

Could you not just use a transformer on the preset CCs between the FaderPort and the sequencer input in the Clicks and Ports page in the Environment? Do it once, save it as a template, and that’s it!


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## kaisdevidasa (Jul 15, 2020)

muziksculp said:


> I use Studio One Pro 4 with a *FaderPort 8* Controller.
> 
> For MIDI the Faderport is quite limited at this time, mainly because once you switch the FP8 to MIDI Mode, the eight faders are Pre-Assigned to specific CC#s. i.e. 11, 10, 7, ... , you can not change them to your needs, this is something I requested from Presonus, and hoping they offer a customized CC# per fader as the user needs. Maybe they will offer this via an update in the future. On the other hand, the FP8 has been great for mixing, automation, vst editing, inserting markers, transport, etc etc . The FP8 is compatible with many DAWs. So.. You might want to wait if MIDI Faders functionality is the primary reason you are interested in the FP8.



Would you mind clarifying this a bit for me? Watching the video, he demos and states being able to assign a fader to any value within S1. Also mentions the "fixed" values (I believe ) you're referring to. Seems contradictory. Is it fixed for anything outside of S1...but completely flexible within S1?

I'm considering buying a Faderport 8 or 16 to allow me to use a fader for pitch bend, modulation, etc with my VPC1 which lacks these controls....in conjunction with virtual instruments within S1.


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## Rory (Jul 15, 2020)

kaisdevidasa said:


> I'm considering buying a Faderport 8 or 16 to allow me to use a fader for pitch bend, modulation, etc with my VPC1



You'll make your own decision, but I had a VPC1 in mind when I looked into the Faderport, and after a fair bit of research I abandoned the idea.


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## kaisdevidasa (Jul 15, 2020)

Rory said:


> You'll make your own decision, but I had a VPC1 in mind when I looked into the Faderport, and after a fair bit of research I abandoned the idea.



Would you mind sharing what you ended up choosing? I'm open to replacing my VPC1


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## Rory (Jul 15, 2020)

kaisdevidasa said:


> Would you mind sharing what you ended up choosing? I'm open to replacing my VPC1



I went with an unconventional solution, specifically Monogram Creative Console, which is basically Palette Gear Mark II. There's a thread about it here: https://vi-control.net/community/th...-palette-gear-its-new-midi-controllers.95025/


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## muziksculp (Jul 15, 2020)

kaisdevidasa said:


> Would you mind clarifying this a bit for me? Watching the video, he demos and states being able to assign a fader to any value within S1. Also mentions the "fixed" values (I believe ) you're referring to. Seems contradictory. Is it fixed for anything outside of S1...but completely flexible within S1?
> 
> I'm considering buying a Faderport 8 or 16 to allow me to use a fader for pitch bend, modulation, etc with my VPC1 which lacks these controls....in conjunction with virtual instruments within S1.



Basically when you switch the Faderport 8/16 to MIDI Mode, by pressing the two SHIFT buttons (see Pic), the faders are now pre-assigned the following CC#s. You can not assign a fader to pitchbend, or CC# of your choice. The Faders will only transmit the pre-assigned CC#s. (See Pic for assignments).


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## kaisdevidasa (Jul 15, 2020)

Rory said:


> I went with an unconventional solution, specifically Monogram Creative Console, which is basically Palette Gear Mark II. There's a thread about it here: https://vi-control.net/community/th...-palette-gear-its-new-midi-controllers.95025/



Thanks. Wow, that looks perfect for me. Never imagined a solution I could also use with PS, Capture One Pro and DaVinci Resolve.


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## kaisdevidasa (Jul 15, 2020)

muziksculp said:


> Basically when you switch the Faderport 8/16 to MIDI Mode, by pressing the two SHIFT buttons (see Pic), the faders are now pre-assigned the following CC#s. You can not assign a fader to pitchbend, or CC# of your choice. The Faders will only transmit the pre-assigned CC#s. (See Pic for assignments).



Curious if you guys have tried the SL Mixface?


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## muziksculp (Jul 15, 2020)

kaisdevidasa said:


> Curious if you guys have tried the SL Mixface?



No, I haven't. 

I'm using the FP8 for DAW Control (Studio One Pro 5), and it works great for that. I'm also hoping they update the FP8 functionality to allow for assigning CCs to the faders as needed. 

Meanwhile I use my Yamaha Montage 7 to send CC messages, I also have an older controller by Lucid the (Alias 8) which I use for some midi functions.


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## kaisdevidasa (Jul 15, 2020)

muziksculp said:


> No, I haven't.
> 
> I'm using the FP8 for DAW Control (Studio One Pro 5), and it works great for that. I'm also hoping they update the FP8 functionality to allow for assigning CCs to the faders as needed.
> 
> Meanwhile I use my Yamaha Montage 7 to send CC messages, I also have an older controller by Lucid the (Alias 8) which I use for some midi functions.



Cool...thanks so much for the info.


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## Grégory Betton (Jan 2, 2021)

Any updates about this mode? Are the CC now editable? I know Presonus can take some time before updating their product!


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## muziksculp (Jan 2, 2021)

Grégory Betton said:


> Any updates about this mode? Are the CC now editable? I know Presonus can take some time before updating their product!


Sadly, No.


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## Denkii (Jun 23, 2021)

@muziksculp 
@Grégory Betton 
Should work now.


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## muziksculp (Jun 23, 2021)

Denkii said:


> @muziksculp
> @Grégory Betton
> Should work now.


Not exactly.

This is only good for using the faders with MIDI-Learn, but You can not change the pre-assigned CC# that's assigned to each fader. i.e. If I want to assign the fader that's pre-assigned to CC11 to CC 21, or any other CC# I can't do that. That's what I would like them to offer via an update. 

Basically, having the ability to pre-assign each fader to the CC# I want, and not be restricted to the pre-assigned CC#s.


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## Denkii (Jun 24, 2021)

Yeah I get what you mean.

Keep requesting the possibility to globally assign cc values to the faders and maybe they'll deliver eventually.

For now it's still better than not being able to change them at all. And you only have to do it once per instrument so you could take the time to set it up in your template and be done with it.
If you're not working with a template, you could save it as an instrument snapshot with the faders already assigned and load that instead of naked Kontakt and it would be the same outcome.
It's a minor inconvenience really compared to not being able to do it at all.


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## Denkii (Jun 27, 2021)

@muziksculp
So I got myself a Faderport 8 because I needed a controller and I was curious to test the midi mode.
I was able to reconfigure the faders in midi mode to send CC data in whatever way I like.


Yes, setting it up with regards to Kontakt was a bit clunky at first because Studio One does not recognize CC11 and CC21 when you move it inside a Spitfire library for example. Meaning you could not bind it onto faders via midi learn.
Instead I just created an automation lane on the instrument track and set it from there, that works perfectly fine. Afterwards I deleted those automation lanes again.
I only had to do this once and not for every instrument seperately.
So honestly...it was a 5 minute setup and I now have a Faderport that can also automate the CCs that I usually use. Nice.

The only thing right now: You have to have the VI open that you want to control in midi mode but I think that's due to how it works in S1 by design? I don't mind. I keep the selected track's VI open anyway.

Edit: you also have to make sure in the top right corner of the VI window that you have opened, that the instrument listens to data from the correct controller. By default my instrument windows are set to listen to my keyboard. I have to switch it to the faderport midi mode controller that I have set up and then it works.
This is indeed something that needs one click per instrument but after I saved my template like this, I didn't have to touch it again.
The instruments still receive midi data from my keyboard as well, on top of the data that now comes from the faderport midi mode.

Win/win for me personally. I enjoy this controller. The integration with S1 is really well done and easy to understand. And I am a stupid monkey when it comes to these things.


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