# Host Automation and GUI Controls - How To Add?



## procreative (Jan 20, 2017)

I have been experimenting with Smart Controls in Logic Pro X and if you load up Kontakt, they automatically assign to #000-#007 in the Kontakt Host Automation of any .nki.

So I completely understand how to map these to controls by dragging them to the GUI of an instrument.

However many instruments have CCs mapped to common functions such as CC1, CC2, CC5, CC11, CC16 etc for things like Dynamics, Expression, Vibrato. In some VIs there are no GUI controls for these or in the case of Orchestral Tools none of the GUI controls are automatable.

So I am wondering if anyone knows:

1. How to add automation for instruments that have no GUI controls, perhaps by opening the under the hood stuff and assigning them there?
2. A multiscript that transforms an incoming host automation signal from the DAW such as #000 to a CC?

Yes I know I can simply use a controller set to transmit CC, but I am testing a theory. I have a Mackie MCU and it has pre-built mappings for Smart Controls and I am hoping I can get bidirectional feedback to the controllers from Logic as they use automation instead of CC.


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## EvilDragon (Jan 21, 2017)

If there's not a GUI control for it, you can't have host automation assigned to it. In case of CCs, those are likely internal modulators spread out across dozens (or hundreds) of groups, can't do anything regarding that.

Multiscripts are MIDI processors and can't do anything with host automation data.


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## procreative (Jan 21, 2017)

Okay, so is there a way to convert Midi Host Automation as it comes out of the controller and hijack it and convert it to CC?

I only ask as the only way to get Bidirectional Midi in Logic is via Automation and I cannot see any other way to automate standard CCs like CC1 and CC11.


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## EvilDragon (Jan 21, 2017)

Not within Kontakt, no.


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## procreative (Jan 21, 2017)

Dont suppose you know if it is possible to use a Midi script in Logic? Or is there absolutely no way to convert Automation to CC or vice versa?

See from what I can see the Mackie MCU has a User Mode for Smart Controls (in Logic). These pick up the Automation IDs for #000 to #007 (8 VPots). These are then recorded as automation, but for them to work with Kontakt there have to be GUI controls that you drag these IDs to link them.

However a lot of Devs do not have GUI controllers for all controls, for example many do not have a slider for CC1, many do not for CC2 (or whatever they use for Vibrato XF), CC11 etc.

Ideally there would be some way to pass Automation in to a CC.


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## EvilDragon (Jan 21, 2017)

See if this helps.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/apple-logic-pro/960452-converting-track-automation-midi-draw.html


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## procreative (Jan 21, 2017)

Thanks but I know about that. Thats not in real time which is what I am after.


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## EvilDragon (Jan 21, 2017)

Not sure, then, I don't use Logic so can't help much there.


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## procreative (Jan 22, 2017)

A found a stock script called "6 Midi Controllers" inside the Utilities folder of Kontakt.

A few questions:

1. It adds knobs you can assign to CCs, but it only seems to be automatable if you place the script inside the instrument and not if you have it in the script slot at the top of the Kontakt rack. Why? What is different about this version of the script (seems it says Multi version so may have some differences)?

2. How many slots are there for scripts inside an instrument? I ask as some look like they have used all visible 5 slots so might not be able to use for these?

3. Is there a way to do this so it can be automated without placing inside the instrument as this would be a tedious process and make updates tricky.


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## EvilDragon (Jan 22, 2017)

1. Multiscripts aren't host automatable.

2. You get 5 scripts slots in instruments, 5 slots in multi.

3. No.


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## Vik (Nov 2, 2017)

procreative said:


> In some VIs there are no GUI controls for these or in the case of Orchestral Tools none of the GUI controls are automatable.
> 
> So I am wondering if anyone knows:
> 
> 1. How to add automation for instruments that have no GUI controls, perhaps by opening the under the hood stuff and assigning them there?


In Orchestral Tools instruments, the procedure is a bit different. You can either alt-click (on Mac) on a parameter with GUI control to get to the assignment window, which looks like this:







...or you can click on the square thing with 9 white squares inside (see image below) to get to the same window, which has a lot of options. Click on the two dark arrows (which look like envelopes) to see more options.






But your main concern may be the same thing I just started another thread about here?:

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/smart-controls-in-logic-and-berlin-strings.66096/


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