Hello,
BG Context: macbook user with GP4. I will preface by saying I’m probably over complicating this, but want to over-explain here rather than under-explain. First time in the forum, and I’ve got as far as making an incredibly complex rackspace that acts as my multi-layered piano/string/pad instrument that I use for shows. With around 15 variations I’ve successfully made all of what I need for different sounds to use for different songs. I utilize song parts with song/lyrics/chords assigned to each song part. Each song part has its own unique variation assigned.
My issue:
From the “Setlist” tab, I can’t seem to map midi commands to the “next/perevious” global or setlist variations without GP4 also changing the song parts. I already have specific variations assigned to each song part, but sometimes I want to deviate from what I’ve assigned and scroll through my other variations during the same song part. I will note that the global next/previous variation midi commands work the way I need them to in the “panels” tab, but not in the “setlist” tab, which is where I need it to work so I can browse variations on the fly during a song.
What I’ve tried:
In addition to attempting assigning the next & previous variation commands via the app’s audio settings/preferences, I have also tried creating a “system command” widget in the “writing” tab and assigning the commands next & previous variations to two drum pad buttons on my rackspace, and assigning each button to a midi enabled button on my arturia essential keyboard. However, when I press them, GP only picks up one of the buttons I assign, and ignores the other. In other words, this method only lets me move to another variation in one direction, when i need to toggle back & forth. It’s almost as if having two system command functions active causes one to cancel lut the other.
I am probably thinking too much but this feels so incredibly complicated and with the manual, videos, & threads I’ve seen so far I’m stumped.
Does anyone feel like they understand what’s happening here? (Reading back what I wrote, I’m sure it all sounds like gibberish to a non GP user, but I don’t know where else to get help. Thanks in advance)
TLDR: in other words, my goal is to change between my 15 variations within a single rackspace, in setlist view., without changing the song part. The app settings seem to combine “variation/song part “for some reason? So that doesn’t work for me.
System command widget + connected rackspace button doesn’t allow me to move between variations in two directions, it only trigger either next or previous exclusively, not both.
It’s also worth noting that using the system commands widget to switch between variation only moves in one direction regardless of whether I click the button in the rackspace with my mouse, or if I trigger it with my midi keyboard—the same thing happens. So that at least rules out the keyboard being the issue.
You can’t. Song parts are mapped to a single variation. You would need to switch back to rackspace/wiring/panel view first and then change to whatever variation you want.
@brandon may have some advice, as I recall he wanted to be able to change the variation-to-part mapping without having to use the keyboard.
I cant speak as to why the systems actions command you widget mapped only works in one direction but I wanted to do exactly what you want to do.
You can’t except with the mouse.
Apparently the reason is that setlist mode isn’t designed under the hood to make quick changes to variations or rackspaces unless switched via parts and doing so can affect performance.
I’m paraphrasing the explanation i heard.
It’s unfortunate because having charts up and making creative sound changes at the same time is important, even while playing.
I only use a single chart per song, not per part but i still find switching to rackspace to change sounds on the fly to be an issue.
GP selector extension (which has integrated charts and is a big improvment to the built in “chords/lyrics” page) has an option to lock to set list view which helps but once you do switch over to rackspace view to quickly change sounds, if you select a different song or song part from GP selector, you are jumped back to setlist mode, which isn’t necessarily what you want to have happen, you might just want to be looking at a different chart while playing with different rackspace settings.
Setlist view makes sense for a run-of-show scenario if everything is precisely buttoned up and you don’t need to make sonic/mapping changes on the fly. I’ve played several shows using this methodolgy but where I find the lack of quick change of patch independant of song-part a real issue is rehearing, learning songs, jamming, etc…
Thank you for the detailed reply! Yes it seems as though it’s something I’ll just have to settle with based on those limitations. Not the worst thing as I can still mouse over to the panel tab to midi-toggle between variations on that screen, though challenging to do in live settings+I’d have to sacrifice song-part midi navigation. I’ll keep playing around though, the possibilities I’ve found with GP seem pretty wide open so far, & this is the first & only issue I’ve run into with the software, and I’m still on osx 10.14 lol. I’m still optimistic.
Perhaps it might also be an option to use a third party application to manage all the setlist and song part stuff and make it control GP running in rackspace view…
By the way - a warm hello to this great forum, Teebacca!
I may be wrong, but couldn’t this be possible if Teebacca will use a second instance?
What I think of:
Duplicate your existing gigfile on harddrive and rename the second one.
Load existing gigfile as main instance and create another instance from there (under “File-Create new Instance…”)
In this new instance load up the duplicated one.
I think it must be possible to set up different midi switch commands for “next/previous Rackspace” under Global Midi, right?
So if you link the two instances (via loopMIDI) you can use your setlist in the main gigfile as usual (and now automatically switch the rackspaces in the instance via the loopMIDI Port), but If you like you can use the new defined “next/previous” - buttons/keys etc. to switch between the rackspaces.
I think this will work, any objections from “the pros” here?
To summarize:
Copy your gigfile and rename the second
In main gigfile delete all the rackspaces (maybe duplicated rackspaces will interfere)
Create a new instance under File / Create new Instance…
Load up duplicated rackspace in your new instance (I think you can leave the setlist in there without problems)
Get a loop Midiport if necessary (I use loopMIDI by Tobias Erichsen - it is free)
Connect both instances via “link” and the new midiport
Define your preferred switches in the instance for “previous/next” rackspace
Use your setlist as usual but be able to switch rackspaces without interfering with the song.
Maybe I oversee something here - I’m a newbie for myself (only a few months user).
But my experience so far: "Don’t give up to soon - try and error always gets you further as you’d expect in GP!
I never even thought of running a second instance… amazing suggestion and thank you for going through all the details. Based on what I know so far, theoretically I’m this should work. I’m not at my computer to be able to try it, but will give it a go next time I’m on. My only hesitation with the second instance would be the hit on CPU. I’m running an 8bg ram i5 macbook rn, and I’ve got nothing else open when I use GP4, heck, I even turn off my wifi & bluetooth in case they are pulling from CPU, and with all of the plugins I’m using at a buffer size that feels comfortable to play live, I still run into the choppy/overloaded audio signal every now and then from too much at once. I might be overestimating or misunderstanding what a second instance will do to CPU, but knowing my laptop I’m not confident. Though I will for sure give this a try. One day will upgrade everything, until then I keep telling myself “Mojave for life!”
I exclusively use setlist mode and change song parts, often to change variations.
I might not have read every reply in detail, but. . …
What if you make additional song parts mapped to the variations you want and just name the song parts so you know changing the song part is the same as changing the variation in the way you want? (I hope that makes sense)
Song Part [insert]; Var. 1 (Or something more descriptive)
Song Part [insert]; Var. 2 (Or something more descriptive)
