SMC-Mixer: Difference between revisions

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Created page with "The M-Vave SMC-Mixer is an inexpensive, popular MIDI mixer/controller that can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It has DAW and user/CC modes. While a very useful controller, it has some limitations out-of-the-box worth knowing about. These limitations can be worked around using something like the MIDIFire MIDI routing and filtering app between Loopy Pro and the the controller. The compatibility issues mentioned below can all be worked around with the MIDIFire project menti..."
 
 
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The M-Vave SMC-Mixer is an inexpensive, popular MIDI mixer/controller that can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It has DAW and user/CC modes. While a very useful controller, it has some limitations out-of-the-box worth knowing about. These limitations can be worked around using something like the MIDIFire MIDI routing and filtering app between Loopy Pro and the the controller.
The M-Vave SMC-Mixer is an inexpensive, popular MIDI mixer/controller that can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It has DAW and user CC modes. The ''DAW mode'' is pre-configured for use with many DAW's default settings. The ''CC mode'' allows customization of the MIDI CCs sent by the buttons, faders and knobs.


The compatibility issues mentioned below can all be worked around with the MIDIFire project mentioned below.
The SMC-Mixer is a very useful controller, but it has some limitations/quirks out-of-the-box with respect to Loopy Pro compatibility worth knowing about. These limitations can be worked around using something like the MIDIFire MIDI routing and filtering app between Loopy Pro and the the controller.


'''In DAW mode''', the mixer's faders don't work with Loopy Pro because they send pitchbend which Loopy Pro does not yet support (as of version 2.0) for incoming MIDI bindings. Its encoders use a different protocol than Loopy Pro supports and LED feedback doesn't work because the mixer doesn't respond to the 8X style note off messages Loopy Pro sends (even though that is the type of of note off that the SMC-Mixer sends).  
=== Quirks ===
There are some quirks of the SMC-Mixer setup worth knowing about. The DAW mode quirks can be worked around with the MIDIFire project mentioned in the next section.
 
'''In DAW mode''', the mixer's faders don't work with Loopy Pro because they send pitchbend which Loopy Pro does not yet (as of version 2.0) support  for incoming MIDI bindings. Its encoders use a different protocol than Loopy Pro supports and LED feedback doesn't work because the mixer doesn't respond to the style note off messages Loopy Pro sends (even though that is the type of of note off that the SMC-Mixer sends). These quirks are all solved by using the MIDIFire project mentioned below.  


'''In CC mode''', it does not respond to Loopy Pro's MIDI feedback to keep the LEDs in-sync. The mixer has hard-coded note mappings to turn the LEDs on and off. These are the same as in DAW mode and unrelated to the CC mappings set up for the device. This can be worked around but requires some work on the user's part.
'''In CC mode''', it does not respond to Loopy Pro's MIDI feedback to keep the LEDs in-sync. The mixer has hard-coded note mappings to turn the LEDs on and off. These are the same as in DAW mode and unrelated to the CC mappings set up for the device. This can be worked around but requires some work on the user's part.
== Using the DAW Mode with Loopy Pro ==


=== MIDIFire To the Rescue ===
=== MIDIFire To the Rescue ===
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* translate the note off messages that Loopy Pro sends for MIDI feedback into the format that the SMC-Mixer uses.
* translate the note off messages that Loopy Pro sends for MIDI feedback into the format that the SMC-Mixer uses.


== CC Mode ==
=== Relative MIDI ===
The CubeSuite editing app allows encoders to be set to absolute MIDI behavior or relative MIDI behavior. The CubeSuite lets you set the type for the encoders. The CC type is absolute MIDI. The CW type is relative MIDI and lets you set the value send for left and right turning.
To set up the encoders for relative MIDI in CubeSuite in the CC Mode:
* Tap the encoder you want to set up.
* Set the type to CW f
* Set left to 127 and right to 1 OR set left to 63 and right to 65
In Loopy Pro, set the MIDI learned trigger to relative mode.
[[Category: Hardware Integration]]
[[Category: Hardware Integration]]
[[Category: MIDI Controller]]
[[Category: MIDI Controller]]

Latest revision as of 03:16, 25 July 2025

The M-Vave SMC-Mixer is an inexpensive, popular MIDI mixer/controller that can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It has DAW and user CC modes. The DAW mode is pre-configured for use with many DAW's default settings. The CC mode allows customization of the MIDI CCs sent by the buttons, faders and knobs.

The SMC-Mixer is a very useful controller, but it has some limitations/quirks out-of-the-box with respect to Loopy Pro compatibility worth knowing about. These limitations can be worked around using something like the MIDIFire MIDI routing and filtering app between Loopy Pro and the the controller.

Quirks

There are some quirks of the SMC-Mixer setup worth knowing about. The DAW mode quirks can be worked around with the MIDIFire project mentioned in the next section.

In DAW mode, the mixer's faders don't work with Loopy Pro because they send pitchbend which Loopy Pro does not yet (as of version 2.0) support for incoming MIDI bindings. Its encoders use a different protocol than Loopy Pro supports and LED feedback doesn't work because the mixer doesn't respond to the style note off messages Loopy Pro sends (even though that is the type of of note off that the SMC-Mixer sends). These quirks are all solved by using the MIDIFire project mentioned below.

In CC mode, it does not respond to Loopy Pro's MIDI feedback to keep the LEDs in-sync. The mixer has hard-coded note mappings to turn the LEDs on and off. These are the same as in DAW mode and unrelated to the CC mappings set up for the device. This can be worked around but requires some work on the user's part.

Using the DAW Mode with Loopy Pro

MIDIFire To the Rescue

The MIDIFire iOS app can be used as a go-between that sits between Loopy Pro and the SMC-Mixer.

Use this MIDIFire project between the SMC and Loopy Pro to make full use of the SMC-Mixer's DAW mode. The MIDIFire project also requires the free streambyter plugin. What the project does is:

  • translate the DAW mode encoders to the relative MIDI protocol that Loopy uses.
  • translate the DAW mode faders' pitchbend to MIDI CCs that Loopy can use for bindings.
  • translate the note off messages that Loopy Pro sends for MIDI feedback into the format that the SMC-Mixer uses.

CC Mode

Relative MIDI

The CubeSuite editing app allows encoders to be set to absolute MIDI behavior or relative MIDI behavior. The CubeSuite lets you set the type for the encoders. The CC type is absolute MIDI. The CW type is relative MIDI and lets you set the value send for left and right turning.

To set up the encoders for relative MIDI in CubeSuite in the CC Mode:

  • Tap the encoder you want to set up.
  • Set the type to CW f
  • Set left to 127 and right to 1 OR set left to 63 and right to 65

In Loopy Pro, set the MIDI learned trigger to relative mode.

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