User guide

Tracktion 4 Reference Manual
160
The parameter options are organized by group:
Transport: These parameters allow you to assign transport functions to knobs, faders, or ideally push
buttons on your controller’s surface. In this way you have easy access to playback start, stop, and re-
cord, for example, from your mixing surface or control keyboard. Typically push buttons on a controller
are mapped to note on and off commands, though in some cases they may send MIDI CC events.
Options: These parameters allow you to control a number of handy toggle options such as loop mode,
the click track, and MIDI timecode chasing. Again, because they are toggle buttons, they are ideally
suited to be being paired with push buttons on your control surface, but they can be used with regular
rotary controls or faders. Typically push buttons on a controller are mapped to note on and off com-
mands, though in some cases they may send MIDI CC events.
Filter: You can assign a fader or knob to controls such as master volume/pan, or the quick control pa-
rameter of the currently focussed lter. In addition you can have your controls assigned to various lter
parameters. What these parameters will be depends on the lter in question, so typically assigning a
bank of four or more controls to consecutive lter parameter numbers is the best bet. For example, if
you have six spare controllers, assign them to lter parameters one through six. In addition, you should
set the parameters eld in the properties panel to six. You can now assign another control or push but-
ton pair to one of the switch fader bank page up/down options.
Track: You can assign controls you various standard track parameters, such as volume, pan, aux
send level, arm status, or mute/solo state. As with lter parameters, it is best to assign these options in
banks, to create a more mixer like feel, and to allow for easy navigation through focussed tracks. For
example, if your controller offers eight fader strips, you may want to assign them to level for tracks one
through eight. They can then be paged up and down through your track list by use of a control assigned
to page up / down. However many tracks you assign here, be sure to set a matching value in the chan-
nels eld in the properties panel.
Navigation: The navigation parameters allow you to control standard navigation options from your con-
troller. For example, you could use a rotary control, or push button pair, to zoom into or out of your edit.
Switch fader bank: These parameters allow you to switch the tracks or lter parameters that your con-
troller is currently targeting. Typically an edit will have more tracks than your controller has faders, and
plug-ins are also likely offer more parameters than you have rotary controls; to allow you to address the
full range of tracks of parameters, the focussed range can be paged forwards or backwards. By select-
ing a suitable jump range, you can have your controller move through your edit one track at a time, or in
banks of eight tracks, for example.
Figure 7.4.6 is an example of a custom con-
trol surface mapping for a four-channel control
surface. The play button is selected and ready
for mapping.
Figure 7.4.6