Using Little Phatty as External Instrument in Logic

[The Beatsmith]

Hi

I'm trying to use my new Little Phatty Stage 2 with Logic. Ideally, i want to use it like i use my Yamaha Motif - turn off the local control, insert a external instrument plugin, and point it back to the Motif (after setting up a midi instrument in the environment).

So i get to record the Motif midi (and monitor the audio), but it's 'transparent' in that i don't notice that i'm not really playing the Motif - it's going to the computer as a controller, recording the midi, then is pointed back to the Motif.

The Motif is my general controller for all software stuff too.

I'm trying to do the same thing with the Little Phatty - thing is, when i turn off Local Control and use it as a controller, the knobs don't do their 'real' functions. So for example, all the knobs move other midi parameters in Logic, when i try to tweak a sound in Logic. If i try to change a preset, it actually doesn't change presets. If i try to change the overall volume, it changes the fader level in Logic.

How can i turn this off - is that possible?

Surely i don't need to 'completely' control the phatty via software, all or nothing? That would really suck. I could have gotten a Slim Phatty then!

Would appreciate any help, gonna keep trying

Thanks

Eddie

[nerve]

yes, anyone care to comment on this?

[The Beatsmith]

From my research, i've decided that it has to do with filtering midi messages sent in Logic.

If you go to Logic and go to Song Settings -> Midi - you can do basic input filtering.

If you tick 'Filter Control Changes', it no longer messes with the Logic plugins - Logic ignores those changes. However it also includes ignoring the mod wheel!

I want it to send midi for the keys, mod wheel, and pitch wheel. I want the other controls to only change the real analog - i don't intent to automate or record the other features just yet. All i want to do is play the synth and have the midi recorded.

There is also another catch. If you turn Local Control off, it doesn't just stop the keys from working like on a few other synths i have - EVERYTHING no longer works and has to be controlled from the software! This is not so great for me.

There is also a the POT MAP screens, which i do not full understand, and i'm not sure if they're helpful to me.

I want: Local control off for keys and mod and pitch, but to send the midi for these, to Logic. THEN Logic can send the midi back to the Little Phatty, which allows me to not only record the midi, but also i can do cool stuff like TRANSPOSE the midi up/down a few semitones (which helps me play things in difficult keys more easily). But it also is 'transparent' in that i still feel like i'm PLAYING the Moog in a total natural way. It feels the same as just recording the moog audio in straight, but i can correct the midi, transpose, and even use Logic's arpeggiator, which is really cool.

I have no interest in any of the knobs or buttons to do anything other than their actual function on the LP, and do not want to automate any of that, currently.

I think i have to go into the environment and mess with specific input filtering. I will experiment too and anything i figure out, i'll be sure to post back. If anyone knows any specific instructions, please help! (I'm interested in how people are using the LP with Logic in general)

This works just fine and is really simple on my Yamaha Motif.

[The Beatsmith]

Hello, still no success here.

I'm still really struggling with this. Everything i have tried has led me to run into several problems, for example - the midi is not actually recorded when i press 'record'. And i have also heard midi stepping with the filter.

I honestly think this is a bit crazy. Nobody in the world wants to record the midi for the keys but leave the knobs to do their real analog jobs? I do not want to record automation for any of those knobs, just pitch, mod, and keys.

EG: I just did the following:

1) Set up a new midi 'instrument' in the midi environment page.
2) Set the Port to Little Phatty SE (Channel 1)
3) Create an External MIDI track in Logic, and also an audio track with live input monitoring for the respective channel
4) Turned Local Control off on The Little Phatty

This SEEMS like it's working (although the midi is recorded for the knobs, whichi don't want). However: if you choose a patch such as preset 11 "It Goes to 11" - it doesn't sound quite right. For example, i know that this patch has the 'overload' set to 'max'. When i press the overload button, THEN the overload kicks in - it's like it's being ignored until i press it.

Or, should i go down the route of leaving local control ON, and doing some midi filtering in Logic?

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Eddie