I use an Alesis VI49 for note entry with a host of easily configurable buttons, knobs and pads for creating and outputting various midi codes.
I would like to assign certain keys to input standard dynamics (e.g. shift-D pp thru shift-D ff etc.) but can’t get it to work.
I have searched the forum and found a reference to a reply in the June1019 forum covering this topic but a search does not reveal anything. There is also a mention in a later post that if the first part of a multi key combination is already assigned as a key command (in my case this would be Create Dynamic shift-D) then that would prevent the latter part of the combination to be invoked.
I suppose a work round would be to remove the ‘Create Dynamic’ key command and assign it as something else but this would appear to be rather drastic as the popover is rather fundamental to the basic structure of the software.
Any further guidance/experience/help would be most welcome
You can’t easily do this at the moment, I’m afraid, Joe, at least not using the tools provided directly in the Key Commands page of Preferences. The MIDI messages that Dorico can handle are limited pretty much to simple note on/note off or any value on a specific MIDI CC (so you can’t use things like faders or rotary controls). And you can only map to MIDI messages things that are already available as atomic commands. Creating a specific dynamic is not a single command.
Thanks Daniel. I rather suspected as much but one can always hope!
If you are on a mac I recommend trying Keyboard Maestro which could achieve this for you. I have it set up for certain repetitive tasks where it invokes the popover and types in what I want and hits enter – saving me the time of all that additional entry myself. Keyboard Maestro can be triggered via midi in various ways.
If you’re on a PC I figure there is a similar piece of software out there.
On PC, the standard one is AutoHotKey.
Thanks @wing and @dan_kreider. I am on a pc so AutoHotKey will be worth a visit but I was really looking for something to build into my VI49 otherwise I might just as well use the standard popover.
I understand, but in fact you can use auto hot key to assign a multifunction macro to a single midi command.
All macros are a strategic choice, based on the evaluation that the time saved will exceed the time spent setting it up. Of course that’s totally dependent on your workflow and habits. Some macros I’ve made in the past I have abandoned, others have been absolute lifesavers and worth 100 times the set up time or more.