control track/midi note entry

[Andy Follett]

I use the Control Track in SAW to run my lights. SAW sends out a midi note, the light software gets it, and the lights do their thing.

Is there a way to record, input, or copy midi note on data directly into the Control Track?

There are a lot of mouse clicks just to put say a "G#1 midi note on" entry into the Control Track. This has become the most time consuming (tedious) part of what I use SAW/SAC for. I have a lot of light changes and a lot of songs and I'm hoping someone has a technique or better way to get those midi note on commands into the control track.

For example, it would be nice to be able to play the notes that trigger the lights on a keyboard while SAW is playing a track and have that data recorded directly into the Control Track or another track/something and then copied to the Control Track.

[Craig Allen]

How about using MWS instead?

[Andy Follett]

Well, I don't own it (anymore) and do my midi work in Cubase. I'm sure I could do all my Cubase work within SAW but I've been using Cubase forever and I'm good with it.

Mostly SAW is a playback tool that plays tracks (perfectly) live with SAC for the band.

Seems like MWS would be more overhead than needed just to send out 30-50 note on messages per song. However, if someone else has experience using MWS live with SAW and SAC link active/playing tracks, etc. I'd be willing to reconsider it as my current method is just too time consuming.... guess I could hire a light person but then I'd have to pay them :)

[Bob L]

Andy... you can create a separate entry for each type of lighting command... label it... and then you have a simple method of recreating it over and over...

Once an entry is on the control track... you can just mark a small area around it... or around several entries as a sequence and copy them down the timeline like you do MT region entries... use the shift-grab-right-click option to drop and copy an entry...

Or... you can create each type of entry as a custom Command and simply choose these already made up entries from the Custom list in the Control Track and drop them where needed.

You only have to create each entry type once.

Bob L

[Andy Follett]

Bob,

That certainly is a slick solution. Where else can you get a response from the developer in a few hours? Thanks Bob.

Is there a way to order those custom commands in the custom command list?

[Bob L]

I believe the list stays in the order that you add the entries.

Bob L

[Andy Follett]

That is the way it works. I see there is a .dat file that contains those entries. Anyway to directly edit that file and with what program?

The order is a minor detail but would be nice to have the entries in alphabetical order or order of my choice - like rearranging the entries in the show control window.

Thanks again.

[Bob L]

No direct way to do that now... I'll consider putting it on the list... but in the meantime... figure out the order you would like and then enter them that way...

Bob L