Ben Hall, October 1999
This is an environment for Akai's 12-track hard disk recorder. It has two main functions - the first is to provide onscreen controls for all the DPS12's MIDI-accessable functions, and the second is a couple of useful little utilities explained below.
The DPS12 (in all versions up to the current - as I write this - V2.1 version) allows MIDI control of the levels, pans, aux sends and aux pans of the twelve tracks and eight inputs, master aux sends, and the master level. All of these can be accessed by this environment. Future versions of the DPS12 should also allow EQ control, which will be built into these mixer maps when it happens.
Quick contents:
Load the Logic song file into Logic. The DPS12 environment is contained within its own layer, and you can copy all objects into your default autoload song or do an environment "merge" to achieve the same result. There is one instrument, "DPS12 Controller Intercept", that needs to be inserted between the physical and sequencer input objects - this is done for you in this song file, but it's something to bear in mind if you want to import this environment into your default environment.
If you have a multiple MIDI input interface, then just route the input that the DPS is connected to to the "DPS12 Controller Intercept" instrument, so that all your other data doesn't get routed through the faders (although in practice this doesn't matter too much).
There will be a small amount of initial setting up required. On the DPS12, first turn on MIDI control on the mixer setup page. The Transmit channel can be anything (all channels are merged internally to channel 1 for the faders), and the receive channel can be anything, as long as you set the "DPS12" instrument to output on the channel you have selected as the DPS12's receive channel. To do this, assign the "DPS12" instrument to a track, and set the MIDI interface, port and channel that the DPS12 will receive on in the track instrument parameters.
You must also go to the Logic's "Song Settings", and select the "DPS12" instrument in the "Instrument without MIDI Thru" section (again, this is done for you in this environment, but if you want it in your default environment, make sure you change this parameter).
Due to an odd design quirk, the DPS12 has one frustrating aspect of its MIDI implementation. When moving the faders on the DPS12, controller data is sent from the MIDI out on the selected transmit channel, and when you send it MIDI controller data back, the onscreen controls move in sync with the MIDI values (the real faders are not motorised and so obviously don't move).
However, as well as reflecting the incoming values on the screen, the DPS12 also transmits them back out via the MIDI out as well. So if you just have one DPS12 instrument setup in Logic, when sending any MIDI data the DPS12 will get MIDI feedback, causing it to lock up until you can suspend the MIDI data flow. The DPS12 also doesn't have a local off mode, so the faders always control the internal mixer section as well as transmitting the controller data.
Ok, Logic allows you to break the soft-thru function on an particular instrument, so in the song settings you can specify that the DPS12 instrument doesn't echo any incoming data back to the DPS12.
But as soon as you generate any controller data by moving the onscreen faders, you are straight back into loop territory.
This is a difficult problem to get around, as there is no way to differentiate wanted controller data transmitted by the DPS12 (ie, when you are recording automation data generated by moving the real faders) to the unwanted controller data echoed from the controller data you are sending back, as they both "look" identical (same controller data, same MIDI channel).
However, Logic is extremely powerful and I have (finally!) managed to offer a practical solution. Please see the diagram below for an overview of the routing configuration. The key lies in positioning the faders between the MIDI input and the sequencer section, and the fact that the filters filter their own incoming data.
Simply select the "DPS12" instrument in the track list, and open the environment window so you can see the faders. Later versions of Logic offer more in the way of automation features which you should use if you can, it should make life easier. You should also have chase mode enabled across all controllers, so wherever you start in the song, the automation data is updated so all values are correct for the given song position.
Do bear in mid that because of the DPS12's unusual MIDI behaviour as mentioned above, if you are recording multiple passes of automation data, each subsequent track will contain all the previous tracks controller data (as any data played to the DPS12 from previous automation tracks will be echoed back and thus re-recorded into the new sequence, along with any new data). So, either mute previous tracks while recording additional passes, or keep everything within one track and use the controller thinning and check duplicated functions often.
I mentioned a couple of extras. First off is a "Tape Track" instrument. If you assign these to a track in the track list, you can (via MMC) toggle record on/off for any of the DPS12's twelve recording tracks. For example, if you place a Tape Track instrument in track 3 in Logic, control-clicking the instrument will put track 3 on the DPS12 into record mode (it's indicator will flash as normal). Shift-clicking the track instrument will put the track back into safe mode. It may be useful to make a new folder and put tape track instruments assigned to tracks 1 to 12, and keeping that somewhere. Then you can create a screenset that opens directly inside that folder so you can select whichever tracks you need to record enable/disable.
MMC also lets you control the DPS12's transport functions directly from Logic.
DPS12 MIX -> AUXES
This is a transform operation that converts "normal" mix data to work on the aux sends. Imagine you have a mix on your current song, pans and levels carefully set. Now you need to send that mix to the stereo aux outs to processing with the internal (or an external) processor. Normally you would have to manually copy all the level and pan data to aux level and aux pan data, which is a pain.
Now all you have to do is do a "Send MIX Data" from the DPS12 and record this into a sequence. Then make the track instrument the "DPS12 MIX -> AUXES" instrument. When you play the mix data back, your mix will be converted in real time into an aux mix, and the normal volume levels muted so they don't appear at the main out. Now you can process your mix and record it back to some spare tracks or an external unit.
(Make sure your AUX TYPE is set to stereo in the DPS12's Mixer Setup page, or it might sound odd!)
To get your original mix back, just reassign the track instrument back to the normal "DPS12" instrument, as the data stored in the sequence is the original "normal" mix data, and play it back. The DPS12 is now reset to your original mix.
Lastly, screenset #1 contains a standard arrange page (with a floating fader window in the Atari version). Screenset #2 contains the DPS12 environment with the cables hidden, and screenset #3 shows the other objects on the DPS12 environment layer.
For more DPS12-related info, see the Akai DPS12 Frequently Asked Questions page.
If you have any queries regarding this environment, drop me a line.
Have fun!
Ben Hall,
Akai DPS12 FAQ, Wavestation Info & Sounds
http://www.benhall.co.uk