livetrax/manual/xml/behringer_ddx3216.xml

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<section id="sn-behringer-ddx3216">
	<title>Behringer DDX3216</title>
	<para>
		The Behringer DDX3216 isn't actually a dedicated control surface, it is a
		digital mixer. However it does have the capability to control ardour using
		it's faders and the pan pots, through it's midi I/O. Unfortunately for some
		bizzare reason, the protocol for mute toggling changes on the Behringer and
		is not compatible with ardour. Most commonly you would setup ardour so the
		mixer and panning was reflected by the Behringer, however you can control
		other elements of ardour such as plugin controls/automation. This can
		potentially save a lot of time given you can control a lot more than just
		one level at a time, as opposed to one when using a mouse. The DDX3216 can
		also receive MTC (MIDI Time Code) from ardour and control ardours transport
		via MMC (Midi Machine Control), making it a very useful go between for any
		other external devices that can also receive MTC. On top of that, any other
		software synced to JACK will be controlled via the DDX3216 as well!
	</para>

	<para>
		The setup is quite simple as follows:
	</para>
	<orderedlist>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				On the DDX3216 select the MMC/MIDI button. Press the Previous/Next buttons
				to move to the RX/TX page. Make sure that you have both RX and TX selected
				for 'Control Change', and TX selected for 'Machine Control'. Under the
				menu 'RX/TX Only', make sure Fader and Pan is selected.
			</para>
		</listitem>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				To receive MTC do the following. Press the Previous button to get to the
				Setup page. Select MTC as your source. Make sure the receive channel is
				set to OMNI so it will listen on all channels, and the MMC device is set
				to 7F (all). Save a new Preset on the DDX3216, something like MMC/MTC.
			</para>
		</listitem>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				Connect your midi in and out cables to your sound card, and to the
				Behringer DDX3216. Start <application>qjackctl</application>, and then
				start ardour. In qjackctl go to the connections dialog, and select the
				<guilabel>midi</guilabel> tab. Select the Midi output on the left window
				and the ardour input on the right window, and press connect. Select the
				ardour output on the left window and the midi input on the right window,
				and press connect.
			</para>
		</listitem>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				I suggest making a template in ardour so you don't have to do these
				following steps each time. Load a new session with your desired amount of
				tracks (I used 16). Go to menu <menuchoice> <guimenu>Windows</guimenu>
				<guisubmenu>Options Editor</guisubmenu> </menuchoice> and select the
				<guilabel>MIDI</guilabel> tab. Select all the options and make sure the
				midi port you have connected to in qjackctl is 'online'.
			</para>
		</listitem>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				Open the mixer window
				(<keycombo><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>M</keycap></keycombo>) and then
				hold down <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> and click the middle button of your mouse,
				on the fader control for track 1. A dialog will appear over the fader
				asking you to <literal>operate MIDI control now</literal>. Move the fader
				on the Behringer that you want to control track 1 ardour fader - and
				whalla! I use fader 17 (fader 1 in page 2) as it isn't used for analog
				inputs and saves confusion. Now do the same thing for the panning, ctrl
				and middle click on the pan control in ardour, and move the pan pot on the
				DDX3216. Repeat the Step for as many tracks as you have. Then save the
				template as 'MIDI controlled' or something similar. Next time you create a
				session, select this template from the drop down list and you are ready to
				cruise.
			</para>
			<para>
				Remember you can assign the DDX3216 pan pots or even faders if you want,
				to the plugin controls, send levels, inserts etc etc.
			</para>
		</listitem>
		<listitem>
			<para>
				You can also operate the ardour transport and have ardour transmit MTC
				back to your DDX3216 (it is only capable of receiving timecode, not
				transmitting it). Go to the ardour menu
				<menuchoice><guimenu>Windows</guimenu><guisubmenu>Option
				Editor</guisubmenu></menuchoice> and the <guilabel>Sync</guilabel> Tab.
				Set <guimenuitem>Positional Sync</guimenuitem> to Sync with Jack. Select
				<guimenuitem>Send MTC</guimenuitem> and <guimenuitem>Jack time
				master</guimenuitem>. Set your SMPTE to the appropriate frame rate for
				your region (PAL - 25 frames, NTSC 30 frames/drop frames). On the DDX3216
				in the MMC/MIDI screen, select the <guilabel>Machine Control</guilabel>
				Tab and you can now press play and watch ardour begin playback, and the
				time code start rolling! Of course if you have
				hydrogen/rosegarden/muse/whatever also running, then they will begin with
				ardour as well.
			</para>
		</listitem>
	</orderedlist>
	<note>
		<para>
			With ardour set to sync with JACK you cannot rewind from the transport
			control, because JACK does not support global varispeed. If you are just
			working with ardour and nothing else, then you can change the Sync option
			to internal. You also will want to enable the -12dB gain reduction for
			ff/rew in the <guilabel>Misc</guilabel> tab for sanity reasons.
		</para>
	</note>
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