Novation Impulse 49 Question

Bellycaster

The Drum Pads on the Impulse 49 are assigned to the notes C3 to C4 on the Keyboard.

Problem is that a lot of the "Kits" that are loaded in from Groove Agent or Kontakt have the sound triggering keys outside this range of keys.

I've tried using the "Transpose" feature on the Keyboard to effectively shift the keys, but this doesn't appear to work.

What can I do to get round this?

Thanks.

stratman3142

I've got a Novation Impulse 61, so it might be similar.

I recall I set up a new "Drums" template a long while back. But I couldn't remember how I did it. However I did a bit of Googling and I think the answer is at the link below. Scroll down to the post by NewAux

https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88515

I did a quick experiment and it seemed to work, but I don't want to mess up my template so I didn't actually save the changes I made.

stratman3142

There's another way of doing it in Reaper, if you don't want to reprogram your keyboard.

Load up the Reaper ReaControlMIDI VST. Then adjust the Transpose value. For example -24 semitones shifts C3 to C1.

If you don't use Reaper, your DAW may have another way of doing it. Alternatively a VST like the one at the link below might do it, but I've never used it.

https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/index.html

Bellycaster

Thanks @stratman3142 will check that out.

While lockdown is on, I've finally had to time to try and get more acquainted with the Impulse, I've only had it 4 years and knew only the very basics.

I've learned quite a bit, but this really had me scratching my head. It's not really a game changer using the drum pads as I could just use the keys, but there is the Arp feature which I've learned to use and the roll feature which is cool as long as there is a drum sound to the pads.

It just bugs me not knowing how stuff works.

stratman3142

I find it hard to work out what to do from the Impulse manual. There's a good video tutorial I purchased from Groove3 at the link below. In fact my favourite way of learning is from videos and Groove3 is great. I'm currently working through a couple of Groove3 tutorials for Massive X.

https://www.groove3.com/tutorials/novation-impulse-explained

Bellycaster

Cheers @stratman3142 ;

I'll check that out Monday as well. I've found the manual useful to an extent, but it's like anything else: The more you learn, the more you realise that there is to learn.

I doubt I'm ever gonna put out a Gold Disc, but I like to at least approach musical applications without dread  

Bellycaster

stratman3142 said:

I've got a Novation Impulse 61, so it might be similar.

I recall I set up a new "Drums" template a long while back. But I couldn't remember how I did it. However I did a bit of Googling and I think the answer is at the link below. Scroll down to the post by NewAux

https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88515

I did a quick experiment and it seemed to work, but I don't want to mess up my template so I didn't actually save the changes I made.

Just read NewAux's comment @stratman3142 ;

I'm still confused though as he is talking about using the Templates in the Impulse. In the manual it states that the Templates are generally not used with Automap software, which is exactly how I use it.ie: Into a DAW.

I'm really struggling to recognise what other applications the Impulse can be used for. It's basically an empty shell until it has some sounds to recognise. I can't get my head round what Midi Mode is. The Midi lights are default until I launch a DAW and the Automap kicks in and then the "Plug In" Light comes on. I get that, I just don't get how else it would be used with the MIDI Light on. Where would it's sounds come from if not from software in a computer?

Reading about that Notemapper Plug in gave me a headache too. I'll have to look for some videos of it.

stratman3142

Although I've got Automap installed I'm not sure I'm really using it. I just select my Impulse keyboard as my midi input to Reaper.

This is what I do.

I'm using a Novation Impulse 61, so I'm guessing it's the same as your Impulse 49. If not then maybe you need a different approach.

Just to check first. If you twiddle the Data knob does the display change. Mine shows BascMIDI for Template 1, then as I twiddle the knob, various other templates are displayed.

Some of the templates are labelled Blank. So I just selected one of those to try setting up a new template

For example, if I select template 15, the display shows a template called "Blank". Then

(1) Press the Controls button

(2) Hit the pad I want to program (for example the bottom left pad). Which I'm going to set to C1

(3) Press the + key

(4) Twiddle the data knob to set it to C1

(5) Hit the next pad I want to program. For example, for the next pad, I'm going to set to D1

(6) Then I repeated from step (2) above for each of the pads and programmed them to C1, D1, E1, F1, G1, A1, B1 and C2. I selected those notes as an example but I can set them to any note I like

(7) After programming all the pads, press the Controls knob again

(8) While holding down The Shift/Learn button, press the Keyboard/Save button

(9) Push down the Data knob if you don't want to change the name of the Template. Then press it again to confirm

But do the following if you want to change the name of the Template

As a part of the Save process you get the option of renaming the preset. Twiddle the data knob to select the character. Use the + and - knobs to choose the character you want to change. When you've set the name, press the data knob, then press it again to confirm.

Now my template 15 has the pads set to trigger C1, D1, E1, F1, G1, A1, B1 to C2

If you're still having problems let me know and I might download the vst I mentioned earlier to do the midi note conversions and see how that works.
 

stratman3142

From the link below, I just downloaded the Notemapper Vst that I mentioned in an earlier.

https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/index.html

I just added the 64bit version of the dll  to my Vst folder.

It's bloody brilliant and a doddle to use. See image below. I'm definitely going to find this useful and it will save a lot of faffing about when I want to remap things (e.g. drum mappings), so I'll definitely donate to the developer.

https://i.imgur.com/RIPiIUu.png

stratman3142

Bellycaster said:

I'm still confused though as he is talking about using the Templates in the Impulse. In the manual it states that the Templates are generally not used with Automap software, which is exactly how I use it.ie: Into a DAW.

I'm really struggling to recognise what other applications the Impulse can be used for. It's basically an empty shell until it has some sounds to recognise. I can't get my head round what Midi Mode is. The Midi lights are default until I launch a DAW and the Automap kicks in and then the "Plug In" Light comes on. I get that, I just don't get how else it would be used with the MIDI Light on. Where would it's sounds come from if not from software in a computer?

Reading about that Notemapper Plug in gave me a headache too. I'll have to look for some videos of it.

I checked my Reaper Midi device settings and I'm not using Automap which is shown as disabled. I've just got the Impulse enabled (see pic below). Maybe that's why things are different between us.

As you say, the Impulse keyboard is an empty shell that's just driving sounds from VSTi's such as keyboards and drums, (or stand alone applications that accept midi input). It doesn't, in itself, recognise sounds.

https://i.imgur.com/BytaTCT.png

Bellycaster

Thanks @stratman3142 ;;;

I've just done that with the Template. It does describe that in the Manual, but then it proceeded to put me off trying it by stating that the Templates generally aren't used with Automap. I'm still using Automap while I was doing this.

Quite useful those templates, I suppose and you can also programme it to use the # and b keys, which I found out by accident and much to my confusion at first.

I'll have another look at that Notemapper later.

PS; I hadn't read your latest post at the time of posting this post.