Novation Launch Control XL MIDI Channel Question

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Stargametheband
Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:41 am

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Novation Launch Control XL MIDI Channel Question

Hi all,

I've been working on figuring out how to map the various user templates built in with the Launch Control XL to various controls in FL. I've been using the Novation Components app to do this. I've had some wonderful success in some areas, but have experienced some significant annoyance in others. Here's what I've learned so far:

1. Each user template is set to different MIDI channels. There are 8 templates, and each is set from MIDI channel 1 to 8 respectively (template 3 defaults to MIDI channel 3, etc.). This is separate from the port number, which defaults to 205 on FL for me. MIDI channel 1 seems to be the only one I can get FL Studio to properly read.

2. Every knob, fader, and button (except for the User and Factory buttons) can be mapped to different CC's and different MIDI channels. These can be set from CC 1 to CC 127, and it appears that there are 127 separate CC's per MIDI channel.

3. There are two separate MIDI channels that must be set for each knob with an LED - you must set both the base MIDI channel and the LED MIDI channel. No idea what the difference is, but it appears that the controls only work when they are both set to the same MIDI channel.



I got the first two templates working by setting the MIDI channel and LED MIDI channel for all controls to channel 1. The first template controls CC's 1 through 56, the second template controls CC's 57 through 112. So, I have two full templates with 112 separate programmable controls. This is HUGE, and I can do a rather insane amount of mapping with this, especially by overriding generic links.

Here's my conundrum: I only have 12 CC's left available in MIDI channel 1. I don't think there's any way to expand the number of available CC's, unless scripting can somehow do so. I would like to set up the remaining user templates to control specific things - have template 3 for controlling mixer faders, template 4 for adjusting mixer stereo width, etc. I cannot get MIDI channels 2 through 16 to do anything in FL. I get the green question mark knob signifying the presence of unmapped controls whenever I use those channels. I cannot get FL to map anything to that controller on those channels. I assume there are at least three reasons for this:

1. MIDI channel conflict. I have 4 different MIDI controllers for different controls hooked up at any given time. They may be fighting to use those channels. However, none of these controllers appear to clash in any way with anything else, and unless there is something I don't know about how MIDI works, I don't think that 4 controllers can take up 16 midi channels on their own.

2. Launch Control XL is not capable of outputting multiple MIDI channels to FL due to fundamental incompatibility. It is incapable of mapping multiple channels to the same controls (e.g. channel 1 and 3 cannot be switched between on the fly by changing templates, as the controller locks to channel 1 only).

3. User error. There is something about how FL handles mapping channels to anything else that I do not understand, and as such I am unable to get anything but channel 1 to do.



Anyone have some extra insight on this? I know there's gotta be a workaround, so I just wanted to see if anyone else has further insight on what could prevent other MIDI channels to function on this thing as desired.


EDIT: Disregard, I got it! Under MIDI settings in the drop down menu for controller type, I had it set to Novation Launch Control XL. I changed it to Generic Controller, and suddenly I can map everything and change it what the controls do from one template to the next.

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