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DWAM  
#1 Posted : Friday, March 24, 2017 11:43:27 AM(UTC)
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Hi guys

here's a short video I just made to share with you my use case and setup of the Akai APC Mini.

The idea here is to exchange setup ideas and to try to improve our use of this device. Feel free to comment and to post your own setups or suggestions.

Part 1 :
(Global setup)
Part 2 :
(Advanced setup for dynamic multiview)

Attached file is the diagram of my setup

Guillaume
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IceStream  
#2 Posted : Friday, March 24, 2017 3:26:34 PM(UTC)
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@ DWAM

Very well thought out and efficient set-up Guillaume. Of course, everyone's requirement vary in many ways, but you certainly offer some logical and practical solutions for some "typical" scenarios.
I think the "customizability" of MIDI device use with vMix will indeed become one of it's most endearing features for users as it will give them ownership over the workflow they have created.
(akin to VidBlaster's customizable UI, which made it a difficult software to walk away from for some, including me, but I digress...)
Although I don't have the Akai APC Mini, I do have the 64+ buttons of my Novation Launchpad, which, like you, I use the bottom two rows for my Preview and Program busses which are mapped to my first 8 Inputs in vMix, all of which are MultiView Colour Inputs which I populate according to immediate requirements. Most of the other buttons are used either for specific tasks like External, Record and Stream toggles and for Clock Timer Start/Stops, and Set-Text commands or are open for easy customization of a particular need for that production. Needless to say, most productions require significant preparation and planning to go off without a hitch, but what I really like about the MIDI option, is that you can still switch, even if you are occupied in another active window, unlike the Keyboard Shortcuts.


Ice

p.s. Nice to see and hear the face behind the prolific DWAM!
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corporatejames on 3/24/2017(UTC), DWAM on 3/25/2017(UTC), billh2020 on 4/28/2019(UTC)
corporatejames  
#3 Posted : Friday, March 24, 2017 6:44:35 PM(UTC)
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Great work Guillaume (DWAM)
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DWAM on 3/25/2017(UTC)
DWAM  
#4 Posted : Saturday, March 25, 2017 3:57:52 AM(UTC)
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Thank you guys!

Yes as @Ice Stream said, the main interest with these Midi Controllers (apart from the economical reason compared to traditional switcher control panels) is their ability to be customized and used in many different ways.

I'm considering to buy and use a second one to be able to extend my switching options for some projects. However Akai Mini does not allow to change the midi channel so I'm not sure one can get 2 of these to work at the same time. Maybe the different midi port is enough for vMix to understand which one is used when several controllers send the exact same midi commands? If someone tried, please let me know.

What I really find frustrating is the number of shortcuts required to switch inside multiviews and the lack of activators for example when an input is used for Ext2 or in a multiview (I did a feature request for this > https://forums.vmix.com/....aspx?g=posts&t=9620 )

I really think vMix needs a new and simpler way for switching inputs to multiple destinations. We've talked about this many times but now that we have 10 possible overlays in multiviews, it's becoming even more important. As shown in the video, basic switching options for 6 inputs into a multiview with only 2 overlays requires 12 shortcuts and 12 pads (or keys)! That's really too much. I think a possible solution could be something like what I tried to explain here ( https://forums.vmix.com/....aspx?g=posts&t=9621 ) where only 2 shortcuts/buttons would be required to do the same thing.

Thanks again for your interest and long live vMix 19!
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kricher1964  
#5 Posted : Saturday, March 25, 2017 7:49:02 AM(UTC)
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Nice job DWAM! I just got the APC mini and this helps to see how other people are using it.
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DWAM on 3/26/2017(UTC)
xaver  
#6 Posted : Sunday, March 26, 2017 5:34:32 AM(UTC)
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nice job, very helpfull
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DWAM on 3/26/2017(UTC)
Jim_C  
#7 Posted : Sunday, March 26, 2017 4:48:44 PM(UTC)
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Thanks DWAM. There is a lot of work in making that, especially the .jpg. Appreciate the time spent.
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DWAM on 3/27/2017(UTC)
doggy  
#8 Posted : Sunday, March 26, 2017 4:55:38 PM(UTC)
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Jim_C wrote:
Thanks DWAM. There is a lot of work in making that, especially the .jpg. Appreciate the time spent.


After creating your Midi shortcuts goto templates ;-)
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DWAM  
#9 Posted : Monday, March 27, 2017 10:47:07 AM(UTC)
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@Jim

Thanks but as Doggy said, creating the jpg was not the most difficult part, I only added some information on the sides.

I just found solutions to improve and extend multiviews management with the Akai, I will certainly publish new information about this soon.
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rudyengels  
#10 Posted : Tuesday, April 4, 2017 4:58:53 PM(UTC)
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Very valuable information, again! Love to see the follow up. Thanks!
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DWAM on 4/6/2017(UTC)
DWAM  
#11 Posted : Wednesday, April 5, 2017 2:04:00 PM(UTC)
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How to set the activators for the Akai Mini?

Because I was asked directly several times how to set the activators, here's a small guideline for this

1 . Choose a default colour for a row of pads
- Control = Note
- Use "Find" for first pad. You can use a range. For example, 1st bottom row is 0 to 7, 2nd is 8 to 15 and so on...
- Event = Default
- Type = Akai APCMini Square LED
- Select colour

2 . PREVIEW: This has to be done for each pad individually
- Control = Note
- Use "Find" for the pad number
- Event = InputPreview
- Input = Select the input and tick the box "Assign the activator to input number" (if you want this activator to work on input numbers and not input names)
- Type = Akai APCMini Square LED
- Select colour

3 . PROGRAM: This has to be done for each pad individually
- Control = Note
- Use "Find" for the pad number
- Event = Input
- Input = Select the input and tick the box "Assign the activator to input number" (if you want this activator to work on input numbers and not input names)
- Type = Akai APCMini Square LED
- Select colour

4 . vMix Controls like Recording, Streaming, External, Fullscreen
- Control = Note
- Use "Find" for the pad number
- Event = Select Recording, Streaming, External, Fullscreen in the dropdown menu
- Type = Akai APCMini Circle LED
- Select colour

In the video, I also use the event activator called "Overlay 4" which I use for PictureinPicture (on the third row)
I also tried on this third row to get an activator for inputs used in multiviews overlays, but so far, due to the lack of activator for this, I could only use the event "InputPlaying" which is perfect for video inputs but absolutely useless for camera inputs as they are always playing.

If, like me, you'd like to get more activators in vMix so that it reflects better which inputs are active and where, please give your support to this feature request here : https://forums.vmix.com/....aspx?g=posts&t=9620

Hope this helps
Guillaume
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rudyengels on 4/6/2017(UTC), Zetor1980 on 4/6/2017(UTC), stigaard on 5/3/2020(UTC), stergi on 3/29/2021(UTC)
stigaard  
#12 Posted : Sunday, April 9, 2017 2:38:52 PM(UTC)
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Hi you all,

I've made a little video too, explaining how I use my Akai APC mini. Hope it makes sense to you. Watch the video here:


Thanks

Jens Stigaard
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Zetor1980 on 4/11/2017(UTC), DWAM on 4/11/2017(UTC), mburel1980 on 4/22/2017(UTC), entropywu on 12/13/2018(UTC)
DWAM  
#13 Posted : Tuesday, April 11, 2017 6:35:22 AM(UTC)
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Hi Jens!

Thanks for your input. It's really interesting to see how different our respective setups are. While I essentially use the Akai Mini for switching camera inputs, you use it for everything I would do with vMix directly or vMix UTC. This perfectly shows how versatile and flexible a Midi Controller can be with vMix.
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richardgatarski  
#14 Posted : Wednesday, April 19, 2017 10:24:06 AM(UTC)
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I'm a little bit late joining the choir here, been too busy ;)

But whow, thank you indeed Guillaume for sharing and explaining! (same to Jens for his video).
And we vMix users for sure appreciate that you premiered your face in a production for us :)
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DWAM on 4/19/2017(UTC)
netaccs  
#15 Posted : Thursday, April 20, 2017 6:25:05 AM(UTC)
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Hello.
I don't have much experience with midi controllers.
I have vmix with akai apc mini connected to usb.

In vmix - settings - shortcut (add shtortcut) I can add midi button
and bind it to function (effects, record and etc).

What should I configure so when I press some key it will light in green for example
and when I press it again to turn off the light ?


Thanks in advance !
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DWAM  
#16 Posted : Thursday, April 20, 2017 6:33:36 AM(UTC)
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Hello and welcome to the vMix community

I have explained this above: https://forums.vmix.com/...ts&m=38239#post38239
The thing is to use "Activators"

Here's a video from the vMix team which explains how to use activators.


Hope this helps
Guillaume
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netaccs  
#17 Posted : Thursday, April 20, 2017 9:45:58 AM(UTC)
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Thank you for the reply. I watch the video and some threads in forum.

I set the default colour for all buttons (yellow), but when I select button
to apply effect (insert video) the button doesn't change the colour.

In shortcut menu
Key/Control MIDINoteON Channel 1 note 56, value not marked (127 in gray)
Function - Overlay Input3
Input - test-video.avi

In Activators menu
2:
Control - note
Channel 1, Note 56 to 0
Event - Default
Type AKAI APCMini Square LED - green

3:
Control - Note
Channel 1, Note 56 to 0
Input - test-video.avi
Type AKAI APCMini Square LED - RED

Where I make mistake ?


I try to use the file from this video,
but also doesn't work.

I try to make all buttons to led in green, when nothing is pressed
and when I select button to be red.
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DWAM  
#18 Posted : Thursday, April 20, 2017 11:15:08 AM(UTC)
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There is no activator for overlay

In your example you could use "InputPlaying" as an event type.

Re-read my explanation above. Try to reproduce what I did to fully understand how it works. Then you can try other solutions...
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DWAM  
#19 Posted : Saturday, April 22, 2017 10:07:23 AM(UTC)
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New video showing improvements with my Akai Mini setup, especially for dynamic multiview management.

Here's the video:


The improvements I could make are based on new commands in vMix 19 which allowed me to adapt for the Akai Mini a concept of a Dynamic Multi Layout Multiview which I experimented a couple of months ago with vMix UTC as a controller. You can see a demo for that here:


As I was asked many times how to do the switches inside multiviews, here are some information about it.

1 . Input switches for an overlay inside a multiview
Create a shortcut for each input you want to use with the "SetMultiViewOverlay" command

2 . Toggle an overlay inside a multiview
Create a shortcut using the "MultiViewOverlay" command

3 . Change the global layout for a multiview
> the principle is to combine multiple layouts and then to show or hide certain overlays in the multiview.
For example, layout 1 is made with overlay 1, 2 and 3, layout 2 is made of overlay 3 and 4 and so on
> next thing is to use command "MultiViewOverlay" to activate or deactivate the overlays you need for each layout
For example in layout 1 I hide overlay 4 so that only 1, 2 and 3 are visible. In layout 2, I hide overlays 1 and 2, overlay 3 remains visible and I activate overlay 4
> finally, in order to use the same Akai pads to switch different overlays according to which layout I'm in, I use the "MoveMultiViewOverlay" command. My pads are mapped to overlays 1 and 2 for layout 1 so when I activate layout 2, I move overlay 4 to position 1 and overlay 3 to position 2.

Here are the scripts I use for this:

Script for Layout2
Code:
Function=MoveMultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=1,4
Function=MoveMultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=2,3
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=1
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=2
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=4

Script for Layout1
Code:
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=1
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=2
Function=MultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=4
Function=MoveMultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=4,1
Function=MoveMultiviewOverlay&Input=7&Value=3,2


Thank you for interest. Do not hesitate to comment.

Guillaume
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mbv35 on 9/20/2017(UTC)
IceStream  
#20 Posted : Sunday, April 23, 2017 1:35:36 PM(UTC)
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@ DWAM

Once again, very nice work Guillaume.
My biggest concern with such elaborate set-ups is being able to properly label or identify buttons and their function on such MIDI controllers, I like to cut little stickers from post-it notes or similar, mark them and stick them on buttons.
Your layout, on the other hand, is fairly straight forward and logical such that identification is not quite necessary once given the proper instructions, although, it's just starting to get to that point where you may need to do the same if you add any more functions or shortcuts to your device.


Ice
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DWAM on 4/23/2017(UTC)
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