Line 6, POD, POD Studio, TonePort, POD Farm, Line 6 Monkey, GuitarPort, FBV, FBV Express, FBV
Shortboard and GearBox are trademarks of Line 6, Inc. All other product names, trademarks, and artists’
names are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6.
Congratulations if you’ve obtained a Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™ UX2, UX8 or KB37,
since you are now equipped not only with a high performance USB audio interface and tone machine,
but also built in power for remote, hands-free control of the Line 6 POD Farm™ 2, POD Farm™ 2
Plug-In & GearBox™ software, as well as 3rd party MIDI/DAW applications! This document will walk
you through setting up and using your Line 6 POD Studio/TonePort* Footswitch, Pedal & controller
features for use with Line 6 and 3rd party software that responds to MIDI control.
To get the most out of your POD Studio or TonePort with these applications, it is recommended you
first read through the very helpful info in their User Manuals. If you cannot find these printed manuals,
then you can download them free from the Line 6 Support site at http://line6.com/support/manuals/.
*Note that the both Line 6 POD Studio and TonePort branded UX2, UX8 and KB37 devices include
the same MIDI control features. The info in this MIDI Setup Guide applies to both POD Studio and
TonePort models, unless otherwise noted.
Updating & Registering with Line 6 Monkey™
OK, so maybe you already read about doing this updating & registration stuff for your POD Studio/
TonePort, but in case you were too excited with your new gear to get to that yet, now is the time to do
it! It’s a simple process really, just run Line 6 Monkey on your computer with an Internet connection.
Line 6 Monkey™ is the intelligent updater software utility that is typically installed with other Line
6 software titles. If you don’t already have it installed, you can get free from the Line 6 site at www.
line6.com/monkey/.
Once you’ve installed the Line 6 Monkey software, connect your POD Studio/TonePort to your
computer’s USB port. Be sure to exit all Line 6 and MIDI/DAW applications that might be running.
With your computer’s Internet connection active, follow these steps to launch Line 6 Monkey:
• On Mac®, go to Applications > Line 6 > Line 6 Monkey
• On Windows®, go to the Start button menu > Programs > Line 6 > Tools > Line 6 Monkey
Login Account
You’ll need to Login so that Line 6 Monkey can communicate with the online Line 6 Server to provide
the specific product updates for your gear. It’s just a few clicks, and it’s free!
• If you have a Line 6 account, type in your User Name and Password at the top of the Monkey
dialog.
• If you have not yet created an account, click the New User button and you’ll be walked right
through the steps.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Start Here
Register Your Line 6 Hardware
Registration of your Line 6 gear may be required for some updates and product authorizations, and
is also important because it ensures that you’re dialed in for warranty service and makes it possible
for us to contact you if new software versions or other cool enhancements are offered - cutting edge
technology and such!
If you have not already done so, you’ll be prompted to Register your connected Line 6 device. Just click
that Register button when prompted and fill in the blanks on the web page. This page will list all your
registered Line 6 gear in one place.
Grab those Updates
Once Line 6 Monkey launches, it will automatically detect your connected Line 6 USB device. Within
the Updates page in Line 6 Monkey, if you see any items indicated with an exclamation symbol
then you should select the item in the list, click on the Update Selection button, and let the little
Monkey fellow walk you through the installation steps. Items in the Updates screen indicated with a
green check , are up-to-date and require no attention.
The columns on the right of the Updates list tell you the version numbers for all currently installed
items and available updates. Click on any item in the Updates list and refer to its description in the
Help and Info pane below. Also, at the left you’ll see your connected Line 6 device shown, along with
its unique ESN (Electronic Serial Number), should you ever need to reference this ID number for
registration or warranty service.
The Updates and Optional Add-Ons screens in Line 6 Monkey are also an easy way to get the Line
6 POD Farm 2 and GearBox software, as well as Add-On Model Packs. POD Farm 2 & POD Farm 2
Plug-In is available for purchase to all POD Studio & TonePort owners, and special upgrade pricing is
available if you’ve already purchased the POD Farm 1 Plug-In Add-On. GearBox is available for free.
*Note that the POD Farm version 1 software & Plug-In is also still available using Line 6 Monkey for all
POD Studio and TonePort devices. However, POD Farm 1 does not support MIDI control via external
MIDI controller devices. Most DAW applications will still allow MIDI control of POD Farm 1 Plug-In via
its own MIDI track options - please see your DAW application’s documentation.
Running Line 6 Monkey is the easiest way to stay current on the latest Line 6 software and hardware
updates!
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MIDI Setup Guide: Start Here
The Line 6 Monkey Updates page
Connecting Footswitches and Pedals
The UX2, UX8 and KB37 devices include two 1/4 inch Footswitch jacks for connecting optional
footswitches. Typically, you’ll want the non-latching, “momentary” type footswitch for these
connections (such as those commonly sold as “sustain pedals” for keyboard controllers). You can
connect to either or both of these jacks to utilize the independent Footswitch 1 and Footswitch 2
controls.
The UX8 and KB37 devices include one 1/4-inch Expression jack for connecting an expression pedal.
The Line 6 EX-1 Expression Pedal is designed to work with the POD Studio & TonePort devices for
just this purpose - It utilizes a 10k Ohm pot and connects to Line 6 devices with a 1/4-inch TS plug.
See the next section about calibrating an Expression Pedal. The EX-1 can be purchased directly from
the Line 6 Online Store, or from most Line 6 dealers. Most other 3rd party “expression pedal” products
will work as well.
Connect up to two footswitch pedals
into these Footswitch 1 & 2 jacks
UX2 Footswitch connections
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Page 6
Connect up to two footswitch pedals
into these Footswitch 1 & 2 jacks
Connect an expression pedal to the
Expression jack
UX8 Footswitch and Expression Pedal connections
Connect an expression pedal
to the Expression jack
MIDI Setup Guide: Start Here
Connect up to two footswitch pedals
into these Footswitch 1 & 2 jacks
KB37 Footswitch & Expression Pedal connections
KB37 Wheel, Knob & Button Controllers
In addition to the Footswitch and Expression Pedal connections, POD Studio/TonePort KB37 offers a
whole set of knobs, wheels, switches and even transport buttons that can be used to control parameters
within POD Farm 2, GearBox or MIDI/DAW software. These controls all transmit MIDI control
messages via the unit’s USB MIDI Out port, allowing remote control of parameters in real-time. These
KB37 controllers are named as follows:
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
3
2
1
16 17 18 19
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MIDI Setup Guide: Start Here
1Octave Up11Transport - Rewind
2Octave Down12Transport - Forward
3Pitch Bend Wheel13Transport - Stop
4Modulation Wheel14Transport - Play
5Sound Select (Previous)15Transport - Record
6Sound Select (Next)16Button 1
7Knob 117Button 2
8Knob 218Button 3
9Knob 319Button 4
10Knob 4
For information on how to map these controllers to POD Farm 2, GearBox and MIDI/DAW software
parameters, please see “MIDI Control Configuration” on page 2•1.
KB37 Note Keys & Pitch Wheel
KB37’s note keys and pitch wheel automatically transmit MIDI note-on and pitch bend messages
to the KB37 USB MIDI Out port (these do not send any data to GearBox). There is typically no
configuration required for these - once your MIDI/DAW software is configured to receive MIDI from
the KB37 MIDI Out port, it should automatically receive the messages, allowing you to record into
a MIDI track and trigger software instruments. The Octave Select switches allow you to change the
note range up/down that the device’s 37 note keys transmit, as indicated by the Octave Select LEDs.
For some helpful examples on how to configure your MIDI/DAW software for KB37, please see
“Controllers and 3rd Party Applications” on page 4•1.
With the above steps complete you should now be ready to dive into the following chapters with
your Line 6 POD Studio or TonePort gear!
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MIDI Setup Guide: MIDI Control Configuration
MIDI ConTrol ConfIguraTIon
In this chapter we’ll show how to configure the specific type of MIDI messages your POD Studio™/
TonePort™ controllers transmit when you access them. This is all accomplished using the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings dialog, where you can view these settings, as well as create and save your own
customized preset control mappings to load any time.
Default MIDI Control Settings
UX2, UX8 & KB37 ship with a default set of MIDI Control Messages assigned to their controllers,
as shown in the handy table below. Your device will send these MIDI commands right “out of the
box”, without any further configuration needed. Note that by default your Line 6 device sends out two
different sets of MIDI messages - one set is transmitted directly to the Line 6 GearBox™ application
(if launched), and the other transmitted to the POD Studio/TonePort USB MIDI Out port. MIDI data
transmitted out the USB MIDI Out port are the ones you’ll be sending to POD Farm™ 2 and other
software.
There are a number of preset “Controller Mappings” available for you to select from within the Line 6
Audio-MIDI Devices dialog. The GearBox & MIDI Default preset is the one initially loaded for your
device. This preset consists of the following settings. Note that the GearBox Parameter column lists
what the specific GearBox action will be, while the MIDI Message column lists what is transmitted to
the USB MIDI Out port:
GearBox & MIDI Default Preset Assignments
POD Studio/
TonePort Model
KB37Modulation wheel(No Assignment)CC 001 Mod Wheel
KB37Sound Select (Previous)Next Tone PresetProgram Change –1
KB37Sound Select (Next)Previous Tone PresetProgram Change +1
In addition to the default GearBox and MIDI Default preset described above, there are also several
presets for specific MIDI/DAW software applications as well. You can select one of these presets from
the Controller Mapping menu within the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices dialog:
• Windows® - Control Panel > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices > MIDI tab
• Mac® - System Preferences > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices > MIDI tab
Please see the following chapters for more information regarding the 3rd party application presets. To
see and edit the individual controller settings, you can launch the MIDI Control Settings dialog, as
explained in the next section.
Note: There is not a preset for POD Farm 2 control, however, we’ve provided a set for you to configure in
“Recommended MIDI Control Settings for POD Farm 2” on page 5•1.
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MIDI Setup Guide: MIDI Control Configuration
Customizing Controller Settings
To customize of any of the individual POD Studio/TonePort settings, launch the MIDI Control
Settings dialog from within the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog:
To follow is an example of the MIDI Control Settings dialog, as displayed with a connected KB37
device. Note that if you have a UX2 or UX8, you’ll see only the switches & controllers offered by
those devices (Footswitch 1 & 2 for UX2 and Footswitch 1 &2 and Expression Pedal for UX8). See the
following descriptions for details on the fields within the MIDI Control Settings dialog.
The Switch/Controller column populates with all
assignable controllers for your device (KB37 shown here)
Name and save your custom
mappings as a preset
Choose which GearBox Control
function (if any) to assign to the
respective Switch/Controller
Choose the type of Control, which
CC/Action it will perform, and the
Switch Mode for each respective
Switch/Controller
2•3
Click Apply to commit
the displayed settings to
your device, then OK to
exit the dialog
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MIDI Setup Guide: MIDI Control Configuration
Switch/Controller - Lists the physical wheel, button, knob, footswitch or pedal controllers available
on your POD Studio/TonePort device.
GearBox Control - Allows you to select from a menu what action is performed in the GearBox software
when the controller is accessed. Note that you can choose “None” to disable any controller.
To MIDI Out - Allows you to select from a menu the type of MIDI message transmitted to the device’s
USB MIDI Out port to control POD Farm 2 or MIDI/DAW software. The options are as follows (note
that the Mod Wheel, Knobs, and Expression Pedal controllers are limited to MIDI CC or MIDI CC
14 bit options only):
• None: Sends no MIDI data. Basically, this is to disable the selected controller. If you don’t
plan on using some footswitches or pedals within the preset you are creating, it is best to
set these individually to None to avoid unexpectedly triggering functions in your targeted
software!
• Bank Change: A numerical value typically used to switch through Patch or Preset Banks.
For POD Farm 2, Bank Change can be used to navigate through your Setlists in the Presets
View.
• Program Change: A numerical value typically used to switch through Presets within a
selected Bank. For POD Farm 2, Program Change can be used to navigate through the
individual Tone presets within a Setlist.
• MIDI CC (MIDI Continuous Control): A set of Value and Range numbers commonly
used by MIDI software and hardware to provide access to parameters. For POD Farm 2, amp,
preamp and effects models’ parameters utilize MIDI CC messages. Most 3rd party DAW
applications also respond to MIDI CC type messages for their parameters - please check your
application’s documentation.
• MIDI CC 14 bit (Wheel, Knob & Exp. Pedal controllers only): A higher resolution MIDI
CC option - it is best to select this option when controlling a parameter in your software
that requires greater precision so that you can adjust the control more smoothly without
hearing “zippering” or large jumps in incremental settings.
• MMC (MIDI Machine Control): Specific commands commonly used for controlling
transport buttons and mechanical functions (Play, Stop, Record, etc.)
• Mackie Control: Specific commands in the “Mackie Universal Controller” format,
commonly used for transport parameters and mechanical functions (Play, Stop, Record,
etc.), for software that supports the Mackie Control format.
MIDI CC/Action - Sets the Value for the MIDI command type in use. The options differ depending
on the current setting in the “To MIDI Out” field:
• For MIDI CC - Choose the CC value from 0 to 127. You may also choose “Custom” to then
allow the Toggle 1/Up and Toggle 2/Down options to become selectable, so that each successive
Toggle action can be defined with its own separate MIDI CC value.
• For Program Change - Choose Increment to transmit the next higher program number, or
decrement to transmit the next lower Program number.
• For MMC - Choose the MMC command type by name (Play, Stop, Play/Stop toggle, Pause,
Record Punch, Record Punch-Pro Tools, Rew, FF).
• For Mackie Control - Choose the command type by name (Play, Stop, Play/Stop toggle, Pause,
Record Punch, Rew, FF).
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MIDI Setup Guide: MIDI Control Configuration
Switch Mode - Sets the switch behavior. These options are available for some MIDI CC, MMC and
Mackie commands. The three types of switch behaviors are as follows - you may need to check your
MIDI/DAW software’s documentation to see how its parameters are programmed to respond to these
different MIDI switch commands:
• Single - Sends a single MIDI message and value on each press. This option is best when triggering
a software function the same each time, such as the playback of a sample.
• Toggle - Sends two different MIDI CC LSB values (0 and 127 - typically interpreted as “off” and
“on” respectively), alternating between the two on each successive press of the switch. Some
software parameters respond to these toggled MIDI commands to do things such as toggle a
parameter on and off.
• Momentary - Sends a single MIDI message and value (127 - typically interpreted as “on”) only
while switch is held down only, and then sends a single MIDI message and value (0 - typically
interpreted as “off”) when switch is released. A common use for this type of switch behavior is
for a piano/synth Sustain pedal footswitch.
* Note: The Mackie Control protocol uses MIDI note events to activate specific functions. When using
the KB37 as a Mackie Control input device, MIDI note messages may trigger Mackie Control-related
functions within a given host application. In Ableton Live, for example, D5 (MIDI note 74) toggles
between the Arrangement and Session views.
Toggle1/Up Toggle2/Dn CC/Val Columns - These columns become selectable when the MIDI
Command is set to “MIDI CC” and Value is set to “Custom”. MSB + LSB values can be then be
entered here to specify the Toggle 1/Up and Toggle 2/Down switch behaviors. This allows these two
different MIDI CC values to be sent, alternating on each successive press of the switch controller.
Line 6 Device MIDI Ports and MIDI Thru
A feature worth noting for all Line 6 POD Studio & TonePort devices’ MIDI Ports is that all offer a
“MIDI Thru” capability. This means that just about any MIDI software application can send or receive
MIDI data across these Line 6 “virtual” USB MIDI In & MIDI Out ports. For example, if you have
two MIDI software applications that you want to send/receive MIDI communication between, you
can typically configure one application to transmit to the Line 6 USB MIDI In port, and configure the
other application to receive from the Line 6 USB MIDI Out port. With the correct MIDI channels
selected within each application, the Line 6 MIDI ports should allow this MIDI data to run “Thru”
from one application to the other.
Line 6 GearBox - Control Settings
Here are a few helpful tips in using your POD Studio or TonePort to control the Line 6 GearBox
software.
GearBox Dual-Tone Settings
When using your Line 6 device to control the Line 6 GearBox software - Note that if you have
selected one of the Dual-Tone settings in the GearBox Source Select menu, then the controllers will
affect the parameters for Tone 1 only of your GearBox tone preset. The Dual-Tone settings are the ones
with the “&” in their names.
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MIDI Setup Guide: MIDI Control Configuration
Dual-Tone settings are the ones with
the “&” in their names
For example, if you are currently using Inst & Mic 1 as your Source, then UX2/KB37 will only trigger
the assigned functions for the Instrument tone, which is the “Tone 1” of this Source.
Controlling GearBox Functions via MIDI SysEx
Worth mention here is the fact that some GearBox functions are actually controlled via MIDI System
Exclusive messages (or “SysEx” as the hip MIDI folks like to call it). These GearBox functions include
Monitor and Send levels, Next/Previous Tone, GPO Track levels, etc. These can be controlled
externally if you have a MIDI device or software utility capable of sending MIDI SysEx.
For more information about MIDI SysEx and external control of GearBox, please see the MIDI Continuous Controller Reference document, downloadable from the POD Studio or TonePort
Manuals download page.
GuitarPort™ Online Player Transport Control
In addition, the following MIDI events are recognized for the GuitarPort™ Online (GPO) Player
transport control within the GearBox software. These 3 byte MIDI short messages (not SysEx) are
based on the Mackie control specification.
GPO Transport FunctionMIDI Message
Track Play90 5E 7F
Track Stop90 5D 7F
Track FWD Start90 5C 7F
Track FWD Stop90 5C 00
Track REW Start90 5B 7F
Track REW Stop90 5B 00
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
ConTrollIng ableTon lIve® sofTware
This chapter includes instructions for using your Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™ UX2/UX8/KB37
with the popular Ableton Live DAW software, including the Ableton Live Lite - Line 6 Edition,
which comes included with some Line 6 devices. The special Line 6 Edition of this software offers
a set of pre-defined MIDI controller functions with your Line 6 hardware. We’ve provided examples
here as well for customizing your Line 6 POD Studio/TonePort controller mappings, using the Ableton
Live MIDI Map Mode, controlling effects Plug-In parameters and more. These functions are also
available in other popular DAW applications, and often the configuration steps are similar for their
MIDI control features. Also see the following chapter for more specific instructions on configuring
other popular MIDI/DAW software for use with your Line 6 device.
If you received the Ableton Live Lite - Line 6 Edition with your Line 6 product, you can upgrade to the
latest Live Lite - Line 6 Edition version free at http://www.ableton.com/free-line6-upgrade. If you want
to try the following examples with the latest Ableton Live full version, you can download a free Demo
version at http://www.ableton.com/downloads.
Ableton Live MIDI Input Device Configuration
First, we need to configure the Ableton Live software to receive MIDI from your Line 6 device. In
Ableton Live, as well as in many other DAW applications, there are separate options for choosing
a MIDI keyboard (such as for playing a software instrument & recording MIDI notes into a MIDI
track) and for choosing a MIDI Controller or Control Surface device (for remote control of software
parameters). The following examples will show us configuring KB37, since it can perform both these
types of MIDI functions, but we’ll note where any settings might differ for UX2 and UX8.
With your UX2/UX8/KB37 device connected to your USB port, launch the Ableton Live software,
and go to:
• Mac® - Ableton Live > Preferences > MIDI/Sync page
Here you will see that Live automatically detects your Line 6 device’s MIDI ports. You might see
additional devices’ MIDI Ports appear here as well, depending what other MIDI hardware/software you
have installed on your computer.
Select your Line
6 device here so
that Live will
receive MIDI
from it’s USB
MIDI Out port
Click the Track
and Remote
buttons both to
On for your Line
6 device’s MIDI
Input*
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
*It is actually only necessary to turn on the MIDI In “Remote” option to allow Live to receive MIDI
controller data from the selected device. However, to allow Live to receive MIDI into a MIDI track
you do need to turn on the “Track” option. You need MIDI track input to utilize KB37 as a keyboard
controller, and/or to route MIDI control data directly to POD Farm 2 and other Plug-Ins that offer
direct MIDI control.
Close the Preferences dialog - this completes the MIDI input device configuration steps.
Ableton Live Controller Mapping Preset
The easiest way to get started using your UX2/UX8/KB37 as a controller device with Ableton Live
software is to select the Ableton Live preset in the Line 6 Controller Mapping dialog. This preset
loads the following MIDI controller settings (UX2 will display only Footswitch controllers, and UX8
only Footswitch and Expression Pedal controllers):
Note to Line 6 GearBox users... This preset has all the GearBox Control fields set to “None”, which means
your device will not transmit any commands to the GearBox standalone application. You can change the
GearBox column settings to control GearBox and Ableton Live or another DAW software simultaneously
if you like - please see “MIDI Control Configuration” on page 2•1 for details.
If you are using the Live Lite - Line 6 Edition version, the following settings of this preset are “pre-
mapped” already for you in the software. (If you are using a full Ableton Live version, we’ll show you
how to map these controllers yourself in the next sections).
Footswitch Controller Behaviors - With this Ableton Live preset loaded, the Footswitches provide
the following behaviors for hands-free control:
• Footswitch 1: Toggles the Live transport between Play/Stop functions.
• Footswitch 2: Toggles the Live transport Punch Record function.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
Transport buttons (KB37) - The transport buttons are all mapped to provide the following behaviors:
Metronome On/Off
Loop On/Off
Stop
KB37’s transport buttons - Ableton Live Lite Line 6 Edition “pre-mapped” functions
Play
Global Record
Using Ableton Live’s MIDI Map Mode
All versions of Ableton Live include this “MIDI Map Mode” feature, which makes it simple to map
any switch, knob, wheel or pedal controller to a specific parameter in the software. Note that many
other DAW applications also offer a similar functionality (sometimes referred to as “MIDI Learn”) and
your Line 6 MIDI controllers will work similarly in those applications as well. The first step is always
to configure your device’s controllers to transmit a MIDI command, such as we already did by simply
selecting the Ableton Live preset in the previous steps. Live utilizes MIDI CC commands for most of
its mappings - other DAW software commonly does as well, but might alternatively utilize MMC or
Mackie commands for some functions (please check your DAW software’s documentation details).
As an example, we’ll show you how to set up the Start/Stop and Punch In/Out functions for the
TonePort UX2/UX8/KB37 footswitches manually. In the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings dialog,
configure the MIDI settings shown below for the Footswitch 1 & 2 controllers. Be sure to click the
Apply button after making the settings or they will not be established on your device!
In Ableton Live, follow these steps:
In the upper right corner of the main window,
click on the MIDI button. It should light up
blue, indicating you have entered “MIDI Map
Mode”
Then go over to the Transport and click
once on the Play button
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Press Footswitch 1. The numbers 1/2
appear inside the Play Button. This is
telling you that the button is “mapped”
to respond to MIDI Channel 1, MIDI
CC 2
Click on the Stop button then press
Footswitch 1 again. Since we configured
the Footswitch to toggle between
transmitting CC 2 & CC 3, this button
now receives the CC 3 value
Now click on the Record button, then
press Footswitch 2. This now maps
MIDI CC 6 to toggle Record on/off
Click on the MIDI button when done, to exit
MIDI Map Mode
MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
You’re done! Give the footswitches a try and you should see Live’s transport trigger accordingly. Using
the same procedure, you can now map any of your POD Studio/TonePort controllers to other Ableton
Live functions. Read on for more examples.
Mapping the Expression Pedal Controller
Next, we’ll map the Expression Pedal to one of Live’s software parameters so that we can control
it hands-free! The Expression Pedal transmits a stream of MIDI CC values, so you can map to any
available Live parameter that has an adjustable range, such as an effect knob or slider. We’ll first map
the pedal to Live’s Chorus effect - Dry/Wet parameter. This will allow us to change the Dry/Wet mix of
Live’s Chorus effect in real-time. Note that this also makes it possible to “write” parameter automation
in real-time using the Expression Pedal - more on that later.
• Connect an Expression Pedal into the Expression jack on your UX2/UX8/KB37, and launch the
Line 6 MIDI Control Settings and configure the Expression Pedal controller to send a MIDI CC
- we’ll use CC 5. Your settings should look like this (and remember to click the Apply button
when done):
• In Ableton Live, first record or load an audio file in an audio track so that you have something
to play and hear your effect in action.
• Load the Chorus as an insert effect on this audio track. You can do this by selecting
Effects>Chorus>Chorus in the Live Devices panel and then drag this Chorus effect on top of
your audio track to insert it.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
Drag the Chorus effect to your
Audio track to insert it
• You’ll then see the Chorus effect module appear in Live’s lower effects panel. Now place Live
into MIDI Map Mode (see the instructions in the previous section). Once in Map Mode, you
will see the Chorus effect’s “map-able” parameters highlighted.
• We’re going to map to the Chorus Dry/Wet knob. Just click on the knob and Live will then wait
to receive a MIDI Control command. Move your Pedal until you see the text at the bottom of
Live’s screen indicate that the Dry/Wet parameter was successfully mapped:
Click on the Dry/Wet knob.
The text at the bottom field of Live indicates
it is waiting for you to press a Controller on
your MIDI device to map it.
The newly mapped MIDI Channel 1/CC 5 is
now displayed.
The text shows mapping details.
• Since we configured the Pedal controller to send MIDI CC 5, you should see that Live’s Chorus
Mix knob is mapped to Channel 1, CC 5.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling Ableton Live
Exit Live’s MIDI Map Mode and give it a try - You should see the Chorus Dry/Wet knob respond to
your Expression Pedal’s movement. You can repeat the above steps and map the pedal to any other
Live effects’ knobs or even the Live Mixer faders & knobs. Or, if you have a KB37, you can map KB37’s
knob or Mod Wheel controllers following the above steps as well.
Mapping to an AU/VST® Effect Parameter
As with most DAW software, with Ableton Live you are not just limited to mapping your controllers
to Live’s parameters. Once a 3rd party AU or VST® Plug-In is loaded in the software, it is also possible
to map to the Plug-In’s parameters. In this example we’ll show you how to map the Expression Pedal
controller to the Line 6 POD Farm™ Plug-In’s Wah Position parameter. This allows you work the pedal
and control the POD Farm Wah effect in real-time! These steps also work for the Line 6 POD Farm
2* & GearBox Plug-Ins, or most any 3rd party AU or VST Plug-In effect you might have installed.
*Note that for POD Farm 2 Plug-In, it is also possible to use the POD Farm 2 MIDI Learn function to
map your MIDI controller directly to the Plug-In parameters. See the POD Farm 2 chapter for details.
• In the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings dialog, configure your Expression Pedal controller to send a
MIDI CC - we’ll again use CC 5. Your settings should look like this (and remember to click the
Apply button when done):
• In Ableton Live, record or load an audio file in an audio track. A recorded clean rhythm guitar
would work nicely here. We’re working in Live’s “Arrangement View” here.
• In the Live Plug-In Devices Browser panel, select your Plug-In and drag it on top of your audio
track.
• You’ll see the effect module load into Live’s lower panel. If you click on the little arrow at the
top of this effect module, you’ll see it expands to expose a Configure option. This allows you to
add parameters from the Plug-In’s edit window so that it is accessible within the effect module
display.
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• For POD Farm 2 Plug-In only: You need to first assign the Wah - Position knob parameter to
one of the POD Farm 2 Plug-In Automation Slots. Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click (Mac®)
directly on the Wah Position knob and then click on an empty Slot to assign it, as we’ve done
here for Slot 1:
Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click
(Mac®) on the Position knob
Click within one of the empty Automation
Slots to assign this parameter to the Slot
• For all Line 6 Plug-Ins: proceed with these steps to configure your parameter:
Click the arrow here to expand the
effect module
Click the “Configure” button to add
a POD Farm Plug-In parameter to
this module. (For POD Farm 2 PlugIn, you will likely already see all its
parameters appear here and will not
need to “add” them)
Now, in the POD Farm Plug-In window,
click directly on the Wah edit panel’s
Position knob to select this parameter
Once you’ve selected the Plug-In parameter, you’ll
see a slider appear in the Line effects module for
that parameter. (For POD Farm 2 Plug-In, you’ll
want to select the “Parameter 1” slider, since
this corresponds to the Automation Slot #1 we
configured earlier).
• Now just follow the same steps as in the previous examples to enter Live’s MIDI Map Mode, click
on the parameter in the effect module, and then move your Expression Pedal to map it. For our
example, we now have successfully mapped Channel 1, MIDI CC 5 from our Pedal to the Wah
Position parameter. Exit MIDI Map Mode.
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Go ahead and hit Play in Live and work your Expression Pedal and you’ll hear the mapped effect
parameter do its thing. You might also see the control for the selected parameter within the effect’s
own window move in response as well. In our case, the POD Farm Plug-In Wah Position knob moves
in response. But wait - it gets better! Read on for more fun with mapped parameters!
Control Automation Recording with your Expression Pedal
Once you have a parameter mapped to your Expression Pedal (or KB37 knob or Mod Wheel controller),
in many cases the DAW software will also allow you to “record” your controller’s moves in real-time
as an automation envelope on your track. The perfect example for this is for us to use the POD Farm
Plug-In Wah mapping we just created in Ableton Live, and record our Expression Pedal moves to add
some snarky wah action on our guitar track. Other DAW applications differ in the exact way they
offer track and effects automation, so be sure to check your DAW software’s documentation, but this
example should give you the basic idea. With the Expression Pedal controller successfully mapped to
the POD Farm Plug-In Wah (or the Plug-In parameter of your choice) try the following steps.
• In Live’s Arrangement View, you’ll want to make sure your audio track is not armed for recording
(since we only want to record automation on this track, not audio). You should also see the POD
Farm Wah-Position parameter shown here on the track. Note that right now when you move
your Expression Pedal, an existing, flat envelope line across the track moves up and down in
response.
Keep this track’s Record Arm button “off” for these steps.
Once we mapped the POD Farm Wah-Position parameter in the previous steps, our Live
audio track shows this parameter in its automation selector, and shows an (unedited)
envelope across the track. If you move your pedal, you’ll see this envelope line respond.
• Rewind to the start of the track, click Live’s main Transport Record and then Play button. Once
Live starts rolling, just start working the Expression Pedal as desired to add the Wah effect to
your track. You’ll see envelope “edit points” added, recording your pedal moves as you go.
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• Stop Live and then play the track back and you’ll hear that your Wah pedal “performance” was
captured in real-time. Not happy with that take? Just undo, or zoom in and use your mouse to
manually adjust the edit points to fine-tune the wah performance.
KB37 Keyboard Functions
With the previous Ableton Live Preferences settings complete, you should immediately be able to
utilize KB37 as a music keyboard to record MIDI notes into Live’s MIDI tracks, and to trigger Live’s
software instruments. Configure Live’s MIDI track input settings to receive MIDI input from your
KB37:
• In the Live MIDI Track Input/Output settings header, set the Input to receive from either
Channel 1 or All Channels, since KB37 is always transmitting on MIDI Channel 1. Then click
the Record Arm button to arm the track. You should then see the MIDI input meters on the
track respond when you hit note keys on your KB37.
Set the Channel input and arm the
MIDI track.
You’ll see the MIDI meters flash
when you hit a note key.
• Hit the Live Record + Play transport buttons and start recording your MIDI keyboard performance.
Please refer to Ableton Live’s tutorials for details on inserting a software instrument and other MIDI
track functions.
Now that you have the basics, you should be able to map your UX2/UX8/KB37 controllers to a
plethora of different MIDI & DAW software mix functions, transport buttons, effect parameters, PlugIn parameters, and even use your controllers for writing automation. Please see the following chapter
for MIDI Control setup of your Line 6 device with other popular DAW applications.
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MIDI ConTrolwITH 3rD ParTy aPPlICaTIons
In this chapter, we’ll cover how to setup several popular DAW applications to utilize your POD
Studio™ or TonePort™ UX2/UX8/KB37 as a MIDI controller device, as well as a few handy tips
for some of these applications. If you have not already done so, please read through “Controlling
Ableton Live Software” on page 3•1 since it includes MIDI control aspects that are common to many
DAW applications. Check your MIDI/DAW software’s user manual for more information regarding its
specific MIDI Control capabilities as well.
Propellerhead Reason
The Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices dialog includes a Controller Mapping preset that configures POD
Studio/TonePort KB37 for use with Reason. Due to the Reason dynamic MIDI environment, the KB37
works with the Reason Remote™ interface via a Remote codec for KB37, which is installed with POD
Farm 2 or GearBox 3.x.
IMPORTANT: Reason version 3.04 (or later) is required for the Remote codec, so be sure to install the
latest available Reason update (see http://www.propellerheads.se). Reason must also be installed before
installing POD Farm 2 or GearBox in order for the Remote KB37 codec to appear. Running the GearBox
installer again after installing Reason (or after running a Reason update installation) can fix this problem.
®
What is the Reason Remote™ Codec?
The Remote codec performs the task of mapping KB37 MIDI controller messages to Reason-specific
functions. For example, the codec automatically maps the KB37 transport buttons to the Reason
transport functions.
But there are hundreds of knobs and buttons in Reason, and fewer controllers on the KB37. To manage
all those Reason parameters, the Remote codec maps the knobs and buttons to various Reason device
parameters (by “Reason devices” here, we’re referring to the Reason software instruments), relative to
the currently selected track. Therefore, a default map for the KB37’s buttons and knobs exists for each
Reason device.
To use the KB37 with the Reason Remote codec:
• In the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices dialog, select the “Reason 3” preset and click OK:
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• In Reason, open the “Control Surfaces and Keyboards” page in the Reason Preferences dialog,
click ‘Add’, then select “Line 6” from the Manufacturer list:
Voila! You should see the KB37
picture appear in the Model box.
Select KB37 for the In Port.
• Select your KB37 device for the In Port, click OK to exit the Control Surface dialog, then exit
the Preferences.
These Preferences settings configure KB37 to be the “Master Keyboard” controller device for Reason,
also allowing you to record MIDI into the Reason sequencer and trigger the many software instrument
“devices” in Reason. Please refer to your Reason documentation for accessing these MIDI functions
with your assigned Master Keyboard.
KB37 Mapping Variations
Because most Reason devices have more parameters than the KB37 has physical controls, we have
provided mapping variations to allow you to switch the function of your KB37 controllers between the
many Reason options.
When selecting a mapping variation, a new set of parameters will be configured for KB37 with a
selected Reason device. For example, the KB37 “Sound Select” buttons are mapped to move up and
down between tracks. Variation 2 maps the buttons to the target device’s “patch up/patch down”
parameters. To switch between mapping variations in Reason, you need to use the following keystrokes:
®
Mac
[Command] + [Option] + numerical keys [1] to [10].
[1] selects the default standard mapping
Windows
®
[Ctrl] + [Alt] + numerical keys [1] to [10]
[1] selects the default standard mapping
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Tip: You can get an overview of which Reason parameters are assigned to a given mapping variation by
selecting “Remote Override Edit Mode” from the Reason Options menu. Also see the Remote Override
section page 4•4 for information on how to customize your KB37 controller mappings.
Configuring UX2/UX8 as a Generic MIDI Control Surface
The Line 6 UX2 or UX8 devices do not include the note keys and knobs & switches like a KB37 to
allow you to play the Reason instrument devices, record MIDI performances, etc. However, UX2 &
UX8 both do offer the Footswitch controllers, and UX8 the Expression Pedal controller, which can
be used to trigger and control parameters in Reason! To configure UX2 or UX8 for this functionality,
you’ll need to set them up in Reason as a “generic” MIDI Control Surface. Just follow these steps (these
steps are the same in Windows® or Mac OS® X)...
• In the Reason Preferences dialog, select Keyboards and Control Surfaces and click the Add
button, then select None in the list of devices.
• Make the following settings in the Control Surface dialog:
Select MIDI Control Surface as the Model.
Type in a name for your device (this is how it will
appear in the Reason MIDI Controller menus).
Choose your UX8/UX2 here to allow Reason to
receive MIDI from its USB MIDI port.
Click OK when done.
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• You should now see your UX8/UX2 device configured accordingly. Exit the Preferences if all
settings appear as shown here:
Please see the next section for how to map your UX8/UX2 controllers to Reason parameters.
Configuring Line 6 MIDI Controllers with Remote Override
Reason also offers its “Remote Override” feature, which is an easy way to allow Reason to “learn” the
MIDI message coming from your MIDI control device and instantly map it to a Reason parameter. You
can use the Remote Override options whether you have the KB37 Reason Remote configuration, or for
your UX2/UX8 when configured as a generic MIDI Control device. If you are using a KB37, you can
keep it configured with the steps outlined in the first sections of this chapter.
If you are using a Line 6 UX2 or UX8 device, follow the steps in the previous section to configure
your device as a MIDI Control Surface. Then launch the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices dialog and go
to MIDI tab.
Here you can select the Reason
3 preset, then click the Settings
button to launch the MIDI
Control Settings dialog.
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• Here you can see the UX8 Expression Pedal is already set to transmit MIDI CC 11. We’ll next
show how to map the Expression Pedal to a Reason parameter.
• In Reason, right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click (Mac®) on any knob or slider that you want to
control with your Expression Pedal. We’ll choose the FREQ knob of one of the Reason synth
devices...
Right-click/Ctrl-click directly on the knob
you want to control
Then choose Edit Remote Override
Mapping...
• In the dialog, just check the box for “Learn From Control Surface” and Reason will wait to
receive a MIDI CC message from your assigned MIDI Control Surface.
Move your Expression Pedal and you
should see the Control Surface Active
indicator receive a MIDI signal. Once it
does, the Control Surface and Control
fields above will fill in automatically with
the “learned” MIDI device name and CC
value.
Click OK once the step is complete.
• And that does it! Now if you move your Expression Pedal, you should see the selected knob move
in response. You can follow these same steps to map any UX8/UX2/KB37 controller directly to
any assignable Reason knob, slider, switch, etc.
The Reason Remote Override feature offers several other features - it is recommended you check
the Reason Help documentation covering all that this powerful feature offers for your Line 6 MIDI
Controllers!
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Apple GarageBand
POD Studio™ or TonePort™ KB37 works automatically with Apple GarageBand to record MIDI
notes and trigger the Software Instruments within a GarageBand Instrument track - all that is needed
for this is to connect the KB37 to your Mac® USB port and then launch GarageBand. When a Software
Instrument track is selected, playing on the KB37 keyboard will trigger its assigned instrument, and
the Pitch and Mod wheel will often each control a performance parameter, depending on how the
Software Instrument is written to utilize them.
Additionally, the Line 6 Audio-MIDI driver includes a MIDI Mapping preset that configures the
KB37 Knob 1 and Knob 2 to controls the current GarageBand track’s Volume and Pan, respectively. To
load the GarageBand preset, launch the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices utility (within you Mac® System
Preferences). within the MIDI tab, select the GarageBand preset from the MIDI Mapping menu:
®
Unfortunately, GarageBand uses its own proprietary protocol for controlling most of its other parameters,
therefore, the UX2/UX8/KB37’s MIDI controllers cannot access other GarageBand functions directly.
However, there are 3rd party software utilities you can install on your Mac® that will allow you to use
the KB37 Transport buttons to control GarageBand transport functions.
In order to control the Transport functions in GarageBand with the KB37 you will need to have
version 2.0.1 of GarageBand or later. The GarageBand software cannot do this natively and so you will
need to download add-on software that permits MIDI messages to control the play and stop buttons
in GarageBand.
GarageRemote is one such 3rd party software and is available here: http://www.muratnkonar.com/
otherstuff/garageremote/
Once GarageRemote is installed and set up, start GarageRemote’s ‘Listener’ (it is off by default) so that
it can relay MIDI notifications to GarageBand. GarageBand responds to MIDI CC’s 007 and 010 for
current track volume and pan, and these parameters can be assigned to the existing GarageBand MIDI
preset of the Line 6 Audio-MIDI Devices settings.
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Apple Logic®
Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™ KB37 can be used as a keyboard controller with Apple Logic
Studio or Express to record notes and play software instruments in the Logic Instrument tracks.
Additionally, the MIDI controllers (buttons, knobs, wheels, footswitches, expression pedal) on KB37,
as well as UX2 & UX8, can be configured to trigger Logic Transport functions, mixer faders, software
instrument & plug-in parameters and more! To follow are the instructions for configuring KB37/UX2/
UX8 to function with Logic 8 (the steps should be similar for other recent versions of Logic as well).
Note that Line 6 POD Studio & TonePort KB37, UX2 & UX8 are also capable of acting as your Core
Audio device for Logic as well - you can choose within the Logic Preferences > Audio settings if you want
to use set it to utilize your connected Line 6 device, or a different audio interface, as your Core Audio
device. Either way, your connected KB37/UX2/UX8 will perform the MIDI functions described in this
chapter.
Simply connecting your KB37/UX2/UX8 to your Mac® USB port and then launching the Logic
software should allow it to be detected by Logic, and allow Logic to receive MIDI from your device.
MIDI Controller Settings Dialog
First, with your Line 6 device connected to your USB port, go to Mac® System Preferences > Line 6
Audio-MIDI Settings dialog...
• Select the MIDI Default preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can view the settings.
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• Above shows the MIDI Default preset settings for a KB37. For UX2 you’ll see only the Footswitch
1 &2 rows, and for UX8 the Footswitch 1 & 2 and Expression Pedal rows. We don’t need to
make any changes, but should you want to change any MIDI commands sent by your device’s
controllers, this is where to do it. Remember to always click Apply after making changes to
commit them to your device. Click OK to exit the dialog.
The above steps assigns MIDI commands to all the device’s MIDI Controllers for us so that we can
then map them in Logic. The steps also configure all KB37 transport button controllers to transmit the
necessary MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands to control the Logic transport. Note that if you
have a UX2 or UX8, you can alternatively set your Footswitch controllers to send MMC messages to
have them each control a Logic Transport function. If you choose to do this, see the additional settings
needed in the following KB37 Transport Buttons section.
KB37 as a Logic Keyboard Controller
All you should need to do is connect KB37 to your USB port before launching Logic, and then activate
the Record Arm button on a Software Instrument track in Logic. You should then see the Software
Instrument track’s meters detect the MIDI note input when you hit your KB37 note keys. Press record
and your performance will be recorded as MIDI within the track.
You can, of course, insert any Logic or 3rd party Software Instruments on this track and your KB37
will trigger them, allowing you to take full advantage of all the sounds they provide. Your KB37 Pitch
Bend and Mod Wheel controllers may control different parameters, depending on how the particular
Software Instrument is designed to utilize them. Likewise, if you connect a momentary switch pedal
to your KB37 Footswitch 1 jack, it should behave as a sustain pedal with some Software Instruments,
if they are designed to utilize this (note that the MIDI Default preset we selected in the previous step
assigned MIDI CC 064 to your Footswitch 1 pedal, which many software piano & synth instruments
utilize by default for a sustain pedal).
Check out the Logic Help documentation for more on how to configure your Software Instrument
tracks and utilize Software Instruments and Plug-ins with your keyboard controller.
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KB37 Transport Buttons
To set your KB37’s onboard transport buttons to control the Logic transport controls, you need to set
Logic to “listen” for the MMC commands that these KB37 buttons are now configured to transmit...
• With KB37 connected to your computer’s USB port, launch Logic and go to Preferences > MIDI.
• Select the Sync tab.
• Click the MIDI Sync Project Setting button at the bottom right of the Sync tab - this launches
the Song Settings dialog.
• In the section labeled MIDI Machine Control (MMC), check the Listen to MMC Input option.
Note that this is a per-Song option in Logic. To make this option “global”, you must modify your Logic
template file with this MMC setting.
Mapping Controllers with the Logic MIDI Learn Function
Logic Pro includes support for several MIDI “Control Surface” devices, which are typically large
hardware units including faders, knobs, and other controls to emulate a large analog mixing console.
The Line 6 KB37/UX2/UX8 are not included as Logic supported Control Surface devices, however,
you can still easily map any of your Line 6 MIDI controllers to Logic or Plug-In parameters by using the
Logic MIDI Learn feature! To follow we’ll show you how to map your Expression Pedal to control the
Wah Position parameter of an inserted Line GearBox™ or POD Farm™ Plug-In*. These same steps can
be followed to map any other button, knob or footswitch on your Line 6 device, to any Logic parameter
as well. It is recommended that you read through the Logic Control Surface Support documentation
as well to learn more about the Logic MIDI Learn and controller capabilities.
*Note that for POD Farm 2 Plug-In, it is also possible to use POD Farm 2’s own MIDI Learn function
to map your MIDI controller directly to the Plug-In parameters. See the “Controlling POD Farm™ 2”
chapter for details.
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First, here’s a handy tip in Logic... The Logic Pro transport always shows you when MIDI data is
being received, and specifically the MIDI Channel, command type and value. For example, watch the
transport indicator and move a knob, pedal or footswitch on your KB37/UX2/UX8, and you’ll see this
MIDI In information displayed. In this screenshot, we just moved our Expression Pedal all the way
forward, so the MIDI In indicators show that Logic last received CC 11 with a Value of 127 on MIDI
Channel 1.
This indicator can be very helpful to confirm Logic is receiving MIDI from your device, and specifically
its MIDI command & values without always having to go back to the Line 6 MIDI Controller Settings
dialog to reference this information!
For this example, we’ll map the Expression Pedal of our KB37 to the Wah - Position parameter of the
GearBox or POD Farm 1 or 2 Audio Units Plug-Ins. The steps are very similar for configuring MIDI
control of a parameter in practically any Logic or Audio Units effects Plug-In as well.
• Create an Audio track in your Logic session, and record or insert an audio file so you’ll have
something to hear your Plug-In effect applied to. A nice clean guitar recording wold work nicely
here.
• Click on an Effects Insert slot for this Logic Audio track and insert the GearBox or POD Farm
Plug-In.
• In the Plug-In window, load a Tone preset, and click on the Wah pedal effect to make sure it is
“on” and to show the Wah effect’s edit settings in the edit panel (or, in POD Farm 1 Plug-In,
bring up the Wah Edit Panel).
The GearBox Plug-In Edit Panel, Wah effect
• For GearBox or POD Farm 1 Plug-In - Click directly on the Wah Position knob in the edit
panel with your mouse and move it a bit - this allows the Wah Position parameter to be “selected”.
• For POD Farm 2 Plug-In - You need to first assign the Wah - Position knob parameter to one
of the POD Farm 2 Plug-In Automation Slots. Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click (Mac®)
directly on the Wah Position knob and then click on an empty Slot to assign it, as we’ve done
here for Slot 1:
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Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click
(Mac®) on the Position knob
Click within of the empty Automation Slots
to assign this parameter to the Slot
Assigning the Wah - Position parameter to a MIDI assignment slot in POD Farm 2 Plug-In
• Next, (before you click on anything else) go to the Logic > Preferences > Control Surfaces
menu, and you want to select Learn Assignment for “Wah - Position” (or, for POD Farm 2
Plug-In, choose Learn Assignment for “Parameter 1”).
• As you can see by the name of the “Learn Assignment...” menu command, Logic automatically
detected the plug-in “Wah - Position” parameter since it was the last item you selected with your
mouse in the previous step.
TIP: Alternatively, use the Command+L key shortcut instead of going to the Logic Preferences menu.
• When you select this “Learn Assignment...” menu command, it launches the Logic Controller
Assignments dialog, and a message informs you that it is waiting for you to access your MIDI
Controller so that it can “Learn” the MIDI command from it.
Note that the Controller Assignment dialog also offers an “Expert View” - this offers many more options
and allows you to further manually map MIDI controllers. Please see the Logic documentation for this
dialog if you want to explore this further! The Easy View works great for instantly mapping a controller.
• Now move your Expression Pedal, and you should see the Controller Assignment dialog receive
and “Learn” the MIDI Control message (which is configured to transmit MIDI CC 11, with a
Value range of 0 - 127, as part of the MIDI Default preset we previously selected in the Line 6
Audio-MIDI Settings).
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You’ll see the “Learned” MIDI
Control command listed here.
• Exit the Controller Assignments dialog and give the Expression Pedal a try. You should see the
Position knob within the GearBox/POD Farm Plug-In window move in response. Press Play in
Logic to hear your audio track play, and when you move the pedal, you should hear the Wah
effect do its thing on your track!
• Note that you can also set your Logic Audio track to record automation for this Plug-In, Wah
Position parameter, and you can use the pedal to record a Wah “performance” too.
You should be able to repeat the above steps to access any mappable parameter in Logic with any of
your KB37/UX2/UX8 MIDI Controllers - Mixer faders, Pan knobs, solo switch, Software Instrument
knobs, other Plug-In parameters, etc. So free up your hands and start playing!
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Cakewalk SONAR™
Line 6 POD Studio™ TonePort™ KB37 can be used as a keyboard controller in Cakewalk SONAR™
to record notes and play software instruments in MIDI & Instrument tracks. Additionally, the MIDI
controllers (buttons, knobs, wheels, footswitches, expression pedal) on KB37, as well as UX2 &
UX8 controllers, can be configured to trigger SONAR’s transport functions, mixer faders, software
instrument & plug-in parameters and more! To follow are the instructions for configuring KB37/UX2/
UX8 to function with Cakewalk SONAR Producer 8 (the steps should be similar for other recent
versions of Cakewalk’s SONAR and Home Studio versions as well).
Note that Line 6 POD Studio & TonePort KB37, UX2 & UX8 are also capable of acting as your ASIO
audio device for SONAR as well - go to the SONAR Options > Audio settings if you want to utilize your
connected Line 6 device, or a different audio interface, as your ASIO device. Either way, your connected
KB37/UX2/UX8 will perform the MIDI functions described in this chapter.
MIDI Controller Settings Dialog
First, before launching SONAR, connect your Line 6 device to your USB port and go to the Windows®
Control Panel > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog > MIDI tab.
• Select the MIDI Default preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can edit a few settings.
• Make the following changes in the MIDI Controller Settings dialog:
• Change the “Sound Select Prev” and “Sound Select Next” controllers each to “MIDI CC”
for the To MIDI Out fields, and then to” CC 014” and “CC 015”, respectively, for the MIDI CC/Action fields. Set the Switch Mode settings for each to “Momentary”.
• In the Preset field, at the top right of the dialog, type in “SONAR” and then click the
Save button so that you have a SONAR controller preset stored on your PC for your Line
6 device.
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• Your SONAR preset settings should now look like the above for KB37. If you are using UX2
you’ll see only the Footswitch 1 &2 rows, and for UX8 the Footswitch 1 & 2 and Expression
Pedal rows.
• Click Apply after making changes to commit them to your device. Click OK to exit the
dialog.
The above steps assign MIDI commands to all the device’s MIDI Controllers for us so that we can then
map them in SONAR. The steps also configure all KB37 transport button controllers to transmit the
necessary MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands to control SONAR’s transport, and MIDI CCs
and Program Change messages to trigger other SONAR functions. Note that if you have a UX2 or
UX8, you can alternatively set your Footswitch controllers to send MMC messages to have them each
control a SONAR Transport function.
Configure SONAR’s MIDI Device Settings
To set SONAR so that it can receive keyboard and surface controller MIDI data from your KB37/UX2/
UX8, you’ll need to select your device in SONAR’s MIDI Device Settings dialog. Be sure to always
have your Line 6 device connected to your USB port before launching SONAR. Launch SONAR and
go to SONAR’s Options/MIDI Devices and check the KB37 as the MIDI Input device and choose OK.
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KB37 as a Keyboard Controller
Once you’ve selected KB37 as a MIDI Input device in the previous step, all you need to do to utilize
KB37 as a MIDI keyboard is to activate the Record Arm button on a SONAR MIDI track and set
the track’s Input option KB37 (from MIDI Channel 1 or Omni). You should then see the MIDI
track’s meters detect the MIDI note input when you hit your KB37 note keys. Press record and your
performance will be recorded as MIDI within the track.
You can of course insert any Cakewalk or 3rd party Software Instruments and your KB37 will trigger
them from your MIDI track, allowing you to take full advantage of all the sounds they provide. Your
KB37 Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel controllers may control different parameters, depending on how
the particular Software Instrument is designed to utilize them. Likewise, if you connect a momentary
switch pedal to your KB37 Footswitch 1 jack, it should behave as a sustain pedal with some Software
Instruments, if they are designed to utilize this (note that the MIDI Default preset we selected in the
previous step assigned MIDI CC 064 to your Footswitch 1 pedal, which many software piano & synth
instruments utilize by default for a sustain pedal).
Check out SONAR’s Help documentation for more on how to configure your MIDI tracks and utilize
Software Instruments and Plug-ins with your keyboard controller.
Use KB37/UX2/UX8 as a Surface Controller
SONAR includes its own ACT MIDI Controller Plug-In feature, which allows you to easily create,
customize and save mappings for any MIDI surface controller. SONAR’s ACT feature is very powerful
and it is recommended that you read the SONAR documentation for more info. For the latest versions
of SONAR, Cakewalk has included a handy Line 6 KB37 ACT preset, which offers pre-mapped
functions for the KB37 knobs and other controllers - for UX2 & UX8 we’ll show you how to create
your own mappings for the Footswitch or Pedal controllers. Open or create a new project in SONAR,
and then proceed with the following steps.
• Go to the SONAR Options > Controllers/Surfaces dialog.
• In the Controllers/Surfaces dialog, click the “Add new Controller/Surface” button. For
Controllers/Surfaces, choose “ACT MIDI Controller”, and for Input Port choose your Line 6
KB37 (or UX2 or UX8 if that is what you are using). You can set Output Port to “None”, then
click “OK”. Your settings should now look like this:
• Close the Controllers/Surfaces dialog when done.
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• Next, go to Views > Toolbars and ensure the Controllers/Surfaces box is selected, then close the
window. You’ll see this adds some handy ACT options to your SONAR Toolbar.
• In the ACT Controllers toolbar options, click the Controllers/Surfaces Properties button that
is at the right end of the Control Surfaces toolbar.
For UX2 and UX8, you can skip ahead to the following “SONAR ACT and MIDI Learn” on page 4•17
section since you’ll need to use the SONAR MIDI Learn function to map your Footswitch/Pedal controllers,
but reading the rest of the points in this section is likely helpful to see a bit about how ACT works!
• In the Properties dialog, select the Line 6 KB37 preset from the menu. You’ll see that this loads
a number of “pre-mapped” settings for your device. Note that these mappings are designed to
work with the MIDI commands that we configured in the earlier step when we created the Line
6 MIDI Controller Settings - SONAR preset for your device.
• Click on the Rotaries Mode - Multi Channel and Control Group - Track options to select
them, then click your mouse within the SONAR main track area so that your “focus” is placed
on this main area of SONAR.* Your ACT MIDI Controller dialog should then appear like the
following screenshot:
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*Note that the preset’s Controller assignments within the ACT MIDI Controller dialog will change if you
click and place focus on different SONAR windows, such as if you click in the properties window of a
loaded Plug-In. More on this later!
If you are using KB37, you can go ahead and try the knobs, sound select button & transport button
controllers on your KB37 device and they should control the following SONAR functions.
• Knobs - These knobs map to different SONAR functions, depending on what “Bank” you have
selected in the Act MIDI Controller dialog. To change the knob functions between the following
four modes, choose Bank 1 - 4 for the top row Bank selector in the dialog’s Controllers tab:
• Bank 1 = Volume, tracks 1 - n
• Bank 2 = Pan, tracks 1 - n
• Bank 3 = Send 1 Level, tracks 1 - n
• Bank 3 = Send 1 Level, tracks 1 - n
• Note that you can also change the Rotaries Mode and Control Group options at the
bottom of the ACT MIDI Controller dialog to have the knobs control different pre-mapped
functions.
• Sound Select buttons - You can use these buttons to toggle through SONAR’s next or previous
set of 8 tracks, so that your KB37 knobs access this “bank” of tracks.
• Up arrow button = Next Track Bank
• Down arrow button = Previous Track Bank
• Transport buttons
• Rewind = Go to beginning
• FF = Go to end
• Stop = Stop
• Play = Play
• Record = Record
As mentioned in the note above, if you keep the ACT window open but then click on a software
instrument or effect plug-in window, you’ll see the control assignments in the ACT window change
to show you that the KB37 knobs now offer control over many of the plug-in’s parameters. If you click
on the Bank menus at the left of the ACT window’s Controllers tab to select the Banks 1 - 4, you may
see additional plug-in parameters as well (depending on the number of parameters the plug-in offers).
These parameters should all be mapped automatically to KB37’s knobs, transport and sound select
buttons for you. To customize your mappings, you can use ACT’s MIDI Learn capability - read on.
SONAR ACT and MIDI Learn
It is also possible to individually map any of your KB37/UX2/UX8 MIDI controllers to SONAR
functions within the ACT MIDI Controller dialog. The easiest way to try this is to follow the previous
steps up until the step to choose the Line 6 KB37 preset within the ACT MIDI Controller window.
Instead, chose the Default preset from the SONAR ACT MIDI Controller’s Presets menu. When this
preset is loaded, you’ll see that the “cells” in the dialog allow access to numerous SONAR parameters.
Also, when you click on a Plug-In or Software Instrument edit window to shift the “focus” to it,
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the parameters for that plug-in/instrument become available in the ACT dialog cells. However, your
KB37/UX2/UX8 Controllers are not yet mapped to control any of these parameters with the Default
preset. To configure a mapping, you can use the MIDI Learn function.
Here is an example of how to map the Expression Pedal controller to the Wah Position parameter of
the Line 6 POD Farm™ or GearBox™ or Plug-In, allowing you to remotely control the plug-in’s Wah
in real-time as you hear the input monitor recording signal or playback of your audio track.* These
mapping steps are the same to map any knob, button, footswitch controller to any other available
parameter in the ACT MIDI Controller dialog as well.
*Note that for POD Farm 2 Plug-In, it is also possible to use POD Farm 2’s own MIDI Learn function
to map your MIDI controller directly to the Plug-In parameters. See the “Controlling POD Farm™ 2”
chapter for details.
• Open the SONAR ACT MIDI Controller dialog, and if you have not already done so, select the
Default preset. Leave this dialog open and where you can see it.
• Create an audio track in your SONAR project, and record or insert an audio file so you’ll have
something to hear your Plug-In effect applied to. A nice clean guitar recording wold work nicely
here.
• Click on an FX Bin Insert slot for this audio track and insert the POD Farm or GearBox Plug-In.
• Load the plug-in’s Wah Edit Panel (in the GearBox Plug-In, click on the Wah pedal icon to turn
it “On” and to view its Edit Panel).
The POD Farm Plug-In Wah Edit Panel
• With your “focus” still on the POD Farm/GearBox Plug-In window, you should now see the
many plug-in parameters shown in the cells of the ACT dialog. We specifically want to access
the Wah - Position parameter...
• For GearBox Plug-In, you’ll need to select Bank 4 of the top row of “Rotary” cells, and
the Wah - Position parameter should appear in the Rotary 1 controller slot. Proceed to the
Act MIDI Learn step below.
The Default preset is selected
In the Controllers tab, select Bank 4 in the
top row of cells
The GearBox Plug-In’s Wah-Position
parameter appears in the Rotary 1 slot.
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• For POD Farm 1 Plug-In, you’ll need to select Bank 4 of the top row of “Rotary” cells, and
the Wah - Position parameter should appear in the Rotary 1 controller slot. Next you can
proceed to the Act MIDI Learn step below.
Select Bank 3 within the 3rd row of Banks
within the SONAR ACT dialog
• For POD Farm 2 Plug-In, you need to first assign the Wah - Position knob parameter to
one of the POD Farm 2 Plug-In Automation Slots. Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click
(Mac®) directly on the Wah Position knob and then click on an empty Slot to assign it, as
we’ve done here for Slot 1:
Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click
(Mac®) on the Position knob
Click within of the empty Automation Slots
to assign this parameter to the Slot
Assigning the Wah - Position parameter to a MIDI assignment slot in POD Farm 2 Plug-In
Use either the “1 Wah-Pos” to control a Tone 1
Wah, or “2 Wah-Pos” to control a Tone 2 Wah
• With your “focus” on your For POD Farm 2 Plug-In windows, you now want to choose the
correspondingly numbered Parameter slot in the top row of the SONAR ACT dialog. Since
we assigned the Wah Position knob to Slot #1, the “Parameter 1” cell is the one we will use.
Proceed to the Act MIDI Learn step below.
The Parameter 1 labeled cell is the one we
want in the top row of the ACT dialog
• ACT MIDI Learn - Click on the lower cell of the above-mentioned ACT slot to place it in
“MIDI Learn” mode, where it then waits to receive a MIDI command from the assigned MIDI
surface control device (your KB37/UX2/UX8).
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• Now move your Expression Pedal and you should immediately see the ACT cells switch out
of MIDI Learn mode, meaning your Pedal’s MIDI command was “learned”, thus mapping your
Pedal controller to the parameter. (Note that we had previously configured your Expression
pedal to transmit MIDI CC 11 - see the “MIDI Controller Settings Dialog” on page 4•7 if you need
to check your pedal assignment.)
• Now just move your pedal and you should see the big Wah position knob move in response in the
Line 6 Plug-In window. Play your track and you’ll hear the Wah do its thing.
• Repeat the above steps to use MIDI Learn to map any other controllers from your Line 6 device
to other SONAR, plug-in, or instrument parameters. When done, type a new title in the Preset
field at the top of the ACT dialog and click the Save button to save all these new mapped
settings as a SONAR ACT preset.
The SONAR ACT feature offers a great deal more functionality for MIDI control than covered here
- please be sure to read the SONAR Help documentation for details!
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MOTU Digital Performer™ - Transport Control
Here we’ve provided a step-by-step tutorial here for how to configure a Line 6 POD Studio™ or
TonePort™ KB37, UX2 or UX8 device to remotely control the Transport of the Mark of the Unicorn,
Digital Performer™ 5 software. (The steps are similar for other Digital Performer versions as well.) It
can be very helpful to have remote or foot control over your Transport functions for recording and
punch-ins!
MIDI Control Assignment Configuration
The first step, before even launching Digital Performer, is that we’ll need to configure a set of MIDI
assignments for the footswitches and pedals of our KB37/UX2/UX8 device. Digital Performer utilizes
MIDI CC commands to access its Transport functions remotely. We can assign these MIDI CC
commands to our Line 6 device using the Line 6 MIDI Controller Settings dialog.
For a UX2 or UX8, set your Footswitch controllers to send MIDI CC messages to have them each
control a Logic Transport function.
• With your UX2/UX8 connected to your USB port, go to System Preferences > Line 6 AudioMIDI Settings dialog
• Select the No Mapping preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can edit the settings.
• For KB37, you’ll likely want to configure your on-board transport buttons to control the Digital
Performer transport functions. Therefore, in the MIDI Controller Settings dialog, you’ll want to
set all the Transport controllers’ settings to send MIDI CC commands, as shown here:
• For UX2 or UX8, you can configure your Footswitch 1 and Footswitch 2 controllers to each
control a transport function. Look at the above MIDI Controller Settings for the KB37 Transport
keys and choose the functions you want, then copy these settings to your Footswitch 1 and 2
rows.
• When all the above settings are complete, in the Preset field at the top right of the dialog, type
in a title (e.g. - “Digital Performer Transport”) and click the button to save this as a preset.
• Click Apply, then OK to exit the dialog.
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Digital Performer Configuration
With your Line 6 device connected to your computer’s USB port, launch the Digital Performer
application and open or create a new project. The first step is to locate each transport function you
wish to map to and allow it to “learn” the command from your controller button or footswitch.
• Type <Shift+L> or select the Setup menu, Commands item.
• Clear any existing MIDI note mappings found within the MIDI Event column of the dialog to
avoid unexpectedly triggering other functions.
• Type ‘stop’ into the search string at the top of the dialog window and click ‘Search’ (the dialog
will scroll to the appropriate section of the list to show the transport functions).
• Under Transport Commands, click the cell in the “Play” row, “MIDI EVENT” column to select
it.
• Press and hold down the Play button on the KB37 (or press and hold whatever UX2/UX8
Footswitch you want to map to the Play function) until you see the selected field display the
MIDI CC command (for our example, you should see “118|127” (the button’s momentary
down state) - while still holding the button down, press your computer keyboard’s Enter/Return
key to capture the command. You should see the MIDI CC now assigned in the MIDI Event
field, like this:
• Repeat the same procedure for the remaining transport buttons/Footswitches - the Learn function
should ensure that the proper MIDI CCs are captured. Note that the <enter>-while-depressed
part is crucial, since releasing the KB37 button before accepting the captured message can cause
it to ‘learn’ for a value of ‘0’ from the assigned CC rather than the value of 127.
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• For all KB37 transport buttons mapped to the transport functions, the Command dialog would
look like this:
• Alternatively, you can map to the other available transport functions, such as Slow Forward
rather than Fast Forward, if you prefer to trigger one of those with your button/Footswitch.
• Important: Scroll to the top of the Commands list and click the square box to the left of ‘Master Master’ under the heading ‘MIDI Masters’, so it’s in a grey (active) state.
Now give your assigned device buttons/footswitches a try and Digital Performer’s transport should
respond accordingly. Note that since we’re using the “Momentary” switch type assignments, some
functions, such as Fast Forward, will trigger only as the button is held down.
You are not limited to mapping only to Digital Performer’s transport functions. You can configure
MIDI CC assignments for your KB37 or UX8 additional controllers using the Line 6 MIDI Controllers
Setup dialog, and then follow similar steps as above in the Digital Performer Commands dialog to map
to other functions too! Please refer to the Digital Performer Help documentation for details.
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Digidesign Pro Tools® LE - Transport Control
Here we’ve provided a step-by-step tutorial for how to configure a Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™
KB37, UX2 or UX8 device to remotely control the Transport of the Digidesign Pro Tools® LE 8 software.
(The steps are similar for other recent Pro Tools® versions as well.) Configuring a MIDI Controller
device for this task in Pro Tools is not too obvious, but pretty simple once you know the steps, and
it can be very helpful to have remote “foot control” over your Transport functions for recording and
punch-ins!
Note: For the following steps, we’re running a Mac®, but the steps are the same if you are using Windows®
XP, Windows® 7 or Windows Vista®, unless otherwise noted.
MIDI Control Assignment Configuration
The first step, before even launching Pro Tools, is to configure a set of MIDI assignments for the
footswitches and pedals of our KB37/UX2/UX8 device. Pro Tools utilizes MIDI Machine Control
(MMC) commands to access its Transport functions remotely. We can assign these MMC commands
to our Line 6 device using the Line 6 MIDI Controller Settings dialog - follow the steps for your specific
device.
KB37
Since KB37 has onboard transport buttons, we’ll configure these buttons to control the Pro Tools
transport.
• With your KB37 connected to your USB port, go to:
• (Mac®) System Preferences > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog
• (Windows®) Control Panel > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog
• Select the MIDI Default preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can view the settings.
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The settings in this preset configure all KB37’s transport button controllers to transmit the necessary
MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands to control the Pro Tools transport. Click OK to exit the
dialog.
UX2 and UX8
For a UX2 or UX8, you can set your Footswitch controllers to send MMC messages to have them each
control a Logic Transport function.
• With your UX2/UX8 connected to your USB port, go to:
• (Mac®) System Preferences > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog
• (Windows®) Control Panel > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog
• Select the No Mapping preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can edit the settings.
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• Set Footswitch 1’s To MIDI Out to “MMC” and the MIDI CC/Action to “Record Punch (Pro
Tools)”.
• Set Footswitch 2’s To MIDI Out to “MMC” and the MIDI CC/Action to “Stop”. (Or, alternatively,
you can choose whatever other two transport functions you prefer for these Footswitches).
• At the top right of the MIDI Controller Settings dialog, type in “PT-Transport” and click the
Save button to save these settings as a preset. The dialog should appear like this:
• Click Apply and then OK to exit.
Configure Pro Tools LE for Your Line 6 device
The next step is to make a few settings within Pro Tools to allow it to receive the MMC commands
from your KB37/UX2/UX8 device. Launch Pro Tools and open or create a new session. Then make the
following settings.
• Go to the Setup menu and select Peripherals.
• In the Peripherals dialog, choose the Machine Control screen and make the following settings:
• For MIDI Machine Control (Master) - check the Enable box, choose your KB37/UX2/
UX8 device, and set the ID to “125”. Keep the Preroll set to “90” frames.
• For MIDI Machine Control (Slave) - check the Enable box, and keep the ID set to “126”.
• Exit the Peripherals dialog.
Next, we need to access the small “Pro Tools” menu on the Transport...
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In the Pro Tools - Transport sub-menu,
select “Pro Tools” so that it is checked.
Now, in the Pro Tools - Online submenu, select “MMC” so that it is
checked.
...And that is it! Now just try pressing your assigned buttons/footswitches and you should see them
control the Pro Tools transport accordingly!
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Steinberg Cubase®
Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™ KB37 can be used as a keyboard controller in Steinberg Cubase®
to record notes and play software instruments in MIDI & Instrument tracks. Additionally, the MIDI
controllers (buttons, knobs, wheels, footswitches, expression pedal) on KB37, as well as UX2 & UX8,
can be configured to trigger the Cubase transport functions, mixer faders, software instrument & plugin parameters and more! To follow are the instructions for configuring KB37/UX2/UX8 to function
with Steinberg Cubase 4 on Windows®, however, the steps should be similar for other recent Cubase®
and Nuendo® versions on both Windows® and Mac® as well.
Note that Line 6 POD Studio & TonePort KB37, UX2 & UX8 are also capable of acting as your ASIO®
audio device for Cubase as well - go to the Cubase Device Setup > VST® Audio System settings if you want
to use set it to utilize your connected Line 6 device, or a different audio interface, as your ASIO device.
Either way, your connected KB37/UX2/UX8 will perform the MIDI functions described in this chapter.
MIDI Controller Settings Dialog
• First, before launching Cubase, connect your Line 6 device to your USB port and go to:
• (Mac®) System Preferences > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog > MIDI tab
• (Windows®) Control Panel > Line 6 Audio-MIDI Settings dialog > MIDI tab
• Select the MIDI Default preset, then click on the Settings button to launch the MIDI Controller
Settings dialog so that we can edit a few settings.
• In the Preset field, at the top right of the MIDI Controller Settings dialog, type in “Cubase” and
then click the Save button so that you have a Cubase controller preset stored on your PC for
your Line 6 device.
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• Your settings should now look like the above for KB37. If you are using UX2 you’ll see only the
Footswitch 1 &2 rows, and for UX8 the Footswitch 1 & 2 and Expression Pedal rows. If you are
using KB37, you do not need to edit any of the settings in the MIDI Control Settings dialog.
• If you are using UX2 or UX8, you can optionally change one or both of your Footswitch controller
settings in the MIDI Controller Settings dialog, if you want your Footswitch controllers to control
any different Cubase transport functions.
• To change Footswitch 1, select “MMC” in the To MIDI Out field, and then choose your
preferred transport function from the MIDI CC/Action field.
• Note that Footswitch 2 is already set for “MMC” and to control the Record Punch transport
button. You can keep this or change the MIDI CC/Action field to select a different transport
function.
• Click Apply after making changes to commit them to your device. Click OK to exit the dialog.
The above steps assign MIDI commands to all the device’s MIDI Controllers for us so that we can then
map them in Cubase. The steps also configure all KB37 transport button controllers to transmit the
necessary MMC (MIDI Machine Control) commands to control the Cubase transport, and MIDI CC
messages to trigger other Cubase functions.
Cubase MIDI Port Setup
Since you are using your Line 6 device as a MIDI controller device, you’ll want to exclude it from the
Cubase “All Inputs” MIDI Port settings. This way, if you choose the “All Input” option for one of your
MIDI tracks, the track will not receive input from your Line 6 device and record it into the track. To
configure this setting, go to the Cubase Devices > Device Setup dialog.
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Select MIDI Port Setup
Note that you’ll still be able to choose your Line 6 device within your Cubase MIDI tracks’ MIDI Input
selector (such as your KB37 to use it as your keyboard controller). The above setting just disallows
MIDI track input if you select “All Inputs” as the track’s MIDI Input.
Uncheck the “All Inputs” box for your
KB37/UX2/UX8 MIDI In Port
Cubase Parameter Control
Cubase offers support for many 3rd party MIDI Control Surface devices: large hardware units designed
to emulate analog mixing consoles with dozens of hardware faders, knobs and buttons. Your Line 6
device is not one of these supported Control Surface devices, however, it is still possible to map any
of your KB37/UX2/UX8 MIDI controllers to the many Cubase parameters. This is accomplished by
configuring your Line 6 device as a Generic Remote device. To accomplish this, go to the Cubase
Devices > Device Setup dialog once again.
• If you do not already see the “Generic Remote” under the Remote Devices in the left panel,
click on the “+” button at the top left of the dialog and choose Generic Remote from the menu
to add it.
Select Generic RemoteSelect your Line 6 device as the MIDI Input
• In the top right panel you will now see a list of Cubase parameters that you can map your device’s
controllers to. The easiest way to do this mapping is to use the Learn function. For example, to
map the “Fader 1” parameter at the top of the list to Knob 1 on KB37, follow these steps:
• Click directly on the “Fader 1” Control Name in the top right panel.
• Rotate the Knob 1 on KB37.
• Press the Learn button at the right of the dialog.
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• You should see the MIDI Channel and other settings in the Fader 1 row change, indicating
it has “Learned” the MIDI CC message the KB37 knob 1 is transmitting. (Note that KB37/
UX2/UX8 always transmits these MIDI commands on MIDI Channel 1.)
• Now look at the Cubase Mixer window and watch the channel strip for track 1 - you should
see its fader respond to the KB37 knob moves.
• Repeat the above steps to map other controllers from your device to other Cubase parameters in
the list.
• Note that you’ll need to use knobs or pedal controllers to map to the Cubase fader, knob
and slider type parameters, and buttons or footswitches to map to the Cubase switch type
parameters.
• Also, these Cubase parameters typically need to receive MIDI CC type commands, so you’ll
want to make sure that the controller on your Line 6 device is sending this type of MIDI
command (see “MIDI Controller Settings Dialog” on page 4•7 for how to change these).
The lower right panel also allows you to map to more channel strip parameters, beyond tracks 1 - 16.
It is also possible to customize these Generic Remote parameter lists using the other options in this
dialog. Please see the Cubase Help documentation for details.
Cubase Transport Control
Cubase allows control of its transport by way of a simple MIDI Machine Control Slave option meaning, it will listen for MMC commands from a selected device and respond accordingly. Since we
assigned MMC commands to the KB37 transport buttons (and/or optionally to your device’s Footswitch
controllers), all we need to do is set Cubase to listen to your Line 6 device for the MMC commands.
Go to the Cubase Transport menu and select Project Synchronization Setup:
Check the box for MMC Slave Active.
Choose your Line 6 device for the MIDI
Input.
Click OK to exit the dialog
Now try your KB37 transport buttons, or any other controllers that you assigned to transmit MMC
commands, and you should see the Cubase transport respond.
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With the 3rd party application examples covered in this chapter you should now be pretty well
informed on how to get your POD Studio/TonePort device’s MIDI controllers up and running, and
triggering all kinds of functions. Most other DAW applications that offer remote MIDI control can be
configured similarly. Please see the following chapter for how to utilize your Line 6 device to control
POD Farm 2 functions!
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ConTrollIng PoD farM™ 2
This chapter includes instructions for using your Line 6 UX2/UX8/KB37 to control POD Farm™ 2
when run in standalone operation, or to control POD Farm 2 Plug-In within your DAW software. It
is all pretty simple, thanks to the pre-configured MIDI assignments in the provided POD Farm 2 Tone
Presets and the nifty MIDI Learn functionality!
MIDI Device Setup
The first step is to configure your Line 6 POD Studio™ or TonePort™ MIDI settings. If you have not
already done so, we recommend that you read through the previous “MIDI Control Configuration”
chapter. Covered there is Line 6 MIDI Control Settings dialog where you can configure the specific
MIDI commands sent by each controller on your device. POD Farm 2 parameters can be accessed by
MIDI CC, Note-On and Pitch Bend commands. Additionally, navigation of POD Farm 2 Setlists
and their Tone Presets can be accessed via MIDI Bank and Program Change commands. There is not
a “POD Farm 2” preset available within the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings preset menu. However,
you can easily create custom mappings to access the numerous POD Farm 2 parameters by manually
entering MIDI settings into the MIDI Control Settings dialog.
Recommended MIDI Control Settings for POD Farm 2
Within the POD Farm 2 Plug-In or POD Farm 2 standalone application, you’ll find the “POD Farm
1+MIDI” titled Source Folder, which is filled with Tone Presets that include “pre-configured” MIDI
control assignments. To reference the existing MIDI assignments for any loaded Tone Preset, just look
in the POD Farm 2 MIDI Assignments View. The MIDI Assignments View’s “Event” column tells
you what command your MIDI controller needs to transmit to access each pre-configured assignment.
Please see the POD Farm Basic User Guide for details, available from the POD Farm Online Help
site.
The following table lists recommended MIDI settings for your UX2/UX8/KB37 device’s controllers.
These MIDI commands will access the “pre-configured” MIDI assignments within the POD Farm 2
Tone Presets. Just find the POD Farm 2 functions you’d like to trigger, then configure the “To MIDI
Out,” “MIDI CC/Action” and “Switch Mode”columns in the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings dialog as
shown in the following table for your device’s controllers.
POD Farm 2 Preset FunctionTo MIDI OutMIDI CC/ActionSwitch Mode
Wahs - Adjusts Position knob
Bender - Adjusts Position knob
POD Farm 2 pre-configured MIDI Assignments
MIDI CC CC 012Toggle
MIDI CCCC 102Toggle
MIDI CCCC 011
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• For “On/Off” parameters, it is best to use a Footswitch or KB37 Button controller.
• Typically, you’ll want to set the “Switch Mode” column setting within the MIDI Control
Settings dialog to “Toggle” to provide the behavior where each successive press of your
controller switch toggles between sending an “On” (value 127) and “Off” (value 0)
command.
• Alternatively, you can use the “Momentary” Switch Mode, if you prefer to only have the
parameter stay “On” when the controller switch is held down.
• For adjustable parameters (such as the Wah and Bender effects’ Position parameter), it is best to
use an Expression Pedal or KB37 Knob or Mod Wheel controller.
Additionally, the POD Farm 2 standalone application also includes several pre-configured “Global”
MIDI assignments. As the “Global” label suggests, these MIDI assignments are not specific to any
POD Farm 2 Tone Preset, but are accessible at all times, regardless of the Tone Preset loaded in the
POD Farm 2 standalone application! The MIDI control settings that are required to access the preconfigured Global MIDI assignments are as follows:
POD Farm 2 Global FunctionTo MIDI OutMIDI CC/ActionSwitch Mode
Tap Tempo - Tap repeatedly to set the
MIDI CC CC 004Toggle
System Tempo
A/B Switch - Switches between Tone
MIDI CCCC 016Toggle
A & Tone B
Tuner View display - Toggles Tuner
MIDI CCCC 017Toggle
display On/Off
Tone A Level - Adjusts Tone A output
MIDI CCCC 007
level
Tone B Level - Adjusts Tone B output
MIDI CCCC 007
level
POD Farm 2 standalone application - pre-configured Global MIDI assignments
As you can see in the table above, both the Tone A & B Levels can be controlled by the MIDI CC 007
command. This allows you to set an Expression pedal to transmit CC 007 to control both Tone output
levels simultaneously! If your current POD Farm 2 configuration includes only a single Tone, then the
Tone B Level and A/B switch assignments will not perform any action.
You are not limited to controlling only the “pre-configued” parameters in POD Farm 2! You can also
create your own MIDI assignments using the MIDI Learn feature - see “POD Farm 2 Plug-In MIDI
Learn” on page 5•5.
MIDI Control for Tone Preset & Setlist Navigation
POD Farm 2 Plug-In & standalone application also offer options for using your UX2/UX8/KB37
controllers to navigate through Tone Presets and Setlists.
Selecting Setlists and Tone Presets within Setlists
For POD Farm 2 Setlists and the Tone Presets within them, POD Farm 2 includes “hard-coded” MIDI
Bank Change and Program Change commands, allowing remote control navigation.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling POD Farm 2
Note that POD Farm 2 does not ship with existing Setlists. You can create Setlists within the POD Farm
2 Presets View and add Tone Presets within them to manage your Tones however you like. You’ll need to
create at least one Setlist containing one or more Tone Presets to utilize these MIDI navigation options.
Please see the POD Farm 2 Basic User Guide for info on Setlists - available from the POD Farm Online
site.
Help
You can configure Footswitch or button switch controllers on your device to select any specific Setlist
by its “Bank” number, and then two other switch controllers to step through the Presets by their
“Program” number within the selected Setlist. Use the settings in the following table to enter into the
columns of the Line 6 MIDI Control Settings utility.
POD Farm 2 FunctionTo MIDI OutMIDI CC/ActionSwitch
Toggle 1/Dn
Mode
CCVal
Load Next Tone Preset
Program ChangeIncrement
(within selected Setlist)
Load Previous Tone Preset
Program ChangeDecrement
(within selected Setlist)
Select Setlist 0MIDI CCCustomSingle00
Select Setlist 1MIDI CCCustomSingle01
Select Setlist 2MIDI CCCustomSingle02
Select Setlist 3MIDI CCCustomSingle03
POD Farm 2 “hard-coded” MIDI Bank & Program Change Assignments
• Load Next Tone Preset/Load Previous Tone Preset - These settings send the next or previous
incremental Program Change numerical value on each successive toggle, starting with Program
“0” initially. This Program Change value corresponds directly to the “Program” number to the
left of the Tone Presets within the selected Setlist (this number is automatically created when
you add a Preset into a Setlist - see screenshot below). When POD Farm 2 receives the Program
Change value, it loads the correspondingly numbered Tone Preset within the selected Setlist.
• Select Setlist 0, 1, 2, 3... - These settings each send a Bank Change message to specifically select
a Setlist by its Bank Number (see screenshot below). Note that the numerical setting in the
“Val” column determines the Setlist Bank that is selected. You can create more switch mappings
for additional Setlists - simply match the Val column number to the Setlist you want to select!
Once a Setlist is selected, a Tone Preset within the Setlist is automatically loaded (typically the
Preset with the same Program number as was last loaded).
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling POD Farm 2
Preset “Program” numbers
for Presets within Setlists
Setlist “Bank” numbers
POD Farm 2 Presets View - Setlists and their Tone Presets
Map to Next/Previous Setlist and Tone Preset Selectors
An alternative way to remotely navigate Setlists & Tone Presets is to configure Footswitch or button
switch controllers of your device to send standard MIDI CC Toggle commands (e.g. - MIDI CC, xxx,
Toggle), and then “map” each switch to the “Next” and “Previous” selector buttons using the POD
Farm 2 MIDI Learn feature (we’ll cover this in the section “POD Farm 2 Plug-In MIDI Learn” on page
5•5).
Next/Previous Tone Preset
buttons
Next/Previous Setlist
buttons
Next and Previous buttons are accessible via MIDI CC commands, using MIDI Learn
• Next/Previous Tone Preset menu buttons - These arrow buttons select and load the next and
previous Tone Preset - in the selected Setlist or selected Source Folder. Note you are not just
limited to navigating the Tone Presets within Setlists - you can manually select a Source Folder
first and then use your mapped switches to load the Next or Previous Tone Preset within it!
• Next/Previous Setlist buttons - These arrow buttons select the next and previous Setlist.
Selecting a Setlist via these buttons does not automatically load a new Tone Preset.
POD Farm 2 Plug-In - DAW Configuration
POD Farm 2 Plug-In is, of course, designed to run as an audio plug-in within your DAW host software.
Therefore, you will need to configure your DAW host software to receive MIDI control data from your
POD Studio or TonePort device’s USB MIDI Out port. Then the MIDI control messages can be routed
to POD Farm 2 Plug-In, to access its parameters.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling POD Farm 2
To configure your DAW application to receive MIDI input, the settings are usually found in the
applications’ Preferences or Options menus. Please refer to “Ableton Live MIDI Input Device
Configuration” on page 3•1 for an example. The steps are similar in most DAW applications.
The next step is to route the MIDI control data from your UX2/UX8/KB37 device to feed it to the
audio track where POD Farm 2 Plug-In is inserted. This is typically accomplished by setting up a
MIDI track to receive from your MIDI device, and the track’s Output to the audio track & Plug-In.
For example, here is how to configure this in Ableton Live, where POD Farm 2 Plug-In is inserted on
Audio track 1.
POD Farm 2 Plug-In is inserted
on Audio track 1
Be sure to Arm the MIDI track
to allow MIDI throughput
On a new MIDI track, set the Input to your POD
Studio/TonePort device
Set the Output to be the Audio track where your
POD Farm 2 Plug-In is inserted
The POD Farm 2 Plug-In should then appear as the
“MIDI Output Channel” destination
Configuring Ableton Live for MIDI Input to POD Farm 2 Plug-In
Once this MIDI routing is completed, you should be able to instantly access the POD Farm 2 Plug-In
Tone Presets’ “pre-configured” MIDI assignments and control, as covered on page 5•1. To create your own
MIDI control assignments, you can also utilize the POD Farm 2 MIDI Learn feature - as we’ll cover in
the next section!
POD Farm 2 Plug-In MIDI Learn
The POD Farm 2 Plug-In MIDI Learn feature allows you to easily “map” your POD Studio/TonePort
device’s footswitch, pedal, knob, button and pitch wheel controllers to practically any POD Farm 2
parameter for remote control. To follow are the steps:
• In the POD Farm 2 Plug-In window, double click on any model in the Signal Flow View to load
its Edit Panel in the Panel View. Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click (Mac®) directly on the
model’s knob, slider or switch that you want to control remotely and select the MIDI Control
menu. For example, load a Delay effect model and then right click/Ctrl+click directly on the
Delay’s Mix knob within the Panel View to assign this parameter.
• In the MIDI Control sub-menu, click MIDI Learn. This places POD Farm 2 into MIDI Learn
mode, where it waits to receive a command from your connected MIDI Control device.
Right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click
(Mac®) directly on the desired control
(Delay-Mix knob, in this example)
Select MIDILearn to place POD Farm 2
Plug-In in MIDI Learn mode
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling POD Farm 2
• Press the desired footswitch, move the pedal, or turn a knob on your UX2/UX8/KB37 to send
that controller’s MIDI command. Since we want to remotely control the Mix knob here, move
the pedal or a knob on your MIDI control device. (When mapping to POD Farm 2 “on/off” type
parameters, it is better to use a switch or footswitch on your device).
• Presto! POD Farm 2 Plug-In automatically “learns” the MIDI control command and “maps”
the accessed controller to the selected POD Farm 2 parameter. In our example, the Delay-Mix
knob is now able to be remote controlled by the controller pedal or knob you accessed. If you
right click (Windows®) or Ctrl+click (Mac®) on the Mix knob once again, you’ll see the learned
assignment in the menu...
The menu now shows the “learned”
MIDI command as assigned
• To remove a MIDI assignment, select “Clear” from the context menu - or use the options in the
POD Farm 2 Plug-In Assignments View - MIDI display to see and manage your MIDI assignments.
MIDI Learn is available on most amp, preamp & effects parameters, as well as many “global” system
options, including the Next/Previous Tone Preset selector buttons, Mixer View controls, the Tuner
View toggle, and more! Just right click (Windows) or Ctrl+click (Mac) on controls within POD Farm
2 Plug-In - whenever you see the “MIDI Control” and “MIDI Learn” options in the menu, the control
can be configured for control from your device with the above steps. Note that you can control these
parameters anytime - even while using your DAW’s automation “write” mode to record all your moves
in real-time!
POD Farm 2 Standalone Operation
If you are running POD Farm 2 in standalone operation, then no need for you to feel left out on all this
MIDI control stuff. With just a few simple settings, you too can take advantage of your POD Studio or
TonePort footswitch, expression pedal or, additionally on KB37, the pitch wheel, note keys and knobs,
to remotely control just about any POD Farm 2 parameter!
MIDI Input Configuration
To allow POD Farm 2 to receive MIDI control data you need to go into the Preferences MIDI tab and
select your POD Studio or TonePort device:
The POD Farm 2 Preferences - MIDI dialog
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MIDI Setup Guide: Controlling POD Farm 2
Note that if you have other USB MIDI devices or ports on your computer, they will be selectable here
as well. POD Farm 2 will receive MIDI from any checked devices in this dialog, so just check the ones
you want to use to control POD Farm 2. Click OK when done to exit the Preferences.
Take Control
Once the MIDI Input configuration is completed in the POD Farm 2 standalone application, you
can use the recommended MIDI control settings, as covered on page 5•1, to instantly access the POD
Farm 2 Tone Presets’ “pre-configured” MIDI assignments. To create your own custom MIDI control
assignments, you can also utilize the POD Farm 2 MIDI Learn feature. The steps for using MIDI Learn
in the POD Farm 2 standalone application are the same as listed for the POD Farm 2 Plug-In - please
see “POD Farm 2 Plug-In MIDI Learn” on page 5•5.
For more information on MIDI control with POD Farm 2, please see the POD Farm 2 Basic &
Advanced User Guides, available from the POD Farm Online Help site.
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MIDI Setup Guide: Additional Online Resources
aDDITIonal onlIne resourCes
Hungry for more info? We’ve got plenty of helpful resources just a click away...
• Several additional Help documents covering POD Studio & TonePort devices, POD Farm
software, MIDI CC references, computer recording, product Release Notes and more are
available here:
POD Farm Online Help
• For technical support, choose from the many options listed on the Line 6 Support page:
Line 6 Support
• Official Line 6 hardware Product Manuals for all Line 6 hardware & software products can be
downloaded here:
Line 6 Product Manuals
• Can’t get enough of that Line 6 Gear, or want to check out the latest Add-Ons and accessories?
Head on over to the Line 6 Store!
Line 6 Online Store
• Join the Community! Line 6 users are welcome the Line 6 Online Community, the place to get:
• Free downloable Tones for POD Farm™ & GearBox™
• Free iTunes® and MP3 Jam Tracks
• Free loops for GarageBand, Acid®, Reason and more
• Free guitar lessons from LA session pros
• Breaking news, links and video clips
• Info on contests and special offers
• Access to discussion forums, software updates and more
Line 6 Community
6•1
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