Custom Remote Code for an Akai Fire

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Trebot
Posts: 3
Joined: 30 Jul 2021

30 Jul 2021

I'm creating a custom map for my Akai Fire. I have no experience writing in Lua but I have been able to read up on the internet and have a pretty good start. I've made multiple groups for shift keys and such. I can pretty much completely control the SSL mixer. The issue I have run across is RGB lighting of pads. The Akai Fire pads can be lit up in multiple colors and brightness levels via a sysex. I am using local output to trigger a system exclusive message with variables. 4 bytes in the sysex are for controlling color: 1 for pad number and 1 each for red, green, and blue. It works partially.

I can get the lua codec to light up a pad in the color I want and in varying brightness levels, but I'm stuck with that 1 color. I want to be able to switch from red to green, not just varying levels of red. An example would be the differing colors of the accent on a pad on ReDrum. From reading a couple of threads on this forum I believe I need to use the mode function in the remote map. I've read it is used to call back to the codec to set RGB but nothing I've read says how, not even the docs in the SDK. I also can't find an example of it in the existing maps.

Any help is appreciated.

rmtcvolte
Posts: 205
Joined: 15 Nov 2018

31 Jul 2021

What you can do with modes is set up some static behavior for an item in the remotemap. (e.g. colors for different buttons: first button=green, second button=red)

Modes are set up in
function remote_init()
local items={{name="Button 1", input="button", modes={"white","green","orange","red"}}}
You can then recal the mode with: g_color=remote.get_item_mode(index of Button 1), this will give back a number of the choosen mode. e.g. g_color=1 (for white).

In case of ReDrums accent button the color changes are value dependend (e.g. 0=white, 1=green, 2=orange, 3=red). Modes will not help you here IMO.

Trebot
Posts: 3
Joined: 30 Jul 2021

31 Jul 2021

This is exactly what I needed. After posting I did figure out the ReDrum accent values. The way modes work will help with the rest. Thanks much

rmtcvolte
Posts: 205
Joined: 15 Nov 2018

01 Aug 2021

No problem, I am interested in your efforts to make it work.

At the moment I am scripting a codec for a Novation Launchpad X, but the Fire was also on my list some month ago. At that time there was not much info about the programming of the Fire controler, but this was very interesting:

https://blog.segger.com/decoding-the-akai-fire-part-1/

good luck

chrisdepper
Posts: 1
Joined: 10 Jan 2020

01 Aug 2021

Trebot wrote:
30 Jul 2021
I'm creating a custom map for my Akai Fire...
I'd be super interested in this when you're happy with it, if you're willing to share. I have a Fire sat here doing nothing ever since I switched back to Reason from FL.

Trebot
Posts: 3
Joined: 30 Jul 2021

01 Aug 2021

I have read the blog posts on Segger. They are great. Really helps. As far as how good my codec will be I'm really a novice and this is my first attempt at writing a codec in Reason. I'm just really teaching myself with this. As I said above I don't even know Lua, haha. I'm going to start learning it this next week. I did make a simple map for my Akai MidiMix for controlling the master section. I found a codec from a music group called Sighs of Monsters that I worked from for that. If I do get to a point where I feel it's good enough to share I will, but don't hold your breath ;).

I love the Fire. Bought it for only $80 after seeing this vid:

That guy made his software for Bitwig. It controls a lot of different control surfaces including the Fire. He tweaked it for Reaper as well, which I also use along with Reason. It's next level good and he shares it for free. Something like that for Reason would be fantastic.

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