This article explains how to route MIDI from KOMPLETE KONTROL to a separate Instrument Track or MIDI Track in Pro Tools. This is useful for sending the KOMPLETE KONTROL Smart Play features (e.g. Arp / Chord / Scale) to additional software instruments loaded in Pro Tools, or external hardware devices.
Click below to expand your choice of instructions:
Routing KOMPLETE KONTROL MIDI to Another Instrument Track
- Load the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-in on an Instrument Track in Pro Tools.
Note: Please see this article for more information about inserting NI plug-ins in Pro Tools.
- Choose Track > New in the Pro Tools menu bar to create an additional Instrument Track. This will receive MIDI from the initial KOMPLETE KONTROL Instrument Track.
- In the New Tracks dialog, choose Stereo and Instrument Track. Once done, click the Create button to create the new Instrument Track.
Note: You can add as many additional Instrument Tracks as you want, just be sure to apply the following steps to each new plug-in that you load.
- Click the first slot under INSERTS A-E, and navigate the drop-down menu to select the additional plug-in you want to load. To do so, choose multichannel plug-in > Instrument > *your favorite plug-in*. In this example, we select the third-party plug-in Diva (Stereo).
- Make sure the Instrument field is visible in the edit window. To do so, choose View > Edit Window Views > Instruments in the menu bar.
- In the new Instrument Track, click the MIDI Input selector.
Note: This is set to All by default.
- In the MIDI Input selector drop-down menu, select Komplete Kontrol MIDI Out > all channels.
- Make sure that the Record Enable buttons are activated on both of the tracks.
Note: Hold down SHIFT on your computer keyboard and click the tabs outlined below to activate Record Enable on both Instrument Tracks.
- Enable one of the KOMPLETE KONTROL Smart Play features (e.g. Arp / Chord / Scale) with your KOMPLETE KONTROL hardware, or open the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-in window to activate one of the performance features. In this example, the ARP (Arpeggiator) is active.
- Play some MIDI notes, and you should now hear the KOMPLETE KONTROL Smart Play features (e.g. Arp / Chord / Scale) through the plug-in loaded in the additional Instrument Track.
Note: It is not required to have a preset loaded in the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-in to send its Smart Play features to the additional Instrument Track. You have the option to run KOMPLETE KONTROL empty, or have a KOMPLETE sound preset loaded for additional sound layering.
Routing KOMPLETE KONTROL MIDI to an External Hardware Device
- Load KOMPLETE KONTROL in an Instrument Track in Pro Tools.
Note: Please see this article for more information about inserting NI plug-ins into Pro Tools.
- Choose Track > New in the Pro Tools menu bar to create a new MIDI Track. This will receive MIDI from the initial KOMPLETE KONTROL Instrument Track.
- In the New Tracks dialog, select MIDI Track. Once done, click the Create button to create the new MIDI Track.
Note: You can add as many additional MIDI Tracks as you need, just be sure to apply the following steps to each of the MIDI Tracks.
- Make sure the I/O field is visible in the edit window. To do so, choose View > Edit Window Views > I/O in the menu bar.
- In the MIDI Track, click the MIDI Input selector.
Note: This is set to All by default.
- In the MIDI Input selector drop-down menu, select Komplete Kontrol MIDI Out > all channels.
- Click the MIDI Output selector to open the selector's drop-down menu.
- Select the MIDI Output port and MIDI Channel you want to use for sending MIDI to your external hardware device. In our example, we choose Komplete Kontrol S49, Port 2 > channel-1, since our external hardware is connected to receive MIDI from the port on the back of the KOMPLETE KONTROL S49 keyboard (via MIDI Channel 1).
Note: This setting will depend on which MIDI Interface you are using, as well as which MIDI Channel your external MIDI sound source is set to receive on.
- In most cases, you may wish to monitor or record the audio from your external MIDI sound source in Pro Tools. To do this, choose Track > New in the Pro Tools menu bar to create a new Audio Track.
- In the New Tracks dialog, select Stereo and Audio Track. Once done, click the Create button to create the new Audio Track.
Note: You have the option to select Mono or Stereo in this New Tracks dialog depending on whether your external MIDI sound source utilizes a single Mono or Stereo pair of output jacks.
- In the Audio Track, click the Audio Input Path selector to access its drop-down menu.
- Select the audio interface input that your external MIDI sound source is connected to. In our example, we choose the first stereo pair of inputs (Mic/Line/Inst 1-2 (Stereo)) from the list, since our external MIDI sound source has a stereo pair of outputs connected to the first set of inputs of this audio interface.
Note: This setting will vary, depending on which Audio Interface and configuration you are using.
- Make sure that the Track Input Monitor button is activated in the Audio Track.
- Make sure that the Record Enable buttons are activated on your Instrument and MIDI tracks.
Note: Hold down SHIFT on your computer keyboard and click the tabs outlined below to activate Record Enable on your Instrument and MIDI Tracks.
- Enable one of the KOMPLETE KONTROL Smart Play features (e.g. Arp / Chord / Scale) with your KOMPLETE KONTROL hardware, or open the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-in window to activate one of the performance features. In this example, the ARP (Arpeggiator) is active.
- Play some MIDI notes, and you should now hear the KOMPLETE KONTROL Smart Play features (e.g. Arp / Chord / Scale) through your external MIDI sound source.
Note: It is not required to have a preset loaded in the KOMPLETE KONTROL plug-in to send its Smart Play features to your external MIDI sound source. You have the option to run KOMPLETE KONTROL empty, or have a KOMPLETE sound preset loaded for additional sound layering.