Generic Midi button

Generic Midi button setup

Overview

The Generic Midi button is a second-generation button that replaces some of the other button types. It can mix any midi command with any type of display and is thus powerful...and pretty complex.

Explaining every detail of the button would probably create unusefully complex documentation, so I'll focus on the important parts.

For users of the gen-1 buttons, the main differences are:

The Control Change/NRPN buttons can be replaced, but the fader designs are different (matching those used by the dial faders), and option files cannot be used.
The Program Change buttons can be replaced.
The Note On/Off buttons can be replaced unless chords or Expression/Articulation files are used.

The Generic Midi button can handle Control Change, NRPN, Note On/Off, Program Change, Pitch Bend and Channel Pressure (Aftertouch) messages and can be controlled by a script. It can work as a Push, Toggle, Hold, Latch or Cycle button or as a fader, a Vpot or a ScrubWheel control.

Button type

Select how the button should behave:

A Push button will always send an "on" command when pressed.
A Toggle button alternates between "on" and "off" when pressed.
A Hold button will send an "on" command when pressed and an "off" command when the button is released.
A Fader button repeatedly sends increasing or decreasing values while being pressed and can be used to control, e.g., a volume fader. Two Fader buttons can be configured to control the same fader, increasing and decreasing the value.
A Cycle button cycles through a distinct set of values defined in a configuration file.
A Latch Button acts like a Push button but will also send a an Off command for any previously used Latch button (see "Latch group" below for more details).
A V-pot button repeatedly sends increasing or decreasing values while pressed and can be used to control, e.g., a pan control. Two V-pot buttons can be configured to control the same target control, one increasing and the other decreasing the value. You can also have a single V-pot button where you switch direction by double-pressing the button.
A Scrub wheel button repeatedly sends the same value while being pressed and can be used to control endless controls. The Scrub wheel button is the same as a V-Pot button in most parts, except that it is endless and constantly sends the same value instead of an increasing/decreasing value.

Fader buttons have a fader button design, V-pot and Scrubwheel buttons have a V-pot (knob) button design, and the remaining button types are two-state buttons that can show two states with different icons.

Fader, V-pot and Scrub wheel buttons can be configured in a dual-button configuration. For faders, the fader display will stretch to span both buttons. V-pot and Scrub wheel buttons will have individual knob displays but will move the control in different directions.

Scripted buttons, faders and v-pots have the assigned display type, but the script controls everything else.

Select a section below to learn more about the selected button type.

Command / Channel

Select the Midi command and the Midi channel the button should use. These options are unavailable when using a scripted button since the script controls everything.

Control and value settings

The control and values settings differ slightly depending on the midi command and display type.

For midi command types that only send a value (Pitch Bend, Program Change and Channel Pressure), the "Control" property is not available. If you, e.g., configure a Hold button to send Pitch Bend with On=16383 and Off=0, it will send a Pitch Bend 16383 message when you press the button and a Pitch Bend 0 message when you release the button.

For midi command types that send a control and a value (Control Change, NRPN, Note On/Off), the "Control/Note" property is available. If you, e.g., configure a Hold button to send Control Change for control=10 with On=127 and Off=0, it will send a CC10 value 127 message when you press the button and a CC10 value 0 message when you release the button.

For control+value buttons, there is an option to split the controls so that different controls are used for the On and Off values. With split controls, you can, e.g., configure a Hold button to send a CC10 value 127 message when you press the button and a CC12 value 64 message when you release the button.

Controls and note values are presented with a searchable dropdown where you can either select the value in the dropdown or type a value to narrow down the list and select an option.

Value

Set the values that should be sent for "On" and "Off" for the command. The default values are 127 for "On" and 0 for "Off" but if your device/daw require some other values you can change them. If a single byte command is selected, the max value is 127; if NRPN or a dual byte command is selected, the max value is 16,383.
The dropdown determine how received values affect the button state. The options are:

The On value and all values above will set the button in the On state. Values below the On value will set the button in the Off state.
The On value will set the button in the On state. All other values will set the button in the Off state.
The On value will set the button in the On state. The Off value will set the button in the Off state. All other values are ignored.

Minimum hold time

(Only visible if button type is "Hold")

For Hold buttons, some devices or daws might miss the "off" command if it is sent too soon after the "on" command. The Cubase "Forward" function will e.g. ignore the "off" command if it is sent quicker than 250 milliseconds after the "on" command (...don't ask me why). If you hit a Hold button a very short time and the recipient system doesn't react on the "off" command, try to add a minimum hold time (milliseconds). If your key press is shorter than that time, the plugin will delay the sending of the "off" command until the minimum time has passed.

Value

A latch button is, in effect, a Toggle button with an added association with a "latch group".

If you, e.g., are using messages to control articulation, it can be useful to have the previous articulation disabled at the same time as a new one is selected. Only one button in a latch group can be On at a given time. When a button in a latch group is pressed, an Off command is sent for the previously active button in the group (if any) before the On command for the pressed button is sent.

Latch groups are shared between the Generic Midi and Note On/Off buttons, so a press of a Generic Midi latch button can trigger a Note Off message for a Note button and vice versa.

Select the group in the dropdown to add a latch button to an existing latch group. The dropdown contains latch groups detected since the Stream Deck application was started, i.e., groups from multiple profiles or folders might appear in the dropdown. If latch groups are only used in profiles or folders you have not yet activated since the last start of the Stream Deck application, they will not appear in the dropdown. If you know there is a latch group that isn't shown, you can still assign the button to it by registering it as a "new" group, as described below. As long as the group name is identical (case sensitive) to a group in a not yet activated profile, it is regarded to be the same group.

To add a new latch group, enter the group name in the text field and press the + button. The group will be added to the dropdown and automatically selected for the current button. There is no way to manually remove groups from the dropdown. If you have removed all buttons from an earlier used group, it will be removed the next time the Stream Deck application is restarted.

If Latch buttons are configured to use two icons, the latest button that is used will have the On state and show the appropriate icon. When another button in the same Latch group is pressed, the first button will be reset to the Off state while the new button will have the On state. Configured this way, you will always see which button is currently active. Please note that if the buttons are configured to monitor Midi In, an incoming command that matches a button will activate that button and inactivate the other buttons in the same Latch group.

The fader button is designed to visualize a mixer fader.

If two adjacent fader buttons control the same thing, i.e., the Midi ports, command, channel and control (if applicable) are the same, they will pair and synchronize their settings, and the synchronized settings are marked with green labels. Changing a synchronized property will automatically make the same change to the paired button. When two fader buttons are paired, the fader display spans both buttons.

If the fader direction is set to "Auto", the lower/left button will move the fader down, and the upper/right button will move it up.

The fader button(s) can optionally display a VU meter and state icons.

Field	Description
Fader speed	While the button is pressed, commands are sent to signal fader movement. This slider affects the frequency with which these commands are sent, thereby controlling the speed with which the fader is moved. Fast will move the fader the entire span in about .5 seconds, while slow will do the same thing in about 10 seconds, giving you better control in small movements.
Script control of speed	Even when the fader button is not scripted, you can assign a script variable to control the fader speed. For example, this can be used to have another button function, such as a "shift" button, with which you can toggle the fader speed between fast and slow. Enter the name of a script variable (without the preceding "@") for speed control. If the variable is not defined or set to 0, the speed setting for the button will be used. If the variable is in the span 1-100, that is used as the speed for the fader .
Min/Max values	Set the span of the fader. By default, the entire span is used, 0-127 or 0-16383, depending on the selected command type, but you can limit the span if required. The whole visual range is used to display the defined span; if, e.g., a span 10-100 is defined, the fader will be in its min position when the value is 10 (or below) and in its max position when the value is 100 (or above). If the current value is outside the defined range, the button will jump to the closest border when it is used.
Fader direction	Select if a pressed button should move the fader up or down (i.e., increase or decrease the target value). The default "Auto" setting has different results depending on whether the button is single or paired with another button. If the button is single, the fader movement is up. If the button is paired, the direction is up if it's the upper button and down if it's the lower button.
Fader orientation	Define the displayed orientation of the fader. If the button is single, the "Auto" setting gives a vertical fader, while the "Single horizontal" gives a horizontal fader. If the button is paired with another button, the "Auto" setting results in a vertical or horizontal dual-button configuration, depending on how the two buttons are positioned; if they are side-by-side, the fader is horizontal, if they are above/below, the fader is vertical. It is not possible to have a paired fader with the "Single horizontal" option selected, since this option will force the fader to be single.
Fader design	You can select the design of the fader from a set of built-in designs or by choosing a custom design. You choose a custom design by clicking the "Add design" button and selecting the XML file that defines the design. (Please see Fader Image Files V2 for details.) The selected design will be used for the current button and added to the dropdown for easy access when configuring other buttons.
Value display	Select the text information that should be displayed on the button.

VU meter

The fader button can display a VU meter connected to a midi control of your choice. The value controls the VU position if it is connected to a midi command with values (e.g., CC or note). If it is connected to a midi command without values (e.g., Pitch Bend or Program Change), the control is used for the VU position.

The full range of the selected midi command (0-127 or 0-16383) is used to set the visual VU level 0-100% of the fader display size.

If the connected midi command does not send values for a linear VU positioning, you can select a VU scale to translate the received midi values to a correct visual percentage. Currently, only a VU scale for Cubase is available since Cubase, for some reason, uses an exponential curve when it sends VU values. Without the Cubase VU scale selected, you will not have a VU display with levels equal to what Cubase displays in the mixer.

The VU meter settings are synchronized between paired fader buttons since the VU meter spans both buttons.

State icon

The fader button can display a state icon connected to a midi control of your choice.

You select whether to display both an On and an Off state icon or just one of them. The size and position of the icon can be freely set. You can have a small icon that shows both states or, e.g., have a mute On icon that fills the entire button when the mute state is active.

Each button in a paired fader configuration has its own icon, and the icon settings are not synchronized between the buttons.

Visual tweaks

You can apply some visual tweaks to customize the fader display.

You can colorize the fader handle. The results depend a bit on the image used for the handle; if it is a very dark handle, you need to colorize it with an opaque color that will cover the handle image; if it is a light handle image, you can use a more transparent color, keeping some of the handle characteristics visible.

You can show a handle shadow to get a little 3D look. If you prefer a flat design, you can remove the shadow.

Handle tweak settings are synchronized between paired buttons to have the handle look the same on both buttons.

You can colorize the info area (aka padding) to whatever color you like. This setting is not synchronized between buttons so you can have different colors on paired buttons.

Besides the options in the visual tweaks section, you can change text font, size, color and attribute for the text in the info area using the Stream Deck editor title configuration. The selected design has default settings for the text, and as long as the Stream Deck editor settings are untouched, the settings in the design file are used. This can be a bit confusing since the settings used may not be what is displayed in the Stream Deck editor settings.

The default Stream Deck settings are shown in the image.

If the font option is "Default", the font defined in the design file is used; if the font is changed, the font in the Stream Deck settings is used.
If the font color option is white, the font color defined in the design file is used; if the font color is changed, the font color in the Stream Deck settings is used.
If the font size option is "12", the font sizes defined in the design file are used, and the text will be scaled to fit in the available space. If the font size is changed, the font size in the Stream Deck settings is used, and no scaling is performed.
The "Show Title" checkbox and the vertical alignment selections are not used and have no effect.

The name "V-pot" is borrowed from the Mackie Control, where it defines a knob that can rotate. The function is similar to the Fader button, but the V-pot can give more logical visual feedback when controlling something displayed as a knob in your daw.

If two adjacent V-pot buttons control the same thing, i.e., the Midi ports, command, channel and control (if applicable) are the same, they will pair and synchronize their settings, and the synchronized settings are marked with green labels. Changing a synchronized property will automatically make the same change to the paired button.

If the rotation direction is set to "Auto", the lower/left button will rotate counterclockwise and the upper/right button clockwise.

Field	Description
Rotation speed	While the button is pressed, commands are sent to signal V-pot rotation. This slider affects the frequency with which these commands are sent, thereby controlling the speed with which the V-pot is turned. Fast will move the V-pot the entire span (e.g., pan all left to all right) in about .5 seconds, while slow will do the same thing in about 10 seconds, giving you better control in small movements.
Script control of speed	Even when the V-pot button is not scripted, you can assign a script variable to control the rotation speed. For example, this can be used to have another button function, such as a "shift" button, with which you can toggle the V-pot speed between fast and slow. Enter the name of a script variable (without the preceding "@") for speed control. If the variable is not defined or set to 0, the speed setting for the button will be used. If the variable is in the span 1-100, that is used as the speed for the V-pot.
Min/Max values	Set the span of the Vpot. By default, the entire span is used, 0-127 for CC and 0-16383 for NRPN, but you can limit the span if required. The whole visual range is used to display the defined span; if, e.g., a span 10-100 is defined, the Vpot will be in its leftmost position when the value is 10 (or below) and in its rightmost position when the value is 100 (or above). If the current value is outside the defined range, the button will jump to the closest border when it is used.
Rotation direction	Select if a pressed button should turn the V-pot clockwise or counterclockwise (i.e., increase or decrease the target value) or if it should be possible to switch direction by double-pressing the button. The default "Auto" setting has different results depending on whether the button is single or paired with another button. If the button is single, the rotation direction is clockwise. If the button is paired, the direction is clockwise if it's the upper button and counterclockwise if it's the lower button. When "Both ways" is selected, additional options are available: The Time field defines the timing for the double press. If the button is pressed twice within this time (milliseconds), the button will switch direction. Set the time so you can comfortably change direction without getting unintentional direction changes when presses are misinterpreted as double-presses. The "don't move before double press time" will delay any movement until it is clear that a direction switch is not intended. When unselected, a Midi command will always be sent immediately when you press the button, and then a direction switch may occur (if you double-press). If you don't want that, you can select this option, with the "downside" that when you press the button, nothing will happen until the double-press timer has expired. The "don't move after a double press" will stop all actions after a direction switch (until you release and press the button again). When unselected, the V-pot will start to move and send Midi messages immediately after a direction switch. With these two checkboxes selected, a double press will only switch the direction without changing values or sending any midi commands. The "auto change direction at end positions" will automatically switch the direction when the V-pot reaches the min or max value. It will not move in the new direction until you release and press the button again, but you do not need to manually switch the direction when it's obvious it can't move any further in the current direction.
Show direction	Select if direction indicators should be displayed on the button. Please note that indicators will be visible only if the selected design has defined such indicators (optional). On knob - an indicator is displayed on the knob and is rotated along with the knob. On background - a fixed indicator is displayed on the background.
V-pot design	You can select the design of the V-pot from a set of built-in designs or by choosing a custom design. You choose a custom design by clicking the "Add design" button and selecting the XML file that defines the design. (Please see Custom V-pot images V2 for details.) The chosen design will be used for the current button and added to the dropdown for easy access when configuring other buttons.
Active span indication	Apart from rotating the centerpiece of the button, the V-pot state can be displayed with a ring around the centerpiece. A portion of the ring will be displayed according to the selected option: If the active span indication is From min to max, the ring will be visible from the leftmost position (=midi value 0) to the current midi value. If the active span indication is From midpoint, the ring will be visible from the center position (=midi value 64) to the current midi value (left or right). If the active span indication is At current value, the ring will be visible only at the current midi value. If the active span indication is None, the ring will not be visible.
Value display	Select the text information that should be displayed on the button.

Field	Description
Send speed	While the button is pressed, commands are sent to signal Scrub wheel rotation. These fields combined with the Rotation speed slider position define the frequency with which commands are sent, thereby controlling the speed with which the target control is turned. Slow defines the number of milliseconds between each command while the button is pressed when the Rotation speed slider is in the Slow position. Fast defines the number of milliseconds between each command while the button is pressed when the Rotation speed slider is in the Fast position. If the Rotation speed slider is somewhere in-between Slow and Fast, the send speed will be calculated accordingly. Contrary to the V-Pot button, the Rotation speed setting of a scrub wheel does not in any way relate to the actual rotation speed of the target control. Visually, the button will rotate slower (on Stream Deck) when the slider is in the Slow position and faster when it is in the Fast position, but this is only to give meaningful visual feedback. The actual rotating speed of the target control is solely determined by the numbers in the Send speed Slow and Fast fields.
Sent values	The Scrub wheel button repeatedly sends the same value when pressed (contrary to the V-Pot where the value is dependent on the position) CW: The value to send if the button rotates clockwise (CW). CCW: The value to send if the button rotates counterclockwise (CCW). The exact configuration for CW/CCW controls and values depends on the selected command type.

Midi Out port

Select the Midi port that should be used for sending commands. If available, the default port "StreamDeck2Daw" is selected when you create a button, but you can select any other port if required. When you change the Midi port for one button, the change affects that button only, but the new Midi port selected will be the default port for all new buttons created from that point on (for all kinds of commands).

Midi In port

Select the Midi port that should be used for receiving commands. If available, the default port, "Daw2StreamDeck", is selected when you create a button, but you can select any other port if required. When you change the Midi port for one button, the change affects that button only, but the new Midi port selected will be the default port for all new buttons created from that point on.
If the button is a Push Button and you don't require feedback on the command for the button, please set the input port to "No MIDI Input". This will tell the plugin that the other party will never send any state to the button, and since it is a Push Button, the plugin will always keep it in the "off" state.

Button states and Icons

When the button is configured as a cycle button, fader, v-pot, scrub wheel or is scripted, it has no distinct on/off states, and icons should NOT be assigned in the Stream Deck editor (doing so will block the plugin from displaying the intended images).

For push, toggle, hold, and latch buttons, the button has two states and two icons. The first icon is used for the off/inactive state, and an icon indicating this should be chosen. The second icon is used for the on/active state, and an icon indicating this should be selected.