Acoustica
Cherry Audio

Automatic Controller Detection and Fader Catch

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Lyric Track and Karaoke View Mini-Lanes and the Pinned Master Track Mixing Down to Audio and Video Files Rendering Videos Burning Audio CDs Markers Using Virtual Instruments Plug-In Manager ARA Plugin Support (Pro Studio) Rewire Separate Music Into Stems AI Noise Reduction Using Generic MIDI Controllers and Control Surfaces The Mixcraft 11 Controller Script API Musical Typing Keyboard (MTK) Preferences Main Window Menus Hotkeys Cursors Troubleshooting Glossary Appendix 1: Using Melodyne for Basic Vocal Tuning Appendix 2: Backing up Mixcraft Projects and Data Appendix 3: Nifty Uses for Output Bus Tracks Appendix 4: Transmitting MIDI Clock/Sync to External Devices Appendix 5: Freesound.org Creative Commons License Terms Appendix 6: Natively Supported Hardware Controllers Appendix 7: Copyrights and Trademarks

AUTOMATIC CONTROLLER DETECTION AND FADER CATCH

Mixcraft 11 makes hardware controllers plug-and-play: popular controllers are detected and configured automatically at startup, and non-motorized faders no longer cause parameter jumps thanks to universal "fader catch."

AUTOMATIC MIDI CONTROLLER DETECTION

Mixcraft auto-detects more than 40 popular MIDI controller models, including devices from Akai, Novation, Arturia, Korg, Native Instruments, M-Audio, Behringer, Nektar, and others. Detection uses device name matching, manufacturer IDs, and a built-in controller database — and multi-port controllers (such as a LaunchKey with its separate DAW-control port) are configured with the correct port routing automatically.

  • Enable via Preferences > Control Surfaces > Auto-Detect Controllers.

  • Newly connected USB MIDI devices are detected while Mixcraft is running.

  • Mixcraft 11 adds native support for 18 more controllers, including the Akai APC40 mkII, APC mini, Fire, MIDIMix, and MPK mini mk3; Arturia BeatStep and MiniLab mkII; Behringer BCR2000; DJ TechTools Midi Fighter Twister; Korg nanoKONTROL and nanoPAD2; M-Audio Oxygen Pro; Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A and Maschine JAM; and several Novation Launch models.

See Appendix 6: Natively Supported Hardware Controllers for the full list.

UNIVERSAL FADER CATCH (SOFT TAKEOVER)

If a controller's faders don't move on their own (that is, they're not motorized), the physical fader position and the software value drift apart — after banking to a different set of tracks, playing back automation, or loading a project. Without protection, touching the fader would snap the parameter to wherever the knob happens to sit.

With fader catch, you "catch" the current software value by moving the physical control past it; only then does the hardware take over. No jumps, no surprises.

  • On by default for non-motorized surfaces — and the setting sticks per surface. Motorized surfaces never need it and stay perfectly transparent (their checkbox is grayed out).

  • Applies to all absolute-value controls: track and master volume, pan, sends, track EQ, parametric EQ, gain, preamp drive, and compressor peak reduction.

  • Works across generic MIDI, Mackie Control (including non-motorized MCU clones), and script-based controllers — a controller script can also declare its device as motorized.

  • Catch re-arms automatically whenever hardware and software could be out of sync: bank changes, track add/remove/reorder, Mackie flip-mode toggles, and any time the software value moves on its own.