JLCooper Electronics FaderMaster Professional User manual

FaderMaster Professional
MIDI Automation Controller
User's Manual Fifth Edition
©1998-2002 JLCooper Electronics
142 Arena Street • El Segundo, CA 90245 U.S.A

FaderMaster Professional, FaderMaster Pro, MAGI, M24, MAGI Pro, Sync•Link,
MSB Plus, Nexus Plus, MacNexus, Synapse, PPS-2, PPS-100, and FaderMaster are
the property of JLCooper Electronics. All other brand names are the property of their
respective holders.
Fadermaster Pro User's Manual Fifth Edition
Part Number for this manual is 932054
©1998-2002 JLCooper Electronics • 142 Arena Street • El Segundo, CA 90245
U.S.A.
[phone]
[phone] fax
www.jlcooper.com
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Greetings
Thank you for purchasing JLCooper’s FaderMaster
Professional, the MIDI Automation Controller. Continuing in
the tradition of JLCooper’s original FaderMaster, FaderMaster
Pro adds the feel and control of high quality, 100 mm long
throw faders. FaderMaster Pro also goes beyond the original
FaderMaster with the addition of programmable buttons, which
can be used for automated muting, program change, sample
firing, and more. Two external inputs let you connect a user-
supplied foot switch and pedal, which can then send any MIDI
command.
Like the original FaderMaster, JLCooper’s design philosophy is
to give you back the feel and control that technology had taken
away. So many hardware and software products are loaded
with features, but simply lack the user-interface, the faders and
buttons, to conveniently access those features.
The growing use of computer-based automation has
necessitated the development of a professional mix interface.
It is not enough to simply get away from one-track-at-a-time
“mouse mixing”. The faders themselves must have the feel that
the professional audio engineer demands.
All these qualities have been combined to put you back in
control, and give you new opportunities for creative freedom,
in the studio or on-stage.
With the optional Macintosh FaderMaster Pro Remote software,
FaderMaster Pro’s setups may be displayed, created, and
modified “off-line” on a computer.
Please fill out the enclosed product registration card and mail it
right away, so we can keep you informed of related products
or updates as they become available.
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Table of Contents
Features ............................................................................. 5
Front Panel Controls ........................................................ 6
Hookup ............................................................................ 13
Bank Selection................................................................. 16
User Programmable Banks P1 through P20 ................ 18
Programming ...........................................................19
Faders .................................................................20
Grouping ............................................................23
Merge Modes......................................................27
Buttons ...............................................................31
Foot Pedal ..........................................................33
Foot Switch ........................................................ 33
Snapshot ..................................................................35
Null...........................................................................36
Automation Banks .......................................................... 37
Introduction .............................................................37
Bank Limit ................................................................39
Setting Bank Limit ..............................................40
Escaping Bank Limit ..........................................40
Hookup Considerations .......................................... 41
Programming Automation Bank ............................. 43
Operation.................................................................46
Fader Enable vs. Mute .......................................47
Writing Fader Moves.......................................... 48
Writing Mutes .....................................................49
Editing Fader Moves .......................................... 50
Fader Null...........................................................52
The Null LEDs ....................................................53
Touch Sensitive Auto Enable............................. 54
Snapshot.............................................................55
Big Example.............................................................57
Factory Banks ................................................................. 61
Additional Technical Information................................. 69
Sysex Implementation ............................................. 69
Troubleshooting ......................................................73
Registered Controller Numbers ...............................75
FaderMaster Pro Software .......................................76
Warranty ..................................................................78 4

FaderMaster
Professional Features
➤8 Programmable Long Throw Faders
➤8 Programmable Buttons
➤Programmable Foot Switch Input
➤Programmable Foot Pedal Input
➤20 User-Programmable Banks
➤8 Automation Banks
➤59 Factory Preset Banks
Programmable Parameters Include:
➤MIDI Command Parameter (Notes, Controllers, etc.)
➤MIDI Command Number (Controller #7, Note #36, etc.)
➤MIDI Channel (1 through 16)
➤Fader Minimum Value
➤Fader Maximum Value
➤Button On Value
➤Button Off Value
➤Button Action Momentary or Latched
➤Button uses Fader Position as Value
➤Foot Pedal Input Programs like Faders
➤Foot Switch Input Programs like Buttons
➤Touch Sensitive Auto Punch In
➤Fader Nulling
➤Three Grouping Modes
➤Absolute Grouping
➤Relatively Scaled Grouping
➤Offset Grouping
➤Merging 5

Front Panel Controls
From left to right we have:
PROG
Program button. Selects one of the Program Modes, to change
the settings of FaderMaster Pro.
Pressing PROG repeatedly cycles through the following:
• FADER LED On: Fader Program Mode
• BUTTON LED On: Button Program Mode
• FADER LED Flashing: Foot Pedal Program Mode
• BUTTON LED Flashing: Foot Switch Program Mode
In the Automation Banks (A 1 through A 8),
Pressing PROG toggles the FADER LED on and off.
To exit the Program Mode,
Press PROG until both FADER and BUTTON LEDs are off.
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NULL
12345678
12345678
PROG DOWN NULL UP
SHIFT
ENABLE
MUTE
WRITING
PARM CHAN PARM# MIN MAX SPEED/BM GROUP MERGE
GROUP SNAP
MIDI Automation Controller
PROFESSIONAL
FaderMaster
MODE
UNIT# CHAN TOUCH
P 1
PROTECT
P 1

DOWN
Steps back down through memory banks.
For example, if the display says P 2,
Press DOWN, display then says P 1.
Hold DOWN while moving any fader to quickly access any
bank.
NULL (SHIFT)
Holding NULL while moving a fader allows you to move the
fader without any MIDI data being sent. This allows you to pre-
position the fader to start at a specific MIDI value.
NULL is also used in the A Banks along with the NULL LEDS, to
avoid unexpected jumps in level while editing a mix.
Observe the NULL LEDs to determine if the fader needs to be
raised or lowered to match previously recorded MIDI data.
The NULL (SHIFT) button also accesses SHIFTED functions.
These are indicated in blue legends on the front panel.
UP
Steps up through memory banks.
For example, if the display says P 1,
Press UP, display then says P 2.
Hold UP while moving any fader to quickly access any bank.
MODE (that is, SHIFT and UP)
In the Automation Banks, selects what the buttons above the
faders do. These buttons are either "Enables" or "Mutes".
Press an Enable to turn a fader on or off.
Press a Mute to send a MIDI Controller with a zero value.
The current function of the buttons is indicated by a dash in
the seven-segment display next to the word ENABLE or MUTE.
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Buttons Above the Faders
When one of the P Banks has been selected on FaderMaster
Pro, pressing a button sends any kind of MIDI command.
When one of the A Banks has been selected on FaderMaster
Pro, pressing these buttons send MIDI Controller commands
with a zero value to act as audio Mutes.
Also in the A Banks, press these buttons to Enable a fader to
send MIDI Controller commands.
When in one of the Program Modes (selected by the PROG
button), the buttons above the faders are used for assigning the
kind of MIDI command (parameter) that a given control will
send, certain other attributes of the fader. The kinds of
parameters and attributes selected by the buttons are as
follows:
PARM
In Program mode, hold PARM while moving a fader to select
the parameter, that is, the type of MIDI Command, that a
control will send.
Choices include: Notes, Controllers, Program Change, Pitch
Bend, and After touch.
CHAN
In Program mode, hold CHAN while moving a fader to select
the MIDI channel, 1 through 16, that a control will send.
PARM#
In Program mode, hold PARM# while moving a fader to select
the parameter number, that is, the Controller number or Note
number, that the control will send.
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MIN
In Program mode, hold MIN while moving a fader to select the
minimum value that a control will send.
MAX
In Program mode, hold MAX while moving a fader to select the
maximum value that a control will send.
SPEED/BM
For Faders or Foot Pedal,
In Program mode, hold SPEED/BM while moving a fader to
select the speed of the MIDI data sent out. Select 1 through 4.
(4 is the fastest.)
For Buttons or Foot Switch,
In Program mode, hold SPEED/BM while moving a fader to
select the Button Mode, either Momentary, Latched, or Fader.
Momentary: Button sends a MIDI command when
pressed, using MAX as its value. Sends another MIDI
command when released, using MIN as its value.
The LED above button is momentary, that is, it is only on as
long as the button is held down.
Latched: Button sends a MIDI command when pressed,
using MIN as its value, and another message when pressed
again, using MAX as its value.
The LED above button is latched, that is, it turns on with the
first press and off with the second press.
Fader Value: Button sends a MIDI command when
pressed. When released, it sends the same command using
the fader position as its value.
The LED above button is latched, that is, it turns on with the
first press and off with the second press.
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TOUCH (that is, SHIFT and SPEED/BM)
In the Automation Banks, turns on FaderMaster Pro’s unique
Touch-Sensitive Automatic Punch In.
Press SHIFT TOUCH to toggle between Touch On (t[K) and
Touch Off (0FF).
TOUCH is used to effect seamless edits to sequencer tracks
consisting of controller commands.
When a fader is moved, the fader will not send any MIDI
Controller commands until the fader level exactly matches the
level of previously recorded Controller commands.
GROUP
In the P Banks, in Program Mode, hold GROUP while moving a
fader to select a group master for a given fader.
Faders may be grouping in one of three different group modes.
Exit Program Mode, then hold SHIFT and GROUP while
moving a fader to select the group mode.
Absolute Grouping: Fader values match the master.
Relatively Scaled Grouping: Fader values are scaled
based on how much the master has moved with respect
to the fader throw. That is to say, when you fade the
master, all the values reach their minimum value at the
same time.
Offset Grouping: Fader values are offset by the value of
the master, as referenced to the center of the master's
throw. That is to say, the value of the master is added to
or taken away from the faders that are part of the group.
PROTECT (that is, SHIFT and PARM#)
Hold SHIFT and PROTECT and move any fader to turn Protect
on and off. When display indicates PRO, FaderMaster Pro may
not be reprogrammed.
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