About Camelot Remote Control

Camelot is built for live performance and can do incredible things. It can redefine your rig entirely and on and on, but in performance, one has no time and hardly any fingers or toes unoccupied to tell Camelot what to do. The Timeline view offers many automation functions, but some things may need to be done on the fly in real time, one simple example being when you’re improvising and not sticking to a strict song form. So how can you be in control of all of Camelot’s awesome power when it’s not practical to go plowing through menus and windows?

The answer lies in Camelot’s Remote Control capabilities. This extremely powerful set of functions puts transport controls, mixing functions, setup changes, and much, much more under your command using either MIDI messages or simple keystrokes on a keyboard. Remote Control can even put another Camelot setup running on a different device under the control of your Camelot setup (or vice versa). This means that if you and one or more of your bandmates or techs are using Camelot, all the copies can be slaved to one copy designated as the master.

_{Figure 1 - The first screen you see when you click Remote Control in the Settings view is this choice between assigning either MIDI control or key commands to functions.}

Creative application of Camelot’s remote controls can become one of the program’s greatest contributions to your performances, so let’s take a deep dive into what is there.

What Can You Control With MIDI?

The majority of Camelot functions that can be controlled through MIDI messages are for mixing or navigation. The MIDI sources for control could be notes or control change messages from a keyboard, control surface, or pretty much any other MIDI source, really. It is also possible, if there are multiple copies of Camelot running in a performance, to control one copy from another.

_{Figure 2 - Once you choose MIDI control, you will generally work in From/By, mapping MIDI controllers to functions. However, if another copy of Camelot is running nearby, the "To (another Camelot)” option lets you designate one copy as the master to control others.}

The real challenge comes in deciding how many functions you actually need to control, because, just to give one example, level and mute can be controlled through MIDI for each of 16 items in each of five Scenes. That’s 160 controls for Scene Layers alone, not to mention Song Racks, Setlist Racks, Backing Tracks, and on and on. It’s a lot, so it is important to think through what parameters you really need to have assigned to a hardware knob or slider or footpedal.

In addition, many plugins offer MIDI control of parameters. Although these are functions of the plugin and not Camelot Remote Control functions, you can access them in Camelot by showing the plugin’s user interface. Between Remote Control functions and plugins that allow MIDI control, it is possible to have very powerful real-time control of your sound immediately at hand.

Clearly, real-time MIDI control is powerful, but something you want to employ thoughtfully, as opposed to simply trying to make as many controls available as you can.

Here is a complete list of functions that can be put under MIDI command. Camelot MIDI Remote Control Functions

Setting up a MIDI Controller for Remote Control

A simple procedure creates a profile for any MIDI controller defined in the Settings>MIDI>MIDI Input panel to act as remote control.

Creating a new profile for a MIDI controller

1.    Click the Settings button in the footer.

_{Figure 3 - Remote Control is one of many important sets of features found in the Settings view.}

2.    Click Remote Control, then MIDI, then From/By. A list of MIDI controllers set up to do remote control will appear.

_{Figure 4 - The list of controllers available for Remote Control is selected from the list of MIDI input controllers defined in the Settings>MIDI panel.}

3.    If the controller you want to use for remote control does not appear in the list, click the + (plus sign) button at the bottom of the panel to add it.

_{Figure 5 - A new controller profile can be created by the Create Custom button, or a previously created profile can be brought in by the Import button.}

4.    Click the Create Custom button. A new input controller will be added to the list in an orange font.

_{Figure 6 - When a new MIDI controller is added in the Remote Control panel, it has no MIDI port assignment, so the first step after adding the controller is to click its name and give it a port.}

5.    Click the “three dots” icon on the right of the new controller entry and select Edit from the menu that drops down.

_{Figure 7 - While the "three dots" menu has several useful commands, the Edit command is probably the most important of them.}

6.    Rename the controller by typing in the name field at the top of the edit screen.

_{Figure 8 - The Edit panel is where functions will get assigned, but, at this point, it is naming the controller and assigning it a MIDI port that are important.}

7.    Click on the Controller MIDI Port legend and select a MIDI input from the displayed list of controllers defined in Settings>MIDI>MIDI Inputs.

_{Figure 9 - The new controller can be assigned any MIDI input port that has already been defined, or you can go to Settings>MIDI and configure a new port.}

8.    The controller is now set up and remote controls can be assigned for it.

To export a profile:

Remote control profiles created for controllers can be stored as xml files for later importation.

1.    Click the “three dots menu” for the controller whose profile you want to save, and choose Export.

_{Figure 10 - Once defined, a controller profile can be saved and reloaded later into any Camelot system.}

2.    A standard file save dialog will appear. Locate the destination where you want the profile saved and confirm the dialog.

To import a previously created profile for a controller:

1.    Click the Settings button in the footer.

2.    Click Remote Control, then MIDI, then From/By.

3.    Click the + (plus sign) button at the bottom of the panel and then click the Import button.

_{Figure 11 - Bringing in a controller profile is as easy as clicking this button.}

4.    Use the standard file open dialog that enters to locate the controller profile, select the profile, and click Open.

5.    Click the “three dots” icon on the right of the new controller entry and select Edit from the menu that drops down, as shown in Figure 5 above.

6.    Rename the controller, if you want, by typing in the name field at the top of the edit screen, as shown in Figure 6 above.

7.    Click on the Controller MIDI Port legend and select a MIDI input from the displayed list of controllers defined in Settings>MIDI>MIDI Inputs, as shown in Figure 7 above.

8.    The controller is now set up and remote controls can be assigned for it.

To Duplicate a Controller:

1.    Click the “three dots menu” for the controller whose profile you want to duplicate, and choose Duplicate from the menu that drops down. The rest of the steps below are identical to the procedure shown in the Setting up a MIDI Controller for Remote Control section above.

_{Figure 12 - Once you've created a profile, you can easily replicate it, but, of course, it will need its own MIDI port.}

2.    Now click the “three dots” icon on the right of the new controller entry and select Edit from the menu that drops down.

3.    Rename the controller, if you want, by typing in the name field at the top of the edit screen.

4.    Click on the Controller MIDI Port legend and select a MIDI input from the displayed list of controllers defined in Settings>MIDI>MIDI Inputs.

5.    The controller is now set up and remote controls can be assigned for it.

To remove a MIDI Controller from Remote Control:

1.    If controller is selected as active, click to deselect it.

2.    Click the “three dots” icon on the right of the new controller entry and select Remove from the menu that drops down.

_{Figure 13 - A controller must be unselected in the Remote Control panel before it can be removed. If it is not, the Remove command will be grayed out.}

Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions

Once the controller is set up, you can assign MIDI messages to any of the functions shown for each of the controllers.

1.    Click the “three dots” icon on the right of the new controller entry and select Edit from the menu that drops down, as shown in Figure 5 above.

_{Figure 14 - The list of functions that can be remote controlled using MIDI. There are MANY more functions in the list, making the Search field and list filters essential features for locating the function you want to assign.}

2.    Scroll through the list of commands that appears or use the search field at the top to locate the command for which you want to assign a remote control and click it to edit it.

_{Figure 15 - The easiest way to assign a MIDI controller to a Camelot function is to use the Learn button, but the assignment can also be specified directly.}

3.    Click the Learn button and perform the desired MIDI action, OR

4.    Click Choose type and select either Control Change or Note On

_{Figure 16 - Camelot functions can be controlled by MIDI Control Change messages or Note On messages.}

5.    If you select Control Change, then set the Channel, CC number, and Value parameters. Value applies one of six comparison tests (e.g. greater than, less than, etc.) against the input value. When the test condition is met, that is considered an “on” condition; when it is not met it is an “off” condition.

_{Figure 17 - If you choose a MIDI CC for your control source, here is where you specify the message values. Note that you can specify the channel, as well as the CC and its value.}

6.    If you select Note On, then set the Channel and Note parameters to the desired values.

_{Figure 18 - If you choose to use Note On message to control a function, you specify both the channel and note number. Middle C is C3.}

Clearing a MIDI Remote Control Assignment

1.    Select the controller and click the command you want to unassign.

2.    Click the Unassign button at the bottom of the assignment panel. The assignment is cleared.

What Can You Control With Key Commands?

Key commands do not lend themselves to performing continuous control as MIDI sources can, making them unsuitable for many mixing applications. However, they are perfect for discrete functions like transport control, navigation to events or Scenes, and system functions like saving and opening different views. Key commands also apply globally, where MIDI controls are assigned separately for each MIDI controller.

One issue with using key commands is creating a system that is easy to learn and remember. One common tactic is to ensure that similar functions use similar keystrokes, while avoiding conflicts with keystrokes that may be already assigned to other applications or purposes. It’s a topic worth a little thought and planning.

Here is a list of all of the commands to which keystrokes can be assigned:

Camelot Key Command Remote Control Functions

Assigning Key Commands to Camelot Functions

There are default key command assignments for many Camelot functions. You may opt to use some or all of these, they may serve to give you ideas of how to organize your system of key commands for remote control, or you might have your own ideas and choose to simply replace them. Obviously, your choice will be based on what is most comfortable for you to use.

To assign a key command to a Camelot function:

1.    Click the Settings button in the footer.

_{Figure 19 - Back to the Settings view again! So much of value there.}

2.    Click Remote Control, then Key Commands. A list of functions and their associated key commands will appear.

_{Figure 20 - The Key Commands list of functions includes none of the mixing functions available through MIDI remote control, but a few more global and system functions.}

3.    Scroll through the list or use the search field at the top to locate the function to which you want to assign a key command and click it to edit the assignment.

4.    Scroll through the list or use the search field at the top to locate the keystroke you want to use as a key command and click it to select it.

_{Figure 21 - Every key on the keyboard is available in the keystroke list for Key Commands, including numpad and function keys. Modifier keys are displayed along the top, and any combination of them can be specified for a given key command.}

5.    You can add one or more modifier keys (Command, Ctrl, Option, Shift) by clicking the modifier key buttons at the top of the window.

Restoring Default Key Commands

To reset all key command assignments to their default keystrokes, click the Reset button at the top of the Key Commands window.

Putting Remote Control to Work

To get you going, here are some examples of ways you might use Remote Control with Camelot. We focus here mostly on MIDI controls, since key commands require less examination to understand.

Step Through Scene and Song Changes

Camelot’s Timeline view allows Scene changes to be automated for execution at specified times when the transport is running, which is extremely useful when using backing tracks or playing music locked to a click. But what if you don’t want the timeline to run at all and just want to have a series of Scene changes you can step through manually, or maybe a set of Scenes you can jump between? This could be useful when you’re just jamming and don’t know what’s going to come next.

Or you want to play backing tracks, but still call Scene changes manually? Or perhaps want nothing more than to have the Scene changes you need all lined up in order and be able to step forward or back through the list of them?

All of these things can be accomplished through remote control.

Jumping to Scenes in Any Order

You may not always know in advance the order in which you want to use Scenes. Camelot’s Remote Control feature provides two different ways to access any of 16 Scenes at any time. The first is using MIDI Program Change messages:

1.    Locate a MIDI controller capable of sending program change messages in the list of controllers in Remote Control>MIDI>From/By and choose Edit from the “three dots” menu to the right of the controller’s name.

2.    Click the Select Scene with Program Change command in the list.

3.    Set the Enable remote switch to on and set the Channel as desired, or leave it set to ANY.

4.    The current Song will now respond to program change messages from 1 to 128 by loading the Scene with the same number. Program change messages can be sent in any order. When the last Scene in the Song is reached, any higher program change message numbers will be ignored. Camelot will not load the next Song to continue. So, if your Song only has 10 Scenes, program change messages 11-128 will have no effect.

5.    Since this method does not involve the timeline, it can be used just as well when there are backing tracks playing on the timeline as when there are no backing tracks playing.

_{Figure 22 - A MIDI Program Change message sent on channel 1 with a value of 4 will call up the "jam out" Scene. Any value higher than four will not produce any action in this song.}

Manually Stepping Through Scenes

Musicians often change sounds at different parts of a song. Keyboard players call up different presets, guitarists step on stomp boxes, and so forth. Scenes in Camelot are far more powerful than a single keyboard preset or stomp box (although they easily can be that simple), and they can be changed for each different section of a song manually just as easily as with automation.

1.    Create and name all of the Scenes you will need for the Song that don’t already exist.

2.    Check in the Scenes view to be sure the Scenes in the Song are in the order in which you intend to use them. If they are not, enter Edit mode in the Scenes view and rearrange them.

3.    Using the procedure described in the Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions section above, assign a footswitch or a button on a MIDI controller to control the Next Scene function. If you think you will need to go back to the previous Scene at any point, also assign footswitch or button to the Previous Scene function.

4.    Step on the Next Scene footswitch as you reach the start of each section.

5.    Since this method does not involve the timeline, it can be used just as well when there are backing tracks playing on the timeline as when there are no backing tracks playing.

_{Figure 23 - The Next Scene function is assigned to MIDI CC 86. Setting Value equal to 127 defines it as a basic on/off switch, since it only changes state at the highest value.}

This is a simple and fast method of stepping through a chain of Scenes, but be careful: if you reach the last Scene in the Song and then step on the Next Scene footswitch again, it will load the next Song and go to its first Scene. Similarly, if you were to step back to the first Scene in a Song and then step on the Previous Scene footswitch, it would load the previous Song and go to its last Scene.

_{Figure 24 - Using the Next Scene remote control function when you are on the last Scene in a Song will cause the first Scene of the next Song to load.}

If you do not want this behavior, there is a way to avoid it, which we describe in the next section.

Manually Stepping Through Scene Changes on the Timeline Events

You can prevent Scenes from other Songs from getting loaded by using a different method that employs Scene changes on the timeline:

1.    Create and name all of the Scenes you will need for the Song that don’t already exist.

2.    Place a Scene change on the timeline for each Scene you will want to use. The timeline will not be run for this process, it serves only to store the Scene changes in the proper order. This means that the time of each Scene change is unimportant, only the order matters.

_{Figure 25 - All the Scenes for this Song are laid out on the timeline, but they can be stepped through manually using a MIDI footswitch.}

3.    Using the procedure described in the Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions section above, assign a footswitch or a button on a MIDI controller to control the Next Event function. If you think you will need to go back to the previous Scene at any point, also assign footswitch or button to the Previous Event function.

_{Figure 26 - The Next Event function is set up exactly as Next Scene is, but there are two differences: Next Event include markers as events, but it won't go past the end of a Song.}

5.    Step on the Next Event footswitch as you reach the start of each section. Stepping on the Next Event footswitch when you are on the last Scene of the Song advances the transport to the end of the Song. Stepping on the footswitch after this produces no further action.

Note: Markers are also events on the timeline. If you have markers, as well as Scenes on the timeline, the Next Event function will move to whatever the next event is, whether it is a marker or a Scene change.

_{Figure 27 - Using the Next Event function steps through each Event on the timeline, including both markers and Scene changes. Next Event will never step beyond the end of a Song.}

Jumping to Scene Changes on the Timeline in Any Order

The timeline can also be used for accessing Scenes in any order. First, place them on the timeline, as in the Manually Stepping Through Scene Changes on the Timeline section above, and then jump to these timeline events directly:

1.    Create and name all of the Scenes you will need for the Song that don’t already exist.

2.    Place a Scene change on the timeline for each Scene you will want to use. The timeline will not be run for this process, it serves only to store the Scene changes, so neither the time of each Scene change nor the order of the Scenes is important.

3.    Using the procedure described in the Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions section above, assign a footswitch or a button on a MIDI controller to a Go To Timeline Event command. There are commands for each of the first 15 timeline events; you will need a button or footswitch for each Scene you want to call in this fashion.

_{Figure 28 - There are 15 different Go to Timeline Event functions, each of which can be called by a MIDI Control Change or Note On message.}

Moving From Song to Song

You can step through an entire setlist song by song in Camelot as easily as stepping through the Scenes in a Song.

The simplest method is using the Next Scene function as described in the Manually Stepping Through Scenes section above. Once the last Scene in a Song is running, using the Next Scene command will call the first Scene in the next Song in the Setlist. Of course, this only works if all of the Songs are in the proper order in the Setlist. If you change up the order one night, you must rearrange the Songs in the Setlist to be able to simply step through Scene by Scene. As was already described, if you don’t like the behavior of going to the first Scene of the next Song after the last Scene in a Song has been called, use the alternative method employing the timeline, as described in the Manually Stepping Through Scene Changes on the Timeline Events section above.

A second method is to assign MIDI messages to the Next Song and Previous Song functions. Once you have located to the Song, you’ll need to use of the methods described above to step between the Scenes in the Song.

Finally, the

Select Song with CC32

function uses the control designated as MIDI Bank Select – Fine to directly call any of 128 different songs. On instruments with more than 128 presets, MIDI Control Change 0 is usually used to select a preset bank, while CC32 selects one of 128 presets within the bank. In Camelot, however, CC0 selects one of 128 Setlists, while CC32 selects one of 128 Songs within a Setlist. If you have a controller capable of sending MIDI Bank Select messages, you can use CC32 to select a Song directly.

1.    Click the Songs button in the footer. The Songs view will show you which Setlist is currently active, and, on the right, a numbered list of all of the Songs within that Setlist.

2.    Take note of the number of the Song you want to recall.

3.    Click the Settings button in the footer, then click Remote Control>MIDI>From/By.

4.    Select Edit from the “three dots” menu to the right of the controller from which you will send the CC32 message.

5.    Click on Select Song with CC32 in the list of functions, set the Enable remote switch to On, then use the Channel + and- buttons to enter the MIDI channel over which you will be sending the CC32 messages.

6.    Send a CC32 message on the specified channel from the chosen controller, using the Song number noted earlier as the value in the CC message. Your Song will be recalled.

_{Figure 29 - MIDI Control Change 32 is usually reserved for Bank Select-Fine, but in Camelot, it is used to call Songs. The Song numbers shown in the Songs view dictate which Song will be called by a matching value in a CC32 message.}

Any other Song in the Setlist can be called the same way: by using its number as the value of the CC32 message.

Scene Change With Timeline Stop/Start

In this scenario, the sequence of events you want to happen is:

1.    Start the timeline playing for the first section of the song.

2.    When the solo section is reached, the timeline should stop.

3.    When the solo is over, the timeline should resume playing,

The solution is simple: using the procedure described in the Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions section above, assign a footswitch or a button on a MIDI controller to control the Play/Pause function. This allows you to start and stop the timeline at will.

_{Figure 30 - The Play/Pause function starts and stops the transport in the Timeline. Start/Stop MIDI Clock in Tempo & Sync panel control sending MIDI Clock and the metronome. The Timeline transport and MIDI Clock are separate, so neither of these affects the other.}

If you wanted to start and stop a click, rather than the timeline, you could simply assign the MIDI footswitch or button to control the Start/Stop MIDI Clock command. But that presumes that the tempo is set correctly, and if it’s not, it would be a problem.

It would be better if the tempo was applied when the MIDI clock is started. This could be done with a Scene change, as Scenes store both the tempo and the current state of the MIDI clock.

Remote Mixing

One of Camelot’s most popular and exciting remote control capabilities is remote mixing. Camelot provides extensive control over levels and mutes at all parts of its structure. From the master levels found in the Mixer panel to level and mute controls for individual Layers and Backing Tracks, and even individual Items within each Layer, Camelot grants comprehensive access to mixing.

However, with individual control available for more than 240 levels in Camelot, it is important to consider just how much real-time mixing control you need to have.

This is for two good reasons: first, if you have too many controls assigned it becomes more difficult to quickly access the one you need, and, second, because operating a number of mixer controls puts a lot of data into the MIDI data stream, which can cause latency issues.

Remote control assignments are global; they don’t change with the Scene, Song, or Setlist, so strategic planning is key, not only to determine which mixing controls you need to lay your hands on, but also to ensure that assignments are useful across changing Layers, Scenes, and Songs. Plus, thinking beyond mixing, this consistency is very helpful in forming “muscle memory” for certain control patterns, such as for triggering clips or loops on the timeline

For instance, if you assign a MIDI control to the level of Item 2 of Scene Layer 3, then you probably want to set up your Scenes so that Item 2 of Layer 3 is always (or at least usually) something that will be useful to control.

Assigning a MIDI Control to a Mixing Function

The most common way to control mixing functions is to assign faders to control them, and there are plenty of controllers that provide faders you can use for that, from MIDI keyboard controllers with onboard faders to dedicated fader boxes. The procedure for mapping a fader to a mixing parameter is exactly as described in the Assigning MIDI Messages to Camelot Functions section above. The Learn button method is far and away the fastest and most intuitive way to set up remote mixing controls.

But you’re not limited to using faders. In the illustration below, a footpedal is used to control the Main Out Master level, while a selection of knobs, faders, and buttons are used for a variety of mixing functions.

_{Figure 31 - Camelot functions can be mapped to physical controllers (top), which then literally put you in touch with Camelot (bottom). Of course, in a different Scene, you might be controlling completely different Scene Layers.}

Global Mixing Functions

The functions in this section all correspond to the controls in Camelot’s Mixer panel.

_{Figure 32 - The submix masters are on the left side of the Mixer panel.}

1.    Main Out Master Level – Every Layer assigned to Main Audio Out is summed into the Main Audio Out bus. This function is the grand master control for that bus. Controlling this function operates the Main Audio Out fader in the Mixer panel.

2.    Mute Backing Tracks – Mutes all backing tracks in the current Song. Controlling this function operates the Backing Tracks Mute control in the Mixer panel.

3.    Backing Tracks Master Level - This function acts like a VCA master that attenuates levels of all backing tracks in the current Song. Controlling this function operates the Backing Tracks Level control in the Mixer panel.

4.    Mute Song Layers – This function operates the mute button associated with the Layers>Song Level control in the Mixer panel. It mutes ALL Layers in ALL Scenes in the current Song, plus ALL Layers in the Song Rack and Setlist Rack. Effectively, this function mutes all audio coming from Camelot until either it is unmuted or you change to a different Song. USE THIS CONTROL WITH CAUTION!

5.    Layers Song Level – This function acts like a VCA master that attenuates levels of all Layers in all Scenes in a Song. Controlling this function operates the Layers>Song Level control in the Mixer panel.

6.    Layers Scene Level – This function acts like a VCA master that attenuates levels of all Layers in the current Scene. Controlling this function operates the Layers>Scene Level control in the Mixer panel.

7.    Enable Metronome – Enabling/disabling the metronome is the same as muting it, in fact, the metronome can be enabled with the Enable switch on the Tempo & Sync “three dots” (“…”) menu, or with the Metronome mute button in the Mixer panel.

8.    Metronome Level – Controlling this function operates the Metronome>Level control in the Mixer panel, which is the same as the audio output level found at the right of the Tempo & Sync panel. The Tempo & Sync panel offers additional metronome settings that are not remote controllable.

The following functions are for the Master Audio FX chain on the Main Audio Out signal path. The parameters available for remote control are those that appear in the Mixer panel. Other parameters are available by expanding each of the effects in the Mixer, but they are not remote controllable.

_{Figure 33 - The Master Audio Effects controls are on the right of the Mixer panel. Note that effects bypass buttons cannot be operated by remote control, so set them as needed before you start.}

9.    Master Compressor Amount – Controlling this function operates the Compressor Amount control in the Mixer panel. The compres..sor does not offer access to parameters like attack, decay, or threshold, so this control serves as a “one-knob” control that increases the intensity of compression applied.

10.    Master Equalizer Low Gain – Controlling this function operates the Equalizer>Low Gain control in the Mixer panel. EQ Low frequency can be adjusted by expanding the equalizer in the Mixer, but is not remote controllable.

11.    Master Equalizer Mid Gain – Controlling this function operates the Equalizer>Mid Gain control in the Mixer panel. EQ Mid frequency can be adjusted by expanding the equalizer in the Mixer, but is not remote controllable.

12.    Master Equalizer High Gain – Controlling this function operates the Equalizer>High Gain control in the Mixer panel. EQ High frequency can be adjusted by expanding the equalizer in the Mixer, but is not remote controllable.

13.    Master Delay Level – Controlling this function operates the Delay>Amount control in the Mixer panel. (Delay) Time, Feedback, and (low-pass) Filter Frequency are adjustable in the expanded Delay in the Mixer, but not remote controllable.

14.    Master Reverb Level – Controlling this function operates the Reverb>Amount control in the Mixer panel. Room Size, Width, and Damping (high-frequency decay) are adjustable in the expanded Reverb in the Mixer, but not remote controllable.

Individual Mixing Functions

Although most remote mixing needs may be focused on master level controls and mutes, there are certainly times when you might need to exercise lower level control over mixing. The following functions give access to level and mute control of individual Layers and Backing Tracks.

Where the list below shows “[1-16],” the actual list in the Remote Control>MIDI panel shows individual entries for each. So, for “Scene Layer [1-16] Level” you will find 16 different entries in the Remote Control list. Also, where you see “Song Rack 1” or “Setlist Rack 1,” it is referring to Layers within those racks, so “Song Rack 3” is the third Layer in the Song Rack. Figure 29 shows a few such functions. Remember that those Layers will change with each Song, and that level and mute control is available for individual Items in a Layer (which is not shown in the figure above).

Here are the Layer and Item functions that can be remote controlled via MIDI:

Scene Layer [1-16] Level

Scene Layer [1-16] Mute

Song Rack [1-16] Level

Song Rack [1-16] Mute

Scene Layer [1-5] Item [1-16] Level

Scene Layer [1-5] Item [1-16] Mute

Setlist Rack [1-16] Level

Setlist Rack [1-16] Mute

Song Rack [1-3] Item [1-16] Level

Song Rack [1-3] Item [1-16] Mute

Setlist Rack [1-3] Item [1-16] Level

Setlist Rack [1-3] Item [1-16] Mute

Backing Track [1-16] Level

Backing Track [1-16] Mute

Click Tracks and MIDI Clock

Camelot can generate a metronome click and transmit MIDI clock messages. This makes it easy to work with sequences or simply to play to a click. Remote Control offers access to several functions related to these features.

The ability to start and stop the metronome and MIDI clock allows a song to have some sections that are locked to a clock (or click), while others are not. For example, you could have a freely improvised intro to a song, then start the clock for the first verse. The clock could be stopped again for another improvised section in the middle, then turned on again, and so forth.

The metronome is generated by the MIDI clock, but its sound can be switched on and off independently of the MIDI Clock itself. So the click can be switched in and out while MIDI Clock is running. And, of course, the metronome can be routed on the Tempo & Sync panel to play out of any interface output.

If a MIDI Note On message is used for this function, it acts like a toggle: play the note and the metronome is enabled, play it again the metronome is disabled.

If a MIDI Control Change (CC) message is used, on and off can be more sophisticated. The Value line that is last in the Control Type panel is actually a flexible conditional query with six basic options. Try clicking on the legend “Value:…” and you will see the legend go through this series of conditional tests:

• Value: equal to
• Value: not equal to
• Value: greater than
• Value: greater than or equal to
• Value: less than
• Value: less than or equal to

The value you specify on the right is compared to the selected conditional test. If the value does not satisfy the condition, then the result is “0” or “off,” and if the value, at any time, does satisfy the condition, then it is “1” or “on.”

Start/Stop MIDI Clock

Continue/Stop MIDI Clock – The difference between this command and Start/Stop is that Continue/Stop can be used when controlling another copy of Camelot running simultaneously on a different device. In the future, however, we will add functionality to Continue/Stop in the future.

Tap Tempo – This function allows setting the tempo of the metronome and MIDI clock by tapping a key or a button. The tempo can be reset on the fly, although changing tempo while playing will produce a sudden change (a “hiccup”).

Timeline playback is fully independent of MIDI clock/metronome playback. The two are not locked or related in any way.

The following commands operate the timeline:

Play/Pause – Pause stops playback at the time location of the cursor when it is operated. When Play is called, playback resumes from the time at which it was paused.

Stop – When the Stop function is used, the cursor returns to zero.

Panic Button

_{Figure 34 - Stuck notes!??!! Pitch bend offset!! Time to PANIC. Just click this button in the footer.}

Controlling this function operates the Panic button in the footer. This control simply shuts off all MIDI notes that are on, as well as resetting control change messages like Sustain pedal, mod wheel, and pitch bend. It can be critical in live performance to be able to stop stuck notes or other problems, so mapping a control to this function can be very important.

Connecting Two Camelot Systems

_{Figure 35 - The “To (another Camelot)” feature is very simple to set up and establishes this copy of Camelot as the master controlling any other copies to which it is connected.}

Multiple copies of Camelot running on different devices can be networked, so that one copy is controlling the others. Perhaps several members of your band are using Camelot, or maybe a sound engineer or music tech are using Camelot at FOH or backstage while you have a copy running onstage.

The ability to control multiple copies of Camelot from one can be very powerful, and that is the purpose of the To (another Camelot) section of the Remote Control panel. Although the basic configuration in the Remote Control panel is simple, there are a number of factors involved in making such a setup work. All of these will be detailed in an upcoming tutorial.