problem with m-audio's trigger finger

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LERO

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Hello! I hope someone can help because I’m really lost! I just purchased the Trigger Finger midi controller and I have a problem: when I try to make it work with the Enigma Software I have no sound whatsoever. Now I know there is nothing wrong with the machine itself, because I work with Ableton Live 5 and I tested TF by sending to it sounds from Native Instrument’s Absynth and it received sound with no problem (and without any programming I might add!).But when I try to load sounds from Enigma to the TF nothing happens.
Enigma recognizes the trigger finger on start up. As it’s said on the manual, Enigma recognizes the TF and sets it on the top of the bank list with a red symbol next to it. But when I sent the blue "trigger finger defaults" file to my TF with the "send" button nothing happened: I pressed the pads and twisted the knobs but there was no sound.
On the manual on what concerns PAD PROGRAMMING it says:
“1. Enter Edit Mode by pressing Memory Recall and Prog/Bank Change simultaneously. Their LEDs will begin to flash indicating that Edit Mode is active.
2. Tapping a pad will select it for editing. For our example, let’s tap pad 16.
3. Once selected, you can re-program the pad with the knobs. For example, you can use the Note Knob to choose MIDI note F#3 for the pad (twist the knob until
“F. 3” is displayed on the LED screen). For convenience, the Trigger Finger will continue to output MIDI notes when you tap the pad so you can preview your
changes”?so am I supposed to hear sounds at this point? Cause I am following the instructions and at this step of the procedure there is no sound coming from the TF.

As you can see my questions concern the first steps of the installation but I am completely new at this! I would appreciate any step-by-step help!
Thank you very much!!
 
did u try downloading the device to the device bank? its on the top left
 
First of all you dont transfer sounds to the trigger finger. As the name says theis device only triggers sounds on external synths (hard or soft) via sending midi data. What are you using absynth in i suppose LIVE or was this only for the test. Do you have your midi devices configured correctly, midi in -out etc, your midi channels?? You dont need the enigma software to run the TF in Live its a matter of configuring it correctly inside of Live.
 
yes I am using ableton live.The TF is properly installed, recognised by the software and all.But my problem with Enigma is that I cannot trigger any of the sounds that are in the presets.The manual is really not helping and I am definitely missing something.So that's why I am asking a step-by-step kind of help to figure out what I am doing wrong.Thanks!
 
Also, is there a tutorial anywhere of how to use the Trigger Finger with Ableton Live ?thanks!
 
I just stumbled on your post, and i'm going through the exact same issues. So don't feel like your the only one... i just switched over from working with an analog sampler thinking that this would be much easier. So far.... NOPE
 
Hey I had the bought the trigger finger but I sent it back, because it wasn't working with reason. One day it would work and the next day it didn't. I even called the m-audio technicians and they couldn't even help me get it to work. But good luck with it.
 
First off, yes I agree with you guys. The TF manual does suck alot of ass. But one of the reasons it seems that way is that in order to get the TF to work most of the work and configuring must be done in whatever programs you are using with the TF anyway.

Remember, MIDI is not audio. It's just binary messages: on/off messages.

The TF does not load any sounds or samples. It is used to transmit MIDI information (notes and controls) to your software programs and vsti's. So say you are working with a softsynth on your computer. The softsynth has the sounds. THe TF just sends the on/off information for whatever note the pad is assigned to when you press it. In other words the TF is just a controller. It tells to program to hit the note you press.

Enigma is not a program or software instrument where you can get sounds off of. Enigma is a configuring program that sends program maps to the TF device. It is used to load the pre-made maps onto the TF device. So say you are using Ableton LIve and you wanted to use the TF with it and you don't want to go through each knob, slider, and pad to assign what each one does. The Enigma program already has the pre-made maps for this that you can just load on. Or you can also use the Enigma to make assign your own maps.

Most people say Enigma sux anyway, and they choose instead to do the configuring on the TF pad itself.

Hope this helps.
 
Hello guys!
Tohtruck your post IS really helpful I wish I had your advise 2 months ago!
Remember, MIDI is not audio. It's just binary messages: on/off messages.
Cause this was exactly what I was doing wrong!
Ok, nearly 2 months ago when I submitted the post I was losing my mind with this trigger finger problem….But what finally helped me was the m-audio Oxygen 49 manual!! I had bought the TF and the oxygen at the same time so I had both their manuals in front of me. The oxygen manual is not apocalyptic or anything, it just isn’t as lame as the TF’s. I didn’t know ANYTHING about midi technology so the Oxygen manual gave me hints of what I was doing wrong( I was thinking “hardware”/ “audio” when I should be thinking “software”/ “midi”).Then I visited some websites where you can find midi tutorials for newbies and I was all set to work with TF.
So Rooks if you are in the same situation I was with midi technology, check out www.borg.com/~jglatt/tutr/miditutr.htm it’s really helpful. If midi is not the issue, hope you find a solution to the TF problems cause they can drive you insane!
Also, on what concerns Live, I have found this site to be helpful www.abletonlivedj.com.
 
I'm loving this site....

Thanks for the replies and the sites, i'll most definitely be checking them out...I do understand that the T.F is used to 'trigger' the midi sound/patch etc. but configuring it should be much easier, it's really finicky. I emailed m-audio directly and they did get back to me in regards to programming the T.F manually for Reason (which i'll post, right after this for everyone...)

I do blame myself before the T.F but M-audio has to come up with a better manual or giving better tech support for it. Going through the forums it's obvious that numerous people have issues getting started and setting it up.

They should offer the same support that many DAW's offer, knowing the issues their consumers have with the product. If you're in the business of selling equipment you have to assume that someone has no knowledge of the product and explain it in lamens terms. Really, there's only a handful of DAW's that people will be using (Live, Reason, FL, etc.) with the T.F. How hard would it be to offer at least a trouble shooting tutorial? I hope they'll understand eventually that a little investment in better planning for the manual and setup will save them money and time in tech support in the long run.

Thanks again
nuff respect

Here's what i got from m-audio, hope this helps anyone from the headaches that I got trying to program the trigger finger for the first time.

RoOKs

..............................................................................................................

Hi,
You will find below a quick tutorial to make the trigger finger work properly. You may also want to do a Factory Reset. To do so, hold the " Prog" and the "Full" while powering up the Trigger Finger.
Also, when you load a preset from ENIGMA, you need to press the recall button on the Trigger Finger and then choose the bank in which the preset would be saved.

Tech Support
M-AUDIO Canada
............................................................................................................
The first thing to do would be to create a New User Preset by clicking on the plus symbol in the bottom left corner. Make sure that Trigger Finger is selected so that Enigma knows to create a Trigger Finger profile.
Once the profile is created you will have access to a blank setting. Start with the first preset by renaming it Redrum. Then change the view of Enigma so that it shows the List View. It will be much easier to program the data required.
-Scroll down the list until you arrive at the listing P1 Note
*There are several values that you need to change*
-The first value to change is where it lists 255. Change this to 147.
-Then change the Channel number to number 1.
-Then in the last column where it lists Pgm at the top you will have to enter the note number. Enter 36.

The above consists of one line. Since there are ten programmable sections for Redrum you will need to program up to ten notes. Please view the jpeg's sent with this email.

****Program as follows****
Change P1 - P10 Value (CC) to 147
Change P1 - P10 Channel (Ch.) values to 1
In the program column (Pgm.) Change the Pgm. numbers incrementally corresponding with the pad # starting from 36 and ending at 45 as follows... P1=36, P2=37, P3=38, P4=39, P5=40, P6=41, P7=42, P8=43, P9=44, P10= 45

These values are the exact ones required for Redrum. Once the values are entered correctly click on File at the top of the Enigma software and select Send to Device

Once sent there will be three more steps.

-Press the Memory/Recall button and then press the P1 pad to load the preset that you just sent to the device.

-Set the channel in your Reason software to channel one. If you have Reason 3 then the channel change may not be required.

-Then in the sequencer track of Reason select the Redrum module so that the MIDI data is sent to Redrum.

Tech Support
M-Audio Canada



 
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I use to load it manually like that then realized that for Reason in the Redrum or the other racks that the default Preset 16 (the general midi default setting is already set to the right notes.Also it's programed to all 16 Pads instead of the 1st 10. Which helps when playing other racks within Reason.

Also the there are presets for Ableton Live Preset's are 10 and 11.
 
The Alan I of FP!!

JBM,

Dude... I don't know what to say. You've just turned my whole world around! If it was that easy I wonder why m-audio didn't just say so? I also tried the presets you posted with Live and it's been butter since jump. Thank you brethren.
 
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