Map screen controls to channel strip and plug-in parameters

When Show Advanced Tools is selected in the Advanced preferences pane, you can map screen controls to channel strip and plug-in parameters for the selected track. Each screen control can be mapped to one or more channel strip or plug-in parameters for the selected track. Parameter mappings are saved with the patch.

You can map screen controls using either the Learn process, or the Parameter pop-up menu in the Smart Control inspector. When you map a screen control, it jumps to the mapped parameter value. Only one screen control can be selected at a time.

You can copy and paste mappings, which is useful for sharing mappings between different screen controls of the same patch. When two tracks have identical plug-ins, mappings can also be copied from the Smart Control on one track and pasted to the Smart Control on the other track (in which case they control the corresponding parameters for the track on which they are pasted).

Map a screen control using the Learn button

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select a screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click the Parameter Mapping disclosure triangle.

    The Parameter Mapping area opens. When an unmapped screen control (or no screen control) is selected, the Name field shows Unmapped. When you select a mapped screen control, the Name field shows the name of the parameter.

    Figure. Smart Control inspector, showing Parameter Mapping area
  4. Click the Learn button.

  5. Click the channel strip or plug-in parameter to which you want to map the screen control.

  6. To map additional screen controls, select another screen control, then click a parameter.

  7. When you’re finished mapping screen controls, click the Learn button again to end the Learn process.

Map a screen control using the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select a screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click the Parameter Mapping disclosure triangle.

    Figure. Smart Control inspector, showing Parameter Mapping area
  4. In the Parameter Mapping area, click the parameter name (if the screen control is already mapped) or the word Unmapped, then choose a channel strip or plug-in parameter from the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

Add a mapping

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select a screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click a mapping, then choose Add Mapping from the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

  4. Choose the parameter for the added mapping, either using the Learn process or the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

Open the plug-in window for a mapping

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select a screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click the Parameter Mapping disclosure triangle.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Click the plug-in icon next to the name of the mapping.

    • Control-click the screen control, then choose Open Plug-in Window from the shortcut menu.

Copy a mapping

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select the screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click a mapping, then choose Copy Mapping from the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

  4. Click a different parameter name, then choose Paste Mapping.

    The copied parameter replaces the selected one.

Copy all mappings for a screen control

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select the screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click a mapping, then choose Copy All Mappings from the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

  4. Click any parameter name, then choose Paste Mappings.

    The copied parameters replace the existing ones.

Reorder mappings for a screen control

If a screen control has multiple mappings, a handle, indicated by three dots, appears on the left edge of each mapping in the Smart Control inspector, so that you can reorder mappings in the list. The screen control values are determined by the topmost mapping.

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select the screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, drag a mapping up or down by its handle.

    Figure. Parameter Mapping area, showing mapping and its handle.

Delete a mapping

  1. In the Smart Controls pane, click the Inspector button in the Smart Controls menu bar.

  2. Select the screen control.

  3. In the Smart Control inspector, click a mapping, then choose Delete Mapping from the Parameter Mapping pop-up menu.

After you map a screen control, you can edit mapping parameters, and scale parameter values using parameter mapping graphs. You can also map screen controls automatically.