Hapax, iPad and Logic Pro Setup (with external controller for transport etc.) > You have to try this!

[johnwilhelm]

Unfortunately the initial euphoria with Loopy Pro and the Hapax was over very quickly. Latency and stability problems forced me to give up. So I gave Logic Pro another chance and the current version is incredibly usable. I have to say it is almost perfect and very performant. My findings

• Connect the Hapax to the iPad via a USB hub with power through.
• Connect an external keyboard or controller to the Hapax, which can take over transport controls. In my case I’m using the pads of a Launchkey for transport (because the Hapax transport buttons are not very useful anymore because of clock settings, see later on)
• Because Logic Pro only supports Ableton Link as a synchronization method it is necessary that it is the clock master and the Hapax receives the clock from USB Device with transport start on clock. The Hapax start and stop buttons still work (as long as you startet Logic transport first you can stop and start with hapax controls) but some effects LFOs and so on do not start at the correct position. See the Hapax screenshots. Not on the screenshots: On Midi In settings choose “ignore” for CC Messages.
• In the Logic Pro track settings assign the Hapax as the MIDI source for each track with the corresponding channel. Configure the tracks in Hapax to USB Device with this number.
• Set the track to monitor and enable the track header information with the i button.
• Set the external keyboard to MIDI channel 16. This way regardless of which track is selected the parameters that are used globally in Logic always come through on channel 16.
• Now you can learn the controllers and pads of the external keyboard in Logic Pro (for transport and more) even if it is connected via the Hapax. When learning always choose a Hapax track that does not send USB Device data otherwise it mixes with the MIDI thru signals of the keyboard and everything turns into a mess.

I have been using this setup for a while now and it is really fantastic how usable. I can absolutely recommend it. And the 50 dollars for one year of Logic are in my opinion justified even though I really hate those subscription models.

[johnwilhelm]

What’s incredibly fantastic and almost unbelivable: You can set all Logic tracks to record and then just start playback and it will record ALL Hapax tracks to Logic Pro Midi regions with almost no latency or delays at once.

[johnwilhelm]

the “real” transport controls of the Launchkey are daw-specific and will not work with Logic Pro unfortunately. That’s why I have configured pads for transport. Better anyways imho because the transport keys are too small.

[johnwilhelm]

And some more findings concerning latency. Go for low latency plugins. But even Logic’s own instruments are sometimes to slow. Solution: Use the Hapax compensation function. In this example I had 15 tracks fully loaded and send effects to 3 buses. Only 3 plugins (Drumdesigner, Studio Horns and Studio Strings) needed between 50 an 100ms). It sounds like a pain in the a** but it’s acutally pretty easy.

Hapax controlling Logic Pro on iPad - YouTube
(This is no strange kind of new music but just 15 tracks playing a C5 note on every beat to check timing ;))

The Logic Pro Latency compensation (yellow tachometer icon) is a bad idea. Disables send effects and other stuff.

[johnwilhelm]

Another finding concerning Logic’s Midi Learn function.

Use the Hapax’s Assign funktion to have your knobs sending CC values. Then start Midi Learn. Important steps (in exactely this order):

• Turn Hapax Knob
• Turn On Learning
• Move Logic Control
• Turn Off Learning

Repeat this steps for every control. Eveything else resulted in a wild chaos in my tests.

[solipsvs]

ooh can we hear sumpthin?

[johnwilhelm]

Yeah a little later… was just experimenting so far and very busy finishing this project (scoring in Logic Pro is soooo great):

One Breath Around The World (Alternate Audiotrack)