0.0: Plug-and-Play

This guide explains how to connect the Grid module(s) to your DAW and configure them once connected.

Out of the box, Grid controllers are set up for seamless DAW control and other applications. Users can easily utilize software-side MIDI mapping or MIDI learn functionality. This default setup allows you to connect multiple Grid modules and immediately configure pots, knobs, sliders, and buttons in your preferred DAW without needing to open Grid Editor.

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Connect Grid to your DAW/VJ Software

So in the DAW/VJ Software we'll first have to enable our modules to be able to use them for MIDI mapping.

Let's start up a fresh project in your DAW of choice:

Ableton

and open up Options/Preferences and under MIDI Ports we'll find all our MIDI gear that's connected to the computer.

Here we should find our Grid module named 'Grid' or 'Intech Studio: AC'.

Now, what we want is to be able to send MIDI messages from Grid to your DAW, for this we have to enable both Track and Remote in the inputs section, like so.

Live preferences: MIDI Ports

Logic

Once within Logic, open Preferences and select MIDI -> Inputs. Here you should be able to see Grid or Intech Studio: Grid as an Input device. Enable it if it's not already enabled.

Find Grid within Preferences

FL Studio

and open up Options/MIDI Settings and under MIDI we'll find all our MIDI gear that's connected to the computer.

Here we should find our Grid module named 'Grid' or 'Intech Studio: AC'.

Select the Grid module under Input and click Enable. Once enabled, the Grid can send MIDI messages to FL Studio.

MIDI Settings, Enabled Grid module

ProTools

Article coming soon

Cubase

select Studio -> Studio Setup..., to upen up the Studio Setup panel, where general MIDI configurations can be viewed.

Select the MIDI Port Setup tab, and check if your Grid controller is listed under MIDI Input. If you don't see Grid listed there, check the troubleshooting articles.

Grid controllers shown under MIDI Port setup

Studio One

and open Preferences/External Devices and click on "Add...". Then, choose "New Control Surface" from the options. In the 'Receive From' dropdown menu, select either 'Grid' or 'Intech Studio: AC'. Next, provide a name for the device, such as "Grid", and click OK.

External Devices, Grid module

Reaper

open Settings/Midi Devices, Here we should find our Grid module named 'Intech Studio - Grid' or 'Intech Studio: AC'.

If not, click "Reset all MIDI devices". On Midi inputs, right click the Grid module and enable input for control messages.

Enabled Grid

Bitwig

and navigate to Settings/Controllers, then click on "+Add Controller" under the Controllers section. Choose "Generic" under Hardware Vendor, and proceed to add the Grid module named 'Grid' or 'Intech Studio: AC'.

Connected Grid controller

Arena

and navigate to Arena/Settings/MIDI. Choose "Intech Studio: Grid" as MIDI Input

Connected Grid controller

MIDI mapping

So after we have Grid enabled as a MIDI device we can send messages to the software and for that we have to choose which settings we'd like to control.

Ableton

Clicking the MIDI button in the top right turns all the MIDI-mappable settings to a slightly blueish color.

Midi button int the top right

The blue hue shows the MIDI-mappable parameters

When you click on any element, you activate MIDI learn mode in. This mode waits for a MIDI CC message from the controller. After interacting with any control element on your module, Ableton displays the MIDI assignment on the left side.

Map all the other control elements to parameters in Ableton the same way and voilá you're all configured. You can then exit MIDI learn mode safely.

Logic

Mapping a control element on Grid to a parameter in Logic is easy.

1. Select the track you want to control and pressing B on your keyboard to bring up the Smart Controls panel.
2. Click the small (i) button in the top left to open up Automatic Smart Controls.
3. Click on any of the parameters on the right you wish to control like Expression for example, then click on the Learn button under External Assignments. The representation of this parameter should now turn red along with the Learn button.
4. Turn or slide the element on your Grid controller to map it to this parameter. Turn off Learn.
5. Now your Grid should control this parameter.

Map the controls with the Smart Controls

FL Studio

First, enable Multilink and move the parameters you wish to control. Once you've moved, click Multilink once more.

Multilink button Enable

This action will prompt the Remote Control Settings window to appear. Simply move the Grid knobs or faders, and they will automatically map to the displayed destination.

Remote Control Settings with kick fader waiting to assign

ProTools

Article coming soon

Cubase

Cubase has a feature called Quick Controls, which allows 8 control elements to be mapped. It allows you to select specific parameters on a channel which you want to control. You can assign MIDI messages to these parameters, and control them with your Grid controller.

Tick in the Learn checkbox, and move a knob on your Grid controller. The Learn checkbox will enable MIDI learn in Cubase, so your interaction with the control elements are recorded. Click on a row, tweak a control element, repeat.

In each Quick Control row, under the flags the R should be activated, so the MIDI messages are received by Cubase. If we want to send MIDI messages back to Grid, the T flag should be activated too.

Left: MIDI learn values for a PBF4 potentiometers and faders
Right: Transmit and Receive are activated, so MIDI values can be received and sent back to Grid

Studio One

1. Open the Mixer view by clicking on the button located in the lower right corner under the browser.
2. On the left side, select "Show External Devices" and open up the Grid interface.
3. Click on "MIDI Learn" and manipulate the faders, potentiometers, or buttons as needed, then close the MIDI Learn function.

Show External Devices

• To assign a parameter eg: volume fader, to control with the Grid: move a control on Grid then right click on a fader and choose "Assign 'Volume' to Controlx on Grid".

  

  Assign to fader

• Let's assign a Grid potentiometer to a parameter on a VST synth. Open the synth and in the top right next to Grid, open the mapping interface. Once opened, move the Cutoff Frequency parameter, then move a potentiometer on the Grid. In the top left corner, you'll see the two parameters; click on "Assign." From now on, you can control the Cutoff frequency from the Grid module.

Assign control

Reaper

For example let's midi map faders to Grid, you have to do so using Actions.

Open the Action List (Action/Show action list...) and filter for "set volume". Select one of the "Track: Set volume for track x (MIDI CC only)" and under the "Shortcuts for selected action" click "Add...". Then move the controller you wish to use and it will assign that action, then press OK.

Now when you move that controller, the fader moves. You can set one controller to adjust the mixer faders on any selected track, the last touched track or set multiple controllers to control multiple tracks.

Mapped Faders

Bitwig

When click on "Learn" you activate MIDI learn mode. This mode waits for a MIDI CC message from the controller. After interacting with any control element on your module, Bitwig displays the MIDI assignment.

The blue hue shows the MIDI-mappable parameters

Now you have a generic configuration.

Arena

Then open up Midi mapping: Shortcuts/Edit MIDI

Edit MIDI

To control Resolume Arena effectively, use EF44 for layer mixing and EN16 for scene triggering and parameter adjustments, as this combination provides efficient control over the software's functions.

Arena mapped

Now you have a generic configuration.

Want to know more?

For anything more complex than just the plug-and-play experience please take a look at Grid Editor!