PERKEN CONSOLE1

A control surface to integrate the console 1 MKII into Reaper. I’d gotten frustrated with being locked into using Softube’s plugins, the ilok, and the absence of a linux version. If anyone’s interested in trying this thing, bear in mind it is still at the experimental phase.

If you want to try it

This is for the tech-inclined. You’ll have to compile the project yourself.

• pull WDL  and reaper’s SDK into the root of the project folder.
• install Zig.
• run zig build from the project folder’s root
• move the resulting build’s reaper-zig.so into REAPER/UserPlugins/
• move the project’s resources folder to REAPER/Data/Perken/Console1/resources/
• start reaper
• de-activate the console’s midi input in settings => midi devices
• map the console’s in/out to softube console1 in settings => control/osc/web => add

Features:

• FX control
  • Upon selecting a track, Console1 loads a container that wraps 5 FX, each corresponding to the sections of the console (input/gate/eq/compressor/output). The container represents your channel strip The mappings that match the knobs with the FX params are contained in the config files (REAPER/Data/Perken/Console1/resources).
  • It’s possible to create your own mapping files and try them out. To do that, you have to annotate it in the defaults.ini file, restart reaper, and re-set the console’s connection in reaper’s settings => control/osc/web.
  • It’s not possible to swap FX mappings mid-session atm.
  • Only one channel strip’s map is available: HBJ highpass/lowpass (input), reagate, reaeq, reacomp, and reaanalog (output)
• track controls: change tracks’ phase, volume, pan, solo, mute
• track synchronization:
  • any changes on the track will (should?) be reflected in the controller.
  • on track selection, the console’s knobs sync with the track’s channel strip.
  • clicking the track-number buttons will select the corresponding tracks
• FX display:
  • Display On button will toggle the selected track’s fx chain. It also follows track selection, so when you select a new track the previous fxchain gets closed and the new one gets opened
  • When the fxchain is open, whatever fx you’re tweaking from the console will get focused.
• Fx order: change the position of the EQ inside of the container, relative to the Gate and compressor. Gate is always placed before the container
• External Side chain: set pin mappings for channels 3-4 to route into FX’s inputs 3-4. The console does NOT set the FX’s detection mode to side chain - you’ll have to do that manually.
• Meters: Compressor and output meters work. Output meter is NOT accurate. Gate and input meter do NOT work. Gate meter will probably happen, input meter will probably NOT happen.

Limitations:

• UNTESTED ON WINDOWS - will most likely not work. MacOS and Linux are good to go.
• can’t change FX mid-session from the console.
• can’t save presets
• Button Filters to compressor does not work.
• Buttons Dupl Track All/Group do not work either.

Know issues:

• going back and forth between multiple project tabs crashes reaper when the console is active
• small memory leak that I’m still chasing
• Page Up/Down crashes reaper

Some features I’d like to build

• multiple modes for the console - besides controlling FX, this could be «transport control» or «sample edit controls»
• swapping fx mappings mid-session
• A GUI window to display visual feedback
• Creating more fx mappings