[LAU] Novation Impulse 25?

[Len Ovens]

On Sat, 18 Jun 2016, Paul Coccoli wrote:

> Anyone have experience with this MIDI controller?  I'm wondering if any of the
> extra bells-and-whistles (that I assume don't work on Linux) get in the way.  I'm
> primarily interested in it for the knobs and pedal inputs.  Not many seem to have
> expression pedal inputs these days.

My comments are based on the manual:
https://d19ulaff0trnck.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/downloads/3993/impulse-user-guide.pdf
>From Novations website.

This is a midi controler and so almost everything should work with Linux. 
There is some bundled SW called Automap and there is no linux version of 
this. It would probably not work with LV2s anyway being focused on VSTs 
and AUs. But because that is extra sw and not part of the controller 
itself, it will not "get in the way". The most telling point in the maunal 
is the part that shows there are real MIDI ports for use on stage with HW 
synths... nothing that Linux and the plugin's used on Linux should have a 
problem with.

The transport buttons can send either MMC which depending on the Linux SW 
may or not be supported. They can also be set to send other CC events that 
can be mapped to work as well. The Automap DAW control is not useful so 
far as I can see, even if you can get it to run in wine as it uses the old 
HUI format rather than the (slightly) newer and better supported MCP.

It should be possible to map this device any which way you want manually. 
There are a set of factory templates, some of which may be useful, but if 
mapping manually, it is probably best to pick one template and make the SW 
you use work around that.

Having said that, Ardour does have MIDI maps already for the 61 and 49 key 
versions. They rely on the Basic MIDI template to work. There is probably 
not a lot of editing required to make it work with the 25 (if any).

--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net