Connecting your MIDI Hardware to LinPlug instruments using ECS

 ECS means Easy Controller Setup. And in fact, there's no easier way of connecting external hardware controllers to a virtual instrument.

 Alpha Dial support in the brand new version 2 of ECS. Use Alpha Dials for maximum comfort in editing.

ECS is Easy

 There is just one switch to set up your fader- or controller-box within minutes. Switch on ECS, select a parameter with the mouse and move a knob or slider on your hardware controller. Done! From now on you can change this parameter with that controller.
Using this method, you may define up to 128 parameter controller combinations. This does not depend on what manufacturer your controller is or what MIDI-CC-messages it sends.

Don't forget to switch off ECS after the definition has been set! The assignments are saved with your song or exported instrument bank (CronoX and Roagine) or drum kit (RM 2 and RM F)..

Product Support

 Some of our older products do not support ECS yet. This will change with our next major release, and all our products will support ECS. The brand new ECS 2 is currently only supported by CronoX.
 

Delta

CronoX

RM 2

Roagine

RM F

Alpha

ECS

ECS 2

Host Support

Not all VST hosts support the routing of MIDI Continuous Controller messages to the VST plug in.
 

Both ECS and ECS 2 work with all Versions of Cubase
 

Both ECS and ECS 2 work with all Versions of Orion and Orion Pro.
 

Fruity Loops 3.x has its own method of assigning controllers to parameters. So you can't use ECS yet.

 Logic Audio only supports a limited routing of MIDI-CC's to the VST plug in. You must check out your controller with LA, to find out if its possible to route to VST plug ins or not.

Hardware Support

One great advantage of ECS is that it works with any MIDI hardware that is capable of sending MIDI CC's (Continuous Controllers). So all Controller and Fader Boxes work fine, no matter what the manufacturer.

ECS 2 works with Alpha Dials as well. The only manufacturer supporting this technique at a reasonable price yet is Doepfer Musikelektronik.
 

Alpha Dials

With ECS 2 you are capable of taking advantage of endless rotary encoders (Alpha Dials). Standard controllers send absolute parameter values to the plug. Endless encoders send relative parameter values. What’s the advantage ?
Whenever you switch your preset, the parameters change. For example, the filter cutoff may change from 500 Hz in the first preset to 2400 Hz in the new selected preset. With absolute controllers the following will happen: when you increase the cutoff controller, it will increase from its previous position (500 Hz) to 550 Hz, so your new preset will jump from 2400 Hz down to 550 Hz. Not the desired effect, but there is no way around this with absolute controller values.
Endless encoders (relative controllers) will instead send a relative change of +10% cutoff, so it will change in the desired way from 2400 Hz to 2640 Hz.

In short: Alpha Dials avoid parameter jumps after switching presets. The controller always changes relative to the actual parameter value. This means much more comfort for editing!

Alpha Dials are the way to go in controllers for virtual instruments. Look at Doepfer Musikelektronik when you are looking for inexpensive Alpha Dial controllers.