[Bias FX2] Keyboard shortcuts?
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Hi everyone,
I just started using Bias FX2 Standard and I must say - as a beginner, it helped me a lot in shaping the tone of my guitar and allowed me to experiment without spending a huge amount of cash on hardware.
There is one question I have though - does BiasFX come with any keyboard shortcuts? I don't have a MIDI switch and I'd like to quickly control some aspects of the software via keyboard. For example, the looper - clicking the REC button with the mouse is a bit cumbersome, I'd rather push a key and have it record. The same with scenes - it'd be nice to assign keyboard shortcuts to scenes, so I can quickly change between clean / crunch without having to move my mouse around.Thank you!
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@dplaton Not 100% sure about Bias FX2, but I used to use Bias FX, both Standard and Pro versions. They had no keyboard shortcuts and when I asked support about it, they said they had no plans to add them. It's one of the reasons I stopped using FX (the other was lack of scalability on the user interface, which makes it unusably small on very high resolution screens).
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I haven't set up a midi controller for Bias FX 2, but judging by this article, it's possible to download programs which create virtual MIDI controllers from your keyboard.
https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-midi-translation-midi-to-keystrokes--audio-6914
Also, many smartphones have MIDI compatibility when connected via USB.
If you had a spare mouse, it may even be possible to use it as a foot pedal of sorts, by lightly stepping on the scroll wheel.
Have a search for 'virtual MIDI controller software' or 'MIDI to Keystroke' and I'm sure you'll find all kinds of useful methods to achieve what you need.
(I'm not specifically endorsing the software in the link above, it's just proof that it can be done. One of the comments says the software is $60. You'll surely find some free software which can create virtual MIDI controllers as it is a basic task. I'll update this comment when I have time to search for free software and I'll make some recommendations if you haven't found any yourself)
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@yogosan91 Good advice - I did something like this when I had Bias FX Pro, using a keystroke-to-MIDI converter application from Bome software. I recall I needed to use MIDIYoke as well, to get the MIDI data from the Bome software into the Bias plugin in my DAW. It worked well once I figured it out. You need the Pro version of Bias FX though, the Standard version doesn't support MIDI, and the OP is using Standard.
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@captainfruitbat said in [Bias FX2] Keyboard shortcuts?:
You need the Pro version of Bias FX though, the Standard version doesn't support MIDI, and the OP is using Standard.
Ahh, I see. Another option (and this would be cumbersome depending on how far one takes it), is to setup Macros for your mouse which when activated using keyboard keystrokes moves the mouse cursor and left-clicks on the desired BIAS input.
A simple Macro could be setup which for example, left-clicks on the mouse by pressing the space bar. Then you could hover the mouse cursor over desired button and press space bar to trigger.
More advance Macros could be setup which both move the cursor to a point on the screen, then left-click to select an option in BIAS by pressing a keyboard command.
Some Macro programmes can detect a software's inputs via text, images and other means, which would make this easier but I must confess, I haven't spent much time experimenting with this.
I was using a program called ' voice attack' which could carry out complex Macro commands via speech. I stopped using it as random noises would sometimes trigger commands involuntarily. Now, this programme wouldn't be unsuited for BIAS, as there is a delay in processing voice commands, causing timing issues; but if one found another program that utilised keystrokes for Macros, then it would be possible to use the keyboard as a BIAS Input.
Again, very cumbersome, but it's the best I can think of for now.
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If you go to to 'Ease of Access Mouse Settings ' in Windows, you can turn on 'Control Mouse with Number Pad'. Then press '5' to left-click.
That would be a very quick way of adding some basic functionality, like pressing record without touching the mouse. You'd still need quick reflexes to get your picking hand back in action though; you could use your tongue or your nose!
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@yogosan91 Hey, thanks for the tip! I'll definitely look into it, especially the solution to use my mobile device as a MIDI controller.