SFC-5 V2 Class Compliant USB MIDI Device Controller
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Specifications:
- Product Name: SFC-5 V2
- Firmware Version: 2.6
- Compatibility: Works with various MIDI plugins and DAWs
Product Usage Instructions:
Installation and Start-up:
1. Update your desired plugin to ensure compatibility with SFC-5
V2.
Workflow:
– The SFC-5 V2 sends CC MIDI messages to control synth
parameters.
– Ensure the plugin has the right MIDI mapping and MIDI is
routed to the plugin’s track.
– If mapping presets are not available, manual mapping takes 2
minutes and can be saved in the plugin memory for future use.
Routing:
– Route MIDI to the correct track to control the desired plugin
instance.
– Refer to your DAW user manual for specific routing
details.
Plugin Mode:
– The SFC-5 V2 firmware 2.6 offers two plugin modes: Generic
Prophet-5 MIDI controller and Arturia Prophet-5 V mode.
– Default mode is Arturia mode, but can be changed using the
control panel.
Advanced 2-way Arturia Integration:
– Start using the integration by downloading and unzipping the
support file from Arturia ASC.
– Follow instructions in the README file for proper setup.
– Only versions specified in the README file are supported.
– Restart the plugin after copying XML file(s) and choose SFC-5
in the MIDI controller dropdown for auto-mapping and
integration.
Special Key Combinations:
– Use the controller to change presets.
– Adjust pot behavior options by holding SHIFT and pressing the
switch next to the Glide pot to cycle through 3 options.
FAQ:
Q: How do I update the firmware of SFC-5 V2?
A: Firmware updates can be done by downloading the latest
version from the manufacturer’s website and following the provided
instructions.
Q: Can SFC-5 V2 be used with Ableton Live?
A: Yes, SFC-5 V2 can be used with Ableton Live by configuring
MIDI settings and routing accordingly. Refer to Ableton Live
documentation for detailed instructions.
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SFC-5 V2 User Manual
Installation and start-up:
The SFC-5 V2 is a class-compliant USB-MIDI device which means that no drivers are necessary. The controller should directly be recognized by your computer when plugged-in. USB devices should preferably be connected directly to the computer USB ports. Up to 3 SoundForce controllers were able to connect to a Macbook Pro via an unpowered USB Hub. Please make sure that your USB ports/hubs are providing enough power to every single device in your configuration. If you cannot connect to the controller, please try another USB cable, USB port and if possible another computer or OS.
Update your desired plugin:
Always make sure that you have the latest version of the software you want to use with the SFC-5.
Workflow:
The SFC-5 V2 sends CC MIDI messages to take control of a synth parameters. Therefore the plugin needs the right MIDI mapping and MIDI needs to be routed to the plugin’s track. When possible and for some selected plugins, mapping presets are available, see the support page. If your plugin is not in the list, mapping takes 2 minutes and will be saved in the plugin memory so it’s always available in the future.
Routing:
To specify which instance of the plugin you want to control, simply route the MIDI to the right track. This is usually done by scrolling (or clicking) from one track to another and thus putting a specific track in “recordarm”. Please refer to your DAW user manual for specific details. The stand-alone versions of the Arturia instruments have MIDI controllers listed under “Audio MIDI Settings”, the SFC-5 V2 will need to be selected.
Plugin mode:
The SFC-5 V2 firmware 2.6 has 2 plugin modes you can set using the control panel (see below). The controller can either be a generic Prophet-5 MIDI controller, this mode is suitable for uhe’s Pro-5 or Softube Model 80, or a dedicated Arturia Prophet-5 V (Vcollection 9 and higher) mode. In this mode you can enjoy advanced 2-way integration (see below). The default mode out of the box is Arturia mode.
Advanced 2-way Arturia integration :
From firmware 2.6, a greatly improved integration with the latest Arturia Prophet-5 V (Vcollection 9/10/11) plugin can be accessed thanks to simple and easy to copy file(s). The controller can now receive sysex data from the plugin when presets or instances are changed in the DAW. On the controller side, the data is loaded to the interface and the controller can update the front panel. It can also request the sysex interface dump on demand if needed, this is needed when a DAW will not trigger certain events correctly. This integration works thanks to Arturia’s XML system that was implemented for their own line of MIDI controllers. This functionality is unique and won’t be available with plugins from other developers unless they program special functions to implement this. Special thanks to Marie from Arturia for taking the time to explain me how it works.
Set-up: The SFC-5 comes out of the box in Arturia plugin mode by default. If you changed it to Generic in the control panel, make sure to put it back to Arturia plugin mode (see plugin mode and control panel section).
To start using this integration, download, unzip the support file. Check which version you are using in the Arturia ASC and choose the right folder. Follow the instructions in the README file. There are versions released in 2024 that caused problems and cannot be supported. Only the versions specified in the README files are supported.
After copying the XML file(s), restart the plugin if it was open and then in the plugin interface click on the cogwheel, then in the MIDI tab choose the SFC-5 in the MIDI controller dropdown. This will auto-map the plugin to the SFC-5 default CC map and turn on automatically the 2-way integration.
Behaviour to expect: The plugin will “dump” all its interface data to the controller in few scenarios:
when a new plugin instance is created when the standalone version is opened (if the SFC-5 is checked on in the Audio MIDI Settings) when changing presets when switching tracks/instances when requesting it using SHIFT+UNI
The plugin will send a single sysex message when a plugin control is moved or touched using the mouse as well. If the controller is updated with firmware 2.6, it will ingest the plugin data and the LEDs will be set to mirror the plugin. The pot data is also ingested and they are 3 behaviors possible, see below.
DAWs specifcs: Switching instances happens differently in every DAW so please refer to your DAW’s manual and documentation to do this. Usually it involves selecting another track and making sure that the arm record function goes with it. Please note that switching tracks (using the Arm Recording switch) to open a new instance in Ableton is problematic. The previously opened GUI is not properly closed and thus the functions in the plugin framework are not triggered correctly when a new instance is opened. This is not a problem related to Arturia software or SoundForce controllers. The easy workaround for this is to firstly switch tracks, then to manually request the sysex data dump from the plugin to the controller with the switch combination SHIFT+UNI.
Special key combinations: From the controller, you can change the presets:
backward: SHIFT + USER 4 forward: SHIFT + USER 5 You can also manually request the sysex from the plugin to the controller with SHIFT + UNI. This is especially handy if you notice that the sysex is not triggering when switching tracks/instances, for example in Ableton see above.
Pot behavior options: When the received pot data from the plugin differs from the actual pot positions on the controller, discontinuities can appear if this is not dealt with. Similar to Ableton take over modes, they are 3 options that can be set while holding the SHIFT button down and pressing the switch next to the Glide pot to cycle thought the 3 options:
Jump (off LED blinks): When a pot is moved, the controller will send instantly sends its new physical pot value and the control in the plugin will do a discontinuous jump.
Pick-up (ON LED blinks): The controller will only send new pot values after the physical control has reached the plugin pot position. The LEDs USER 4 and USER 5 will blink to let you know if you need to go lower (USER 4 blinks) or higher (USER 5 blinks). After the controller pot has reached the plugin pot position, the controller will then start to send the new messages.
Scaling (LEGATO LED blinks): The controller will rescale the values sent to the plugin elastically so that a move on the controller matches the range of a move on the plugin control. Only smooth transitions are created. As soon as the control reaches one extremities (0 or 127), the scale is back to the normal 1:1 proportion.
Arp controls: The V collection 9 update of the plugin offers a new arpeggiator, the USER sections is used to control most of its parameters:
User 1: Arp rate User 2: Arp octave User 3: Arp pattern User 4: Arp ON/OFF User 5: Arp Sync (Hertz/Sync)
Recall:
When the plugin window and the state of the controller are different, it is sometimes preferable to “push” the state of the controller to the plugin interface. That way nothing is jumping around when you start moving the controls and it helps getting the controller and plugin synced up when you get started. Recall is reading every controls and sending a pack of CC messages to the plugin. To launch the recall function, double-click on the “shift” button.
Extended controls with the SHIFT button:
The “shift” button is doubling the function of the potentiometers. Simply hold down the “shift” button and turn your desired control. This will send an alternative CC message per pot.
Plugin specifc information:
The generic plugin mode is perfect for uhe’s Pro-5, Softube Model 80 or older Arturia Prophet plugins (preV9). The softube plugin has a mapping preset system, and a mapping preset can found on the support page. In the Model 80 mapping preset, the unison stack control is mapped to USER 1 and the Aging control to USER2. But you can of course change this to your liking. The uhe plugin doesn’t have a mapping preset system but mapping is fast and is saved in the plugin memory. For the OSC1 octave switch, you can use 1 of the USER switches. The 2 other USER switches can also be used for the mod matrix.
Control panel :
The Control Panel is a Google-Chrome app that allows you to change the CC numbers of each control, to change the MIDI channel and to switch between the 2 plugin modes (Generic Prophet or Arturia V9/XML). This is especially useful if you want to use the controller with external hardware or if you are using plugins with non-mappable fixed CC’s. See video tutorial on the Control Panel. The latest link to the control panel is on the support page.
Documents / Resources
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