Headrush Prime | Receiving MIDI Program Changes From Your PRIME

In this guide, I will demonstrate how to send Program Changes from your DAW, allowing you to automate the switch to a different rig while working on a song arrangement. For instance, you might use Rig1 for the Verse and Rig2 for the Chorus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Set Up the Prime to Receive MIDI Program Changes
Sending MIDI Program Changes in Logic Pro
Sending MIDI Program Changes in Ableton Live

Set Up the Prime to Receive MIDI Program Changes

1. Connect a MIDI IN cable from the Prime to the MIDI OUT of your MIDI Interface. In this case, I will be using a CME U6 MIDI PRO.

2. On the Prime, go to Global Settings > MIDI and ensure that Prog Change is highlighted under Recv.

3. Label your Rigs appropriately; for instance, I have labeled mine as Rig1 and Rig2.

4. Click on the Hardware Assign Icon.

5. Adjust the MIDI PROG numbers accordingly.

Sending MIDI Program Changes in Logic Pro

1. Launch Logic Pro and create an External MIDI Instrument.

2. Ensure that your MIDI Destination is set to the correct Port; in my instance, I'm utilizing Port1 of the MIDI OUT from the CME U6 MIDI Pro.

3. Create a MIDI Region, click on List Editors or press D to open it automatically.

4. Choose Progr. Change and hit + to insert a Program Change event (this will specifically place the event where the playhead is positioned in the arrangement, as you can see my playhead is at bar 1).

5. Adjust the dropdown menu in Length/Info based on your Rigs. 0 Grand Piano will be the same value as my Rig1 (MIDI PROG 1) and 1 Bright Piano will be the same as my Rig2 (MIDI PROG 2).

6. Move the playhead to bar 1 3 1 and press + again to add another Event, where I have 1 Bright Piano that will transition my rigs from Rig1 to Rig2 on the Prime.

Sending MIDI Program Changes in Ableton Live

1. Start Ableton, set up a MIDI Track.

2. Modify the MIDI To to point to your MIDI Interface's output port.

3. Add a MIDI Clip.

4. On the Clip settings, located at the bottom left of the screenshot, click the dropdown menu for Launch and adjust the Pgm to match your Rigs.

5. Here in my first MIDI Clip, I've set the Pgm to 1, which will correspond to my Rig1 in the Prime.

6. In my second MIDI Clip, I have Pgm configured to 2, which will correspond to my Rig2 in the Prime.