Applies to: SL Mk II

I just bought the SL MkII, should I download the latest Automap installer from the Novation website?

Yes, it is always recommended that you download the latest Automap installer from the Novation website (rather than using the disc that came in the box) as it will ensure that you have the latest version of software installed on your system.

The latest Automap installer can be downloaded here. How do I restore the OS and Automap Settings/templates on the SL MK II and Zero SL MK II?

It is possible to reset the ReMOTE SL MK2 and the ZeRO MK2 to the latest OS and Automap settings from the Automap server as follows:

1. To get to the startup view, click on the home icon at the bottom of the Automap server.
2. Select the devices menu.
3. Select the relevant device.
4. On the hardware, go to the “GLOBAL” menu and ensure that “MEM PROT” is set to “OFF”.
5. Then, press “WRITE” on the SL MkII and follow the LCD screen txt to ensure that you save the global settings on the hardware.
6. Select the “Update System Settings" - This will restore the most up-to-date settings regardless of how the unit came from the factory.
7. Follow the instructions in the Automap server.
8. Turn “MEM PROT” back on in the global menu to ensure that your templates and settings can not be overwritten by accident.

How do I turn off touch sensitivity on the SL MK II?

If you press the 'global' button once, then touch/press the 1st encoder/button on the left side of the SL MkII, which correspond to 'Option'.

Once you're in the Options menu, you can turn off touch-sensitive by pressing/turning the 5th button/encoder, labelled 'TouchSel'.

My SL MK II LCD screen reads 'NEED MIDI OS' and is frozen. What should I do?

If the LCD screen on your SL MkII is showing 'Need MIDI OS' you will need to update the unit via MIDI.

Before getting started, download the SysEx files attached to this article…

You will need a MIDI interface (or an audio interface with a MIDI OUT) to force the OS update.

Instructions for Mac

The 1st step is to download “SysEx librarian” from snoize.com.

Once downloaded, run the application.

Now drag and drop the two SysEx files (OS and AllTemplates Z2SL) into SysEx librarian.

Connect a midi cable from the “MIDI out” of your chosen midi device to the “MIDI in” of your ReMOTE SL.

Connect your chosen MIDI device and select it within SysEx librarian, then ready your SL for OS update:

To force the SL MkII into the “update via midi” mode, connect your SL via USB and hold down the 3 top left midi buttons above the top row of encoders (see below) as you power up the unit. Then press the button directly underneath the txt “PROCEED” to confirm the action. The SL LCD screen should display “waiting to receive OS via midi…”.

Now you should be able to proceed by clicking “play” in SysEx librarian.

You will know when the SL is upgrading as the percentage value of the installer will increase on the screen of the SL.

When the update reaches 100% on the LCD screen, power cycle the unit.

Then you can load the “All Templates Z2SL.syx” file into SysEx librarian, although this time you should be able to select the SL MkII “port 1” in SysEx librarian and send this direct to the unit via USB. This does not require the SL MkII to be put into receive mode, but “memory protect” needs to be set to “OFF” in the “global” menu.

Instructions for Windows

The 1st step is to download “MIDI-OX” from midiox.com

Once downloaded, run the application.

Select the output port by clicking on the “select MIDI devices to open” icon. This is the one that looks like a blue MIDI connector.

Under MIDI Outputs, click on the name of your MIDI interface so that it is highlighted blue and appears in the “Port Mapping” list. Select OK.

Connect a midi cable from the “midi out” of your chosen midi device to the “midi in” of your ReMOTE SL.

To force the SL MkII into the “update via midi” mode, connect your SL via USB and hold down the 3 top left midi buttons above the top row of encoders (see above) as you power up the unit. Then press the button directly underneath the txt “PROCEED” to confirm the action. The SL LCD screen should display “waiting to receive OS via midi…”.

Select View > SysEx and then in the new window, SysEx > Configure. Ensure that the settings match the screenshot below.

Select Command Window>Load file and select the OS file from the zip file I have sent. Then select Command Windows>Send SysEx. This will send the OS.

You will know when the SL is upgrading as the percentage value of the installer will increase on the screen of the SL.

When the update reaches 100% on the LCD screen, power cycle the unit.

Then you can load the “All Templates Z2SL.syx” file into MIDI-OX, although this time you should be able to select the SL MkII “port 1” in “Select MIDI devices to open” and send this direct to the unit via USB. This does not require the SL MkII to be put into receive mode, but “memory protect” needs to be set to “OFF” in the “global” menu.

How do I navigate templates on the SL MK II?

The SL MkII has two main Modes of operation: Automap Mode and Advanced Mode. These are both accessed via the main Automap button.

When the Automap button is lit, this will launch the Automap template. This is the template that communicates with the Automap Server software and allows you to control your Automap clients. (Clients are any other software that communicates with the server, be it an Automap version of a plug-in, or a DAW that is fully integrated with Automap - Cubase, Nuendo, Sonar and Traktion.)

For more information on the differences between “Automap” and “Advanced” mode operation, please download the SL MkII user guide from the following link:

novationmusic.com/support/sl_mkii

How do I set up my SL MK II with Ableton Live?

To set up Ableton Live Automap, carry out the following steps:

1. Make sure you have Ableton Live 5.2 or later. If you need to update Live then you can download the latest version from www.ableton.com. Live 6, 7 and 8 are also supported.
2. Connect the SL MkII to your computer and open Ableton Live. Go to the MIDI/Sync page of the Live preferences and set the options as shown in the following screenshot: The Input AND Output of the SL MkII in the Control Surfaces section must be set to SL MkII (Port 2).
3. Exit the preferences and start using Live!

The Ableton template must be selected on the SL MkII when using it in Ableton Live Automap mode. Once you have followed the above setup instructions, the SL MkII will automatically switch to the Ableton Live Automap template and will do so each time you launch Live. Whilst using the SL MkII in Ableton Live Automap mode, you can switch to any other template on the unit (for example to control hardware MIDI devices or Automap-wrapped plug-ins using the Automap template) and then switch back to the Ableton Live Automap template to control Live again.

The pots and bottom left-hand row of buttons on the SL MkII are not assigned to any parameters in Live. However, they are set to send MIDI CC messages, meaning that you can assign them to parameters in Live as you like using Live's MIDI learn feature (click on MIDI in the top right-hand corner of the Live window).

To select a plug-in in Live for hardware control from the SL MkII, click on the Device Title Bar using the mouse.

The plug-in parameters will then appear on the left-hand SL MkII display. Use the LEFT-HAND SCROLL buttons to scroll through pages of plug-in parameters. The 8 encoders can be used to control the parameters shown and the top left-hand row of buttons can be used to return them to their default value or, for the DeviceOn parameter, toggle the plug-in on/off. To lock the SL MkII to the currently selected plug-in press the ROW-SELECT button for the upper left-hand buttons. The LED next to the button will light to indicate that the SL MkII is locked to a plug-in in Live. Press the ROW-SELECT button for the upper left-hand buttons again to unlock the SL MkII.

How to Trigger Impulse from the SL MkII Drum Pads On the Ableton Live Automap template the drum pads are, by default, mapped to MIDI notes C1-G1. Impulse’s samples can be triggered using the notes C3, D3, E3, F3, G3, A3, B3 and C4. To trigger Impulse from the ReMOTE SL drum pads, you must change the note values that the drum pads send out. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the EDIT mode button and hit the drum pad whose settings you want to change, then release the EDIT mode button
2. Set the Note parameter to the new value.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all other drum pads.
4. Press WRITE 3 times to save the settings, and then the PLAY mode button to return to Play mode.

How do I edit the individual buttons, rotaries, and faders on my SL MKII and Zero SL MK II?

Press and hold the EDIT button, then press the desired control on the unit. This will bring up a list of parameters you can change for that control. Press WRITE to save changes and ensure your MEMORY PROTECT is off.

My SL MK II / Zero SL MK II is behaving strangely, and I can't seem to follow the DAW Setup Guide accurately enough as not all the settings are available

Please open Automap's Main menu and click on DEVICES, then select your controller. Click on UPDATE SYSTEM SETTINGS and follow the on-screen instructions.