Newcomer / Intro Saitek X52 Pro and Voice Attack

[TheMekon]

I'm trying to setup the Saitek X52 Pro and Voice Attack to work with Elite Dangerous, and I'm getting totally confused. I have a joystick profile X52ProEliteV223 that I picked up from the web, so I use this profile, but I have no idea what to do about the bindings? Do I define a new set of bindings in AppData\Local\... folder? In ED, I can go to the Control Options and I see one for Saitek X52Pro, but do I then define key bindings here? Most operations have 2 columns, the first contains a joystick button, the second is blank, what is this second column for? Do I do anything here?

Does anybody have a simple guide to setting up the Saitek X52 Pro with ED, especially if it also covers setting up Voice Attack (with HCS profiles), that would be very useful. I've tried following the tutorial on HCS web page to setup the keys in Control Options, but never works, every time I issue a command like Deploy Hardpoints, VoiceAttack recognises the command but has no keys to use for this command

 

[Para Handy]

I use the second column for key-presses (as opposed to Joy buttons) and HCS / VA uses those to carry out the commands.

Hopefully someone will come on and tell you how to use the HCS-created bindings - I don't use that, I just make sure I have no missing keybinds in the startup or the "Customiser" missing keybinds report.

 

[d8veh]

Yes, it's a bit complicated. there are some really good VA packs that you can download, but, of course, they all are designed for specific key-bindings. Here's how I'd handle it if I did it again.

Start with a downloaded voice pack and the standard X52 bindings. Check the forum for the VA threads where guys make the VA packs available. You want one that handles all the info panels, which require macros. Try here:
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/voice-attack-profile-sharing.53846/

After you find a pack that has everything that you think you'll need, look at the key-bindings in it and assign them all to the second column in your key-bindings profile.

If you add any of your own commands, avoid monosyllabic commands because VA can't so easily differentiate them.