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MIDIbox SEQ V4 Release + Feedback


TK.

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Yes, it's well hidden ;)

I just remember that I wanted to make the "preset labels" configurable, so that they can be selected from a list stored in a file (so that users can define their own labels without changing the firmware). Will work in this later today...

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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11 minutes ago, TK. said:

Yes, it's well hidden ;)

I just remember that I wanted to make the "preset labels" configurable, so that they can be selected from a list stored in a file (so that users can define their own labels without changing the firmware). Will work in this later today...

Best Regards, Thorsten.

indeed :)

after making a lot of presets and labels for my synths and drummachines i can say that would be great.

unfortunately i cant find an option for labeling tracks defined for drums.

btw. the new behaviour of the selection buttons is great.

thanks

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Yes, drum labels are stored at the same place which is normally used for track names (a memory limitation...)

However, feel free to try this out: http://www.ucapps.de/mios32/midibox_seq_v4_096_pre4.zip

   o It's now possible to customize the list of labels which are used during track/pattern
     name and category and drum selection. After booting the new firmware, following files
     will be created in the /PRESETS folder: TRKLABEL.V4P, TRKCATS.V4P and TRKDRUMS.V4P

     Edit these files with the MIOS File browser. Uploaded changes are immediately taken
     over.

     - TRKLABEL and TRKCATS: are used in MENU->EVNT, "Trk Inst.", "Edit Name" page
       (Use GP15 to select the Preset)

     - TRKDRUMS is used on the same page when a drum track is edited (instead of a
       track name we configure instrument names)

       Special treatment: TRKDRUMS.V4P also maps MIDI notes to the drum labels.
       Whenever a new preset drum is selected, the drum note will be changed accordingly.
       This allows you to fully customize drum maps.

       The first 16 drums are taken by default whenever a drum track is initialized, and the
       remaining drums in the list can be optionally selected to replace on of the 16
       drum instruments.

     - TRKLABEL and TRKCATS are also used when a pattern is saved

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Hello,

I may have discovered a small bug in FW 096-pre4 (hope this is the right place to post). Assume I got a normal notes track. When I first enter notes into layer PE (note layer) then these notes are also entered in PA (note layer) which was empty before. When PA is populated with at least one note then this does not occur.

Also I got another small question: I am playing around with arps and busses. I am sending notes/chords via BUS 1 from G1T4 to G1T1 (channel on BUS 1 as well as setting JAM/T&A does not seem to matter, G1T1 sends to OUT 1 Chan 1 to my WDorfPulse2) and the arps from G1T1 are playing as expected. When I delete the notes from G1T4 or leave G1T4 empty or switch G1T4 to send to another BUS the arps are still playing but with a "changed" sound. Long story short, I expected that no notes would be played. Is this by intention?

Anyway, I am impressed with the v4+. Its lightyears in front of others I owned like Squarp Pyramid or Kilpatrick Carbon. So many thanks for the good work :)!!

Best Regards,

jingo

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Hi Jingo,

thanks for the compliments! :)

Note appears in PA: by default PA plays C-3 on all steps but gate is disabled, therefore you don't see this note.
If you enter a note in PE first (intention is that you start with PA), the default C-3 note will be visible in PA.
I've to check if this special case could be handled better, on the other hand somebody could have entered this note in PA by intention and wants that it will be played together with the note in PE

To the arps: whenever the sequencer is started and no arpeggio pattern has been entered, a C major chord will be played.
If you don't want that no notes will be played if no chord is entered, disable the "hold mode" with MENU->Mode, GP9

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Thank you Thorsten,

I shall start with PA in the future then :). Also thanks for the explaination on the arps.

I got another small question: is it somehow possible to record knob movement on the box itself? I tried various things but was not able to. I wanted to record CC values in ALL mode (CC 50 / filter cut off on Pulse2). If that would be possible I could omit my MIDI Keyboard...

Best Regards and have a nice weekend,

jingo

Edited by jingo
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Good point! Intuitively I would send the CCs from the mixer, but I noticed that the forwarding path to the bus wasn't implemented.

It's available now -> try this version: http://www.ucapps.de/mios32/midibox_seq_v4_096_pre5.zip

   o the MIDI mixer can now send CC values to a bus.
     This especially allows to record CC changes (configure MENU->MIDI->Port accordingly
     so that it listens to the bus in Jam mode)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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13 minutes ago, TK. said:

Good point! Intuitively I would send the CCs from the mixer, but I noticed that the forwarding path to the bus wasn't implemented.

It's available now -> try this version: http://www.ucapps.de/mios32/midibox_seq_v4_096_pre5.zip


   o the MIDI mixer can now send CC values to a bus.
     This especially allows to record CC changes (configure MENU->MIDI->Port accordingly
     so that it listens to the bus in Jam mode)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Thorsten,

I will download the new fw, give it a try and report back :)!

Thank you :),

jingo

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Its possible to add a midi-resync for inividual Midi-Outs without restart the whole midibox?
(like http://www.audiowerkstatt.de/de/midi-restarter-v2)

I use the Midibox Seq as Masterclock.
Sometimes slaves need to be stopped to load a new projet (digitakt, electribe).
It would be nice to restart a slave synchronized without restarting anything else.


Sorry, after RTFM I found the function...
 

Edited by mfk
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43 minutes ago, TK. said:

Good point! Intuitively I would send the CCs from the mixer, but I noticed that the forwarding path to the bus wasn't implemented.

It's available now -> try this version: http://www.ucapps.de/mios32/midibox_seq_v4_096_pre5.zip


   o the MIDI mixer can now send CC values to a bus.
     This especially allows to record CC changes (configure MENU->MIDI->Port accordingly
     so that it listens to the bus in Jam mode)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Thorsten,

somehow I am not able to get this to work. At least I think that I configured everything right, but it wont work :(. Can you post an example configuration? That would be great :)!

Many thanks,

jingo

Edited by jingo
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This is what I tested:

MIDI menu: Bus1 listens to Bus4 (but All would work as well) and Channel All; Mode: Jam

Mixer menu, Page1 (MIDI Port): selected Bus4

In same menu, press SHIFT and GP9 (CC1) - this will allow you to configure the CC numbers sent by CC1 layer

Event menu: one layer configured for CC, CC number could be configured but you can also leave it "off" - in this case the incoming CC number will be taken over during recording

Enabled Live Record + Live function

Back to mixer page #9 (CC1): turn knob to send CC, it should be recorded

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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36 minutes ago, TK. said:

This is what I tested:

MIDI menu: Bus1 listens to Bus4 (but All would work as well) and Channel All; Mode: Jam

Mixer menu, Page1 (MIDI Port): selected Bus4

In same menu, press SHIFT and GP9 (CC1) - this will allow you to configure the CC numbers sent by CC1 layer

Event menu: one layer configured for CC, CC number could be configured but you can also leave it "off" - in this case the incoming CC number will be taken over during recording

Enabled Live Record + Live function

Back to mixer page #9 (CC1): turn knob to send CC, it should be recorded

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi Thorsten,

looks like I have to step one step back or so and eat something. Somehow I am doing it wrong (?). But even with your well written how-to I cant get this to work... hmmm

Will try further after I have eaten. Anyway, many thanks to you for your fast programming on the new fw and your help! :) I really appreciate it!!

Best Regards,

jingo

 

OK, got it: Live send on the mixer page has to be enabled too... :)

Edited by jingo
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  • 1 month later...

hi,
i have a question: i'm looking at the session files on the SD card and i'm trying to figure out where the track parameters are stored.
as far as i understand from the code, they are internally kept as CC parameters (seq_cc) and treated like they are read
from a track preset file (seq_file_t).
but i don't have any preset files in my session so i don't understand where info is stored?
can someone point me in the right direction?
thank you very much,

gerhard

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Track information is stored in the bank files (MBSEQ_B1.V4 .. MBSEQ_B4.V4) in "compressed" binary format. You won't be able to decode them directly.

But you could export a track as a preset, this will decode the binary and store in readable (and editable) text format.
After edit just import back to take over the modifications

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Hi Thorsten,

thanks for your answer! it's exactly that binary format i'm trying to parse with a script outside the sequencer :-) 
i figured it out now: it's the array of 128 CCs in the track header. i overlooked it yesterday and got confused because it's not directly interpreted inside the bank file sources ...

btw, i have a related idea to this CC block: 
the squarp pyramid supports so-called definition files to rename CCs for a given external synthesizer. it is just a text file with CC numbers and descriptive strings. this could be also interesting for the SEQ V4 CC layers to display CC functions in clear names. most of the machinery is already there for the internal CCs. it could maybe be added to the new label files your are developing, as a generalization from drums to all instruments.
Cheers,

Gerhard

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Is there a polychain feature in the SEQ V4 firmware?

In other words the ability to send the single notes from chords over seperate MIDI channels to mono synths.

So one midi Channel per note.

It would be awesome if there was a polychain setting that lets us selected which of the 16 chnnaels we want to send the notes to. 

This video has a good overview of the ways to implement this:

 

Edited by Smithy
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You can achieve similar things with the duplication Fx, see http://ucapps.de/midibox_seq_manual_m.html (search for Fx Dupl)

It isn't so flexible like this app, but at least you can define the number of channels (= voices) + the first channel.
Either select alternate or random channel mode.

Works also well with echo Fx btw :)
-> mbseqv4_demo_dupl_fx.mp3

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Hi Thorsten,

i was wondering if in step edit there is a possibility to play only the visible page in a loop?
sort of like "section control" but directly from the selection row on the seqv4+ and always
applicable to the 16 steps edited at the moment.

second, i wanted to ask if it was already considered to have a transpose layer,
transposing the note and chord layers on the same track,
instead of requiring an extra track?

kind regards, southpole

 

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@southpole

maybe helpful regarding your first question - have a look at "Fx Loop" in the handbook:

bullet.gif Fx Loop

Is this an "effect" or a "tool" which is useful while editing long sequences... decide by yourself:

Fx Loop

 

  • Global Loop Mode: following modes are supported:
    • All Tracks/Step View: loops all tracks around the visible step view
    • All Tracks/Static View: loops all tracks around the selected Offset/Step range
    • Selected Track/Step View: loops the selected track around the visible step view
    • Selected Track/Static View: loops the selected track around the selected Offset/Step range
  • Loop: enables/disables the Loop function. Can alternatively be switched via MENU+SCRUB buttons.


Many greets, Peter

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43 minutes ago, Hawkeye said:

@southpole

maybe helpful regarding your first question - have a look at "Fx Loop" in the handbook:

bullet.gif Fx Loop

Is this an "effect" or a "tool" which is useful while editing long sequences... decide by yourself:

Fx Loop

 

  • Global Loop Mode: following modes are supported:
    • All Tracks/Step View: loops all tracks around the visible step view
    • All Tracks/Static View: loops all tracks around the selected Offset/Step range
    • Selected Track/Step View: loops the selected track around the visible step view
    • Selected Track/Static View: loops the selected track around the selected Offset/Step range
  • Loop: enables/disables the Loop function. Can alternatively be switched via MENU+SCRUB buttons.


Many greets, Peter

yes! thanks Peter, awesome, this is exactly what i was looking for! you guys really thought of everything B-)
at 256 steps this fx can provide 16x16 step parts in practicality and hence make up for one of the features i was missing with respect to
the pyramid, called "patterns" there which is up to 16 different variations of tracks - on the seqv4+ i'll just use sections / step views. awesome!
best regards,

gerhard

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@southpole

you are welcome! Maybe not exactly the same, but you could also look into the native patterns of the MIDIbox SEQ - switching them on the pattern screen gives you direct access to different notes/melody lines on a group of four tracks, so you could also replicate the 16 x 16 step parts by switching through patterns, i think.

Many greets and enjoy the weekend!
Peter

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello!

 

I've been playing with my V4+ the past few days and it's more than amazing, thank you so much TK for all your great work!

I've got two suggestions that came to mind while configuring everything with my synths/samplers setup:

1) I'd be nice to be able to rename CC parameter layers for specific tracks/synths/machines. So that LCDs — on the parameter layer page — could display custom labels ("LPCutoff" for example) instead of CC# values. It's quite hard to remember what each CCs do, as they're not assigned to same actions from a synth to another, so I think it could be a great improvement! Or can we already do that and I somehow missed it? I saw that southpole mentioned it, so is that in the to-do list?

2) Another idea for a new midi Fx on chords tracks: a ‘Broken chord’ effect that'd decompose all the notes from a given chord and ‘nudge’ their placement and velocity, in ascending, descending or random fashion. It would be a nice way to imitate some nice smooth broken chord actions. I attached a piano roll example if that helps.

 

Of course, I have no idea if those ideas are even possible to implement, they're just suggestions :)

 

Cheers!

 

 

Capture d’écran 2019-04-06 à 13.31.50.png

Edited by gotkovsky
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