Buttons not responding to incoming MIDI events?

[adamjking]

Hi all,

I've completed the DIN module for my MidiBox64E and am just doing some testing. The DIN works fine in that I can send MIDI note on/off events (the events are captured in MIDI-OX and the corresponding DOUT LED's react). I can also assign the events to buttons by sending note on/off messages from MIDI-OX and having the MidiBox in MIDI Learn mode.

However, if I turn one of the buttons on (in toggle mode) I cannot turn it (and the DOUT LED) off by sending the same note on/off from MIDI OX.

I thought by default the MidiBox should respond to incoming MIDI events. Is there somewhere in the MidiBox64E code that this needs to be turned on - or is there possibly a configuration problem or a hardware short?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[TK.]

Hi,

you have to assign the appr. DOUT registers to the "MIDI status received" registers. See also the midibox64e.ini file within the mk_syx.zip package

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[adamjking]

Thanks TK,

Looking at the ini file, I managed to change it so that the LED on the DOUT does react to the incoming MIDI events. Only thing is I thought it could do both - that is, I thought you could toggle a parameter 'ON' on the midibox, but also turn it off with the PC by sending the 'OFF' value from the software.

Is this possible, or did I interpret it the wrong way. I thought you'd be able to:

Assign a Note/Channel value to a button.

Press the button on on the Midibox, the event registers as 'ON'  and the corresponding DOUT LED lights up.

Then, be able to send the Note/Channel OFF message from the software, the event registers as off on midibox and the corresponding DOUT LED goes out.

Is this possible, or did I misundertand it from the start?

Cheers.

[TK.]

Hi,

I don't think that this makes sense - either the MIDIbox should control the LEDs, or the host application, otherwise they could get out of sync. Especially when you load a new song, or recall a snapshot (I don't know which host you are using... Cubase?) the host normaly doesn't remember the button state of the MIDI controller, therefore you should also use the common On/Off button mode and enable toggling in the host application (if it isn't already handled automatically, e.g. on mute/solo, etc..)

However, during programming I assumed that somebody could ask for this sooner or later, therefore I've build an option into mb64_midi.inc which allows you to try it out. So - you will see that it will disturb the interaction with the host... ;-)

-> open mb64_midi.inc, search for "if 0" (it appears two times in this file). Change it to "if 1" and rebuild the project. Thereafter the LEDs are controlled internally and via MIDI by default (no need for selecting the "MIDI status received" register)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[adamjking]

Thanks Thorsten,

That change does make the midibox react the way that I had imagined (whether that's a good thing or not ;)).

The question was more a hypothetical as the program I intend on using, terminatorX, doesn't have midi out capabilities. But.... I was thinking: what if you are using the hardware to control the program (using momentary buttons) and you turn something on (eg: mute) with the press of a button. Then, for whatever reason, you use the mouse to turn the mute off - this would leave the midibox still registering it as on, while it is really off in the software (and requiring two presses of the button to turn mute back on with the hardware).

Does that make sense?

[TK.]

Hi,

more advanced host applications can handle with this - they always send MIDI events out, regardless if a function is controlled from an external MIDI controller or internally (with the mouse or by reloading a snapshot/preset/song)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[LO]

mmmm this is good I have momentary buttons and want cubase to do this.

My box is back in bits at the moment but sonn as I have it up and running again.......