A simple newbie problem - please help

slooshy

2009-12-26 13:50:38

Hoping someone could help me with a simple MT function. I've read the manual and I dont understand why its not working.

I just want to convert a keystroke into a midi note and send it to Ableton Live. I have the Bomes selected as a midi input in live. I created a translator with letter 'Q' as incoming and midi note G3 as outgoing (I used the midi capture and pressed a pad on my trigger finger). When i tap the 'Q' key I can see that live is receiving Midi but when I try to map the incoming Midi note to a function in live, nothing happens. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Attigo

2009-12-26 16:45:22

Hi slooshy!

What is the full MIDI message you have as the output?

One problem I run into regularly is if you 'Midi Capture' then it will also capture your 'Note OFF' message from your controller. If you are sending the Note OFF then it will do nothing in Ableton...

Hope this helps!

Scott

slooshy

2009-12-26 17:56:29

Hi, thanks for the reply. When I use the Midi capture and press a pad on my trigger finger it says: 'Outgoing Midi message: Note On #10: D2, vel pp'


I read the manual for my trigger finger and it seems that the default setting for the drum pads on the trigger finger is that pressing the pad sends a 'note on' and releasing it sends a 'note off' however you can change it so that pressing once sends a 'note on' and prssing a second time sends a 'note off'.

I changed it to the latter and thought I could test it easily in Ableton by putting an instrument in a midi channel and playing the pad that I changed - I was expecting that pressing the pad once would cause the instrument to play a note then to stop it I would have to press the pad again - but that didn't happen, the note stopped when i released the pad. I dont understand why this didn't work. Its driving me nuts trying to figure it out

Attigo

2009-12-26 23:18:38

slooshy,

I think the reason Ableton is doing this even when you have the controller in 'toggle' mode, is because instruments/keys normally respond to the velocity of the pad/button/key you are pressing (displayed as the variable pp in MT).

What are you actually trying to do? Where does the keystroke come in? I'm guessing you were trying using keys because you can't get this Note 'toggle' to work from your controller?

Scott

slooshy

2009-12-30 13:09:31

The reason I want to use keys is because I want to control an FX plugin in Ableton which has a lot of functions and my trigger finger Midi controller doesn't have enough pads!

The plugin is complicated for me and I can only figure out how to assign Midi notes to the various controls which is why I need to translate the keystrokes into Midi notes.

I have tried setting the trigger finfer pads so that they are locked on 'full velocity' which has a value of 127 but still no luck.

What is strange is that there is a little indicator in Ableton that flashes when a Midi signal is received and when I press the keyboard key which I have set up Bomes to translate into Midi, this light flashes, indicating that Bomes is sending a Midi signal. But when I try to map this to a control in Ableton nothing happens!

Attigo

2010-01-04 14:32:09

So you are trying to map into a plugin in Live? Which version are you using?

Scott

slooshy

2010-01-04 14:40:34

Its Live 8

Attigo

2010-01-04 16:05:53

Ok. Are you mapping into a plugin or a device in Live?

I forgot to say... Happy New Year!

Scott

slooshy

2010-01-04 16:41:30

It's a plugin. I have also tried mapping the incoming midi signal (from Bomes) to other controls in live (not in the plugin) and it doesn't work. When i tried using Bomes to convert one Midi note to another I was able to map the incoming Midi form Bomes to controls in Live. Therefore I think there is something about the translation from keystroke to Midi that is not working. Happy New Year to you also!

Attigo

2010-01-04 16:59:24

Ok then... Could you tell me your MIDI setup in Live? Do you have your control surface selected as 'M-Audio Trigger Finger' or is it nothing(blank)? If you have a certain control surface selected, then the pre-mapped key/pad (instrument) controls (I think) are unmappable.

If this is the case, then you should just translate the pad notes in MT to something else that the control surface does not already use... Or select no control surface.

Scott

slooshy

2010-01-04 17:35:18

I'll have to get back to you on this one - I'm supposed to be working right now :D Thanks for your help though

slooshy

2010-01-04 22:13:34

OK I checked this evening and I have the control surface left blank already.

Attigo

2010-01-05 03:38:15

No worries buddy...

Is the 'Remote' button highlighted on the MIDI in port?

Maybe this would be better if we spoke? Are you on Skype? Where are you in the World?

Scott

slooshy

2010-01-05 09:07:52

The 'Remote' button is highlighted (as are the 'track' and 'sync') for the 'Bomes Midi Translator 1'.

Unfortunately i'm not on Skype. I'm in England. I could give you my email address if you want? - so we don't clog up the forum too much

Attigo

2010-01-05 18:53:14

slooshy,

I'm in Scotland, I can call you tonight if you are free?

Scott

slooshy

2010-01-05 19:04:34

That would be a great help.

Attigo

2010-01-05 20:01:56

Problem solved!!