I searched for any posts on using Bome's MT to interface Roland's VK-8M moduleto the VB3 VST. Didn't find any so I'm posting my experience over the weekend.
I downloaded the MT Pro trial version, installed it, routed it to my MIDI interface's out, with the MIDI interfaces IN connected to the VK-8M's MIDI out. That was enough to start moving the VK-8M's controls and monitor it's MIDI out commands in MT's Log window. I examined what was coming out of the VK-8M, a combination of exclusive SysEx and CC# commands, and was able to easily program MT in about 30min to translate them and start controlling the VB3. Yippeee!!!!! :-) Had some help from Steve. Thanks Steve!!!!!
The VK-8M is a beautiful module with Hammond like drawbars and controls. Check out the attached photo. It does have it's own B3 sound, but if you're a long long long time Hammond purest like me, the VK-8M's sound is just ok. The VB3 VST on the other hand is a monster! It's a screaming Hammond plugin!
So you can imagine how tickled I was to finally be able control VB3's drawbars in real time without a mouse!! Just like on one of my old Hammonds. Thank you Bome!
**** Anybody have any experience with the VK-8M, would sure like to hear from you. ****
I'll keep adding to my MT project until all the VK-8M controls are mapped to VB3 controls. If anyone's interested I'll attach the project here when it's completed.
There are many useful Roland products that Midi Translator can resurrect from the dead. My next MT projects will be translating my Roland SI-24 and VS-2480 consoles to interface with my DAW. Both those have motorized faders. (already have the faders, buttons, alpha knobs and transport buttons and jog knob working)
This is VB3 version 1.4 that I’m mapping to. It’s not the latest version, but I like I like it’s panel better. Some of the front panel knobs don’t appear in the latest version.
Great to see you are up and running, Lance! Fortunately it looks like the documents for the other Roland devices are quite extensive and now you have a basic understanding of the techniques used along with your programming background, you should have no problem with the SI-24 and the VS-2480.
Do you have a VK-8M? I love it’s B3 like drawbars. A lot of controllers have sliders, but playing live you just don’t have the same control as with B3 like drawbars.
VB3 has a midi learn feature, which will work for controllers sending out CC#’s. The VK-8M however sends out short SysEx commands, which can easily be translated with Midi Translator to CC commands that VB3 understands. It’s weeeell worth the effort. Hook VB3 up in stereo and CRANK IT!!!!! Your guitarist will be jealous because you just took over the band! (And maybe the girls too! 🙂
I will post my VK-8M to VB3 file when I complete it. I’ve had great help from the developers when I hit a couple of hurdles!! (still have one left) The VB3 midi implementation chart doesn’t tell all. I’m a document freak, so I’ll be posting a documentation file too. You may have to modify it depending on which version of VB3 you’re using. (I attached a screenshot of a VB3 pulldown window showing an option that had to be selected before the Leslie Brake would work)
I couldn’t have done this so fast without MT’s great log window. The VK-8M outputs SysEx commands for every control, so VB3’s MIDI learn feature can’t read the VK-8M. I executed each of the VK-8M’s controls, and used MT’s log window to copy and paste them into the translators, and of course edit them. Took advantage of the duplicating translators to speed up things.
If anyone else has already mapped to the VB3 on this forum, would be glad to hear from you. Currently I’m trying to get the Vibrato Chorus types working (C1..3, V1..3) Their MIDI implementation lists the CC#, but not what values VB3 wants. Last issue like this required a menu setting I’d probably never have figured out without emailing the developers.
Status update on my Roland VK-8M --> Bome --> VS3-II progress.
Well, there are 3 versions of the VB3 VST floating around out there. I started a Bome project that worked with the free VB3 that came with my DAW. It worked fine. Unfortuately not all the Roland VM-8K features have a MIDI controller# assigned to them, some have Roland system exclusive msgs. That's were BomeMT comes in. The drawbars are sysEx, leslie controls are CC#, and other pertinent Roland front panel controls do send out either SysEx or CC#'s.
Unfortunately, there were some CC# changes made between the 1st VB3 version and the expanded purchased version, causing the leslie controls to not work. I'm still trying to resolve those. (can't get stop to work)
There's now a VB3-II version, the latest. There's a $79 upgrade price, or about $169 if your a new buyer. Sounds high, but if you're a serious Hammond player, like me, it's well worth it. You can use a mouse to control it, but if you're like me, you MUST have, as a minimum, physical control of the drawbarsl, leslie slow/fast and volume control. In my case I'm using my Roland VK-8M, which unfortunately sends out those SysEx message that don't map directly to the great VB3-II VST. ***That's where Bome comes in ***
I'll eventually figure out the Leslie control magic. (theres more to it than following VB3's MIDI implementation chart when it comes to Slow/Stop/Fast. Also I've asked the vendor to add more CC# messages for features like selecting the organ type, things I'd do live.
Hoping to finish this project. I don't work constantly on it.
Hi, I was wondering if you’d be willing to share your work with translating the VK8-M. I have a gig this weekend and am being rented a VK8. I’m just investigating how much work it might be to convert it’s sysex into CC to control another module. Have you gotten it working? hard thing for me is I won’t see the board till sound check… thanks! Darcy
Hi,
I don’t have anything for the VK-8M but I put together a tutorial on the VR-09 that might help you get started. You are cutting it pretty close if you can only do this during the sound check just before your gig.
Sorry I’ve been away for a while.
I did get back to my BomeMT project to map the Roland VK-8M to control the VB3 ver 1.4 VST. I WILL post my project file, I just have one more thing to fix. Getting the VS3 Brake button to work in combination with Roland’s tricky proprietary SysEx and CC’s (the order) for the slow and fast speeds… requires some investigation and more involved programming. “BomeMT Pro to the rescue!”
More real soon!
In the mean time, I can’t remember if I already posted it, but I’ll post my MIDI documentation, "using Bome’s Log Window", showing what the VK-8M is outputting over MIDI.
—> (Sorry folks, Bome won’t let me post an .rtf documentation file. Maybe the admin can show me how)
*** I’m attaching my latest Roland VK-8M to VB3 project file, and also a documentation file I created to help manage the effort. “It does work” , and I’m thinking of doing a short video.
–>I’m still proof reading my doc and project file comments a bit.
Only thing someone else would have to change to use the project is the MIDI interface routing.
I tried to map all the VK-8M sliders, knobs and buttons to their equivalent in VB3. Unfortunately VB3’s MIDI implementation is not a complete match. But all the most important ones are there.
→ I used MT’s log window to capture everything. The LOG window was a God send when it comes to troubleshooting issues! The designers/programmers did a great job!!!
Lance
(Attachment Roland VK-8M Midi Outputs Mapped.rtf is missing)
Steve,
Thanks for the comment.
Just in case I uploaded the wrong project file, I downloaded it and opened it. It’s working as expected.
—> I should’ve deleted translator #18 and #19. They’re not needed for this project. (#19 is a piece of another super fun project that every keyboardist could use)
I didn't mean to post this project file on the forum yet.
There’s a final project file I’ll post in a day or 2.
It just has some improved comments and the excess translators not needed removed.
I'll convert my doc file to a .pdf, which should explain a lot more.