M-Audio Keyboard setup

[marcoiozzi]

Hi Jesse, 
I'm a little bit ashamed but I'd need your help again, if you don't mind.
Thanks for the suggestions on the chord sequencer, actually yes after a little bit of getting used to it it's actually quite powerful and makes sense.
However, I still have problem trying to connect my M Audio midi keyboard to the NDRL so that I'm able to change chords. I bought a midi cable which is in port MIDI IN A of the NDRL.
For the M-Audio, I have a software (preset editor) in which I assign the GLOBAL MIDI to channel 15. In menu 1 of The NDLR I use 15All for NDLR control and 16KbTrans as well as WhiteandBlk keys for KBControl (MIDI OUT is on ALL PORTS)
Unfortunately i can play on my keyboard but chords don't change. I also tried to mess around in Logic and the Midi Audio Setup but I can't seem to understand where I have to put channel 15 on my Keyboard so that I can change chords from it.
I'm really sorry as it might be straight forward but I'm not a very tech guy and new to this.
thanks

Marco

Hey again Marco,
That certainly sounds like it should be working for you, I wonder what the issue is? I guess we should just double check that things are connected properly to start with, sorry these are going to be totally obvious questions but sometimes things just get overlooked.
Things we need to check:

• The keyboard it plugged in to power
  
• Midi cable is plugged into the output (make sure it's the out and not the Thru) of the controller and the input of the NDLR
  
• Double check that the MIDI channels are not reversed (CRTL is 15 and Transpose is 16 not the reverse)
  

If that is all a-ok then we may need to use a freeware midi monitor like midiox to make sure it's transmitting the right info on the right channel. Download that app and run it and with the MIDI keyboard connected to the computer via usb, click options and then the MIDI Devices option. select your keyboard in the inputs section and hit ok. Then if its not open already you can open the midi input monitor (4th menu icon from the right in the menubar below the file menu, red banner terminal icon). Now if you press a key it should show the info for that note data on the MIDI monitor, just ensure that it's sending on the correct channel (the 7th column of data is labeled channel make sure that's 15).

If that is all correct, report back and I'll try to think of what else it might be.
Thanks,
Jesse

Hi Jesse,
as usual thanks for replying and trying to help so kindly.
You did the right thing to even mention the obvious things, but in this case it was all as it should have been.
So NDlR configured to send on Midi 15, midi cable out from my M Audio keyboard going inside Midi Port A.
I have a small app to configure the Keyboard and as you can see from the picture i set the channel to 15 (nothing changes)
i also opened the MIDI Setup on Mac and as you can see i can change the channels the keyboard transmits or receives, tried to put 15 obviously but,
once i start one of the 4 tracks, the chord does not change no matter which key i press on the keyboard.

The app you mentioned, MidiOx is not available for Mac, so maybe i need something else ? I thought though i could have done everything either inside Logic (assigning the channels for the 4 tracks is pretty straightforward) or via the Midi Audio Setup, but i can't get it to work as it is right now. Maybe it's something very stupid, but i can't get my head around it. Do you have any other ideas ? customer on a Mac with a midi keyboard that maybe went through it already ?

pretty weird,
thanks again

marco

If we can't use MIDI Ox we can probably use your DAW to just confirm the Keyboard is outputting data on the prescribed channel. If you connect to the computer (try via usb first) and open your DAW (sounds like you use logic), then create an instance of any MIDI instrument and assign it to channel 15 and make sure to set the input to the right device. I don't have Logic but I assume this is pretty straight forward and the process should be described in the documentation (check for a quick start guide).
Once you get that set up just play some notes to ensure it is actually outputting data on the channel we think it is. If it is putting out data on channel 15 via usb, if possible make sure it's also coming out the DIN port (and the cable is good) by setting another device to channel 15 (if possible) and playing some notes into the MIDI Din input. If that doesn't work we need to try a different cord (again, if possible) to see if your cable may be the culprit.

We can also send MIDI to the NDLR from your DAW on channel 15 over usb and test that we can make that work.

Let me know if any of these tests uncovers something. I'm sure we're overlooking something here but I just can't see what it would be. We'll get there eventually though, don't worry.

Best,
Jesse

Hi Jesse,
i'll do some tests later and will let you know.. i also just ordered the Digitone after having seen how well they work together... will be fun..
but one thing at a time, thanks for being patient !
talk later

m

 Hi Jesse,
so i did further tests but not luck, i'm attaching a zip file with some pictures i took to make it better to understand the process:

- in Logic, i create an external midi track with midi destination set either to the m audio keyboard or the roli seaboard (just as a test)
- in their respective apps i set the midi channel to 15
- i set the midi channel to 15 in logic as well, when i create the new track and in the track options as you can see
- when i play i don't hear anything but midi data is sent from the keyboard to the track, same thing if i start one of the 4 part of the NDRL, data is sent
unfortunately once i start playing the NDLR the keyboard keys do not change the chord.

The NDRL is attached via USB, which is what i used so far to be able to assign different VSTs to the parts of the NDLR (simply by changing the midi channel they output to, some just in Logic some via Kontakt) and i got no problem. I then also bought a Midi Cable which is going out from the M audio to the IN A of the NDLR

I'm still looking over the internet, i'm sure it's not that difficult but i make some sort of mistake somewhere.

sorry and thanks for your help,

marco

[marcoiozzi]

Jesse,
i've been trying to find help everywhere, from manuals to you tube , forums etc.. i tried to play with the midi environment not only in Logic but within Mac osx itself,
found also a seemingly amazing software that could have solved the problem (Midi Patchbay) BUT it does not work in Catalina ..

however, i found the most stupid solution ever, as i knew it would have been. In the M_Audio preset app, which it is NOT supported in Catalina so they say not to update
i tried to change channel, select different zone etc.. nothing was working.. this is because the interface is so badly made that when you change a parameter and think it's all good it actually did not do anything. To actually confirm you have to get out of the app window, where the options are, and click SEND PRESET...
this one button solves all the problems and the NDLR changes chords as expected using the keyboard...

I wasted a lot of time, as it often happens with tech, but above all i wasted a lot of YOURS.
So maybe this will be helpful to you in case someone else has the same problem, and thanks again for being kind and responsive .

all the best and please do other great and fun tools as the NDLR, you definitely have a trusted and happy client here
cheers

marco

[Jesse Johannesen]

Jesse,
i've been trying to find help everywhere, from manuals to you tube , forums etc.. i tried to play with the midi environment not only in Logic but within Mac osx itself,
found also a seemingly amazing software that could have solved the problem (Midi Patchbay) BUT it does not work in Catalina ..

however, i found the most stupid solution ever, as i knew it would have been. In the M_Audio preset app, which it is NOT supported in Catalina so they say not to update
i tried to change channel, select different zone etc.. nothing was working.. this is because the interface is so badly made that when you change a parameter and think it's all good it actually did not do anything. To actually confirm you have to get out of the app window, where the options are, and click SEND PRESET...
this one button solves all the problems and the NDLR changes chords as expected using the keyboard...

I wasted a lot of time, as it often happens with tech, but above all i wasted a lot of YOURS.
So maybe this will be helpful to you in case someone else has the same problem, and thanks again for being kind and responsive .

all the best and please do other great and fun tools as the NDLR, you definitely have a trusted and happy client here
cheers

marco

Oh good, that's great news! Don't worry about me, I'm just glad we found the solution, and also that it's now documented here for the next chap to roll through with an MAudio keyboard and Catalina! That's the thing about technology it's only hard until it works, then you don't have to think about it again.

Be sure to let me know if you need help with anything else,
Jesse

[info@marcelmolenaar.com]

These instructions are very helpful. I hope someone makes a YouTube tutorial with this info.i tried to connect to the NDLR with a Korg Nanokey, and now I understand why I can't connect because the Korg Nanokey only has a usb connrction. You need a DAW to connect. To connect witout a date it's only possible with a normal DIN connector. 

Now I also understand why start stop only works at port b. I know this information is in the manual somewhere.

Some example setups with pictures would be great in the NDLR would be great too. And for each example what extra configuration is needed and important to understand, like the port to connect.

Thanks 
Marcel

---

I am also creating a USB midi host on my Raspberry Pi. With that working, I should be able to use my Korg.Nanokey to send chord chsnged on channel 15 to the NDLR both connected to my RPi.

I'll let you know if that works.

Marcel

https://neuma.studio/rpi-midi-complete.html

[Jesse Johannesen]

These instructions are very helpful. I hope someone makes a YouTube tutorial with this info.i tried to connect to the NDLR with a Korg Nanokey, and now I understand why I can't connect because the Korg Nanokey only has a usb connrction. You need a DAW to connect. To connect witout a date it's only possible with a normal DIN connector. 

Now I also understand why start stop only works at port b. I know this information is in the manual somewhere.

Some example setups with pictures would be great in the NDLR would be great too. And for each example what extra configuration is needed and important to understand, like the port to connect.

Thanks 
Marcel

---

I am also creating a USB midi host on my Raspberry Pi. With that working, I should be able to use my Korg.Nanokey to send chord chsnged on channel 15 to the NDLR both connected to my RPi.

I'll let you know if that works.

Marcel

https://neuma.studio/rpi-midi-complete.html

This looks like a great project, nice work!
Yeah, the MIDI transport only follows port B. This was done to be able to accommodate many different setups with the least amount of menus. Unfortunately, it does require some cursory RTFM though to get it working. Sorry if that was a headache.
Jesse