Anyone using a Bitstream 3x?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I just copped one for pretty cheap at a local store. I just want to use it as a pretty basic MIDI-controller for now, for;

  • Assigning MIDI CC number, MIDI port, MIDI channel to each knob
  • Save collection of these as a preset

This seemingly simple task just doesn’t seem to come easy to the Bitstream, though!

I go into the edit mode to assign a MIDI CC from the hardware. I’m doing this - pressing the edit button twice (this in standard mode), click “OK”, move the fader I want to assign a CC to, “assign standard mode” I click OK, I choose “event number” and switches the event number to 7 (which I assume is the MIDI CC number), I press save in an attempt to save this configuration, but absolutely nothing happens. I click OK and the menu pointer just keeps jumping between two options on the screen. What am I supposed to do at this point to save this setting? If I click “edit” again, it will eventually exit this menu, but it wont’ have the correct MIDI CC assigned. So I assume I need to press something to save the config, but what? The manual doesn’t mention anything about it, but rather keeps raving on about “the common parameters in standard and user mode”. Right, that’s just what I wanted to know.

Am I just being incredibly stupid or is this thing just ridiculously over-complicated?

EDIT - I got this working somehow, but not quite sure how. It seemed I had assign “NT” number instead of a “CC” value. The menu for assigning this is just very odd and doesn’t make much sense.

But fuck it, got it working. :smiley:

EDIT 2 - but it still seems to send on the same MIDI channel over the whole. Jesus. This bloody thing is doing my head in.

#2

I pretty much always set it up with the software.
Standard mode is preprogrammed tho you can edit it.
You’ll probably want “User” mode tho.

PM me you email & I’ll send you some PDF’s to help you out.

Also, its worth noting that some docs will make ref to Infra Red which was on the early models, the latter were replaced with a Ribbon controller, something to do with Patent infringement I believe!
cheers

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#3

Cool, thanks, man. :slight_smile: I think I figured it out now. Got the upgrade thing working after digging around on alternative ways of doing it, so assigning midi-channels to specific knobs should work now. But it might just be that I’ll need those PDF’s anyway, so keep them close! :wink:

#4

But I have to say, they have made some incredibly odd design decisions with this thing. It’s like a coffee machine that can fetch the coffee beans for you, grind them in several different ways, roast the beans according to 36 different ancient Mayan traditions, extract the aroma from the grind and distill it into a perfume bottle that it produces and plops out on its back side - yet, when you simply ask it to cook some coffee for you, it goes “oh, yeah, hmmm … turn the bar handle three times to the left, hold it approximately 3 centimeteres above your head while you sing the entire Amazing Grace backwards, click the red button on the bottom and the green button on the top with the same finger for exactly 2,533452 seconds and gently tickle it four times just above the logo” and then adds “if it doesn’t work the first time, you could always try these methods” and proceeds to list 7 equally complex alternative ways to make it cook the coffee.

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#5

I had one.

once I figured it out I really liked it. I used it with Ableton Live for a couple of years until I replaced it with a Jazzmutant Lemur.

it’s built tough too.

#6

And the guy sell the company to that chinese CME and all disappear.
I use it for some of my synth, but mainly for my Radias board inside the M3 as there is toooooooo many menu/screen to configure it. The bitstream is doing like a charm sending 16bytes sysex to it without any errors for the last 3 years now.
Still haven’t find any other 20bytes sysex capable unit on the market.

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#7

im using one , to have a hotspotmatrix of my elektron gears only . its fantastic an rich for now to change values with one matrix for 3 devices. cause its the opening for so much posibbilitis i will describe here the midichannelsetting after my configurationproblems.
if i had checked that the different midchannels mean the “fixed channels” all was ok . the hexadezimal values for the midistrip i found in the “renoize” midimonitoring funktion so i couldnt find in a preset menue of the bistream. download every potisetting seperatly or download all ready setting to the bitstream hardware. but dl-all submit all 21 groups - large file

first steps with easy words: for every poti seperatly : make your channel fix, set value one (v1)to 3 and value 2 (v) to 0 write the midistrip(you will find it;) ), rename the lcd and all would be ok if your midi out and out 2 is enabled.

configure the bitstream hardware without the pc/mac is not posibble in the full spektrum of the functions.
the bitstreamhardware dont have a fullrange menue to set all of the posibble configurations .

the fixed midichannel : the channel wich is free available to each controlpoti/fader/knob . the fixed midichan .can be difficult in one group or the others if you like. (this for all they dont know about the possibilitis of the bitsstream 3x)
the midi channel position must be set to 0 , then you get the poti/fader fix to a channel you want.

value numbers : is the number that signing the range of the midstrip. your message will be 1 function ?so the message have 3 couples of 2 numbers or letters ( B0 -54 - 00 )
the midistrip: are hexadecimal command .it can be 1 command pro poti . more than one command pro poti? -equalize the controlvalueposition to make that . but if you reach that you have understand what a control value position vs a midistripe is^^

one command - poti controlls the delay sent (MM) = B0 54 00 wtf^^

B0 is a device id command and his channel.
0 is the base channel (1 =channel2)
(think about channel position here and you understand the “must be” of the fix)
B is the monomachinemessagestyle (why B ? i dont know )
f.e. the F = Funktion - start, stop so on. maybe industrial standarts for he basicly levels of machinecontroling

54 is the command(CCnumber) (on the MM - delay send) .
why ? i think the delay is in the MM menue on stage 4 the fifth poti. but its a elektron CC nummber.

00 is the parametervalue to make shure - "control the value variable by a poti "etc.(0-127)
so the message has 1 comand only you has 3 positions with messages-machine-CC - and the last is the value - therefore write 3 in “control value position number (v1)” than the bitstream knows where is to find the value position in your midistrip if you set one command pro poti.

download you setting to the bitstream (seperatly pro poti or all org and enjoy

that for now - and its only the basic for mapping but good to know.

i hope you can understand my describtion and my english ^^

peace pics and greets

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#8

Bn is the standardized hexadecimal status byte value for a MIDI Control Change message sent on MIDI channel n.

Fn is the standardized hexadecimal status byte value for a MIDI System message, where n is the code that defines which instruction is being sent.

http://www.midi.org/techspecs/midimessages.php

#9

I just cannot figure that out myself and didn’t find any info. My hypothesis is that if Octatrack could manipulate Bitstream’s faders via audio-cc out midi messages (which are available via OT scenes), then maybe setting group chains in Bitstream could somehow fill the shortage of the MIDI scenes functionality of the Octatrack. But I cannot figure out if Bitstream can receive external MIDI CC#s and allow them to virtually twist its own faders.

#10

The MIDI implementation of the Bitstream 3X given on pages 68 to 74 of its manual show that it can be controlled by SysEx messages, not by CC messages.

The schematic on page 25 of the manual shows that the Bitstream 3X’s physical controls are not linked to its MIDI/USB input ports.

The only other messages that the B3X can respond to are clock and transport messages, or note messages to trigger its arpeggiator.

The Octatrack cannot send SysEx messages intended for another device.

#11

The Bs3x can chain faders with different CC and different ranges, so it can act as scenes, and you can control it directly on the Bs3x.

I have an Event Processor + and I want to use it to map Ot’s CC48 crossfader to A4 macros and Blofeld Matrix, so it will act as midi scenes controlled by crossfader

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#12

I seem to remember but now can not find a Bitstream 3X library for the Blofeld. Did I make that up? Does anyone still have a copy of this?

#13

Nevermind. I found it.

I downloaded the .bs3 file a while back - even tho I didn’t have a Blofeld at the time - just in case. Good thing I had because the original link stopped working.

Anyway, for anyone curious, here’s a link:

CME WaveIdea Bitstream 3x custom library / template for Waldorf Blofeld - https://www.dropbox.com/s/i64bao1nbjlht98/Blofeld.zip?dl=0

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#14

Hey there…might you have the factory library of the Bitstream 3x?

I have lost mine…

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#16

Yeah,

All the factory-type stuff should still be here:

http://www.waveidea.com/en/products/bitstream_3x/downloads.php#doc

The latest software is open source and available at GitHub:

I have an older MacBook running 10.7.5 which lets me run the configuration software.

3 Likes
#17

I cannot find the Factory Libraries though…only two Users Libraries for Logic 8 and Mackie Control v3.

#18

I don’t know of any others in that case…

#19

What was in these factory libraries?

#20

Do not remember. Just curious if there would be something useful for actual setup.
Whatever… It can be easily set up and customized to many many needings!
Thanks for your kind and quick help anyway

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#21

Hey, I have a few questions that I haven’t really been able to find the answers to. I picked one of these up for my Analog Rytm and it’s working well, but I kind of want a few more features and wondering if the bitstream can actually do the things I want.

I’d like it if I could send a level control to two instruments at the same time, eg have the Open and Closed hats level chained, as they’re using the same machine, and I don’t have 12 faders. I guess I could put them on the knobs, but it seems kind of wasteful (I’d rather use this for send effect levels/filter/resonance). Is it possible to use chained midi messages to send out double CC information on two different channels?

Thanks for any help!