Help with the DMC-7D and OT?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hey guys

I’ve had a Disaster Area Designs DMC-7D for a little over a week and I can’t get it work with my OT’s pickup machine. I’ve been in contact with DAD’s customer service and they’ve done all they can to help me out, but unfortunately they don’t have an OT of their own to test with. The DMC-7D is a discontinued product and they haven’t had any software support for it since 2013 (time flies, doesn’t it?) They gave me their Elektron firmware and I uploaded it properly but the OT still doesn’t respond. I’ve set up the OT as it should: receiving CC, Auto Channel set to 16, Tracks 1, 2, and 3 are Pickup machines for my setup. Track 1 is selected, I hit the pedal… and nothing. I do see a little blip on the top left of the screen that indicates the OT is receiving MIDI data but apparently it is not the correct MIDI Data. I’ve toyed around using different Auto Channels and nothing. I’ve installed the pedal’s original firmware and then re-installed the elektron firmware, i’ve gone through all mode changes in the pedal to see if the different settings would do anything and still… nothing.

The only thing I can think of now is maybe the OT needs some older firmware in order to work with the pedal? Does this make sense to anyone? I’m using the latest 1.25H or whatever it is… Does anyone use DAD’s DMC-7D with an Octatrack? If I can’t this to work I’m going to have to figure out how to sell it… Which would be a shame because I really like the way it looks. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

#2

I’m having a hard time to read that quote

#3

Yea why does it look cutoff?

#4

i meant to say:

Hey guys

  I've had a Disaster Area Designs DMC-7D for a little over a week and I can't get it work with my OT's pickup machine. I've been in contact with DAD's customer service and they've done all they can to help me out, but unfortunately they don't have an OT of their own to test with. The DMC-7D is a discontinued product and they haven't had any software support for it since 2013 (time flies, doesn't it?) They gave me their Elektron firmware and I uploaded it properly but the OT still doesn't respond. I've set up the OT as it should: receiving CC, Auto Channel set to 16, Tracks 1, 2, and 3 are Pickup machines for my setup. Track 1 is selected, I hit the pedal... and nothing. I do see a little blip on the top left of the screen that indicates the OT is receiving MIDI data but apparently it is not the correct MIDI Data. I've toyed around using different Auto Channels and nothing. I've installed the pedal's original firmware and then re-installed the elektron firmware, i've gone through all mode changes in the pedal to see if the different settings would do anything and still... nothing. 

 The only thing I can think of now is maybe the OT needs some older firmware in order to work with the pedal? Does this make sense to anyone? I'm using the latest 1.25H or whatever it is... Does anyone use DAD's DMC-7D with an Octatrack? If I can't this to work I'm going to have to figure out how to sell it... Which would be a shame because I really like the way it looks. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!
#5

and its cutoff again!

#6

I guess nevermind, guys. Sorry about all this. Ignore this thread.

#7

I fixed it
:thup:

#8

EDIT: Oops, when I read “firmware” I thought it was for the Octatrack, sorry!

IGNORE THIS: Ok, as far as I know, the OT didn’t change it’s MIDI specs on firmwares updates, does it?

THIS IS STILL APPLICABLE I think you should start finding some way to check if your pedal is sending the right MIDI messages.
Then re check you MIDI configuration on the OT.

Good luck!

#9

Do you have AUDIO NOTE IN enabled on OT?

Can you monitor the MIDI note output of the device on a computer?

1 Like
#10

Well you’re welcome to check out the stuff I wrote for my DMC-6:

1 Like
#11

Thanks, guys. Let me look into these. I’ll report back later.

#12

Hey guys

I’ve spent all morning with the DMC-7D. Tried to install that firmware Corpusjonsey provided. I also found a MIDI Monitor program that shows me the MIDI data. And one thing I have noticed is nothing I do to the pedal seems to change. The pedal is apparently stuck in Looper Mode and is always sending the same MIDI notes and CC Data on the same channel, channel 1. I’ve gone over the manual many times and I go through all of the steps and nothing seems to work. I’m nearly at my wit’s end.

Am I not using the pedal right? There’s only so many menu screens and buttons… Am I not using the firmware uploader wrong? There’s only 3 steps: Select .hex file, Plug in pedal via usb while holding buttons 1+2 putting you in reset mode, and then Click OK. The pedal restarts itself and its still the same. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, MIDI controllers are never supposed to be this difficult. I just want it to be sending these midi notes on channel 16:

start record/overdub - note 60

stop record/loop - note 64

start seq/stop - note 7

start/restart - note 3

Top row, left to right.

sequencer lock/start - note 71

prev track – note 69

How can it be done??? Jeez…

#13

And part of my message got cut off again… Monday…

#14

Nope - you are including too many leading spaces

see this with none

see this with four

so if the paragraph is long it will format as one long line

2 Likes
#15

Gotcha! Thanks!

2 Likes
#16

So this ended up being a bit of a bust. I’ve quit. I can’t return my DMC-7D to the seller but I can try to sell it. Before I throw it up on craigslist and ebay let me pass it out here to you Elektronauts. If anyone would like a DMC-7D with box and power supply please let me know. I’m told it works fine if you have a Timeline, Mobius, or H9. I can’t get it working with an Octatrack but maybe you can. I’ll cover shipping. $200. Thanks.

#17

Presumably you’ve seen this info on the device on the manufacturer’s site … maybe this firmware chip? is retrofittable ? …

Elektron Octatrack Users:

We now offer the DMC-7 with custom firmware specifically designed to control the Octatrack.

Available controls:

Bottom row, left to right.

  1. start record/overdub – note 60

  2. stop record/loop – note 64

  3. start seq/stop – note 34

  4. start/restart – note 35
    Top row, left to right.

  5. sequencer lock/start – note 71

  6. prev track – note 69

  7. next track – note 68
    Expression pedal input – Crossfader – CC 48

The Octatrack firmware gives you full control of the Pickup Machines for live looping, and the DMC-7’s foot controls let you loop while playing your instrument.

#18

Thanks. I have seen that. I’ve been given that custom firmware from the support staff over at Disaster Area Designs. I uploaded it but somehow the pedal controls don’t change at all. When i look at it in the MIDI Monitor plug-in I see that the controls are still sending out Looper data for the Timeline on MIDI Channel 1. I switch the pedal into every other possible mode and none of them send out the right notes on the right channel. It’s totally bummed me out. I keep thinking I’ve somehow not performed the update ritual correctly, but I don’t know how. It seems like it’s working at the time. Pedal boots back up and everything…

#19

Gotta be worth persevering with this, even if only to add value … worth running it past the originators i’d have thought … if you are using a MIDI Librarian type app to send the update file to the device ensure you have settings such that the transmission is not too fast (one possible reason why a file could be failing to update properly) … look for something like an interval between bytes type setting and ensure it is not at the minimum setting … but that’s just a wild guess, check in with manufacturer again

#20

If you’re interested in a trade for a DMC-6 (dark grey) all setup and ready to go for the OT. Let me know. I’m in Colorado USA.