How to change patterns via midi?

Hello everyone.
I’d like to make a lemur template for the OT, but can’t find anything about pattern change via midi in the OT manual.
Is it possible?

I believe you should be trying to work with program change. Interestingly, I’m not seeing that explicitly talked about in the manual.

Check out the MIDI sync settings… You can enable PC send and receive, and even switch the midi ch. that is used.

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Yes, it’s possible with Program change.

Ex:

A1 ---- MSB =0 / LSB = 0 / PC = 1
A16 ---- MSB = 0 / LSB = 0 /PC = 16
B1 ---- 0/0/17
I1 ---- 1/0/1
I2 ----1/0/2
P16 ----1/0/128

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Hey thanks, where did you find this info?

It’s typical to use Program Change messages for drum machines and sequencers.

As glaciertree hinted in a previous post (above), the numbers are not explicitly stated in the OT manual. However, the settings required to enable the changing of patterns by MIDI are described on pages 42 and 43 of the manual.

Im reading through this and am still unsure how to map pattern changes via midi.

Could someone breakdown woodey’s post? I’m not sure how I would enter this into a controller.

With a 64 pad controller, would I be able to map 64 different patterns?

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The OT responds to MIDI Program Change messages. Because it has 16 x 16 = 256 patterns, the patterns are split into two groups: banks A to H and banks I to P.

If your current pattern is somewhere in banks A to H and you want to select a new pattern somewhere in bank A to H, you just need to send a MIDI Program Change message with one of the following values:
0 = pattern A01
1 = pattern A02
and so on until
127 = pattern H16.

If you were somewhere in banks I to P, the values would be:
0 = pattern I01
up to
127 = pattern B16.

If you want to change the current pattern to one in the other half of the pattern banks, you need to send a MIDI Bank Select message with a value of 0 for banks A to H of 1 for banks I to P, followed by the Program Change message for the particular pattern you want.

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Thank you so much for the breakdown Peter.

So, if I decided to stay within banks A-D, I could have 64 patterns mapped and ready for use with a 64 pad controller?

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Yes, assuming that your controller can send a Program Change message from each pad.

I believe the LaunchPad and Launch Control XL both MIDI and CC messages, so I should be good!

I have yet to purchase them so if someone sees and issue with those controllers and my intention for them (see a few posts up) please let me know.

Would I be able to change to patterns 1-16 within whatever bank I was in? So use up to 16 pads/pedals and just change the bank manually on the device itself? I’m guessing midi program change messages might not work that way, but I use each bank for a different song so it’s way more practical to just be able to switch within any active bank using the same 16 controller messages (rather than needing to program 64 or 128 individually)…

Indeed, MIDI Program Change messages do not work that way.

If your controller device/software is programmable, it might be able to remember which pattern is active and to figure out the MIDI PC number that you need for your next pattern.

Thanks. I feared as much and the workarounds might be a bit too fiddly for me. I’ve never had much use for PC messages, seems like they were designed to call up a specific/predefined preset in a live set when I usually want to use them to browse patches/jam along with patterns. Ah well, can’t have everything!

Hi. Thanks for this useful info. I am setting up a footpedal (Behringer FCB1010) to send PC messages to change patterns on my OT, but although I had it working originally, it now seems to select Patters I01 onwards, even though I’m sending PC0 etc, and I have bank 1 selected on the OT (I can’t seem to send bank change messages from the FCB)
Any ideas ?
Thanks

On OT, if you are not already in the half of the pattern banks (A-H or I-P) that you want, you need to send a MIDI CC 0 message:

  • with a value of 0 to access pattern banks A-H or
  • with a value of 1 to access pattern banks I-P.

That CC message then needs to be immediately followed by the Program Change message.

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Great, thanks :+1:t5:

This has all been very helpful as ive just found the need for it.

Anyone know if you can use a foot switch to increment patterns?

All of the above seems to relate to selecting specific patterns (correct me if I’m wrong), which is great, but would be really handy to have one foot switch that triggers the next pattern, then the next bank after pattern 16 in each bank.

Am i asking for too much? :slight_smile:

Here is an example:

It’s possible to write a Arduino sketch for the Retrokits RK-002 cable that does exactly that. But you must be a bit computer-savvy with some basic knowledge of coding in C (and some time to spare). Not an overly complicated project though. Nice for a long winter evening…