Okay, I have a weird situation happening and was hoping someone could help me wrap my head around it.
I have a very early MidiMini w/Moog boards. When I try to control it via Elektron Analog Keys I am having a weird experience.
I attempt to play it with the keyboard, I hit one note and then the MidiMini freezes up.
If I program the sequencer, no issues whatsoever.
I hooked the Digitone up to control the MidiMini (exact same settings as Analog Keys) with no issues controlling the MidiMini via keyboard or sequencer.
A third setup I attempted was using an Akai Mpd218 pad through the Cirklon, via usb host, and also experienced the same hang ups when hitting the pads but programmed sequencer also had no issues.
I also did a test with using the Digitone as a midi controller for the cirklon via 5 pin midi out and usb out, and had no hang ups when live playing keyboard or sequencing.
Any insights as to why the hang ups could be happening on the Analog Keys and mpd 218 but yet the Digitone has no issues?
Digitone does not transmit velocity through the clicky buttons (or at least not any variable velocity) but I’m assuming that both the AK and the MPD218 do.
See if there’s a way to disable velocity on either of them or if you have another controller which has velocity which can be disabled (or if you have a way to filter out velocity from one of the others).
Generally this would just mean that the controller sends velocity at a fixed value, probably maximum value, vs right now I would assume that it’s sending variable velocity as part of the note message and it sounds like it’s causing the midimini to hang up because maybe it can’t process that information (or it is not equipped to receive variable velocity).
If you can isolate and confirm that velocity is the cause, maybe you can do something about it, but at this point it appears to me to be a problem with the midimini rather than the AK or the Akai unit.
Basically, you need the same controller to send a fixed velocity in one round of testing, like how digitone does, and then variable (pressure actuated) velocity on another round of testing. If it only freezes while the variable velocity is being sent, that should be enough to confirm.
I’m just guessing based on the information you’ve provided, and you’ll have to try and confirm whether or not this is accurate. From there maybe you can figure something out.
Again, do you own tests because I’m just guessing based on the available information.
Another way you might be able to test this is to manually change some notes mid-sequence and set them to partial velocity on the digitone sequencer to see if it freezes. Same test with the AK sequencer.
I think the sequencers are transmitting fixed velocity if you programmed the notes in, so you can go back and edit notes to less than full velocity. If that causes it to freeze when playing the sequence, I’d probably consider that proof.
The midimini can probably only handle velocity at 0 or full (basically off and on), which means it has that limitation, or there’s something wrong with it, but more likely that this is just a limitation if it’s an older device.
Not much to add to what Shigginpit wrote, I’ll only add that I would check the midi documentation of the midimini. It seems there are several software revisions, the last one being V30 (?). Check which version you have, and whether there are any known bugs with regards to midi velocity or other midi implementation.
Sorry, my previous post contains errors. The V30 is apparently a new version with a very different selection of functions and midi implementation. You probably knew that though
I would still investigate the implementation of your early unit and check with people familiar with the early ones if there are any known bugs. This is from the mid-80s, right? I’ve encountered quite a few early midi synth with midi bugs, glitches and other «peculiarities».
