MIDI echo issue with Roland SE-02 and OT

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

What I want to do: use live recording on OT to input notes and CCs using the SE-02 keyboard and knobs.

I connect the Roland SE-02 to the OT’s MIDI input and output ports. When I hit keys on the ‘keyboard case’, the note seems to be bouncing back and forth between the OT and SE-02 indefinitely. The same issue happens with CCs.

The Octatrack manual recommends switching external synths to ‘local off’ mode to prevent this issue. Unfortunately the SE-02 doesn’t have a mode like that.

Solutions I can think of right now:

  • Disconnect the SE-02 --> OT cable when I’m not recording.
  • Use an external keyboard that sends to the OT’s auto channel. This would fix notes, but doesn’t help with CCs.

I’d appreciate your help ;).

3

basically what it sounds like is that the se-02 is feeding the OT back the same note. is there any reason to have the SE-02 output connected to the Input of the OT? The easiest fix would be to wire the OT midi out to the SE-02 and that’s the only midi wiring. If your OT has complete control over the SE-02 then there shouldn’t be a reason to feed the midi back into the OT.

See if that helps

4

Yes, not connecting it helps, but then I can’t use the keyboard on the SE-02 to input notes into the OT sequencer :wink:

5

What you basically need is a way to prevent SE-02 to transmit incoming MIDI.
But this cannot be done, the Boutique line doesn’t offer this.
So there is no way you can’t do what you have in mind, I fear.

6

Maybe I should file a feature request with Roland instead.
The same setup works perfectly with the OP-1, maybe Roland could
add a config option for this or something.

1 Like
7

Indeed, please do :slight_smile:
I’ll do the same.

BTW the OP-1 sends the clock back, even in slave mode : I contacted TE about this and they told me they would look into it. While you’re at it, you might want to tell them that in salve mode we don’t need a sync thru :wink:

8

Some external keyboards will send MIDI CC messages as well as MIDI note messages.

9

(In case anyone else was searching for the answer here after all these years…)

  1. Make sure your SE-02 is updated to at least version 1.10
  2. Boot the SE-02 in System Setup mode (hold [EXIT] while turning on the power)
  3. Press [9]: The display will read “MIDI Thru”
  4. Use the [VALUE] knob to switch this to “Off”
  5. Press in the [VALUE] knob to save the setting

The SE-02 will reboot itself back to Normal mode. All MIDI echoing removed.

Note: This setting is slightly “bugged” as of version 1.11. You may find that you can’t change this setting. The workaround is to move the [VALUE] knob anyway, even though the setting isn’t changing, press it in to save it, turn off the SE-02 and turn it back on in System Settings mode, go back to this setting, and now you can change it.