SPP messages with midi controller?

If SPP means Song Position Pointer, then yes the MIDI Events Processor Plus can do it. Or to clarify, it can map a MIDI event to SPP. I haven’t tested this with the OT

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wow. Thanks a lot! This is exactly what I am looking for!

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:slight_smile:

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I wonder how well the OT behaves when it receiving song position pointer messages while playing …

Will it be bound to a single pattern when in normal mode? (I guess so)
Will it jump around patterns when in arranger mode? (probably yes?)
Will it glitch up static machines?

I tried without success.

@Open_Mike read maybe OT has to be stopped.
I don’t know how SPP works, OT doesn’t seem to respond to RT Start (FA) Stop (FC)

I don’t have Ableton to test. I wonder what is the start message needed.

From the MIDI spec:

A sequencer’s Song Position (SP) is the number of MIDI beats (1 beat = 6 MIDI clocks) that have elapsed from the start of the song and is used to begin playback of a sequence from a position other than the beginning of a song. It is normally set to 0 when the START button is pressed to start sequence playback from the very beginning. It is incremented every sixth MIDI clock until STOP is pressed. If CONTINUE is pressed, it continues to increment from its current value.

The current Song Position can be communicated via the Song Position Pointer message and can be changed in a receiver by an incoming Song Position Pointer message. The message should only be recognized if the receiver is set to MIDI sync (external) mode.

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What makes you say that? When I start/stop OT from the DN and monitor the midi stream sent from DN to OT, filtering out anything but RT messages AND clock, I see the FA and FC messages allright

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With my last test Stop + SPP + Start messages were restarting only the first pattern, in arranger mode.
I was in a hurry, couldn’t go further (on a boat now), I need to try with a device sending midi clock, as @PeterHanes quote suggest.

Anyway, it doesn’t seem practical / usefull, but my new midi challenge is to control the arranger play start position with midi messages, on the fly or randomly. I’m not sure it will be possible with midi loopback (send and receive midi clock with midi loopback doesn’t work).

I already can arpeggiate patterns with my midi keyboard (direct start), I think it’s more efficient.

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Very interested as well. Following!

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can you elaborate further? Been looking for a way to randomly play patterns for a while now. With a very slow (random) arpeggiator, this might do the trick.

Pretty simple with a midi processor :
Map any midi message with X value to :
Stop / Program Change X / Play

Without midi processor maybe any Program change followed by Note 35/B1 (sequencer restart) is enough. Didn’t try.

Do you have midi processors (hardware / software) or other advanced midi things?

If the master needs to start playback at some other point (as set by a Song Position Pointer message), then a MIDI CONTINUE message is sent instead of MIDI Start. Like a MIDI Start, the MIDI Continue is immediately followed by a MIDI Clock “downbeat” in order to start playback then.
http://midi.teragonaudio.com/tech/midispec/seq.htm

I don’t have a kenton or the likes. But I’m thinking about getting one.

Check this. Don’t hesitate to tell what are your needs, in order to help to choose one.
Midi Processors with Octatrack

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OT manual

MASTER SCALE sets the general time signature of the pattern. This setting is completely independent of the individual track tempo multiplier settings. It is used to define the overall time signature of the pattern, which affects MIDI clock if sent out by the Octatrack. When an Octatrack arrangement is being controlled from an external MIDI device,the song pointer position will be affected as well.

So…YES! IT WORKS! :loopy: :
I can play any step of the Arranger, on the fly.

I mapped midi notes (Note number X, Velo Y) to
Stop (FC)
SPP (F2 X Y)
Continue (FB)

I tried midi loopback, but it freezed. :smile:. I’ll try to understand why later.

SPP values correspondance

BAR 1 - F2 00 00
BAR 2 - F2 10 00
BAR 3 - F2 20 00
BAR 4 - F2 30 00
BAR 5 - F2 40 00
BAR 6 - F2 50 00
BAR 7 - F2 60 00
BAR 8 - F2 70 00
BAR 9 - F2 00 01
BAR 9 / step 2 - F2 01 01
BAR 9 / step 3 - F2 02 01

BAR 9 / step 16 - F2 0F 01

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Game changer yes : MULTI MAP for OCTATRACK!
It means that with midi notes, it’s possible to change patterns, pattern repeat / offset / length, scenes, bpm, mutes, and transpose all midi tracks on the fly. :loopy:

Game changer indeed!

So 8 years later new stuff is being discovered… that is an exceptional achievement

EDIT so now I have a new RK-002 project :wink:

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As OT can send SPP per row*, it would be interesting to make a midi learn mode with RK002 : Play a note, send the SPP after to associate notes and rows.

*Transport send On, choose row + enter, out of Arranger edit mode.

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SPP take account of Arranger Repeat, Length, but not Offset.

If you add a loop row, it seems to add loop length, if infinite, or loop length multiplied buy the number of repeats.