Switching programs on the pulse 2

Hi,

I’m building a set on the octatrack, also using the pulse 2. I have 1 bank on the OT which uses bank3, prog100 on the pulse. This works correctly. Now when I switch to my next song (next bank on the OT), I want to use bank3, prog120 on the pulse. This doesn’t work, it goes to bank1, prog 120. If I wanted to switch to bank2, prog120, it works fine.
I guess it doesn’t work when the bank remains the same. The OT then only sends the program, not the bank. Any idea on how to fix this?

Cheers!

is the OT choosing bank 3 or do you have it set already?

check the pulse manual? some of my synths need 2 program changes. 1 for bank and 1 for the patch. some let you use other MIDI commands.

On the OT you might be able to use 2 MIDI tracks going to the same MIDI channel if this is what the pulse needs.

The pulse needs a bank change, and then a program change. The problem is changing to a program on the pulse in the same bank, because the OT does not send a bank change there. So I think this is a bug. When you go into a new part, and there is a bank + program change specified, it should always send both the bank and the program change.

Had a similar problem some weeks ago, octatrack bank change only works if i stop the sequencer pressing the stop button twice … then it sends everything correctly, and press play to resume :dizzy_face:

I sent a ticket but still open and no response …

I’ll send a ticket too, maybe it helps :slight_smile:

Going to resuscitate this one. Has anyone found a solution? This is currently vexing me with my Pulse 2 and Octa.

The problem, as far as I can tell, is that as of OS v1.15 (August 2014) the Pulse 2 only changes bank via Bank LSB (CC #32). The OT ensures that, when Bank Select and Program Change parameters are set in MIDI Note Setup (function+playback), Bank Select is sent before Program Change. But MIDI Note Setup strictly adjusts Bank MSB (CC #00), so it will have no effect on the Pulse 2’s bank setting.

If you map a data entry knob to CC #32, select your bank via that knob (e.g., bank 3), start playback, and then change the program in MIDI Note Setup (e.g., program 77), the Pulse 2 will correctly change to program 377. But this will only work if you do those steps in that order manually, as it will by default send Program Change before any of the other CC messages.

Users of other external gear are struggling with this as well: Midi bank change

Very frustrating as it’s a pretty serious impediment to sequencing my Pulse 2 with the Octatrack.

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I have the same setup - OCTATRACK & WALDORF PULSE 2.

I do as you told me with CC32 assinging to the controlable CC’s but I can only choose bank 0 - 1 or 2. Bank 3 or 4 doesn’t work!

please help me out here.

Make sure that the OT MIDI track’s channel is set to same channel that the P2 is set to receive MIDI on. Put down a note trig or a trigless trig (function + trig) and set your CC #32-mapped knob to 3, hit play, and then go to MIDI Note Setup and make your program change. It should go to 3xx. Is that not working?

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Nowp he doesn’t do that, he even don’t change anymore at all (bank). Programs yes. I use channel 14 not that it matters :D.

HQ told me they could reproduce this and filed it as a bug they might look into someday.

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Someday LOL.

Yep, don’t hold your horses :slight_smile: maybe if more ppl filed a ticket it could help. Without this, you’re basically stuck with using only 1 bank for external devices.

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OK, I’ll make a ticket next week :wink: Really I do.

I’ve send a support ticket with this issue ;).

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REPLY FROM ELEKTRON:

Hi,

Currently there is no workaround on this, but we are aware that many users request a function where you can config the order of the midi messages.
Cannot make any promises that this will be added in a future OS.

Regards,

Martin - Elektron

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Same for me, patch works, bank not.

Martin said the same to me :angry:

Arise from the dead:

Was there any ever progress on this? Just got a Pulse2 and boy what a let down if you can’t use the OT to do program changes! Seems like it should be a basic function.

Any workarounds, or am I really just stuck to one patch when sequencing the Pulse from the OT?

EDIT- Just to keep it simple for me: how should I set up so that I can have two OT MIDI tracks, both set to MIDI channel 1, with the Pusle2 set to receive MIDI channel 1, and each OT track will trig a different patch/sound on the Pulse?

Program Change works. The workarounds are therefore either:

  • to move all your Pulse 2 patches to a single bank in the Pulse 2, or
  • to use CC 32 immediately before the Program Change message to move to a patch in another bank in the Pulse 2.
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