TR8S and SP404MK2 MIDI integration

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

posted this question in the sp thread but it got swallowed up in the unending stream of comments lol

i’m trying to get my tr8s to sequence my sp404mk2. curious if anybody in the entire world has gotten this to work as i can’t find anything on forums or youtube.

i can get the tr8s to start and stop a pattern on the sp. but i was hoping to be able to trigger samples and loops on the sp from the tr8s and use its sequencer. this seems possible as there are corresponding midi note values, and in fact i CAN get the sp to trigger sounds on the tr8s but not vice versa.

any help much appreciated!

#2

There two types of midi modes on the SP you can edit in the settings. Midi A and B.

Midi A is the following notes for the current selected bank.

IMG_8789
IMG_87891179×1273 101 KB

Midi B ranges multiple notes over all the pads and banks.

Midi note range starts at page 170 in the manual.

1 Like
#3

thanks man, i’ve had that page pulled up for the last day haha

here is an example:
the first pad on the tr8s is note C2, which corresponds to pad A-13 on the sp (in midi mode A). both of these transmitting on midi channel 1. i can trigger the tr8s from the sp using corresponding midi-notes. but for some reason i can’t get the tr8s to trigger the sp.

pretty baffled

#4

When I mapped the DT to trigger drums on the TR8S, the notes were off by an octave. It could be the same scenario here. To test, you could lay down 16 steps on the BD track on the TR8S. If the TR8S is supposed to respond to/send C0, try setting the 404 to C1. Or, start at C0 and change the setting on the 404 going up one note at a time until you hear the 404 being triggered. I’m guessing it’s just a note mismatch and likely one separated by an octave.

1 Like
#5

good idea. looks like i’m triggering the right notes though. have you used the tr8s to trigger the DT? i’ve sequenced the sp using an octatrack with no issues.

i’m guessing the problem is with the tr8s. i’d had it sitting on a shelf planning to sell it. but ran across some tracks i’d made on it and was like “damn this is pretty good, would be cool with samples in the mix”. figured it would play well with the sp considering they are both newer roland devices. no dice.

#6

I haven’t but I can give it a try. At the very least, I can throw on MIDI-OX and see if the TR8S is sending notes out. I’m testing a MIDI controller config with the TR8S so it’s on my desk in front of me right now. DT is over on another work space. Standby…

1 Like
#7

TR8S is definitely sending them. I can see the events in MIDI-OX. I’ll setup the DT when I have a moment to test.

On the TR8S, check the ‘UTILITY’ menu under the ‘MIDI’ section and make sure ‘Tx EditData’ is set to ‘ON’.

1 Like
#8

thanks for checking that.

yes, tx editdata is set to on.

1 Like
#9

Is your ‘Pattern Ch.’ set to the same as your SP-404? Just setting up the DT now to test.

#10

Definitely working on the DT. I have my ‘Pattern Ch.’ set to ‘12’ and I have Track 1 on the DT set to ‘12’. Now, the TR8S only sends on one channel and it only sends notes for each ‘INST’. The DT can’t do this. It can set each track to a different channel but not to respond to different notes on the same channel.

All that being said, if I lay trigs down on different tracks on the TR8S, the DT plays the corresponding notes. I just can’t tell if what I’m sending from the TR8S is the exact note.

Example: TR8S BD is set to respond/send ‘22 Bb0’. I don’t know if the DT is playing a Bb0 though. I think it plays an octave lower or higher.

EDIT: I set the BD track to send C5 but it’s playing a C6 on the DT. So, the TR8S is likely sending an octave higher (or the DT is responding an octave higher) than what it says it/they are.

If your BD track is set to, for example (C5), set one of the pads on the SP-404 to receive/send C6 or C4. See if that produces results.

#11

thanks again for checking that!

the sp is weird because the midi note numbers are set for each bank/pad and can’t be changed.

i think you are right that the tr8s sends midi notes an octave higher than it’s supposed to…? compensating for this i DID get the tr8s to respond but i had to set the LocalSw setting to surface, which isn’t very useful, hahah.

jeez my brain is fried from this. i’m just gonna play acoustic guitar from now on.

#12

If this is the case then, you might be hooped. The TR8S can certainly be configured to send the appropriate notes from each ‘INST’ (you’d likely need to set the notes one octave lower than what the SP-404 is expecting). But, you’ll only be able to trigger 11 of the 16 pads and only on one bank. The ‘INST’ note settings are global and not ‘per pattern or kit’.

What the SP-404 would benefit from is an ‘auto’ channel similar to Elektron devices. Any MIDI data received on the auto channel would only impact the active pattern/bank (on Elektron devices, sending MIDI to the auto-channel only goes to the active track).

Do you have any Elektron devices? You could definitely setup an Elektron MIDI sequencer channel to do what you need.

#13

yeah i’ve got an octatrack. it can sequence the sp.
i just had a sudden vision of this being my couch set-up and got really excited. think i’m giving up on it, unfortunately. thanks for the help though.

1 Like