Midi and IAA synths
Hi
First, just want to say I am really happy with BM3, I think it is a great tool and basically has everything I have been looking for in an ipad app.
I think there are a few things wrong with how midi behaves working with IAA apps. This could be a BM3 thing, but it could also be the apps I am using or something to do with IAA itself.
I am using
Beatmaker 3.0.2 (BM)
DRC Synth app 1.1.6
iMini Synth app 1.75
iPad Pro 10.3.3
Novation SLMk2 connected via the Apple USB Camera Kit (SL)
1) Cannot record MIDI from DRC or iMini into BM
Midi Setup
Bank Midi Settings
Input: DRC
Channel: 2
Output: DRC
Channel: 2
DRC Midi
Input enabled from DRC, BM3
Output enabled to DRC, BM3
DRC Settings
Send Clock: Off
Sync to Clock in: On
Midi Input Channel: 2
Midi Output Channel: 2
Background Audio: Enabled
Description
If I record a pattern using BM keyboard, it works as expected, recorded pattern in song view.
If i record a pattern using DRC keyboard, no pattern shows up in BM Sequencer song view.
If i create an audio track, i can record what is played in DRC fine as audio.
When i try with iMini (using midi channel 3 everywhere), same thing. However on the Bank Midi Settings, there is no option to set iMini as the input, so perhaps this is something to do with iMini.
My question is: what does the input section for bank midi mean? If i have it set to DRC, should BM be recording midi notes played on the DRC keyboard?
[edit/update]
In settings -> midi I need to enable DRC as an input as it is off by default. Once I do this the notes played on the DRC keyboard get recorded into BM. Still no DRC parameter automation like filter sweeps get recorded though. I am not sure if this is BM or that DRC isnt sending the CC data.
2) BM does not seem to pass through midi properly when using the SL
Midi setup is:
SL -> KeyBoard channel: 3, Control Channel: 3
BM Bank -> input sl mk2 port 1, Midi Channel 3, output: DRC channel 2
Description
When I play notes on the SL, I can see the bank header lighting up so it is receiving the triggers, however the notes will not be sent to DRC.
If I set the SL to use KB/Ctrl on Channel 2, DRC receives the notes fine (as expected)
What is weird is if I record midi notes in BM using SL on Ch 3, it will record the notes fine and the pattern is in the sequencer/song view, but the notes will not get sent to DRC. This includes if I set the BM Bank input to use ch 2. It is like the note info recorded into BM is also recording the channel they came in on (vs using the Bank midi output setting).
3) MIDI CC info is not recorded.
I could have sworn if I played notes on the SL and done a filter sweep or whatever it was recorded into the BM midi pattern. However this is no longer the case, maybe it is something that changed in 3.0.2?
4) MIDI CC recording is not editable in the Midi pattern.
This is from when I could record the CC stuff. When I looked in the midi pattern editor be it midi automation or track automation, I could not see the CC automation info. This is not possible to replicate in 3.0.2 as the cc info is not being recorded at all, so just throwing it out there.
It would be cool if there is CC data in a midi pattern it is automatically listed on the lhs menu when looking at the midi automation editor
5) MIDI enabled Macro Controls would be cool
- It would be cool if we could assign the macro controls midi CC values and use them to control IAA apps.
- It would be cool if we could use the macro controls with IAA app midi learn functionality, ie turn on midi learn in DRC or iMini, select the control in the app, twiddle a macro knob and have it learnt.
As a work around for this, if I have a midi pattern in BM, I can open the midi automation, create a new automation for a CC i pick, manually enter a note in the automation window, switch to the IAA app, turn on midi learn in the IAA app, select the IAA App control i want to map to, then hit play on the transport and the IAA app will learn the CC I set. This is a bit tedious but it does work. Another downside of this is I have to manually enter the CC curves.
6) Control auto save
Not a midi thing but is there a way to control the auto saves of sessions. Probably I would like to turn it off, as I get confused between the ones i manually save and have been auto saved. I would like to understand when auto saves happen as well, cause i will save a session, then exit, then on relaunch the app the auto saved session is the most recent. This is a pretty minor thing.
Like I say I really like the app. I have taken the time to give detail here because of how much I believe in it. I expect some or maybe even all of them are known but thought I would write it out vs trawling through 3k+ forum threads. I would be happy to try things out/recheck/confirm as well just let me know.
Comments
Is all of the above still valid? Bit of a dealbreaker for a bunch of scenarios if there's no assignable CC knobs for IAA and external hardware?
Just bought Model 15 but seems like I need to explore Modstep if I want to have any kind of fluid workflow when sequencing/automating it? Bummer!
Apart from the first point where I didn't have input enabled from the soft synth I haven't heard anything else. I've also realised it doesn't send or receive clock unfortunately, so hard to sync with external gear.
I'm pretty sympathetic to mathieu, the app is not pitched as fully featured central midi brain, all of its functionality is "in the box", i.e. within the app itself. And there's a lot of functionality there and a lot of work that has gone into it. At some point you just gotta get something out there.
I tried modstep previously but the UI is mess and I'd rather give the guy some time to work on the midi stuff, I feel bm is just a much better app over all vs modstep. mathieu if you read this im dizzy_pete on twitter, happy to try stuff out and do testing if it'll help.
Hanging for 3.0.3, maybe better midi support is there, still early days though really.
@dizzy said it right, still early days, releases are being worked on.
Just been trying to figure out if it's something I should invest too much time in yet. Keep hitting walls. Not sure yet what role/s to give it. Like is it something I should start building live sets in? Is it something I should start building full songs in? Is it something I should just use as a sampler/sound bank? Etc.
Probably just expecting too much from ios tbh. For a second it kinda seemed like BM3 could compete with/replace hardware sampler/sequencer or a desktop daw but seems like that's a few updates away still. If things like sequencing external hardware is even on the intua agenda. Early days like you say
Not trying to take anything away from how incredible an achievement BM3 is. Just unsure where/if it fits for me atm and getting frustrated hitting walls, should probably just shelf it for a few months and see where things are at by then...
Intua dont read the forum that often (that is why i created a bug list) if you want to know about their plans for sequencing external hardware, i would ask them direct.
I am sure whatever you tind out would be of interest to all of us
Yeah, I posted a similar question to their Facebook page (link below) last night after looking at your settings and not being able to get MIDI to record for a pattern I have in DM1. The thing about BM3 is that it's got so many features, and often similar functionality seems to be spread and hidden in different places, so I'm not sure if I'm just doing something wrong or it's not possible. With an app with this much going on, they really need to pay some of the Youtubers out there to make tutorials that cover all the basic things people want to do, because their online tutorials don't really address a lot of stuff. If anyone has any ideas about how I need to setup DM1 and BM3 to get it to record both audio and MIDI from this DM1 pattern, that would be awesome.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155808318460955&set=p.10155808318460955&type=3&theater
I have also run into this problem playing IAA instruments. That said, AU is def the future and maybe we should encourage devs to upgrade their IAA offering to AUs instead of getting backward compatability into BM3. Im sure model 15 will have a AU client soon. Imaginando's DRC might take a little longer being only 2 people so back to ModStep if IAA is a requirement for me.
Im certainly looking for AU alternatives to my IAA synths and I reckon that's a trend. Imaginando/devs must understand their synth will start to get overlooked as BM3 grabs more market share I would think.
Is there a tutorial request thread?
I've never used Patterning but people are always hyping it on hardware forums when asked 'what's good on ipad'...
@triton100 I hear you. If the beats are right, yep, stems are the path. But seriously... midi clock, multi channel audio outputs to BM3 should be easy. Hoping 3.0.3 makes this possible. @Heyez yep- its good. It has its quirks, but that and SeekBeats would be my two favourites.
I’m having the same problems with MIDI CC. Any other DAW at least passes it through from your source to the instrument, and also records it with the pattern and is editable. See my related thread here...
https://intua.net/forums/discussion/5572/realtime-midi-cc-to-iaa-or-external-midi#latest
Anyone make progress on this front? What about Program Changes within patterns? I’m also hoping to build out a live set but not without basic MIDI control functionality.
It still hasn't been fixed afaik. Was a bit of a show stopper for me so i sprung for auria pro in the end. It has more features around audio routing like busses. I'd rather just stick with BM but its not really workable until the midi side of things improves.
Dang. Yeah, I certainly assumed in a $40 sequencer app you could monitor ad record midi cc. No way to return it eh?
You can return apps depending on where you live I think. I've bought a few that were straight garbage or crashed as they launched, talk to apple support via chat and they refunded them