BM3 not working with external synths

Can't get BM3 to sequence any of my external gear. I can see and select the device and channel in BM3 but nothing plays when tapping the note pads or laying down a sequence.

External gear is working in modstep so I suspect it's a BM3 issue with Midi.

Please advise.

Thanks.

Comments

  • My BM3 is sending all MIDI out on Channel 1, regardless of channel settings.

    Also, despite making specific channel settings for MIDI input, BM3 instruments respond to external controllers of all channels. Changing the BM3 channel selection to All, None, or a specific channel has no effect on this. Only by de-selecting my MIDI input device altogether in the settings does the unwanted activity stop.

    These things make the software unusable.

  • Hey guys, are you setting your midi in the general settings or on a track by track basis? It took me a bit to find the specific midi setting for each track hidden in the menu. Perhaps that can help set your channels for both in and out?

    Sorry if you have already tried that.

  • Doing it on the complete Bank via the mixer as it states in the manual. But nothing works.
  • Ditto. Doing it in both places in the settings, thanks.

  • Even more strange, it seems to send very special:
    1. it disregards the MIDI Channel setting
    2. it only plays certain notes and maps them to certain MIDI channels, e.g. in 64 pad mode:
    C3, E3, G#5 and C7 output on channel 1 while C#3, F4, A5 and C#7 output on channel 2, ...

  • I posted a video on twitter showing how I assume you set up external Midi. What am I doing incorrectly?
  • edited July 2017

    @echoopera said:
    I posted a video on twitter showing how I assume you set up external Midi. What am I doing incorrectly?

    I just tried this on my Circuit as a Midi out target from BM3 and I can confirm the same behaviour. (Midi in, meanwhile, from the Circuit to BM3 gives the input listed as available but does not receive any Midi information in BM3.)

  • Thanks for confirming. Hope we get a fix in the next update o:)
  • Can you assign a Focus Action?

  • Argh, I just started testing my MIDI controllers and of the two that were working the other day, one is working but one is not... This is annoying.

  • edited July 2017

    @MattW said:
    My BM3 is sending all MIDI out on Channel 1, regardless of channel settings.

    Also, despite making specific channel settings for MIDI input, BM3 instruments respond to external controllers of all channels. Changing the BM3 channel selection to All, None, or a specific channel has no effect on this. Only by de-selecting my MIDI input device altogether in the settings does the unwanted activity stop.

    These things make the software unusable.

    You are right, for "ease of use", the selected pad will receive MIDI data, regardless of the channel and port.
    This will be addressed in 3.0.1.

    I will investigate the issue where MIDI data is not handled/read too, as I ordered a Beatstep Pro.

    @Zeitfraktur said:
    Even more strange, it seems to send very special:
    1. it disregards the MIDI Channel setting
    2. it only plays certain notes and maps them to certain MIDI channels, e.g. in 64 pad mode:
    C3, E3, G#5 and C7 output on channel 1 while C#3, F4, A5 and C#7 output on channel 2, ...

    Thanks for the bug report, I will check this out too! Can you elaborate on the MIDI output settings you had for the bank, and the pad?

    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

  • edited July 2017

    I had the same problem at first...
    You have to load a sample in the bank to get it work ! (it took me a long time to figured it out)

  • Mathieu, I also just tested MIDI in via Keystep. it worked initially, but AFAIK stopped when I started the Keystep Sequencer and I could not get it to work, not even after un- and re-plugging. I had to re-launch BM3 and MIDI in worked again...

  • edited July 2017

    Also it would be cool to have like BM2 the choice to put an Empty Preset for those who work with external gears.
    Because i have to load a sample and put the volume at zero to use my synts.

  • @Zeitfraktur said:
    Mathieu, I also just tested MIDI in via Keystep. it worked initially, but AFAIK stopped when I started the Keystep Sequencer and I could not get it to work, not even after un- and re-plugging. I had to re-launch BM3 and MIDI in worked again...

    OK, by any chance is there any MIDI clock messages involved in your setup?

  • edited July 2017

    @jfmagnet said:
    Also it would be cool to have like BM2 the choice to put an Empty Preset for those who work with external gears.
    Because i have to load a sample and put the volume at zero to use my synts.

    What we did is use the empty pad number as the output channel. so if you create a pattern and add events for empty pad #5, MIDI will be sent on channel #5. You need to configure the MIDI output first though.

    This is a temporary solution; we might bring proper "pure MIDI" tracks back.

    Cheers!
    Mathieu.

  • edited July 2017

    Well loading in a Sample and clipping it to no sound allows me to sequence external gear. I was able to sequence the 2 synths and 4 drum pads on the Circuit by doing this.

    Thank jfmagnet!

    It's a little odd to have to load a Sample, and then turn it off in order to get things working...but hey it's working.

    Maybe having a switch that allows you to set the Pad to Midi Out Only would be a nice addition.

    Anyway, I'll try and post a video to Twitter thread and here to let people know about the work around.

    Cheers,
    -policarpo

    BTW: Congrats on a stellar release. BM3 is truly deep, amazing and powerful! Intua should be very proud of their creation.

  • Here's the new video with the setup process
  • Well, that works for me too. Kinda feels like a hack but whatever...
  • Yeah. But at least it works B)
  • Hrmmm. So this little work around seems fine if I go direct USB from synth to Camera Connection Kit into iPad. If I try to sequence when the synth is routed through a USB Hub I am not getting any notes out. Modstep sees it on the hub and works as expected...so...there is definitely an issue with BM3 and Midi out to external synths.

    Let me know what other details I can provide. My hope is to sequence my Circuit, Minilogue and AS-1 all at once with BeatMaker3.

    Cheers,
    -policarpo
  • Ok. I think I've sorted it all out. Going to do a quick vid this weekend highlighting what I've discovered.
  • Video required, sir!
  • Here's a fuller vid showing the setup for multiple synths on a single bank:
  • @jfmagnet said:
    I had the same problem at first...
    You have to load a sample in the bank to get it work ! (it took me a long time to figured it out)

    This. Just load some small random sample to the pad, turn its volume off and then it works normally. Midi in on the other hand i havent had luck with much(it worked on beta at some point). Basically, i can get some of the controllers to work sometimes, but it just seems very random when/if they work. Seems to be the case with both bluetooth and normal midi ports. Also when i got something to work, bm3 would only accept one controller at the time, even tho all my devices were routed to ipad through same midi port(all midi to laptop through 6i6's midi ports or usb, sent to ipad via 6i6's midi out to steinberg ur22's midi in). Which also doesent make sense to me. Last night i tried to route midi from laptop to ipad via bluetooth and minibrute connected to in and out of ur22, but the only thing i could get working was midi out to minibrute(using this trick of loading sample on pad then sending midi to ur22 out).

    Im hoping that we will get an option for external instrument, that can be recorded(with sampler) to other pads as audio.

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