BM3 MIDI controller problem

Hey guys!

I'm a long time user of BM2, I purchased BM3 yesterday and it really looks great. However, I have a big problem - the app does not respond to any incoming MIDI signals. I've tested it with 3 keyboards - Korg Triton Extreme, Korg X50 and Korg R3 (all of which I use to control BM2) and one pad controller - Akai MPD218. All of these four devices are recognized by BM3 and their ID is displayed (I've attached screenshots for the Korg Triton and X50 keyboards), but I don't get any sounds when I press the keys / pads on them.
Before posting here :

  • I've double-checked the manual to see if there is any additional information, and I've tried setting different input ports in the the banks' settings (screenshots attached)
  • I've also checked if the devices still work with other apps - BM2, АUM, iGrand etc. (they do)
  • I've tried changing the usb cable...
    but nothing helped :/

I'd really appreciate if I could get some help about this. BM3 has some fantastic features and I'm really bummed out that I can't get it to work with my controllers.

Thanks!

«1

Comments

  • Hey @AltShift and welcome!

    Have you tried setting up the Focus Actions? This way, you can bind various actions (pad triggering, macro knobs, transport control), with one or multiple MIDI devices.

    Check out our article here: https://intua.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210181406-Using-external-MIDI-controllers-and-instruments

    Now, any MIDI data that is not assigned to a focus action will just be sent to the currently selected bank and pad.

    Let me know if that works for you.
    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

  • I am having a similar issue and wrote support about it yesterday when the forum was being updated...

    I use a Quicco Mi.1 Bluetooth midi interface (http://quicco.co.jp) with my iPad and midi gear. I was able to use it with no problems in BM2, but have had no success using it in BM3. BM3 seems to constantly disconnect it, and I can't get any of the devices connected to trigger sounds or control the transport on BM3. Both iPad, mi.1, and midi hardware devices are running most recent updates.

    Spent a majority of my day yesterday trying to get it set up and finished feeling defeated. Hopefully a fix will arrive soon. Doesn't diminish the amazing job that has been done on the app! congrats on version 3.

  • Similar problem for me. No issues with an MPK mini 2 (through USB hub), but nothing else works. Have tried various controllers through Irig Midi, and directly via USB with Novation Circuit and a Yamaha digital piano. They show up as inputs in the midi settings but BM3 will not recognise any note played or any other control. It's nothing to do with Focus Actions, I think, because Focus Actions won't recognise the inputs and so cannot be used/set. I've checked all the various places Midi input can be set, and tried everything. It's strange, because as I say, the controllers appear as inputs in the Midi settings in BM3.

  • @mathieugarcia said:
    Hey @AltShift and welcome!

    Have you tried setting up the Focus Actions? This way, you can bind various actions (pad triggering, macro knobs, transport control), with one or multiple MIDI devices.

    Check out our article here: https://intua.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/210181406-Using-external-MIDI-controllers-and-instruments

    Now, any MIDI data that is not assigned to a focus action will just be sent to the currently selected bank and pad.

    Let me know if that works for you.
    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

    Hey Mathieu, thanks for the response! I did try setting up Focus Actions and actually managed to map the BM3 pads and macros to my Akai MPD218 pads and knobs, and it all worked well. I should also mention that I connected the MPD218 to my iPad through a powered usb hub. However, as soon as I connected the Korg X50 keyboard to the same usb hub, BM3 stopped responding to controls from MPD218 (both pads and knobs)...
    I'll experiment some more and report back again.

  • Just bumping this thread as the issue still persists. Quite annoying to have bought the rather nice BM3 Rhodes and not be able to play it with from decent sized external keyboards.

  • Hey guys!

    If you don't setup MIDI focus actions, be sure to configure the bank or pad MIDI input port and channel.
    This is key to proper routing. If you can share configuration screenshots, that'd be great!

    Sorry for the inconvenience,
    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

  • @mathieugarcia said:
    Hey guys!

    If you don't setup MIDI focus actions, be sure to configure the bank or pad MIDI input port and channel.
    This is key to proper routing. If you can share configuration screenshots, that'd be great!

    Sorry for the inconvenience,
    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

    Hi @mathieugarcia
    I've tried all that. I've set the port and midi channel in evety screen, in every menu. It doesn't work. The inputs appear in the menu but no midi data is received by BM3. The same controllers work fine with other programs. I think it's a bug.

  • every, not evety

  • As requestd, screenshots:
    The first shot shows the midi settings. You can see iRig Midi is showing as an input, but nothing happens if you select the AutoLearn option and press keys on the controller:

    The second shot shows the pads, with the Midi settings menu visible. Still, no midi, either notes or CC, is received by BM3:

    The third shot, for comparison, shows BS-16 midi settings. Here, the same midi input works perfectly:

  • I have a Novation LaunchPad Mini tried mapping it to a bank in 64 pad mode. It seems to be triggering something but not what I expect a different sound to what's loaded! I

    I Looked at the focus auctioned editor not really sure what this does is it a midi builder template. Tried it same result as above.

    I've also tried the individual pad midi option again getting triggering but not what's loaded?

    Anyone else tried.mapping a launchpad yet? If so how did you get on?

    Would love it if someone built a template for the launchpad to use BM3.

  • Having the same problem with a Beatstep Pro via irig midi 2; I can map the pads but they don't play a sequence. Anyone had success with a BSP?

  • edited July 2017

    .

  • Definitely appears to be broken for me too. It doesn't matter what I select in the bank or pads midi ports, that doesn't appear to affect anything. I can get midi in from my devices if they appear in the main input devices page but it only works when I'm selecting a pad. so even if I have "none" set up for the ports, midi is playing the pad if it is selected in the current bank.

    Another thing is midi is lost when the display turns off, how do you stop this? Background app refresh is turned on in settings....
    thanks :)

  • I have a similar problem with the arturia keystep. Works as a midi controller initially, until assign it in a bank, then midi goes dark. I can restart bm3 and use it without assigning it, but then bm3 will disconnect from keystep as soon as a sequence is started.
    Focus actions midi learn does not work with ANY midi controller I own. That includes oxygen 49, kmi k board, and cme xkey 37.
    Yeah, I’d say midi is not usable at the moment, making bm3 unusable for me.

  • I've communicated with Vincent through e-mail support, but I'll also leave the videos here because they illustrate my problems better (sorry for my bad English) -

    1) Here I show that Korg X50 is working in BM2 and recognized by BM3, but BM3 doesn't receive midi from it (the same thing happens with the Korg Triton Extreme and Korg R3) :

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/HEuhTeEBWGNFG6z32

    2) And here you can see that the MPD218 is working fine until X50 is plugged in the same usb hub :

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/mcX3G9SNEXTh0DUy1

    Now, I know that the manual specifies that I should first plug in my MIDI controller into the iPad and only then fire up BM3, but I've tried that also and the result is the same as when I plug X50 into the hub while BM3 is working, ie. two controllers won't work at the same time.

  • I have the same problem with a Korg Monologue, seems at first to be a problem with the clock source who are always ON on those machines, and since BM3 does not "listen" to midi clock it can be the source of the problem...

  • hm finally some people w the same problem as me ....because this is what i expect : to connect a midi controller, connect it and play the au synths I have, for then to record it as a midi file((cannot see why I should have to clutter w the focus actions to do that ? ) - somehow just like you do in any daw (I am used to ableton live and cubase) Choose input, have input note on and thus sound... I have tried korg sq-1, akai lpd and Patterning with no success..)The devices show up like described up in this thread but Not one sound at all, and no showing that there is any midi recieving. Now funny enough I try here on the kitchen with my Xkey and it suddenly works - that is without choosing ANY port. Now I can switch between tracks in the mixer and whatever track is highlighted recieves midi. Now another thing I notice whilst on that page is that when I choose my drumtrack (and there is no sound) still the main out leveler gives signal as if there WERE sound. Something very strange is going on, and I am disappointed since I thought I finally had found an app where I could record my sq-1 to further tweak on the notes and especially automation. Now what is changed with the setup in my case is that w the xkey I am using a non-powered camera-connection-kit (what a werid name-why dont they just call it usb-connection-kit?) anyways, I am awaiting a fix or someone tell me I am a conplete nutter and looser that should not do midi (which I have done since the mid-80ies) ... cheers

  • Hi,
    I dont know if this would work for any of you all but it did for me.

    I was unable to connect a padkontrol through a u-zoom soundcard while this set up is working fine in other apps.

    As a turnaround I installed an app called midiflow.
    In that app you need to create a midi path by selecting your input midi device and by creating and adding a virtual midi port as your output.
    You then have to open BM3 and select your created midi-out as your midi-in your midi preferences in BM3.
    This is the only way I found to have BM3 talk to my midi controller so that I can create the focus actions.

    It sometimes doesn't recognise my virtual port so I created a second one that is recognized when the first one isn't and vice-versa.
    So I created 2 sets of "focus actions" that I named accordingly and that I load when either of the ports is being recognized.
    In any case restarting BM3 seems to be required when changing midi ports.

    Please kindly note that I am in no way associated with "midiflow", I am just sharing a work around that works for me.
    BM3 midi communications seems to need some ironing so that I dont have to use 3rd party apps, but at least it works for me right now. Hope it does for you too

  • And BTW midiflow is an awesome app if you need more midi control, so I am happy to have spent 5.99$ for it.
    I used the non audiobus version.
    Good luck if you try it, it was worth it for me.

  • Some update. As I was debugging the CoreMIDI implementation to make sure it worked with the BeatStep Pro, I fixed a bug related to SysEx and MIDI transport messages. If your device is sending this kind of message, there is a good chance BM3 ignore subsequent incoming data.

    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

  • @soulpixel said:
    Hi,
    I dont know if this would work for any of you all but it did for me.

    I was unable to connect a padkontrol through a u-zoom soundcard while this set up is working fine in other apps.

    As a turnaround I installed an app called midiflow.
    In that app you need to create a midi path by selecting your input midi device and by creating and adding a virtual midi port as your output.
    You then have to open BM3 and select your created midi-out as your midi-in your midi preferences in BM3.
    This is the only way I found to have BM3 talk to my midi controller so that I can create the focus actions.

    It sometimes doesn't recognise my virtual port so I created a second one that is recognized when the first one isn't and vice-versa.
    So I created 2 sets of "focus actions" that I named accordingly and that I load when either of the ports is being recognized.
    In any case restarting BM3 seems to be required when changing midi ports.

    Please kindly note that I am in no way associated with "midiflow", I am just sharing a work around that works for me.
    BM3 midi communications seems to need some ironing so that I dont have to use 3rd party apps, but at least it works for me right now. Hope it does for you too

    Well, you are my hero :)
    The strangest thing happened, it's in fact so strange to me that I think will seem a bit unbelievable.
    I installed the Midiflow app to try your advice; went to the 'Input' tab and selected my keyboard controller (Korg X50); and when I opened BM3 so I can connect it to Midiflow, it suddenly just STARTED RESPONDING TO THE KEYBOARD! I mean, without any routings or setting up...I tested it for about 10 minutes afterward - restarted BM3 several times, changed midi channels, selected different banks - absolutely everything works perfect, after three days of nothing working at all!
    I can't thank you enough, man! I'm finally able to use this app the way I intended.

  • edited July 2017

    I should also just add that I shut down the Midiflow app, and BM3 works with my midi controllers without any intervention from Midiflow, completely 'stand-alone'

  • @mathieugarcia said:
    Some update. As I was debugging the CoreMIDI implementation to make sure it worked with the BeatStep Pro, I fixed a bug related to SysEx and MIDI transport messages. If your device is sending this kind of message, there is a good chance BM3 ignore subsequent incoming data.

    Cheers,
    Mathieu.

    Hey,
    In my case here are 3 setups

    Setup 1
    Padkontrol sends data out through the USB port directly n the camera connection kit and Result: BM3 gets the data without a problem.

    Setup 2
    Padkontrol send data through its midi port, feeds a u-zoom sound card midi port, sound card feeds the data to the camera connection kit hrough its USB port.
    Result: BM3 ignores the data.
    Please note that this setup works fine with other apps but not in BM3

    Set up 3
    Padkontrol send data through its midi port, feeds a u-zoom sound card midi port, sound card feeds the data to the camera connection kit hrough its USB port.
    Miidifow app picks the data up and feeds it to BM# through a virtual port.
    Result: everything works(although not always, requires duplicated set up and BM3 restart)

    I don't know if the padkontrol sends the data as sysex according to the connection type but I don't think so. It could, if set up in Native Mode, but it is not how I have it setup.

    Anyway as I said this works for me right now, BM3 is simply great, thanks for it.

  • @AltShift said:
    I should also just add that I shut down the Midiflow app, and BM3 works with my midi controllers without any intervention from Midiflow, completely 'stand-alone'

    What happens after you reboot the iPad?

  • I just rebooted it, opened BM3 straight away, it still works great.

  • Ok, have fun!

  • edited July 2017

    can confirm setup 2 @soulpixel no midi from a zoom U-24 in this scenario. Keyboard I’m attempting to connect not capable of sysex or transport control..
    nothing with an emu 1x1 midi interface either.

  • Have MPD 226 setup through CCK...can see it in midi devices and briefly had it working to map the pads...now nothing. Still see it in the devices and the mappings are still there, but BM3 is not getting any notes from the MPD. Other apps seem to be working fine with the MPD.

  • I have mpd226 / bcr2000 and it s working perfectly well.

    Btw im using midibridge and route midi outputs of controller in bm3 input, by doing this bm3 recognize Them as one and only one controller. I think it help a lot :)

  • OK thanks I will try that

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