PRIMOVA MIDX-20 Dual Roland USB MIDI Converter / Ctrl Interface

Started by CodeSmart, March 05, 2016, 05:20:19 PM

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JoBoss

Quote from: gumtown on March 20, 2017, 07:23:54 PM
Option 1)
Get them mass produced in China/outsourced,
but then we will start to see cheap knock offs,
with flaky firmware and midi port opto isolators removed just to make it 50c cheaper.  ;D
or just get them made for you with only a small test firmware supplied for the manufacturer, then you can flash the final firmware yourself.


Option 2)
Give up your day job and make this a full time venture.
Open a factory and list your company on the stock exchange.


Option 3)
keep the day time job, keep playing guitar,
and only make very limited runs of low volume to a high demand market.

so many options..

Long time ago, on this forum, I had suggested the same...Maybe future route is just like Roland getting its assembling done in Taiwan or a similar country, where quality is strictly adhered to yet mass assembly enabled to cater to a demanding, growing market....I m sure you will find time to play the guitar (which is where all this started)...IMHO  ;D

CodeSmart

Started working on the V2.0 features of the MIDX-20 today.
V2.0 will include the new Katana Bridge, Mustang Bridge and the following new features.

This new tab takes care of setting up virtual channels for devices (like GP-10) that only talks on CH1, in this example it will be available at CH3.
It also have up to six possible translations of CC# messages at various translations points within the MIDX making it possible to, for example send expression data or foot switches differently to different devices.


The CTRL1 and CTRL2 jacks connected to expression pedals can now be transformed: Normal, SLOW(Lin->Log), FAST(Log->Lin)
Also it's possible to calibrate the heel position for various types of pedals. 10K potentiometers(EV-5) , 25K or even 50K potentiometers works fine. To calibrate the heel position you just put the pedal in heel position and press the Calibration button.


The MIDX-20 EEPROM is only 256 bytes so every single bit needs to carefully utilized to fit the whole Assistant setup data structure.
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

vtgearhead

Amazing work, Robert.  Your energy and enthusiasm is inspiring!

GuitarBuilder

Robert never sleeps!  ;D ;D

Windows only still?  Will there ever be a Mac version?
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

KuRi

Great work Robert!

Just to be sure, with the new mapping channels feature, will I be able to send all info that comes on channel 1 to channel 1 and 2 at the same time?

Thanks!

CodeSmart

Quote from: KuRi on March 23, 2017, 05:12:56 AM
Great work Robert!

Just to be sure, with the new mapping channels feature, will I be able to send all info that comes on channel 1 to channel 1 and 2 at the same time?

Thanks!

Why?
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

admin

#331
QuoteWhy?

Kuri wrote>
Quote
I am using a single external midi sound module (Roland SD-50) where I can use a single instrument on each channel (1-16), but all data from midx goes to channel 1.

Guitar -> Fishman Triple Play -> Midx20 -> Roland SD-50


I suggest Kuri review the Fishman Tripleplay MIDI Implementation for Hardware mode.
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=13653.0

He should be able to configure the Tripleplay to send each string on a separate MIDI Channel to feed the Roland SD-50 Studio Canvas Tone module
https://www.roland.com/global/products/mobile_studio_canvas/

Hopefully the MIDX-20 passes this Tripleplay MIDI info intact to its DIN MIDI Out jack
 

KuRi

Hi, as I commented on a previous post, I want to trigger more than one sound at a time on the Roland SD-50 (or any other hardware synth with midi in), NOT using a different channel for each string.

To do this, I need the fishman triple play to send all data from all strings to channel 1 and 2 at the same time. I asked fishman, and they told me to solve this at the hardware synth midi level, but the sd-50 (and many others) does not allow to do this.

For example, I can do this easily using cubase on the pc (fishman usb to PC (channel 1)-> Cubase (Replicate channel) -> SD-50 (channels 1 and 2). But I want to do this without a PC, and the midx20 looks perfect for this feature!

It is a channel multiplier what I need :)

In fact, I can do this with the GR-55 because I can trigger 2 midi instruments at the same time. I think that if midx supports more than 1 channel replication, 4 for example (as the Axon ax device supports) then I could trigger 4 instruments at the same time! Dont you see the possibilites? :D

It could also be used with midi keyboards to trigger several instruments at the same time at different octaves and I can think of many other options.

Quote from: admsustainiac on March 23, 2017, 06:44:09 AM
Kuri wrote>
He should be able to configure the Tripleplay to send each string on a separate MIDI Channel to feed the Roland SD-50 Studio Canvas Tone module
https://www.roland.com/global/products/mobile_studio_canvas/ 

With this I only get one different sound for each string... what is indeed not what I want.

CodeSmart

There's another thread with a couple of guys getting "stuck notes" when strumming a lot. This could indicate the some of the buffers are too small. I have very little RAM so increasing buffers are very tricky.

What you suggest KuRi, would multiply all the data by the number of replicated channels, making things even worse for the poor small buffers.

I need to take a closer look at this before I go ahead creating data storms.
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

KuRi

Thanks Robert. I thought that this would not be a problem, but thanks again for taking a look at it.

What I wonder is... what happens when I connect a keyboard that let me send data through several channels, and they got sent to midi out in the same way... is this not the same scenario for the buffers?

CodeSmart

As for now really, really I tried to get stuck notes, but cannot reproduce the problem the guys have.

Quote from: KuRi on March 23, 2017, 09:51:16 AM
What I wonder is... what happens when I connect a keyboard that let me send data through several channels, and they got sent to midi out in the same way... is this not the same scenario for the buffers?

Yes KuRi, you are right, and how does it work?
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

KuRi

That's why I am asking, I am not a midi hardware/software programmer, but I think that you are redirecting the midi in to the midi out as it comes however I don't know how hard is to get the incoming data and send the same data to channel 2 at the same time.

It if cannot be done, please let me know as soon as possible so I can find another solution. I am just asking for a feature that I need because I am used to the gr-55 where I can trigger 2 instruments at the same time, and I was looking for the same functionality for the fishman triple play.

Please dont take my comment the wrong way... I am trying to justify my requests :D

Thanks.

gumtown

Quote from: KuRi on March 23, 2017, 02:14:47 PM
That's why I am asking, I am not a midi hardware/software programmer, but I think that you are redirecting the midi in to the midi out as it comes however I don't know how hard is to get the incoming data and send the same data to channel 2 at the same time.
What will be happening is the midi output data will be double the size of the midi input data, and could potentially choke things (buffer overflow).
If you strum a 6 note chord, 6 midi note on, envelope tracking cc#, and other cc# data are sent.
If you think of the midi stream like a 'water pipe' with the same diameter and same flow pressure (midi data rate),
to double the data out the other end is going to cause a bit of back pressure somewhere, to get 12 midi notes out..

It is not impossible, but you might be looking for some other device a bit more dedicated to midi channel splitting/data duplication.
Can Your midi Sound module do keyboard splits, with the splits overlaid on each other?
This would also produce multiple tones for one midi note.

Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Elantric

Quoteyou might be looking for some other device a bit more dedicated to midi channel splitting/data duplication.

Agreed - like one of these

https://www.iconnectivity.com/products/midi/iconnectmidi4plus



But if you  want to use two hardware sound modules, just set them both the same MIDI channel and use and cheap 1 in >2 out MIDi Thru box   

KuRi

Thank you for your answers. Do you know if the iConnectMidi2 has this capability of getting all messages on one channel and sending them to several channels?

Regards!

CodeSmart

Quote from: KuRi on March 23, 2017, 11:42:24 PM
Thank you for your answers. Do you know if the iConnectMidi2 has this capability of getting all messages on one channel and sending them to several channels?

Regards!

Nop but I change my mind and it will be available in the next MIDX-20 firmware. But only duplication to one extra channel (limited by menus only).

It just came along when implementing the new Operations List feature that can be assign any of the internal buffers.

Operations now implemented, and with ALL of them there's a flag to preserve the original message (i.e. Duplication):
- All MIDI commands Ch Translation
- CC+Ch Translation
- CC+Ch Translation + Value Lin->Log
- CC+Ch Translation + Value Log->Lin
- CC+Ch Translation + Value Reverse
- CC+Ch Translation + Value Momentary->Toggling
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

vtgearhead

Quote from: KuRi on March 23, 2017, 11:42:24 PM
Thank you for your answers. Do you know if the iConnectMidi2 has this capability of getting all messages on one channel and sending them to several channels?

It might, but good luck navigating their parameter setup UI.  Easily one of the worst I've encountered in recent years.  I resorted to stringing the thing between two computers running Midi-Ox and experimenting to be sure I had it set correctly.  Even their tech support folks acknowledge its awfulness.

KuRi

Quote from: CodeSmart on March 27, 2017, 05:19:30 PM
Nop but I change my mind and it will be available in the next MIDX-20 firmware.

Thanks thanks thanks!

CodeSmart

Just shipped my last MIDX. No more packing and shipping for a while. War department points at other activities, such as fixing a new veranda... ::)
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

GuitarBuilder

Quote from: CodeSmart on March 28, 2017, 03:26:12 PM
Just shipped my last MIDX. No more packing and shipping for a while. War department points at other activities, such as fixing a new veranda... ::)

Must listen to the War Department!
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

CodeSmart

I dug up an enclosure I've earlier rejected because a spill of clear coat under the "U" character.
Discount price $139 USD including shipping and PayPal fees. Everything else is good with it.
Really the last one (for now). 1 year warranty.

If anyone is interested, E-mail: sound@primova.se

But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

sixeight

Quote from: CodeSmart on March 28, 2017, 03:26:12 PM
Just shipped my last MIDX. No more packing and shipping for a while. War department points at other activities, such as fixing a new veranda... ::)

And we call this new product the WD-01 V-Randa by Primova Sound...

alexmcginness

VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

CodeSmart

But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

CodeSmart

The Sneaky Amps (abt. 27) discovered by Beanow has now been incorporated in the upcoming firmware release of the MIDX-20 Katana Bridge.
CC#80 walks you first through the first 5 standard amps (value 0-4) and then the Sneaky Amps follows (value 5-27) giving you another 22 amps with the Katana. Great work guys discovering this ;D
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!