Not able to record notes from MIDI

[steeldust]

Hi, I'm still trying to gain the secrets how I could possible make use of the Blackboxes sequencer.

At first I connected my Minilogue XD synthesizer via USB to the Blackbox and found, that the Blackbox doesn't send clock. Is that normal, and if yes, why, and if not what am I possibly missig?

Then I connected the synthesizer via TRS-MIDI (in both directions). Now I'm getting the clock, but I still couldn't figure out, how to record notes using the synthesizers keyboard after I pressed REC+PLAY.

In the TOOLS/MIDIn screen I set "MIDI Keys" to "Ch 9" (the channel of the synth).
In the TOOLS/Rec screen I set "MIDI Rec" to "ON".

In the SEQS screen I set the Mode to "MIDI" instead of "PADS" or "KEYS".
In the SEQS/MIDI screen I set "MIDI Out" to "Ch 9". Just to hear the recorded notes.

When I draw notes in the the touch screen, they play as expected on the synth. But why aren't they recorded when I play the synth after I pressed REC+PLAY? I checked all the midi-settings on the Minilogue.

What also confuses me is, that touching a pad in the PADS screen plays notes on the Synthesizer. The manual on page 89 says that this is because of of the TOOLS/MIDIn "MIDI Keys" setting, but even on "None" the notes play. Only when I turn off "MIDI out" in the sequence, the pads won't trigger notes on the synth anymore. This is definately unwanted. How can I let only the sequence play the synth?

The overall goal is to record MIDI notes from the synth into a sequence to get it quantisized there an maybe edited afterwards. Then the sequence should play the synth, while I tweak the synths knobs and record a loop as audio back into the blackbox.

Thx!

[steeldust]

Update: I tried all different things in the meanwhile, e.g. using USB for MIDI into the Blackbox instead of TRS, and at one point suddenly the notes where there. But only for once. Then I restarted the Blackbox and now actually I'm getting the notes! But this leads me to the next problem: The lenght is not beeing recorded. What's going on?

[steeldust]

Another update: This device drives me crazy! After hours of testing I found out, that a midi sequence is somehow connected to a pad, which must be selected in the PADS screen, and must also have a loaded and muted placeholder sample, that also has to be in gate-mode to enable recording a proper midi sequence. Who comes up with such an idea? I assume this weird acting was the reason why I couln't get midi notes into a sequence for the most of the time earlier that day.

What I still don'tunderstand is, why does the Blackbox send midi, when I touch a pad? It seems to happen only when in the other screen a sequence is selected that is set to MIDI out. Is that a feature? I'd rather like to turn it off.

[arteom]

do this. load a sample to pad 1, set it to gate mode, then go to mix screen and mute it. Have this pad selected. Then go to sequence screen, open any sequence, hit record and play and start playing your synth. You should see the sequence populate with the keys you are playing. If you want to run that sequence back to your synth then set the midi channel of that sequence to that of your synthesizer.

In short, the synth is actually playing the pad, which is being recorded to a sequence. You have to use a burner pad to accomplish this. I don't think as it stands you can record midi directly to a sequence.

[stuartm]

The lenght is not beeing recorded. What's going on?

The Pad you use as "MIDI In" hast most likely the default Launch Mode which is "Trigger".
Set it to "Gate" (Conf Page), as arteom also mentioned.

[steeldust]

Ok thanks to all. I tried a more practical way and recorded (sampled) audio directly into a pad. Not using a sequence, which I find is super awkward. But for some reason, while recording my keyboard play, the pad is beeing transposed and toggled at the same time. Is there a way to force the Blackbox to process incomming midi notes as just midi notes?

Edit: I found a way to fix the transpose and toggle issue by setting the MIDI In Channel in the "placeholder-pad" instead of TOOLS/MIDIn "MIDI Keys". Never touch this!!!

[bobvoi]

I just experienced similar problem.

After changing a sequence's type to MIDI, entering a few notes, changing the "MIDI Out" channel to my external synth, the MIDI notes were sent to the synth.
However, it also was some extra "modulation-like" MIDI-payload coming along the pure MIDI notes in the sequence.
My external synth acted up and behaved like I was going berserk with resonance, filter, waveforms and whatnot

The strangest part was going back to the PAD-screen, and then each PAD played notes on my external synth.

My suspicion is that the SEQ's MIDI Out-feature, packs some extra MIDI, perhaps the MIDI Through-signals, as an extra payload alongside the pure MIDI notes. I have send a support-request to 1010music so we'll see.

[Steve]

ALL incoming MIDI will be sent through the currently selected (pink) sequence. This is not a bug.

[bobvoi]

Thanks for clarifying. I will see if I can filter out the channel 10 (which obviously is the one modulating my synth) on RK-006.

One question, after my current setup obviously has sent a bunch of CC's from drum to synth (resulting in the "extra modulation" as described above), and then, as I currently see it, messed up the PAD-screen (every pad now plays a note on the synth after modulation has occurred).Is that intended behavior too?

[Steve]

Maybe. It depends on a few different settings. If you are touching pads and have a PADS sequence selected that also has MIDI out set to a channel, you could experience what you describe. MIDI in the blackbox is not necessarily straightforward compared to other similar devices.

Check out this video for a deeper explanation of MIDI in the blackbox: https://youtu.be/ZAOaQvMR5uM

[amorgan]

This is exactly what I’m trying to do with a minilogue xd as well and cannot for the life of me get it to work…I have tried every scenario and it will not record any midi from any controller use any of the midi inputs….beyond frustrated.