MIDI THRU Questions

[bcslaam]

Yes thanks, you loaded that firmware before shipping. I will open the case and send photos just in case the wiring is wrong. There is still my other issue of needing the jack half way out of the pedal input.

Of course i have tried both midi sockets, checked from the control panel that thru is on, disabled all trigger inputs, plugged in another midi device.

I must say in all my 30 years of hooking various midi devices together Ive never had the problem of the midi signal being to weak from any device into another. Its a well established standard.

[dmitri]

Sorry, it was a late night and I probably hit a wrong button and did save an update in http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=1075
The latest firmware version there now is 20151008 which should fix the issue.

[bcslaam]

After trying via the MDM with no success, using the update facility I finally was able to update the MD. One thread just says go straight ahead and do it, another says you need to put the machine in firmware update state before hand. In the MDM the hover tip says nothing about holding the left button and powering on. In the instruction manual there is no updated instructions about updating firmware.

The new firmware has partially fixed the problem but there seems to be a bug.

Upon plugging in an octopad II which transmits active sensing, MD turns every active sensing event into a midi note on. So basically as soon as I plug in the octopad to MD input it starts streaming notes to the hihat bow. I checked alternate in, excluded any chance of midi loops.

I then also tried pluggin in my alesis control pad, it doesnt output active sensing so that wasnt an issue, BUT every note off event was also turned into a note on event of hihat bow by MD resulting in an echo note following every strike. I plug in a pedal to the controlpad that I know only outputs control data, that gets turned into an MD event - hihat bow.

I tried turning off midi thru in MDM misc, in all cases it still happened. I changed the channel of midi output from alesis and roland but it seems every midi event causes the same note on event in MD no matter what channel, type or note is coming in.

Then to throw a spanner in the works I plug a keyboard in, nothing happens, no matter what channel is outputs on no output from the keyboard is erroneously echoing or throughing to DAW

Finally I plug any midi device into the input closest to the USB input (which I assume!! is the midi out, contradictory to the ONLY! info I can find on it in a thread!) and MD freezes and will only work with a reboot. All along I have been swapping midi sockets of the UNLABELLED MD to be sure. The only midi socket that does anything without crashing MD is the one furthest to the side, which again contradicts what little info we have on this.

VERY unstable MDM to MD behaviour. Open midi ports > OK, send all data > sometimes it works, mostly times sysex timeout, then midi wont open. It timesout so often I cant be ever be sure if what I save to a slot will be what is in MDM. Sending small packets from individual parameter changes usually works. I have checked and tried other USB cables with various direct USB inputs to DAW. Tried many values of "sysex delay" in MDM options.
ipad commander crashes everytime without fail when I press the Get All button in General page.

Can anyone verify this with the new firmware?

BTW the pedal lead (which I have checked and DOUBLE checked still has to be left half way out to work)

Dmitri I appolgise for being so frank and I hope after this you can still help me because so far my MD experience has been a nightmare. No labeling on the machine, no documentation in the "instructions" about the inputs, the only info on them is in a thread where photos are different from my machine and the midi sockets are apparently the other way around. I started with buggy firmware and it still may be. Then there is matching of firmware issue. Please point me to where in the "instruction manual" or in the threads about it what firmware matches with what machine, a comprehensive chart in the manual. In forum threads I only see specific references pertaining to the older devices. My MD is STM32F205RCT6 with a F in it after the 32. But what firmware matches that? D? How does that make sense. There's an E firmware, implying the most recent. I thought my machine was the most recent. Why doesnt the firmware name match the device name? Also I find out indirectly that Edge threshhold is supposed to be always lower than bow...where in the instructions does it say that applies? That took me days. There are names of parameters in the instructions that are for older machines and a newby is supposed to work out the translation to a new machine!

[dmitri]

I'll read through the last post about MIDI In issue later tonight when I back home but at least one thing I can tell for sure - MIDI Out is the rightmost port looking from the back and MIDI In is next to USB. Just as it says and shows in http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=1393

Dmitri I appolgise for being so frank and I hope after this you can still help me because so far my MD experience has been a nightmare. No labeling on the machine, no documentation in the "instructions" about the inputs, the only info on them is in a thread where photos are different from my machine and the midi sockets are apparently the other way around.

Again, the description of all inputs (and front panel) is in http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=1393 . You asked to build a 32 inputs MegaDrum in a rack mount case hence it is different from photos and I told you about this difference when I posted the module.

I started with buggy firmware and it still may be.

You mean buggy all over the place or just a bug in MIDI In handling? Yes, there might be bugs and whenever someone spots a bug and reports it I try to fix it as soon as possible (usually within hours). This doesn't happen very often.

Then there is matching of firmware issue. Please point me to where in the "instruction manual" or in the threads about it what firmware matches with what machine, a comprehensive chart in the manual. In forum threads I only see specific references pertaining to the older devices. My MD is STM32F205RCT6 with a F in it after the 32. But what firmware matches that? D? How does that make sense. There's an E firmware, implying the most recent. I thought my machine was the most recent. Why doesnt the firmware name match the device name? Also I find out indirectly that Edge threshhold is supposed to be always lower than bow...where in the instructions does it say that applies? That took me days. There are names of parameters in the instructions that are for older machines and a newby is supposed to work out the translation to a new machine!

Of top of my head, don't remember anyone struggling to identify firmware version. The matching is described in http://www.megadrum.info/forums/viewtop ... f=3&t=1075 where you download it. Yours is the latest STM32F205RCT6 so it is STM32d. STM32e is for the MegaDrum Lite.

[bcslaam]

As I have said, plugging anything to what you say is midi in (closest to USB socket) - crashes MD or at least stops anything being transmitted via USB to DAW even once the lead is pulled out. I have to reboot to get midi thru USB working again.

Plugging into what you say is the MIDI out - DOES pass the output (unstably acting as midi in) from a midi device and with thru on it even goes to DAW! BUT its accompanied by an echo note in the case of controlpad, a stream of notes in the case of the octopad, and nothing at all from the keyboard. I have tested the leads and outputs of my various devices against all my current midi interfaces.

[dmitri]

As I have said, plugging anything to what you say is midi in (closest to USB socket) - crashes MD or at least stops anything being transmitted via USB to DAW even once the lead is pulled out. I have to reboot to get midi thru USB working again.

Plugging into what you say is the MIDI out - DOES pass the output (unstably acting as midi in) from a midi device and with thru on it even goes to DAW! BUT its accompanied by an echo note in the case of controlpad, a stream of notes in the case of the octopad, and nothing at all from the keyboard. I have tested the leads and outputs of my various devices against all my current midi interfaces.

Do you have any device with MIDI In? can you connect MegaDrum to this device from rightmost MIDI port to this MIDI device and then hit pads on MegaDrum? Do MIDI data get through from MegaDrum to this MIDI device? What if you connect from the MIDI port which is next to USB?

[bcslaam]

Going by your midi io, pluggin the midi out (outside socket) into the midi interface of my pc (and disabled megadrum usb midi) worked for a while, I went and had dinner, came back and it had stopped sending. I turned it off and on then refreshed midi drivers, midi was working but I could not init sysex in MDM.

Plugging my controlpad into MIDI in of MD in this setup caused it to lock up and stop sending midi altogether.

I paged thru the MD panel and, as Ive said several days ago, it freezes on Load from Rom for 30sec, I finally get to load config and after freezing also for about 30sec I tried loading and it said failed. This is all from the hardware interface.

Why is it doing that? Does it freeze for 30sec or more for anyone else on Load from Rom or Load or Save config?

Which of the 2 MD MIDI drivers should be used for comms with MDM/commander and which one for DAW input. There is nothing in the instruction manual about this either. Does it matter?

I strongly feel a comprehensive MIDI and usb headed section is needed in the instructions along with all the io labelling (preferably a simple io drawing of back panel or annotated on the photo), firmware matching chart (if we must have non corresponding names), more tips on how to hone in on an unknown pad or cymbal. All in the one place in the instructions, not scattered about in various threads. Its very daunting to find info that way when you're getting into it for the first time.

[airflamesred]

I tried the new firmware and ran a keyboard through it. Note on and note of were fine though (at the time) there were some wobbles with CC data. That said, It appears that the pots on the keyboard need cleaning.
I have an SPD 8 somewhere and I'll try it at some point.

[bcslaam]

Does it freeze for 30sec or more when you page past Load from Rom or Save/Load Config via the hardware control panel?

[dmitri]

I believe it is counterproductive to try address many things at the same time. Which one you want to have address first?