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MIDI Hardware
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Topic starter
Hi all,
I'm new to MIDI, but I've got the premise of CC messages, channels etc. pretty well down. However, my synth is really struggling with life since being introduced to software (Ableton) MIDI control.
A little background...
The synth is a Roland JX3P, analog with digital control, fitted with the KiwiTechnics upgrade for full MIDI support. It has worked perfectly up til now with a hardware controller and SysEx.
I had some trouble with a cheap MIDI interface trying to update the firmware, and sent a lot of nonsense messages from the computer to the synth in the process. The synth did not like this. However I did a full firmware update which appeared to work fine.
But:
The synth is terribly unhappy about being controlled by Ableton. It will respond to CC messages, but after more than 2 simultaneous messages goes full crazy, changing program, lights flickering, and ends up unresponsive/squawking, until I restart. Functions are fine with MIDI disconnected/using the hardware controller. But I'm worried that I'm damaging the synth by pushing it this way.
Do you have any troubleshooting tips/ideas to try? Speaking to the manufacturer of the upgrade they suggested the firmware update, which doesn't seem to have done much. Could there be a hardware issue I can address, or specs to change - or should I just take the thing in to be serviced fully?
Thank you endlessly in advance.
I
Posted : 17/10/2016 11:02 pm
From your description it sounds like the problem only occurs when sending data from Ableton to the JX-3P, which means either Ableton is sending incompatible data (unlikely), or the USB-MIDI interface is garbling the data (possible), or the JX-3P is misinterpreting the data (which would probably indicate an issue with the KiwiTechnics upgrade). Of the two likely possibilities, some cheap USB-MIDI interfaces are known to cause problems, so if you are using one of those you might want to try a better one to see if that makes any difference.
- Forum Admin
Posted : 18/10/2016 9:47 am
Topic starter
I'm using the Roland UM-ONE mk 2, it seems to have had positive reviews.
The KiwiTechnics guys have suggested it might be a MIDI feedback loop. Do you think that's possible? How could I resolve this?
Cheers
Posted : 18/10/2016 4:04 pm
Do the MIDI IN/OUT LEDs on the UM-ONE light when this happens?
Posted : 18/10/2016 11:59 pm
Topic starter
The Out when connected to the computer always works, the In occasionally has not functioned. Monitoring in MIDIOX, the messages being sent when the synth is going wild are program changes, although I have changed the settings on the synth to not receive program changes, only CC and SysEx.
Posted : 19/10/2016 4:58 pm
I honestly don't know, but it sounds like faulty hardware, not software. Try interchanging different parts and using that one method that I forget the name of, where you start with the middle and work your way out until you fin the faulty module!
Good Luck!
Chris
Posted : 01/11/2016 4:57 am
