Transmitting Program Changes to External Devices?

FerdinandMcSassypants · Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:02 pm

The Electribe 2 manual indicates that it can transmit program change messages, as well as bank select MSB/LSB (via CC0 & 32). But I can't find any information on HOW to edit and transmit these messages in the Electribe.

I just pulled out my old Roland JV1010 and confirmed that I can send to its channels 1-16 from the 16 pads of my Electribe. Awesome. But the JV1010 needs to receive bank / program change messages or else each channel just plays the initial patch.

Back in the days before soft-synths it was pretty elementary to send Bank Select / Program Change messages between MIDI devices (MSB / LSB, etc.).

Anybody have any idea of how to do this in the Electribe??? It would be pretty awesome to sequence 16 parts in my JV1010 without a computer.

Thanks

Steinberger · Post by **Steinberger** » Sat Oct 17, 2015 11:57 pm

Did you go into the global settings and turn OFF the MIDI Send filter as well as match your global MIDI channel to that of the target synth? I do know you can't edit or remap the existing settings.

FerdinandMcSassypants · Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:58 am

Steinberger wrote:Did you go into the global settings and turn OFF the MIDI Send filter as well as match your global MIDI channel to that of the target synth? I do know you can't edit or remap the existing settings.

Filter is off, MIDI channel matches. As far as I know, it's ready to send program changes if I knew how to initiate them.

I'm aware that I can't remap each pad's channel. But a program change is a momentary message, not something that can be hard-mapped into the existing settings. The manual says the Electribe can transmit program changes, I just wish it would say how...

Poumtschak · Post by **Poumtschak** » Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:57 am

FerdinandMcSassypants wrote:The manual says the Electribe can transmit program changes, I just wish it would say how...

It does transmit its own program change when switching patterns.

Code: Select all

GLOBAL MIDI CH. set to 01

 TIMESTAMP IN PORT STATUS DATA1 DATA2 CHAN NOTE EVENT               
 00000DE4  16  10     B0    00    00    1  ---  CC: Bank MSB          
 00000DE4  16  10     B0    20    00    1  ---  CC: Bank LSB          
 00000DE4  16  10     C0    01    --    1  ---  PC: Brite Acc. Piano  
 0001FE82  16  10     B0    00    00    1  ---  CC: Bank MSB          
 0001FE82  16  10     B0    20    00    1  ---  CC: Bank LSB          
 0001FE82  16  10     C0    00    --    1  ---  PC: Acc. Grand Piano

But AFAIK, there's no way to program a custom one, with current 1.10 firmware that is.

Pygmy · Post by **Pygmy** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 8:14 am

Brilliant. You can use the E2 to sequence an external synth, but there's no way to tell the external synth what patch you actually want it to use.

It really starts to feel like the people that designed the E2 have never actually used a "music production station" themselves in a real life setting.

musicmagus · Post by **musicmagus** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:18 pm

I have the opposite problem as you. I don't want it to send any program changes. I wish the midi filter could filter out program changes AND let notes through.

Poumtschak · Post by **Poumtschak** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 7:30 pm

musicmagus wrote:I wish the midi filter could filter out program changes AND let notes through.

Seconded. In the meantime, I just bought this :

Miditech Thru 4 / Filter

Somewhat cheap ( €38 ) compared to Midi Solutions boxes, and does the job.

horisonten · Post by **horisonten** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 10:14 am

Pygmy wrote:Brilliant. You can use the E2 to sequence an external synth, but there's no way to tell the external synth what patch you actually want it to use.

It really starts to feel like the people that designed the E2 have never actually used a "music production station" themselves in a real life setting.

Have you found a solution to this? I too need the Electribe to change programs on slaved gear...
Someone suggested a event processor from Midi Solutions (http://www.midisolutions.com/prodevp.htm)
But... I don't like being forced to buy more stuff when Korg states that it does send program changes.

thesigma · Post by **thesigma** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 8:41 pm

horisonten wrote:But... I don't like being forced to buy more stuff when Korg states that it does send program changes.

\

Well....IT DOES send program changes, Just not in the manner you want it to. KORG never Advertised this thing a sequencer for external gear, and it clearly wasn't designed to be.

I've got a lot of gripes with this box but honestly this isnt one. This is one case where it actually behaves like every electribe that came before it.

jbvdb493 · Post by **jbvdb493** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 8:56 pm

Yeah it seems to only send a program change on a pattern change!

thesigma · Post by **thesigma** » Fri Jan 08, 2016 9:31 pm

jbvdb493 wrote:Yeah it seems to only send a program change on a pattern change!

Yes, and if you send it a program change it selects a pattern

in this context progam=pattern

It sends a program change when you change patterns, and changes patterns in response to the appropriate program change. It was never meant to send program changes to external synths.

Much like changing a patch on a synth can send the program change for that patch, and sending a program change to a synth selects a patch....

Villainmedia13 · Post by **Villainmedia13** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:50 am

Found the solution. I'll replace it with sp404sx. Anyone in Canada.. Ontario in particular want to save a couple bucks on an *amazing* sampler. What a bad joke.

Villainmedia13 · Post by **Villainmedia13** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:54 am

How difficult would it be to have switchable/configurable midi Channels I mean?!

Villainmedia13 · Post by **Villainmedia13** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 6:44 am

And to whoever says buyer beware I say damn right. We are living in times where "firmware" has screwed us all. What happened to the day when devices were properly configured to do what they are supposed to do out of the box. Now they're selling stuff that doesn't work as advertised but they have an off the hook.. A well we might do that with a future update or..... Or...

Clearly with all of the confusion this is a piss poorly documented device.

Companies like korg have killed any consumer confidence I've ever had.

Don't assume any feature no matter how basic, archaic or expected it may be...

This box under no circumstance with channels fixed the way they are will ever work as a dedicated midi controller should work.

You'd almost be best to think of it as a self contained in sync. If you need it to be little mini workstation.

It's a little weird companies are doing this. I picked up a jdxi as well and while I find it infinitely more useful it's still lacking features my mc303 had back in 92?

The sample storage structure is deplorable. Volatile

thesigma · Post by **thesigma** » Sat Jan 09, 2016 5:29 pm

Again, I have many many issues with the new electribes, enough that I did not buy either of them, but seriously it was never advertised as a sequencer for external gear and was indeed intended to be a stand alone all in one workstation type of box.

Yes the documentation sucks, the manual is a joke, dont believe me look at the ESX and EMX manual. I don't know where you got the idea that it would send program changes to control external synths like a real sequencer (Emu Command station, Yamaha RS-7000, etc...) probably the MIDI implementation chart Which just simply has a check mark next to transmit and recieve program change, Which it indeed does do.

I'm not defending this thing, check the electribe threads my opinions are well expressed there. I dont like it...for many reasons.

FWIW an SP-404 wont controll external synths very well either but it will do some things better than E2S, like looping and sample memory.