Oh this is very interesting!
So I'm using my PB as a controller with logic. For all my hardware synths I use the "external instrument" plugin, which combines a midi instrument with an aux input essentially to control and monitor the device. I've never had any issues with it before and it's pretty straight forward. I'm not using the PBC plugin because I will need to also open an aux input to hear the PB and I don't need any librarian functionality right now. Well on a whim, I just instantiated the PBC plugin and boom.... Z axis works. I've tried this a few times now and here's what I'm seeing:
- open the standard external instrument plugin and select PB OR simply open a patch without being connected to USB and having local MIDI ON
- set up Z axis modulation (in my case the mixer noise level) and set the mod amount to 100%
- playing sounds and pressing Z axis has no effect (on A or B). Logic is seeing a stream of input CC data on 89 yet the onscreen animation for pressing the Z axis does not happen on the PB.
- while the patch is still loaded instantiate the PBC plugin and open an aux input to monitor it
- press Z axis
instantly I hear the modulation! If I revert to the standard external instrument plugin instead of PBC or go back to standalone, no modulation or animation on the screen for Z axis movement.
Very bizarre. Ideally it shouldn't matter how I'm triggering the PB but I'm seeing all kinds of strange behavior that looks to be firmware related. Especially stuck notes any time I play a note and then it's lower octave! (when used as a controller with logic and local control is OFF of course) This happens 100% of the time and only with octaves. I've read several others complaining of this as well but it was supposed to be fixed in FW 2.0.0 (I'm using 2.0.0.747). I've also had the issue of the PB crashing and PBC telling me the firmware was changed to 0.2.0 and having to reinstall 2.0.0.747. I've only had the PB for 3 days now and I'm beginning to question it's stability.