Commands on all MIDI channels

[Astraios]

Hi again! 

Hmm, I wonder if this really true...? and please correct me, if I'm wrong.
Spark2 (GUI) receives all commands (like  CC, Midi Notes, Patch Changes) from a hardware controller on all MIDI channels
(not on a certain one). So it seems to me, we won't be able to send the same MIDI command on different channels to manipulate
different things.

Cheers 

[RD ODub]

There doesn't seem to be a way to set the MIDI receive channel on Spark 2 (as there is on ALL OTHER ARTURIA INSTRUMENTS). It seems to be in omni mode(?) Not only does the Beatstep Pro drum sequencer trigger Spark, but so do sequencers 1 and 2. I guess I have to jack the midi note values way upon both the BSP and Spark, to put them in the range of notes that aren't being used on other instruments?
Can anyone confirm this?

[LBH]

In a DAW you can set a plugin channel to a certain midi channel. Then also set the controller to a certain channel. After this the channels have to match before you get sound.
Also you at least in some DAWs can dedicate a certain controller to play certain plugins.

Is'nt this how Spark 2s manual suggest to work with it?

[Astraios]

Hmm again - Thx for reponse LBH, but I think this doesn't answer my "question"

Example - lets say:

want to use CC-24 on Cha-4 for manipulate panorama-1 -->  so we won't be able to use CC-24 on Cha-5 to manipulate volume-1

no matter in a standalone situation or with a DAW 

[LBH]

I think i did answer your question. When you complain about Spark recieve on All channels only, then i don't exspect you mean that you will send on multiple midi channels to Spark. That make no sense to me. I explain in the following:

I have'nt tried this. But when an application can recieve on all channels that you complain about Spark 2 does, then it look like the midi mode is OMNI.
And if you wan't to send multiple messages on different midi channels to an application, then it need to be in OMNI mode.

The rest should be a matter about if your DAW can send in OMNI mode or only on one channel at a time. My DAW can't so this. If your controller in standalone mode can send in OMNI mode and you can send a MIDI CC on more channels at the same time, then i would believe it's possible.
Your Midi CC should include a Midi Channel number.
Have you tested if this work? If so how?

In Midi Control Center for Spark controller it's possible to set different midi channels for different controls on that. Why do you think that's the case?

[Astraios]

Okay, okay - I'm not a studied sound engineer, but - lets see:

BSP Control Mode sends on Cha 5 --> CC 102 (assigned to Vol 1 in Spark2 in Mixer)
Keyboard-Controller sends on Cha 1 -->  CC 102 (assigned to Aux 1 in Spark2 in Mixer)

and do you know what happens???

_ _ Chaos _ _

(BTW, this doesn't happen with other VST Plugins in my Cakewalk/Sonar setups)

To me it still seems using a CC or NoteOn control more than one times it becomes complicated or simply not possible, no matter
on what MIDI channel it is routed…
The MCC editor only shows controlassigment under Cha 1 in the default settings for SparkLE device.

What a pitty, because I love the idea of Spark2 (LE) vry much and I hate some needless limitations, which make no sense at all!


as you can see  in the attachment:

CME VX -->  16 knob/8 fader/12 Pad  MIDI keyboard controller on Cha 1 
USB MIDI Cable --> 16 knob MIDI controller on Cha 13   to control 1-16 Pan in Spark2  (total 16 CCs)
BSP --> Conrol Mode on Cha 5 / NoteOn on Cha 10       to control 1-16 Vol / 1-16 Solo / 1-16 Mute  (total 48 CCs)

[Astraios]

Let's talk about SparkLE in MIDI Control Center

In MMC --> SparkLE I got the following information to switch between Bank and Pattern (see attachment)

Pattern:  CC 21  on Cha 1
Bank: CC 20 also on Cha 1

The same parameters transferd to BSP doesn't do the trick....

What's wrong? Any idea? Sir 

[LBH]

The fact that you in MCC can see, that a specific control can send a certain midi cc, does'nt mean that the corresponding button in the application can recieve a messages on that same midi cc.
There are some controls that you can't assign a midi cc to. An example is the Bank button you mention. But you can assign a midi cc to the individual A-D bank buttons.
It's the same with the Pattern button you mention. You can't assign a midi cc to that, but you can assign a midi cc to the individual pattern buttons.
About assigning a midi cc please refer to the manual section "6.7 CONTROLLING SPARK WITH AN EXTERNAL MIDI
CONTROLLER".

------------------------------
Any parameter can only be assigned a single Midi CC. That in it self mean, that you can never have multiple Midi CC numbers assigned to the same parameter, no matter you can set different Midi Channels  or only have a ALL or OMNI mode for the application.

It is possible to use different midi channels to separate different tracks in a DAW to use for incomming midi notes.
It's also possible to add manual automation for each of those tracks separately as long as it's not for the same note and instrument played at the same time.
Please refer to the manual section "6.3.3 Connection to an instrument track".

But unfortunately it look like Spark only recieve midi cc commands connected to Midi channel 1. So it's not possible to multiply the availble number of midi cc controls. And this a thing you wan't to do, as i must understand you now. (But again, this has nothing to do with Sparks ALL mode.)
I also thought that this was possible. I think Sparks permanent ALL mode also suggest this. I think it's strange that this is'nt possible, when the spark hardware controllers actually seems to be able to sent midi channel based midi cc messages.
But perhaps the way the manual describe the above does indicate, that it's not possible.
It would be nice, if it was possible. Other Arturia applications does have this possibilty.

This is what i have found by doing some testing.

[Astraios]

So I guess, communication between SparkLE and Spark2 happens a lot upon sysex protocol… (which is quiet complicated)

Well, I think, I rather will buy me a smaller touchscreen monitor (22" - 15") instead of Spark LE device - this might be the best solution to manipulate all Spark2 funktions, including fast switch through the menus and bank change and all the rest. Hope it will work…

The Spark Device is about 165,- Euro that equals the price of a touchscreen monitor.

As you can see in the attachment pics (please open as new tab in browser), I've built a Spark2 setup with my keyboard and BSP to control as much as possible. Left --> is for the 16 instrument pads, right is for the 16 patterns and the 4 banks… BSP controls Vol/Mute/Solo and blue PocketC rules Pan

Thx for your suggestions and help, LBH

[LBH]

I've learned something about Spark 2.

I don't know how or if it will work with a touchscreen.

Cheers

[artao]

I'm pretty sure it mentions this in the manual somewhere, tho I'd be hard pressed to find where.

You're supposed to disable the Spark hardware controller as a MIDI input device in whatever DAW you're using. It doesn't need it. It communicates with Spark 2 software via it's own .... method.
Of course, if you want to use the hardware controller to control something other than the Spark 2 software, you'll need to enable it as a MIDI controller.