SparkLE - how to stop other midi instruments being heard when played

[stereosign]

Hi
Heres my first post regarding the SparkLE. I bought it a few days ago, and getting to grips with it. Im really enjoying it. Only thing i need help with at the moment is:

When i use the SparkLE standalone and let a drum loop play. I then open a vst synth (standalone) and use a Nordlead as a midi controller for playing synth plugins.

Problem is: Im getting the synth notes mapped out to the SparkLE which i don't want. I like to have them both separated so the SparkLE doesn't play the synth plugins notes as well as the drums samples.

Setup
Nordlead > Midi I/O > Focurite Sapphire 6 > USB > Macbook Pro.

Regards, Mat

[Terrym]

Hi mat ,have you tried opening your audio and midi settings in preferences and disarming and midi inputs.

hope this helps

terrym

[stereosign]

Hi Terry

Thanks for the tip, ive tried that. But still having a mixup.

I just like the SparkLE to be used as a drum controller for its own software and not receive the midi notes of other plugins. I was using Logic just now and had the SparkLE plugged in one usb port, and the focusrite saffire 6 in the 2nd usb port (for other plugins). Even though the sparkle is not being used on a track, all the buttons still transmit the synth if touched.

Annoying if you wanna play trigger drums and you keep hearing the other plugins on the sparkle pads when pressed.

[kcearl]

Dont you have to disable send midi to host in the software??

[stereosign]

This happens outta Logic too. So the other plugins are still being detected on the sparkle.

[Kevin]

Hi stereosign,
we will try to solve the standalone issue forst then the Logic one.
If the problem is that the synth is playing when you hit SparkLE pads, please make sure SparkLE controller is disabled in your VST synth MIDI settings.

If it is that SparkLE plays when you press the Nord keyboard keys, please make sure that the nord is disabled in Spark Audio MIDI settings.

hope this helps.
Kevin

[stereosign]

Thanks for the tip. I tried with some synth plugins and i had the options to choose the midi hardware. So i disabled the sparkle from the 2 of my synth plugins (sample tank 2.5). Success! it doesnt play together anymore. Although the problem occurs back in logic as there is no option for the plugin to choose midi controller directly like the standalone version.

I have a few other synths from Gforce 'imposcar' - 'oddity' and 'mellotron'. These only have the midi channel 1-16 to choose from or omni. Its on omni at the moment. Although i did notice that when the midi channel is on 1. Both the sparkle and synths are together. If i switch the midi channel from 2-16 there is no midi signal. So something there is the problem. I included a image of the limited options in the Gforce menu.

Regarding Logic Express. The synth plugins and ultrabeat are reacting with the sparkle. So there is not much separation.

Sparkle is a really cool drum machine and more. Its just alot of time goes into the setup that it takes away from the creativeness.

Hopefully you can make an update to ease all this. 

[vaikl]

I have a few other synths from Gforce 'imposcar' - 'oddity' and 'mellotron'. These only have the midi channel 1-16 to choose from or omni. Its on omni at the moment. Although i did notice that when the midi channel is on 1. Both the sparkle and synths are together. If i switch the midi channel from 2-16 there is no midi signal. So something there is the problem. I included a image of the limited options in the Gforce menu.

That's why the MIDI protocol has the channel selection option for 16 channels.

If you don't want a specific MIDI instrument like a sample player, a hardware synth or a software plugin, to be triggered by a specific MIDI controller (like a keyboard, a software sequencer or the Spark controller), then just couple both sources/devices on only one of those MIDI channels and avoid this channel number for other couples. Drum plugins and drum machines are typically configured to use channel 10, all other instrument types mostly uses channel 1 or "omni" (all channels in parallel) out-of-the-box. Avoid the "omni" setting.

It depends on your workflow how you should configure the channels of your MIDI hard- and software.

[stereosign]

Thanks for the tips.