Hi BSP-community.
This thread shows you a solution, what it takes to turn your
BSP into a free assignable MIDI sequencer/controller in a tight MIDI chain. It came to be after consulting Arturia support about THE MISSING FEATURE of MIDI THRU...
WHEN do I need that, you might ask yourself?
Well, if you want to control all your equipment via MIDI in one chain as tight as possible and
... you got more than 2 synths and a drum machine,
... you got some polyphonic snyths mixed in that you want to sequence also by your BSP sometimes,
... you just want to control your BSP by a MIDI keyboard (like the KS) occasionally but still use the same one for playing any of your synths in ADDITION to your BSP device mostly,
... you sync your BSP to your DAW and want to be able to still get through with your DAW to any of your synths at any time,
... you got a lot of snyths and want to be as flexible as you expect to be from such a device, but face the same issues as me.
Note: "Anytime" to me means that I don't have to plug around in my MIDI chain at all or reconfigure my set MIDI channels. I just set a send channel on the controlling device or in my DAW and then play the synth receiving on that channel.
WHY are those MIDI setups an issue?
1. You can control EXCLUSIVELY 3 DEVICES at the same time by and (with limitations) through the BSP indirectly. Any other synth/drum machine connected AFTER the BSP is not controllable by anything BEFORE the BSP in your chain.
2. You can control the two synths selected via MIDI send chan by your SEQ1 & 2 only in a monophonic manner, since you actually play the BSP by your MIDI keyboard and then "it plays" the synth for you. So the BSP does not pass anything it can not process itself (at given moment). The drum seq. offers a bit of a workaround for one polyphonic synth, butit acts then more or less just as a MID thru channel
[/size]in a very limited manner since well - it is actually "just" a drum sequencer after all.
3. Even to those assigned 3 synths with previously described limitations you ONLY get through, WHILE the BSP IS STOPPED. As soon as it is playing it becomes the only controller "in charge" and you can only transpose. Very egoistic
Note: Arturia support wrote the following facts (you can also read in the manual actually):
"I know that a Midi through would indeed be a nice feature,
A soft version of this feature is yet available but with as you said some restrictions as the messages are constricted to the restrictions of the beatstep's chip.
You can run a Midi in and out with the beatstep on stop (if on play it will only transpose the sequence already playing)
If using the midi channel of a melodic sequencer you will be constrained to monophic sequences, however you can cheat this by routing it through the drum's sequencer."But WHY is that so?Simply because there is
NO MIDI THRU ON THE BSPThat all wouldn't be an issue, if there was just a MIDI Thru option like in the KeyStep settings. I was surprised to realize that there actually is NO such option for the BSP (got my KS first). Well too late now, I already bought and love my BSP too... In addition, it is not possible to simply merge back the BSP MIDI data into your MIDI chain,
1. since it is always transmiting/passing clock. When you merge that data back to your MIDI chain, your synced synths might go crazy (e.g. double speed) since the two merged MIDI clock signals interfere/add,
2. at the same time it is not possible to get through with MIDI notes etc. while the BSP is running, but it does pass notes (restricted as described above) when stopped. That means you would have to set up your SEQ1,2 and DRUM SEQ MIDI receive channels to different ones, than they are set to control their synths on to avoid double playing if you play your snyths in parallel to your BSP while being stopped. Meaning you need to reserve at least 6 dedicated MIDI channels for 3 snyhts to avoid note doubling entirely... or mess around with MIDI channel settings (and get confused) all the time.
But enough complaining now...WHAT is the solution?Actually - and luckily - there seems to be a workaround using a 1x MIDI through 2, 2x MIDI filters (programmable) and a MIDI merger to simulate a MIDI thru.
To sum up the challenges I needed to solve once again:
1. to sync your BSP to your DAW (start/stop/clock) for best producing work flow
2. be able to control any snyth on the 16 MIDI channels by the BSP
3. be able to record notes played via MIDI keyboard (or your DAW in fact) connected obviously before the BSP
4. be able to control any synth at any time (even in parallel to your BSP) with all features by your DAW and/or keyboard
5. not to have to give up any of the 16 channels already occupied by my synths exclusively (or even more, as described above), but just control them in parallel to my other MIDI controls any time
Just to point it out clearly: That is basic behavior you expect from a device with MIDI thru (e.g. the KeyStep). In the case of the BSP my expectations became challenges...Set up your loop like this:
A. Split up your MIDI stream just before the BSP and send all MIDI data to one channel (X) by a filter. If that channel is not set for any receiving use in your BSP, all MIDI Data sent from your DAW/keyboards before the BSP will be lost or to put it in a useful way: filtered out by the BSP (remember: it filters everything it cannot handle). Luckily the clock is not channel exclusive so it would always pass.
B. So you sync your BSP to that clock
C. Now it is synced and is sending inly its own MIDI Data including clock
D. So you filter out just the clock
E. You merge now only synced BSP MIDI data, but without any clock or double notes, which would pass both ways
That's it. See my attached diagram for better understanding.
Is there any Downside?I am experiencing some STUCK MIDI NOTES I will keep an eye on, but that might be a "standard" BSP issue not sending NOTE OFF and not caused by the MIDI chain itself. I will report on that in a while.
It is also important to mind that ALL MIDI data of ALL 16 channels will be sent to the BSP merged, via only one set channel X (see A.). But since you want to just get rid of those mostly that is not a problem. The only scenario when you might need and can use this channel is to program your BSP, record notes or play around with SEQ transpositions. While you do that, you have to turn off any additional MIDI sent by your DAW/keyboard besides the data you want to actually get through to your BSP. That is the only bit of disadvantage compared to a true MIDI thru setting, so
please Arturia, put in a MIDI thru feature as an option please, just as for the KS since it is still needed!Besides that it takes a bit of your time (I hope less now with the presented solution), some additional money and a bit of additional electricity I guess... but it's dead tight an versatile - just as powerful as you might need
If you try this setup or have any other ideas/solutions concerning these "challenges" please share your experience with us here.
