Some midi messages not coming through?

joao's icon

Hi, I'm quite new to this so any help is appreciated.

I'm trying to get midi messages from different controllers using the midiselect object. I've got PC's coming in no problem. Using a Nanokontrol I get some of the CC's in and some not. And the channel doesn't show up properly.

My end goal is a device that lets me use one button on my foot pedal to control the big button on different loopers in different tracks. After that, another button for another function, etc. Without having to hardmap the buttons.

Maybe there's even something out there that does that already? I haven't found one yet though.

broc's icon

You need to know that Live internally doesn't handle separate midi channels.
So all incoming messages are mapped to channel 1.

joao's icon

Okay, that makes sense on one level. But the way I understand it, the APC40 sends midi notes on different midi channels to differentiate which track is being controlled? (I don't own one but just for trying to understand).

broc's icon

The channel limitation applies only to standard midi input of tracks.

joao's icon

Okay, thanks, that makes sense.

I imagine all these cool devices like the monome emulators and that are accessing another way to bring midi in?

broc's icon

Yes, there is "MIDI Remote Control" (see manual for details).

nick rothwell | project cassiel's icon

Monomes are USB serial devices, and have a driver program which converts between serial and OSC. There's a fair amount of Max-for-Live code which uses OSC to talk to the outside world.

Btw, it's not completely true that MfL devices only see MIDI channel 1; instruments can be fed MIDI on multiple channels.

broc's icon

"instruments can be fed MIDI on multiple channels."

Interesting. Can you please explain how it's done?

joao's icon

Oh, I'd also love to know how it's done. Maybe you could link to an example?

broc's icon

Ok, I figured it out.

The M4L instrument device can see separate input channels, provided that the individual channels are routed from other midi tracks to the instrument track.

This corresponds to the usual setup for multitimbral instruments.

Thanks to Nick for the comment.