Midi problem only with Launchkey Mini – please help :(

Artur Dobija's icon

Hello!

I am using for my projects a keyboard, Novation's Launchkey Mini MK3, which I recently updated to version 1.1.
Since the update, I encountered a lot of trouble with the MIDI messages sent over USB. I am using [midiin] object alone in my project, but all the things described here happen also when I monitor the midi messages formatted by [midiparse].
(EDIT: this is how I test it:

Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.

)

1) There is an impassable problem with Midi note messages. They are completely out of sync; random notes stay, several note off messages are sent together after a delay etc.
2) When arpeggiator is turned on, it outputs gibberish, mostly note-off (144 n 0) messages, from time to time a note will be hold and stuck. This behaviour is irrespective to the arp's tempo.

I have no idea where is the problem. I did a lot of testing:
– with other software (Ableton Lite), the same Launchkey Mini works effortlessly and without a flaw. It also works with midi cable put directly to the synths. Only together with Max it goes crazy.
– my other midi keyboards in Max MSP are working well. Timing of fast arp in my Akai MPK mini is absolutely tight.

I believe this started to happen after the update to the 1.1 version of the Launchkey. The device audibly "hisses" a littlebit louder when turned on. Before I didn't noticed any trouble when working with Max MSP.

I re-installed the update but that didn't help. I am on Mac.

Do you have any suggestions, what might be going wrong here that this issue occurs? It is only problem with Launchkey and MaxMSP working together, other combinations of the software and gear works well... Thank you!

Shaw-Han Liem's icon

I just encountered this issue and wanted to post the solution for anyone searching in the future.

It seems like the Launchkey Mini is constantly sending midi timing information over USB and this confuses Max/MSP and causes problems when using Max/MSP's midi objects (lost/hung notes). My solution was to filter out everything except notes and cc messages from the midi stream using a third-party app, then sending the filtered midi stream to Max/MSP (the app I used for macOS is called midipipe).

I had the same issue with a fullsize Launchkey49, so it's possible this is a bug in Novation's midi implementation.

Jacob Desjardins's icon

Hey guys,

I know your post is a bit dated but I ran into the same problem with launchkey 49 that I just got. The easiest way to get around this was to plug it through my audio interface with a midi cable. Than, in MIDI Setup menu you have to uncheck launchkey as a device and check your audio interface MIDI IN and OUT.

This was the way for me.

Take care