Using Korg MS-1 as an Optigan emulator (specific)

Question

Hello again!

Let me start off by saying  -- THANK YOU  -- to the developers. I am having a great time learning and creating custom layouts for my hardware MIDI instruments. MIDI Designer has allowed me, so far, to accomplish things I didn't know could be done with my gear.

After putting together my last layout for mute group emulation for the Korg MicroSAMPLER, I had another idea...

I have long been a fan of tape-based instruments and was (still am) fairly obsessed with optical playback keyboards like the Optigan, Orchestron and Talentmaker. There's no real emulation of the Optigan other than using VST software (none of which work quite right).

An Optigan disc contains 20 musical loops that correspond to 26 physical buttons. These buttons, when pressed, allow light to pass through the disc and into an optical eye. This is like a reverse mute. I am achieveing this reverse mute using SysEx commands.

My first design attempted to run all 20 loops at once. Unfortunately, the MS-1 only allows 14 simultaneous loops playing at once. So here's the idea:

I would use 3 supercontrol buttons to choose the chord type (Major, Minor, Diminished). Each button would subcontrol 7 buttons: if Major button is pressed, it would trigger only the 7 Major loops. This part is done.

What I need help with: I am trying to have the newly-selected chord button trigger on the downbeat of the next measure, so the loops would stay in sync when a new chord type is chosen.  (Say I'm playing in Major. On beat 3 of this, I press the Minor button. I would like Major to continue to the end of the looped measure, then invoke the Minor button on the downbeat of the following measure. This is just so the timing of the loops stays in sync. If I press the button normally, it would invoke those samples when I press the button (not what I want).

Basically I want MIDI Designer to receive MIDI clock from the MS-1. Then have the buttons in MIDI Designer 'sync' to the downbeat of the measure, regardless of when I press the button. Running a one measure 'pattern' as a clock from the MS-1 is also an option (possibly required for this?)

I hope I'm explaining this correctly . .

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Comments

Thanks muchly for the kind words and your persistence with MIDI Designer, as it takes a bit of work to discover its power.

Regarding the feature request: it's all good and we're planning that. Some early notes:
1. We will most likely do midi clock only (not MTC), at least initially
2. Clock will happen over hardware connections only. We're not sure about this but it's probably going to shake out that way
3. I like this feature of "fire on next downbeat"... We will add it to the suggestions list

Thanks!

Also please get in touch to help beta test. More passionate users = better

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Theres so much more I haven't quite grasped, but your software is truly inspiring.

A quick question. I want to press a MIDI key to send a SysEx message. When the key is released, I want to send another SysEx message.

What is the best way to do this?

My current configuration : 4 buttons per key.
[1] [2] [3] [4]

Button [1] : Momentary, Note On/Off, C3, 0->127, Receive On : Send On Only : Subcontrols [3], Not Steppers.

Button [2] : Momentary, Note On/Off, C3, 0->127, Receive On : Subcontrols [4], Inverted.

Button [3] : Momentary, SysEx message (key volume @ 100), Receive Off.

Button [4] : Momentary, SysEx message (key volume @ 0), Receive Off.

I have one key working, then another, then another, then only the first and third... If I restart MIDI Designer, well watch the video. Is there an easier way to do this?



Thanks ! !

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Thanks for asking this. Here's your recipe!

http://mididesigner.com/qa/2780/send-one-sysex-when-pressed-one-when-released

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Delicious, thank you! Putting it to good use tonight. :)