Sound interruption at every registration step

[mdyde]

Thanks, mesch.

The extra logged messages don't show anything of additional interest after all.

The problem is indeed, as Mark mentioned, simply that whenever you press one its pistons, the Johannus is sending a MIDI "all notes off" message on each of the 16 MIDI channels, thus explicitly telling Hauptwerk (or any other connected MIDI device) to turn off all keys on all keyboards. It's also sending MIDI messages to set the positions of expression pedals.

If you don't want it to do those things, I think your options would be those that Mark mentioned, i.e.:

If there's an advanced manual for the digital organ, they sometimes have MIDI "output filters" that could possibly remove the extra messages. It's not in the basic user guide (on the manualslib site). Otherwise, you might need a MIDI translator such as Bome to filter them.

You could conceivably also try contacting Johannus for support if needed, to see whether there's any way to get the console not to send "all notes off" messages when its pistons are pressed, and/or not to set the positions of expression pedals.

I will also log as an enhancement request for potential consideration for a future Hauptwerk version that Hauptwerk could have a new advanced general preference to ignore MIDI "all notes off" messages. However, I think that's somewhat risky because MIDI consoles/keyboards/encoders sometimes send "all notes off" messages at other times (e.g. if all keys in a chord are released simultaneously on a particular keyboard, and/or when the last held note is released, instead of individual note-off messages) as a normal part of use, and ignoring those messages could risk hung notes.

playing around with Bome Midi translator I found out that supressing "Control Change on any channel with CC#123 (0x7B) and any value" prohibits the gaps in playing a tone when pressing a preset piston.

The problem is that with Bome I have stuck midi notes on a regular basis, which makes playing quiet annnoying...

Did you try moving your MIDI cable that goes to Hauptwerk to the other output port on the Johannus, MOD or SEQ? Just wondering if the all notes off is sent out on both ports.

SEQ does not work at all. I cannot get the pistons programmed in Hauptwerk.

What would be a solution to get rid of the stuck notes?

[mdyde]

Hello mesch,

If filtering out MIDI all-notes-off messages (e.g. in Bome's MIDI Translator) is yielding stuck notes then presumably that's because the Johannus is sometimes sending those messages instead of individual note-off messages when it genuinely needs to turn sounding notes off (at times other than piston presses), but if Bome's has a MIDI input display/logging ability then you could verify whether that's indeed the reason.

Failing that, probably the only option left would to contact Johannus for support, to see whether they can offer any means for the console not to send MIDI all-notes-off messages when its pistons are triggered.

Hello,
here is the answer from the Johannus support:

All MIDI codes that are send out are hard coded in the firmware and can not be changed.

I think there is no working solution in using the Johannus organ to smoothly change between different registrations. This will only be possible using an extra midi device that is used to trigger the change.

[mdyde]

Hello mesch,

Thanks for the update. Yes -- in that case, unfortunately I think it's something that can't be worked around reliably, and will just have to be lived with.

Do the stop tabs or drawknobs also send out all notes off? If not, maybe you could use those instead of pistons, autodetecting them to HW generals, scoped, reversibles, etc., for example. I'm not sure if a drawknob with an on and off message will work as a trigger for a stateless virtual control, so that might be unworkable.

A Launchpad or LP Mini might be a way to avoid using the pistons.

I didn't try since e.g. my food piston to toggle between the different stored registration combinations couldn't then be used. I solved the issue by manually wiring and soldering the piston to a self made USB-Midi interface. If someone is interested in the setup, here are some details:

Arduino Pro Micro board
MIDIUSB library
Further details see https://www.instructables.com/DIY-USB-Midi-Controller-With-Arduino-a-Beginners-G/

By that, I have another USB midi interface which can be used to toggle through the different registration combinations independent on the Johannus midi stuff.

Ha ha, the Arduino Pro Micro and Leonardo which can become a MIDI compliant device with the respective library, has bailed me out on several occasions! On modern Allen organs, when you press the "SET" piston it blocks any MIDI signal from the other pistons. So if you want to use an Allen as a dedicated HW MIDI console, you'll need a separate MIDI button assigned to be the virtual "SET" then you can press the desired piston to capture your registration. Not bad for a $10 fix! Took longer to build and stain a little box to hold 4 blank pistons {:-)