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Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

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jcrowley

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Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostThu Dec 02, 2021 11:18 pm

Hi all,

I have finally got version 2 of my console up and running but have come across an unusual problem.

The pedalboard 'contacts' are MIDI Boutique Hall Effect Switches. I also have installed MIDI Medic from Classic MIDI Organworks for another issue I had with three of their keyboards with pistons. That issue was resolved, but had to factory default set the keyboards up.

All of the pedal notes give me a positive Note ON and Note OFF for every key - where one would expect it as well. The MIDI Boutique board flashes with each on and off (with the exception of one key which I have yet to realign the magnet). The MIDIworks Keyboards also flash with any pedal movement (since the pedalboard is connected to the 'MIDI IN' of manual III as it should be. Hauptwerk, also had flashing MIDI light from the panels that show MIDI activity.

Only parts of the pedalboard work with each sample set. Some the lower octave CC-C maybe to F# but nothing on the upper part of the pedalboard (32 Keys). Some sample sets only the top portion works from G to g1 with spotty connections on the sharps. Some samples sets it is very random and a little here and there.

Each Sampleset has a different pattern but it is not consistent - one time it will have the lower octave, the next time spotty from g-g1, the next time nothing even though I have activity on MIDI Boutique, Hauptwerk and MIDIworks keyboards.

But any HW1 version sample set ALL of the notes work perfectly fine.
Sweelink software has all of the pedalboard working. Grand Orgue all of the pedalboard works and there are no dead notes?

I am out of things to try because I have dismantled the console several times focusing only on the magnet alignment. I have designed the business end of the pedal keys to have movement of the magnet and switch independently and once the sweet spot was zeroed in I tighten the screws so it no longer moves. Even attempting to activate the switch by the use of another magnet produces no 'contact' in Hauptwerk but the MIDI Boutique board flashes when I put the magnet toward the switch. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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magnaton

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Re: Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 12:19 am

Hey there:

I feel your pain! I too have had to troubleshoot MIDI connections in the past however I haven't experienced anything as odd as this :? . Here are a few, back-to-basics steps to try:

-- Use a MIDI Monitor app like MIDIOX to see what MIDI notes & channel your pedals are actually sending.
-- For compatibility peace of mind. load one of the newer sample sets that gave you the odd result, clear the MIDI mapping of a keyboard & the pedalboard, auto detect the pedalboard using the lower 32 notes of the now un-mapped keyboard. Demo some pedal stops and or watch the virtual pedalboard movement as it should work as expected. This is just to make sure a physical keyboard would successfully map to a virtual pedalboard.
-- You said "the pedalboard is connected to the 'MIDI IN' of manual III as it should be". This could be suspect. Try connecting a separate USB-MIDI interface for use with just the pedalboard. I've seen MIDI encoders that were picky about the brand of USB MIDI interface connected to it. One time a USB-3 port on the computer wouldn't play nice with a USB-2 MIDI interface. Most USB Midi interfaces are USB-2 so I just had to swap things around so the MIDI interface was on a native USB-2 port.

Please keep us informed of your progress :-)

Danny B.
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mdyde

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Re: Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 4:43 am

Hello jcrowley,

Some quick thoughts to add to Danny's reply:

- Make sure you have ample, and reliable, power to your MIDI console hardware. Inadequate power supply can easily cause MIDI hardware to behave erratically, e.g. depending upon what else is happening (and using power).

- Likewise, if any of your MIDI interfaces are connected to USB hubs then make sure the hubs are good-quality (a reputable brand), *powered* (not 'bus-powered) hubs, with ample mains power supplies for all of the USB devices connected to them. If possible, instead try connecting the MIDI interface directly to a USB port on the computer.

- For good measure, make sure that all Windows power-saving functions are disabled, especially the option to put USB devices to sleep, as covered in the 'Performance tuning: Other operating system and computer optimizations and diagnostics' section in the user guide (on page 274 in the current v6.0.2 version):

Disable all Windows power-saving functions, including the options for putting USB ports/devices to sleep. For example, on Windows 10 you would use 'Windows Control Panel | System | Power and sleep | Additional power settings', select the 'High performance' power plan, then click its 'Change plan settings | Change advanced power settings', then make sure that the settings are set as follows:
Sleep: Hibernate after = Never (for 'plugged in' if present)
USB settings: USB selective suspend setting = Disabled (for 'plugged in' if present)
PCI Express: Link state power management = Off (for 'plugged in' if present)
Processor power management: Minimum processor state = 100% (for 'plugged in' if present), or set the minimum and maximum states to the same value less than 100% if necessary to avoid overheating (such as 65%).
Hard disk: Turn off hard disk after = Never (for 'plugged in' if present)
... then OK all of the screens.


- Make sure your MIDI interface is a good quality model from a reputable brand (MOTU, M-Audio, Roland, etc.). (Cheap unbranded USB-MIDI adapters are often the causes of strange MIDI behaviour.)

- Make sure you aren't over-filling the computer's RAM, in case that's causing a driver to misbehave.

- With one of the misbehaving sample sets loaded, on the 'General settings | General preferences | Advanced ...' screen tab in Hauptwerk try temporarily turning on the 'Diagnostics: log all MIDI ...' option. OK the screen and performance warning. Without touching anything else, wait 20 seconds or so, so that that you can tell the relevant messages apart by their timestamps, then press some MIDI pedalboard keys, then look in Hauptwerk's log ('Help | View activity log') to see the MIDI messages (if any) that Hauptwerk received from those key presses, and what virtual controls were triggered.
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.
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jcrowley

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Re: Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 1:10 am

Thanks for the rapid feedback.

I have one minor success story - All notes work on the pedalboard (one key is temporarily missing magnet) with Peterbourough Full set.

MIDI Boutique boards have been rock solid and as I said using MIDI Medic all keys respond correctly with a note on and note off message on the correct channel (in my case 1). I am using the appropriate 12V DC power brick the keyboards use 9V. Plus All Grand Orgue sample sets work 100%. Both of my Sweelinck sets work 100% for all the notes. Any Hauptwerk version 1 organ (Moerdijk, St. George's Anglican, Litomysl) work 100%.

I will try another power brick with same voltage.

Connecting the Pedal into the third manual is Standard for MIDI Works Keyboard stacks and the MIDIworks - MIDI lights flash for every pedal note on/off appropriately. I will try the other things.

For instance today when I loaded Essen TUP only the first 15 keys worked. Yesterday the top G octave worked but not the pedal.
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jcrowley

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Re: Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 1:46 am

Eureka! I did not find any Gold but the next best thing.

I put the MIDI cable into the back of my Scarlett i18/20. My only remaining MIDI Port - thanks to my huge stash of cables and connectors I had a 10 MIDI cable - just the ticket. Very Strange why some programs took the message correctly. Now on to repairing the missing magnet assembly! Cheers! Happy Hollandaise! Thank you Both! I did check to make sure the 12V DC brick was connected correctly and it was.
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mdyde

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Re: Unusual Pedalboard behavior!

PostSat Dec 04, 2021 4:18 am

Thanks. Excellent! You're very welcome.
Best regards, Martin.
Hauptwerk software designer/developer, Milan Digital Audio.

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