External MIDI notes support

BeatBuddy Help, Questions and Bugs
1

The latest firmware update included support for external MIDI note input via the USB connector but I haven’t been able to get this to work with my Simmons SD5X kit. It has both MIDI and USB MIDI out and I’ve used both to connect successfully to my laptop to record tracks. If my MIDI source and connections are ok, should the BB pedal display anything to indicate that it’s in a MIDI-slave mode? Any tips on what I might be missing? I’d really love to get this working because the samples in the SD5X unit sound awful.

2

I know for sure BeatBuddy sends MIDI notes. Probably it also accepts it now, but I personally cannot confirm this as I haven’t tested this yet.

As far as I know, when slaved BeatBuddy should indicate two arrow pointers shaped sign in the bottom center of the screen next to the volume and tempo.

3

As far as I am aware it is only Midi that is supported. I tested this from my Keyboard’s Midi out to the Beatbuddy’s Midi in and also from my Yamaha DT Express V3. I had some issues with a Yamaha DT Express V1 but can’t remember how I resolved that - check that you are triggering supported notes and that it is sending out on Channel 10. I also changed the midi settings in the BB to “Start >Main beat” as a couple of times the Beatbuddy started playing - since making that change it hasn’t.

4

Hi Charles,
Not sure if I can be of much use, but I just bought an Arturia BeatStep Pro (BSP) and am sending the MIDI out (on Channel 10) from the BSP into the MIDI in of the Beat Buddy (BB) and here is what I get:

  1. the tempo of the BB changes (with a slight delay at least on the LCD indicator) when I change BPMs on the BSP
  2. the BB plays its internal drum samples corresponding to the drum sequence on the BSP, and it uses different samples if I change the drum kit on the BB
  3. there is a little pair of left and right pointing arrows to the left of the BPM indicator on the BB when it is receiving MIDI input
  4. when I hit play, the BB not only plays the part given to it by the BSP, but it also plays the Part 1 of the BB song that is currently selected, and skips the Intro. (Hopefully I can find out how to stop this, but I’ll start a new thread for that.)

Make sure you are using the latest firmware, or MIDI input won’t work properly.

-r