MIDI Maestro App Beta Thread: BEAST-MODE=ON

Interesting. I thought sending MIDI over multiple channels is pretty basic for recent MIDI controllers. Does MIDI Maestro have any chance to control both BB and Aeros simultaneously without this functionality?

At release, the MM had a BB mode, an Aeros mode and, a custom mode. There was no way to program the custom mode without the app, which did not exist, and which in still in beta for Android only. Both the BB and Aeros modes only sent on midi channel 1, and this could not be changed. Also, the Aeros ability to receive midi had not been implemented. So, at release, the MM could only control the BB, and only at the preset commands. I know this has been improved via the beta Android app, but as an iOS user, I can’t tell you what it can do. I was hoping I could use the MM to control my BB, Aeros and Meris pedals. At present, I can only use it with the BB. I tell you this so that as a potential buyer you realize that the MM has not been fully developed. You would be waiting on Singular to complete their work.

I already understand that as I see how much the product was improved since it has been released. But I would like know are there any plans to do that or not? I think that sending midi via multiple channels is just necessary for the controller of this price category. I also would like to have MIDI over bluetooth receive functionality some time in future.

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Sorry for the delay – work gets in the way.

The App – and, by extension, the MM – does now support separate commands over multiple channels to drive multiple devices. It also accepts MIDI in – via a hardware port but not via BT — and I assume that it does or will do one or all of MIDI-IN /THRU/MERGE, but that is an assumption on my part, I haven’t tried it.

I also want to amplify and expand on what @Phil_Flood said: This is very much a work in progress, and, as originally shipped, really only had modes to control the BB and the Aeros; however, since @DavidPackouz brought Irving on board to drive this project earlier this year, it has evolved rather rapidly from a Singular-only controller to something much more worthy of the name, “Maestro.” It’s not there yet, still lots of room for improvement, but it is now a very capable programmable pedal.

My hope is that it will someday rival the Morningstar MC6, and I have to say, it is definitely getting closer with input from this group (who keeps adding new ideas to the pot) and thanks to Irving’s responsiveness and hard work.

Meanwhile, on the topic of Bluetooth…

@iajrz, what BT functionality has been added or is being explored? Do you intend that I should be able to connect to a BT/MIDI dongle to drive my BB wirelessly, for example?

My H&K adapter isn’t wireless (been a long time since I used it, and memory is the second thing to go – don’t remember what the first one was :slight_smile: ), so I’ll be looking for a MIDI-over-BT receiver…

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Personally I use midi bluetooth for several connections with a Yamaha MD-BT01 between iPad, keyboard an BB. There is no problem in reliability, but when I directly play the BB drumsamples via my Roland keyboard via midi BT there a small, but audible and a little bit disturbing latency. So maybe this specific type of bluetooth connection should not be used for a timing purpose.

However there are devices like the Roli Seaboard which uses as well a BT LE connection to the iPad and you definitely can’t figure out any latency at all. So it’s technically possible by using the right hardware.

Hey, guys!
I’m very slow these days since I am feeling sick. I have not been able to get tested yet.
I have a home office, though, so I’m still pushing from isolation.

@mousepunk:
The MIDI Maestro is only a MIDI BLE sender, not a receiver. We want to look into receiving in the future, hopefully we can make it happen.

We should not have that latency. We’re using BLE, not BT – BLE was designed for real time communications, the kind you need to make heart monitors and such work reliable.

We have scheduled exploring not only receiving, but increasing what we can send.

It can already do it – been able to for a few months, since before the “baseline” series of Android app releases. The UI is still not where we want it to be for this (although it’s already usable). We hope to have a revamped UI for this by the end of next month.

I hope we will still be developing it in the future. We’re in some ways working towards the existing expectations of the product, but in other ways we’re exceeding them.

This pandemic threw everything in for a loop and made the iOS development become agonizingly hard to carry out, specially since we’ve had a couple of sickness scares in the team (I am going through one :frowning:) .

I am doing my best to push everything forward and give y’all the MIDI Controller you not only wanted, but didn’t know you needed.

The way things stand right now, you can send messages through all channels simultaneously. The unmentioned implication here is that, when you send a message to many channels, you’re actually sending many messages (one for each channel).

When you are setting up what a button does in a particular page, you can configure 32 commands for the button to execute – up from 8 in the initial spec.

Every single one of those MIDI commands can be triggered when you press the button, when you release it, or both.

Up to four of those can be sent through Bluetooth Low Energy – and those can be sent either only through BLE, or both BLE and cable if desired.

Every single message can has its own channel, so you can send 32 messages through the same channel, or split them among channels as you want.

Example of things you can do with the MM right now (if you have an Android device to put your Custom Mode in):

You can set up some commands to happen when you push the button, then keep it pressed and send other commands when you release the button – you’d do this when, for instance, triggering a transition with the BB, or to trigger some note ON messages, then have them be OFF when you release it.

This last case – I had some fun making piano go “chord” while I played along on the guitar – with a few chords configured on the pedal, I had progressions and variations there. I highly recommend the experience, it’s fun.

Sorry I’m being a bit rambly – I am not feeling at my best at the moment :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: lots of love for everyone.

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Thanks. That is very helpful. :grinning:

This is fantastic! Now go get some rest – we need you!

:slight_smile:

Does anyone know if the app works from within Bluestacks on Mac?

It’s been a million years since I used Bluestacks. The only things the app requires are an internet connection and access to a BLE device (which I am almost sure Macs carry). I don’t know if Bluestacks makes BLE available to the emulated OS, though.

Ok, I think I should go Morningstar MC6 for now, while I still think MM could beat it with the MIDI over bluetooth functionality in future.

Does the Morningstar do ANY BT? Mine doesn’t.

I own both, and here are my main thoughts.

  • Big advantage of the MC6: It’s easier to program.
  • Big disadvantage: The buttons are way too close and the back buttons are not high(er) enough for my clumsy feet

That said, I DO like my Morningstar, it’s a good piece of kit.

Did I say it does? I said the opposite: if MM could do the MIDI over bluetooth (not only send but receive) it would exceed the Morningstar.

No BT on the Morningstar. And, IIRC my first reaction to it was outrage over the button layout. That said, it is compact, easy to program, If you have proper midi implementation charts from the other pedal manufacturers, and the height of the back row buttons does help. I also agree that it is a good piece of kit.

My question about BT was just that, a question, because I have the previous version. I wondered if it had been added.

I had the MC6 and sold it pretty quickly. I didn’t like programming it, the buttons were too close, the display felt clunky, and I was always stomping on more than one switch on accident (and multi button presses have various behaviors assigned to them). Not a fan at all.

I do like mine, but I can’t use it if I’m singing, because, well, clumsy feet. I also notice it sometimes echoes MIDI commands if it’s downstream of the BB. Firmware update didn’t solve it, and I can’t reproduce it reliably, so I live with it. It’s not the oddest MIDI device I own…

Has anyone managed to get BLE midi working between MM and an Android device? I’ve used Midi BLE connect but cannot see the MM. I’m probably doing something wrong, anyone got any tips?

Yes. The trick is, don’t try to connect using the Android OS, because that is apparently not how that works. Instead, connect from within the app.

Or is that what you’re already doing?In that case, I got nothin’…

Well I can see MM via BLE scanner, however with BLE Midi connect I have no luck. I’ll keep trying.