Midi Maestro - first impressions

After using the MM for a few gigs and practices, I’d have to say good job. Works as advertised, albeit haven’t seen the app yet. Looking forward to that.

As far as feedback, I’d probably put the most used buttons (start/stop, next part, etc…) on the bottom row instead of the top. Just a little easier to get to. I’m sure I can customize that once the app is available. Also, I wish that if I start a song with the main pedal, the MM needs to know and act appropriately.

Thanks guys.

I am absolutely guessing here, but if you connect your BB out back to the MM In and set the BB to send START information, that MIGHT resolve the problem if you can put the MM in MIDI-OUT mode to break the circular nature of the signal chain (otherwise, you’ll have the BB feeding itself START messages via the loop you’ve created with the MM).

The challenge you’re facing, though, is that MIDI information streams are designed to flow one direction-only, so in a normal system, either your MM controls your BB (and anything downstream) or your BB controls your MM (and anything downstream). In other words, if you have three devices on a MIDI stream, DEVICE-A can control DEV-B and DEV-C, DEV-B can control DEV-C, and DEV-C controls nothing else.

You might be on to something Joe. I do have the BB out going to MM in as you suggested, but I have a wireless Bluetooth adapter in between so that Onsong can control the BB. I’ll remove it for a test although Onsong control is a must have.
Thanks for the suggestion.

You’re using OnSong to control the Beat Buddy? Then what are you using the MM for? Same? Are you using a wireless MIDI adaptor that happens to run Bluetooth? Out of curiosity, which one?

Actually, maybe you could share what you have in the MIDI stream, what’s Bluetooth, and what’s controling what and how. I mean, I’ll still be wild-ass guessing, but it might at least get me into the ballpark…

:slight_smile:

I think the confusion sets in when we try to set up some kind of universal, use it for everything, rig. If I am using Onsong, it’s going to pull up the song on the BB. I scroll my lyrics without automation, using the iRig BlueBoard. With that rig, I might just want to have a tempo option available, and I might want use the Midi Maestro to give me that. With that set up, I’d have the Midi Maestro first, then the BB, the Bluetooth connector out of the BB, and it would have to go back to the Maestro Midi in. At least, I think that would work.

Now, if I wanted to then play something where I am not using OnSong, I don’t see where I have a problem. Maestro could control BB parts via midi and not screw up the works.

But what if I then find myself wanting to do some esoteric freeform looping? (I know, we can’t get that with the Aeros yet, but just for illustration…) So far, I haven’t had anything where my guitar needed to be in the chain, but now, I need my guitar and effects chain going into the Aeros, and I need to be getting tempo info from the BB. And, most likely, I’ll want the Maestro giving commands to the both the BB and the Aeros. The audio chain, I think is still a straight shot - Guitar to effects to Aeros to sound board, and BB to sound board. So the Aeros now comes after the BB in the Midi chain - Maestro to Bluetooth connector to BB to Aeros??. Is that going to work? Or does the Bluetooth connector go somewhere else in the chain? Do those things pass midi? I am using a Yamaha MD-BT01.

For me, this is where the confusion comes in. And, if I just eliminate the idea of a single universal rig, the problem solves itself, as I don’t need Bluetooth in the ambient rig.

I would also like to connect the Yamaha MD-BT01, and I have the impression that only Midi In works in Aeros and only Midi Out works in Maestro.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how I can connect the Yamaha MD-BT01 to the MM, BB and Aeros set, because Yamaha cannot connect to the BB Midi In and MM Midi Out because the opening in the Maestro housing is too small :frowning:
Similar to the Midi Maestro, the Midi Roland cables are not suitable.

I just tried this, and I see what you mean. The connector is too deeply recessed into the MM to allow the BT-01 to connect. You would need a cable that can connect to the MM then one of these:

I am sure someone other than Hosa makes them, but this along with a short midi patch cable would allow the connection you want.

FYI anyone else, the issue is that the BT-01 has a large stiff plastic shoulder just past the ends of the 5-pin midi connection.

Screen Shot 2021-01-21 at 11.37.15 AM The shoulder prevent the BT-01 from being able to properly seat in the midi connector of the MM, as the connection are not flush with the outside of the MM housing. The connectors are instead flush with the inside of the housing. I have several midi cable that have a nearly straight connection, but, I also have a number of midi cable that have larger shoulder, and also barely make a connection.

This type works:

Screen Shot 2021-01-21 at 11.35.15 AM

This type may not work, YMMV.

Screen Shot 2021-01-21 at 11.35.37 AM

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You don’t need to connect the MD-BT01 to MM as it has Bluetooth built in.
As I understand it you need a BT01 connected to each item you want use Bluetooth Midi with. So for a BB, MM, Aeros setup you need 2xBT01 and a midi app running on a phone/table/pc to get them all talking together

Thank you. Works as you wrote. I forgot, MD-BT01 connects exactly the same. :slight_smile:

That’s not quite right… I have BB, MM, Aeros and a FP90 Stagepiano running with some Midi-cables, a Midi-coupler like @Phil_Flood mentioned before and one BT-01 working flawlessly. I use Bandhelper which sets all devices to the desired settings and ForScore to the correct song. It’s only important to build a midi “circle”, to place the Receiver between the right devices and to adjust all the settings so that you won’t get an infinite loop.
The bluetooth feature of the MM I have not tested yet… maybe it could replace a midi-cable and the Receiver.