Compatibility with Pittsburgh MIDI

[BParticipant]

I don’t know why, but the ZAQuencer can’t seem to send expected MIDI to my Pittsburgh Modular MIDI module (old version). I have checked that it sends fine and correct to MIDI in on my computer, and I have checked that I can send a MIDI sequence from the computer to the Pittsburgh module correctly (via Nodal; this works just fine), but when I send a note-pitch-randomized 32-step sequence from the ZAQuencer to the Pittsburgh, I generally get just a drone of a single note that may change occasionally. On the software end, MIDI Monitor shows that the ZAQuencer is sending note on at 127 velocity followed by note off at 0 on channel 1, which looks right to me.

I’ve tried setting the ZAQuencer to all of 16 MIDI channels, both the A and B physical outs (with A, B, and AB out settings for the sequence). I’ve tried recording a MIDI sequence in Logic and replaying it to the Pittsburgh — this has exactly the same effect as sending directly, so I don’t think it’s a purely electrical issue, but instead, a disagreement about the MIDI data.

Do you have any idea what might be going on here?

[ChristianKeymaster]

Hm… I´ve been trying to think what could be happening here.

Two things sprung to mind:
- have you experimented with the note length parameter in the Zaquencer yet?
maybe the notes are set too long?
- there are two ways of ending a midi note, sending Note Off, or sending Note On with velocity 0 (like we do). Maybe the Pittsburgh doesn´t like it that way?

[BParticipant]

I’ve set the note length short, so I don’t think that’s it. Here are a couple short captures from MIDI Monitor, with the unnecessary bits omitted:

Sequence sent from Logic, recognized OK on the Pittsburgh:
*** ZERO *** Note On 1 C3 80
*** ZERO *** Note Off 1 C3 64
*** ZERO *** Note On 1 C#3 80
*** ZERO *** Note Off 1 C#3 64
*** ZERO *** Note On 1 F3 80
*** ZERO *** Note Off 1 F3 64
*** ZERO *** Note On 1 C2 80
*** ZERO *** Note Off 1 C2 64

Sequence sent from ZAQuencer, malfunctioning:
15:27:28.205 Note On 1 C3 127
15:27:28.248 Note Off 1 C3 0
15:27:28.580 Note On 1 C#3 127
15:27:28.623 Note Off 1 C#3 0
15:27:28.955 Note On 1 F3 127
15:27:28.998 Note Off 1 F3 0
15:27:29.330 Note On 1 C2 127
15:27:29.372 Note Off 1 C2 0

Anything stand out to you?

[ChristianKeymaster]

Email sent

[ChristianKeymaster]

For anyone following this, the problem went away when we switched to sending NoteOff from the Zaquencer. This will be incorporated in a future update.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by  Christian.

[ChristianKeymaster]

Fixed in 1.01

[Author]

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