When I initially set midi channels correctly, I can trigger the drumstation from the monomachine’s pads just fine, but then if I hit record and drop in a couple of triggers and try to play back the sequence, it will only trigger the first step, then nothing else. Even after stopping the sequencer the pads will no longer trigger the drumstation. It’s as if the monomachine’s sequencer is telling the drumstation to play this one note and then nothing again, ever. If I switch the drumstation off and then on again, I can once again trigger it from the MnM pads. Even more frustrating is that the LED on the drumstation indicates that it is receiving MIDI, it just won’t make any sound.
I’ve tried switching the drumstation back and forth between recognizing note off and not recognizing note off, makes no difference. I don’t know of any other DS parameters that could be affecting this. I’ve scoured the MnM midi menus for something that might be causing this and can find nothing.
I had a similar issue with triggering an Ensoniq ESQ-m from the MnM sequencer and it was down to an envelope setting on the ESQ-m.
I’m just wondering if anyone has used a similar setup and has any ideas about an external sequencing parameter that I’m missing that may be the culprit.
Since you solved this, can you tell us what the fix was? I’ve not encountered something like this with the Monomachine myself, but no doubt somebody in the future will and it’s helpful to know what worked.
Well, I thought I had figured it out. When I turned the program change parameter from “off” to a program number, my sequence was suddenly audible again. I figured that the MnM must have been sending some sort of off or mute command, since I could see that the DS was receiving MIDI, just not making sound.
So I set track 2 to send on the same MIDI channel and added some claps or something. They initially did not make sound, but then I adjusted its program change parameter to the same number I was using on track one and now track two was audible.
But then I repeated the process for track 3 and somewhere in there it all went silent again and now no matter what I do, I can’t get the DS to make any sound after it plays the first step of a running sequence. In fact, if I switch to another controller, that controller won’t trigger the DS until I switch the DS off and then on again, then it works as normal.
I’m not even sure what else to do to troubleshoot at this point. Later, when I get a minute, I’ll see if I can run the MnM’s MIDI output into Logic and see if I can see what kind of messages it’s sending and take it from there.
Don’t have any experience with this myself, but your next step sounds like the right way to go. Send the midi into logic so you can see exactly what’s going on, I’m sure that will point out the issue
Well, I haven’t gotten that far yet but here are the latest developments:
I set the MnM up to directly trigger my ESQ-m, to rule out that it was anything fishy with the MnM. ESQ-m gladly played back the patterns on all channels.
So I decided to try triggering the DS from another sequencer. I busted out my trusty QY70 that I keep neatly tucked in my desk drawer for just such occasions. The DS played patterns back with no problems at all.
I popped the MIDI cable out of the QY and back into the MnM AND THE DAMN THING WORKED FINE. I created new patterns, I scrolled through old patterns, the Novation Drumstation ticked right along with no problems at all. After scratching my head for a few minutes trying to figure out what was different about my configuration (and landing on absolutely nothing), I decided to switch off the MnM and switch it back on, just to see what would happen.
I hit play, heard exactly one kick drum and then silence.
I think I’m just done. I’ve only had the Drumstation for a couple of weeks and am not terribly enamored with it. I refuse to spend any more of the little time I have to make music doing all this plugging and unplugging and reconfiguring shit. I bought it specifically for some cheap x0x sounds to sequence in real time from the monomachine and all it’s really doing is giving me a bunch of grief. I’m just going to sell it along with a couple of other things I don’t have any attachment to and put the proceeds toward an Analog Rytm.
