Yamaha MFC10 to control Syntakt - MIDI issue

Hi all,

I’ve trying searching all over the web but I didn’t find an answer.

I’d simply like to use my Yamaha MFC10 foot controller mapped to the trigs of the Syntakt.

I have:

  • linked the midi out from Yamaha to midi in of Syntakt
  • enabled all the midi configs in the syntakt
  • tried both with auto-channel and with channel 1 on both devices
  • tried sending progam change, control change, note on/off…

I get absolutely nothing on the Syntakt.

Do anywone know if this is possible and how to?

If mapping midi to trigs is not possible, would be good to be able to send different notes to a track.
Like using my Yamaha as a “foot midi keyboard”.
But I could not find a way to make it work either.

thank you for any suggestion!

Hi

Not sure there’s enough detail here to say more than you have already discounted

However, just a thought, might be nothing, but presumably you do realise that on teh MFC10 that if the device shows a number 1 associated with a messgae type it is coming in on Channel 2 (this wouldn’t go unnoticed)

it uses hex from 0 to show channel ID so channel 1 is actually 0 fwiw (how all devices think about this anyway)

make sure to check midi output on a computer if possible, so you get what you expected

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Definitely possible.
I have both and I can give it a try later. If you can use a midi monitor, check what you send with the MFC10.

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The MFC is is MIDI mode right, there is a toggle on the rear for MIDI or WX
also, simpler to run the device in Normal Mode (not Mix) … that’s the toggle next to the WX (wind input) one

FTR

without setting anything up at all - I just hooked it all up with a CABLE and pressing the first footswitch it immediately trigged track 1 … so as expected it’s all doable on both counts (per track and chromatic etc)

so you just need to dig around your settings (or check the midi lead)

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thank you!
yes I have the manual and I set the correct Channel.
When it shows 0 is Channel 1, etc.

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Yes it’s in midi (not WX) and normal mode.

How did you do that & what do you mean by midi lead?
Are you sending “progam change” or “function”?

You are saving me! Thanks for the help

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You won’t do what you want with Pgm changes or CC messages - you have to send Note messages

This will play ball nice and simply for percussive sounds, sounds with their own decay such that holding trig won’t sustain it.

The issue with the MFC10 is its inability to send a midi note on with velocity value 0 … i.e. (the value that you’d ideally like in MIN (but it goes 1-127, not 0-127)

However it works fine for Trigging Tracks with drums using AD envelopes and no infinite decay etc

Make sure you have the Function button lit when playing

Memory edit to cycle through settings, then save as per manual

Status = 90

(9 is note, 0 is channel 1)

DATA = 60

(note value default for a track, up or down from this within a couple of octaves will pitch offset)

MAX = 100

(default ST track velocity)

MIN = whatever …

it doesn’t play nice with Syntakt, it is the note off velocity and it’s ignored

I’d forgotten how convoluted setting it up is and it’s a bit restricted in some ways and flexible in others - much better when cc messages are utilised (no use for your scenario)

I sorta had this device cracked a few years back, but I wanted to make an editor for it which only got so far, the sysex for the dumps was only partially logical to me - so it doesn’t do anything alas

thank you for the help!

I think I have a cable issue. I tested it with MIDI-OX on the computer and it repeats “system error”.
Just bought a new cable, will try tomorrow with the note method you described!

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My bad, it does work with Note Off messages, I just forgot to set the sustaining machine to ADSR mode

So you can easily set up drums or sustaining synths (a la Moog taurus by keeping the pedal down)

The velocity off value (i.e. Min is still irrelevant as it’s not used), but at least the note doesn’t drone

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You can set the other (non function mode lit) to be a handy patch changer

set the message type to Cd C=pgm , d=Auto Channel (default is 14)

the data value is the program change message

1 = A01 2 = A02 etc

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It worked! thank you.

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