Hold function with B2M?

The B2M™ Universal Bass to MIDI Converter.

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dfunkman
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Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:05 am

Hold function with B2M?

Post by dfunkman »

My current midi signal chain includes the B2M to generate my note messages, a Behringer FCB1010 to handle patch changes and continuous control, and a MoogMinitaur bass synthesizer. I'd like to be able to set up a "hold" function using the FCB1010, meaning I'd like to step on a pedal to indefinitely sustain the current note being played by the synthesizer and have it ignore any other note-on messages from the B2M until I step on a pedal again, allowing me to play the clean sound of my bass guitar (which I'm splitting from the B2M to be able to blend with the Minitaur) without triggering the synth while the synth holds a drone note below it. Is there a midi cc number that will allow me to do this? I'm looking for something similar to the hold function on the Boss syb-5 synth bass pedal, if you're at all familiar with that device. Can the FCB1010 do this? The footswitches on the FCB1010 can send 2 midi cc messages at the same time. Is there a combination of cc messages that can accomplish this, perhaps? Right now I've got two switches set up for sustain on/sustain off, which sustains the note on the synth just fine, but I don't know how to get the minitaur to ignore note-on messages so I can keep playing without retriggering the synth when I don't want to. Help?
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james
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Re: Hold function with B2M?

Post by james »

The B2M itself doesn't support a hold function, but the Sonuus i2M musicport does include this (you can send MIDI controllers to the i2M to act as hold and sustain controllers). With the B2M, you will need to do this directly on the MIDI somewhere between the B2M and the Minitaur.

As you say, you just need to make the Minitaur ignore note-on and note-off messages. You need to be careful to ensure that notes don't get left hanging: if the note-off for your held note gets lost, that note might not turn off again. Usually with a hold, the original note-on is remembered so the corresponding note-off can be sent when you release hold.

I don't know if the FCB1010 has a feature to do this as part of its MIDI merging capability?
dfunkman
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:05 am

Re: Hold function with B2M?

Post by dfunkman »

So if I went with the i2m, I'm looking at returning the B2m, getting the i2m and getting a midi usb host device, more than doubling the cost. :-/ That's less than ideal. If I can just do it from the FCB1010, that would be preferable.

The FCB1010 can send any midi cc# message. I just don't know which number will do what I want it to do. I'm not as worried about hanging notes if the note-off message from the B2m gets lost. I can set a footswitch on the FCB1010 to also send an "all sound off" message (CC 120) to eliminate that problem, since I can send 2 cc messages from a single footswitch. I'm also told that the function I'm looking for is called "sample and hold?"
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james
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Re: Hold function with B2M?

Post by james »

I couldn't see anything in the FCB1010 manual that suggests it can do this. It can send CC messages, or notes (for tap tempo) but it won't filter MIDI notes for you. Ideally, you want a way to change a MIDI filter to let notes pass, or be stopped, when you toggle the footswitch.

The B2M can't do it, because it has no MIDI input, only a MIDI output.

The Minitaur doesn't seem to have this function either. It has sample-and-hold, but that's just for the LFO, not to hold MIDI notes.

I had a look for other utility boxes that might be able to do this. There from MIDI Solutions might work. You could route the B2M MIDI to and from the Minitaur by sending CC messages to it. Unfortunately, they seem rather expensive for what they do:

http://www.midisolutions.com/prodrel.htm
http://www.midisolutions.com/prodpos.htm

I assume a lot of people do this in software, so there's not such a demand for dedicated hardware to do this.
dfunkman
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:05 am

Re: Hold function with B2M?

Post by dfunkman »

Yeah, and I'm definitely trying to avoid bringing my laptop to the gig. A friend also suggested trying to find a way to send a message via the midi cc from FCB1010 to either change the channel of the note data coming through it or to change the channel the minitaur is listening on, then switching back when I want the minitaur to react to note data again. But I don't think the FCB1010 will do that either. Drat, I didn't think it would be so complicated to get this stuff to work like the stomp boxes I'm used to. I hate that I have to choose between good tone and ease of use here. Guess I have to keep saving. :-( Thanks for your help!
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