Overlapping Midi channel issue

Questions
1

So…I have been having this issue for a while, and always just dismissed it and found ways to work around it, but my setup is getting more complicated and it’s more of a challenge to dismiss it.

I have a Novation Launch Control XL and a Midi Fighter Twister (and a Lauchpad), and there seems to be overlapping MIDI channels – like they both have number 15, for example. I thought since they were different controllers, and it recognizes which controller it is mapped to, that there wouldn’t be crossover, but there is. I can twist the Midi Fighter Twister knob that’s also mapped to channel 15 and it affects the item that is mapped to channel 15 on the Novation. Am I missing a setting somewhere? or do I need to reassign the channels?

Also – is there a way to get a list of what items are assigned by channel? So I can look through and make sure there are no overlaps? Right now it’s just an accidental kind of a thing that I stumble across as acting wonky.

Thanks for any help!

2

You could remap your controller or try something like Osculator to tweak the values. Maybe someone knows anther MIDI way.

3

Wouldn’t it be easier to change the midi-channel on each device. Launch Control XL to channel 14 and the Launchpad (which version?) to 13? I don’t know if the Fighter Twisters has a way to change the channel but at least i know most Novation’s controllers can be set to other channels.

4

Hi !

I have the Novation launch Kontrol too and have it set to user mode 5

Which corresponds to MIDI channel 5 for all ist values

As it’s the default controller I use for vdmx, I have it set this way so it’s most likely well out of range of any other MIDI controllers I’ll add on an ad hoc basis

To access the user modes, hold the user button down on the top right of the unit then select one of the bottom row of buttons 1-8 that light up under the faders and that should set the user mode
It’s rare it needs resetting when you unplug and replying but I often check Just for peace of mind before a show

All controllers have something similar to change the MIDI Channel but I find this one very accessible to do so

Hope that helps !

Dan

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5

Ah, thank you! this is helpful! I will do this as it seems to be the easiest work around. Hopefully it will keep me out of range of all the other channels.

And yes, I could remap them one by one, but tracking down the dupes and reprogramming seems a bit daunting.

6

That is exactly why most midi-devices have 16 channels. If a device has a fixed channel it’s mostly cheap garbage or badly designed.

7

great stuff ! hope that works and you have a great show :)

8

Get MIDI pipe app. Can reroute channels from specific devices

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9

Launchpad - hold setup button, and the bottom 2 rows will be blue, with one dark blue. These are midi channels 1-8, and beneath 9-16. The dark blue is your currently selected midi channel.

So if you pick Programmer, (top row, 5 right, yellow button), you have 64 programmable buttons available for every channel. Same with all the other functions. I find the launchpad button based faders work great with VDMX, as if you press the top or bottom of the row, it auto fades, and bases the speed on velocity of press. If your attached to opacity, and press a middle button, it’ll fade to that.

Hope this helps. It may sound like a pain to re-route MIDI via channels, but if the set up is getting complicated, it’ll only get more difficult to work and debug if you avoid learning how to work with channels.

Sometimes pen and paper is helpful for routing as well.

You can make a control channel button/slider that is attached to more than one channel at a time.

A technique I use with launchpad- say I want 5 layers 'hide/show, on one button on a launchpad, I would hold setup, pick programmer, set it to channel 8, and program 5 buttons (however you want, this MIDI channel for these programmer buttons isn’t for direct triggering). Then I would set all 5 to a control panel button. Change the MIDI channel via setup/bottom blue buttons to channel 1 (I use this channel for my most used button trigger) and program a button for the new Control Panel button. Now you have 5 layers tied to a single button on your ‘main’ (CH1) button, but still have the flexibility of individual layer control on/off by switching back to channel 8.

You could make 1 button on 5 channels for those same layers, then attach each to the control panel button on the main page, and it’ll still work. But I can’t think of a functional use case for that except to help someone better understand MIDI channels and how they can be used in VDMX. Its purposefully complicated as an excercise but again, pointless real world.

Don’t forget to ‘Echo Values Out’ to the UI on the launchpad if you want your buttons to stay lit when they are toggle triggered. This button is in the UI inspector.

I think the launchpad FADER page (purple) you can skip that step, as the buttons in each column are equal to 10% value (the fader buttons read as midi CC, all the rest of the modes are MIDI buttons, toggle or value with velocity)

In UI inspector, you can also set midi velocity manually so if you want a button to send a full 127 velocity at even a light press that is possible.

Sorry to be so jumbled but I wanted to give you some ideas on how channels could be useful for at least one of your devices. If you get how it works.down with the launchpad, you should be able to apply that across most devices.

I also run an Apc40, apc20, launchkey 25, and a USB to midi cable for a full older keyboard, so I’ve had a similar hardship in the past. Remember, these tough tech hurdles are a water mark of progress.

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