How do I send a program change to an external synth per scene, or pattern?

offcmd
offcmd Member Posts: 12 Member
edited June 2022 in Maschine

I’ve scanned the old forum for this and apparently M+ wasn’t sending that message to external midi hardware. I wonder if now, after several os updates this may now be possible?

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  • offcmd
    offcmd Member Posts: 12 Member

    Indeed. However this is for incoming change messages to M+ only.

    One of the main promises of standalone is to free us from the DAW especially on live performance when every piece of hardware needs to be highly functional.

    Having the ability to make the M+ the brain of the set seems to me essential.

  • Schmapps1
    Schmapps1 Member Posts: 133 Pro
    edited June 2022

    I made a song once on my Mk3, and I was able to send program changes per scene to my bass station 2. But I don’t know if it’s different for the M+?

    as I recall, down in the bottom of the screen there is an option, near/in the modulation lane, where you can select “program change”. Then you select a number by sliding up and down the little flag thingy (similar to how you adjust velocity).

    so then, you just have to make a dedicated pattern, and put a midi note right at the beginning of that pattern that you can assign to make a certain program change number. Don’t forget to set the midi output of the sound slot you are using to be the midi device you want to affect

  • DeepThumb
    DeepThumb Member Posts: 170 Advisor

    Does the Outgoing MIDI section there not fulfill your requirements?

  • knarrrz
    knarrrz Member Posts: 5 Member

    As far as I know, it's not possible to set up Midi parameters like program changes or CC's on the Maschine+ itself. The only workaround is to do it in the Maschine software, then save it and import it onto the Maschine+. I really hope that NI will provide the access to those parameters in a future update, since it is absolutely essential for controlling external Hardware and using Maschine+ as a brain of such a setup.

  • Fabio Barbon
    Fabio Barbon Member Posts: 25 Helper

    Once you’ve defined your external MIDI instrument in the Maschine software with bank and program change parameters you can save it as sound or as group to reuse in different projects. Group retains audio and midi routings so it’s good for fixed setups.

    The big drawback of this workaround is that bank and program change values are never triggered. This should happen at pattern level, so program change should be definable in patterns, and this doesn’t seem easy to implement

  • knarrrz
    knarrrz Member Posts: 5 Member

    Well, in the Maschine software it's possible to set program changes at pattern level by creating modulation points in the control lane. And they'll also being triggered when that pattern is imported on Maschine+. This way I created a group with a bunch of patterns to trigger the various patterns on my Elektron hardware, for example. Maschine+ does already handle all the information, so it just had to be made visually accessible on the screen. Probably it would require a new mode where all kind of MIDI automation could be displayed and edited, not only the note and velocity parameters.

  • offcmd
    offcmd Member Posts: 12 Member

    Thank you all for your input. I was able to send a program change from M+ to a keyboard following knarrrz's instruction (prg ch lane in software), however here is where it fails: I need to send the number 43 to the keyboard, however the input mechanism in the software is so rudimentary, that when dragging the mouse so I can see the numbers, skips from 41 to 44, so its impossible to hit the right value.

    How dumb is this!

    I thought that holding shift would allow for finer control, as this is almost a standard in many software and even hardware, but no.

    I've looked everywhere in the software for an alternative input mode and no luck. If you have an idea please share.

    Thank you.

  • Schmapps1
    Schmapps1 Member Posts: 133 Pro
    edited February 2023

    I believe that lock states/snapshots will automatically save the state of the connected synth‘s patch as well. (And recall them on the synth using program change when the lock state is triggered). So, that might be another option to explore….strategically using Maschine’s lock states to send program changes to your synths on a per pattern/scene basis

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited February 2023 Answer ✓

    Maschine software lacks many standards when it comes to mouse/keyboard, it's basically an "I do what I want, you're not my dad!!" kind of kid.

    Drag the top edge of the modulation lane window to increase it, it will give you more resolution, enough for value differences of 1 to be super easy to do.

    If you make a macro it then the value will also be displayed under the knob both in the SW and the HW (controller or standalone), unfortunately, it switches to percentage display when you're recording modulation on the HW displays tho, so might not be super useful as a visual feedback aid if you need changing program changes along the project but if twisting and recording that modulation by hear is enough for you then it can work.

  • offcmd
    offcmd Member Posts: 12 Member
    edited March 2023

    🤯 Wow.. how come in your video you can expand the modulation lane that much? This is the most I can in my mb Air.. I guess I just need a bigger screen?

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited March 2023

    Oh, I have a 27" screen, tried it on my 13" MB Air and it's indeed is much smaller.

    Make the Scene/Ideias view shorter, as it allows the modulation lanes to be bigger, if you full-screen Maschine it gives you even a bit more leverage. Also, using a Macro you can actually see the value in a little square.


  • offcmd
    offcmd Member Posts: 12 Member

    Thank you. I think i'll need a bigger screen :(

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