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Velocity Issues


Nobletonmusic

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The object of the MIDI OX exercise is to validate the data in the PC. If the values are low in MIDI OX, I doubt the problem is PC (at least I have not read about a PC causing this problem), how are all these devices connected to the PC?

 

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There's a handy MidiFX plugin by Markleford Friedman on TenCrazy.com called PortDiag. Drop it in the FX bin of a midi track and It'll show you the actual midi data that CbB is receiving, including the velocity of each note you hit. Not nearly as cool or useful as MIDI OX, but it should work well for a quick check of your input velocities.

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Thanks everyone. I have downloaded MIDIOX, will run it and see what it tells me. I only have two device used for music production connected to the PC. One is the Novation LaunchKey controller I picked up today. From the Novation right into the computer, via a Hosa (brand name)  High speed USB cable Type A to Type B. Plugged into a slot on the back of the computer. The other is my FocusRite Scarlett 2i4 Interface.

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53 minutes ago, Nobletonmusic said:

User the manual of the Novation I assume you mean, what velocities is it supposed to send. I'm making my way through the manual since I downloaded it today.

Well, any of the units you want to confirm are working properly with Cakewalk.  It sounds like the Novation is your first controller.  Also, check the manual for velocity curves.  It might have several. Testing several different velocity curves by recording notes played into Cakewalk should help diagnose what is going on with velocity.

So I went to Novation, looked up product info, tech specs, and user guide for the LaunchKey line. Unless there is more complete information someplace else, the available documentation will not help.  The MIDI Implementation page just has Yes for sending velocity and No for receiving it.  Unless I missed it, there is nothing that tells what the range should be.  Also, I saw nothing about being able to select velocity curves.

A tool like MIDI-OX (or the one at TenCrazy) should tell you what what velocities any of the keyboards are sending into your computer/and into Cakewalk.

11 minutes ago, Nobletonmusic said:

Have MIDIOX open, I think I figured out a few things.  Selected the device - Novation. Clicked on Display Raw MIDI data. See results in window as I press a key - First note indicated Status = 90  Data 1 = 43  Data 2 = 23  . Not sure if this is good or not ? Any though scook

90 is hexidecimal (base 16) for a note-on on channel 1. Data 1 (also hex) is the note number. Data 2 (also hex) is the velocity.  The maximum velocity (in hex) is 7F [127 Dec]. The minimum velocity is zero (although a note-on with a velocity of zero is generally understood as a note-off switch).

If every note has the same velocity, that's a problem.  Try to find the smallest and largest velocity you can get.

There is a place to change the display to decimal.  Let me look.  Options > Data Display [uncheck Hex if you prefer Decimal numbers].

Edited by User 905133
to add info about Hex/Dec setting in midi-ox
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User,

Wow, thank you for going to such lengths to help me. Actually everyone in here has been incredible. I did try different velocity setting in the Novation. They have low, high & OFF.. When OFF is the setting everything is 127. On low and high the velocities that show in the event window are still low. Hitting the key hard in Low, has top velocities of about 50. On high 64 - 68 are the top numbers. Unless the Novation send a range of up the @ 70, I would think the velocities in Event View should be over 100 on the top end.

I'm going to see if I can get someone in tech at Novation to tell me their ranges, what might be going on. It could be the PC, I will hit some more keys and see what I get

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If it were me, I'd check with Novation to see if you can get the full midi specs. I have seen discussions of MIDI 2.0 online, but I thought that was supposed to be 100% compatible with MIDI 1.0.

On my usb keyboard (Evolution MK-249C) a light test chord had a velocity of 5 and a hard test chord had a velocity of 71 hex [113 dec].

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I did a little poking around on the interwebs for info on the Novation Launchkey series and found a few complaints about the velocity sensitivity on those controllers.

Judging by the results you've gotten so far with MIDI OX, I'm guessing it's a problem with your new keyboard. It may affect just a few of them so exchanging it might help, or it could just be poor velocity sensitivity because of the design of the series. Might be time to contact the store and exchange the unit or just return it and try a different brand/model.

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I appreciate that. The series has a good rep but maybe it's more for the MK 2 or I just have a faulty one. I tried a few more instruments, the SI-Bass and Ample Guitar M2 Lite. Both came in with velocities around 55- 65 as top velocities. So the XLN Keys, & these other two had velocity issues.

It's getting late better call it a night. If the help I've received in here tonight is any indication, the people in here are fantastic. Thank you everyone.

Think I'll play my trusty Yamaha P-35 for a few minutes & then call it a night !

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Took it back to the store this morning. The guy at Sam Ash was a midi controller guy & I told him about all the suggestions I received last night. I even plugged in my Scarlett interface to my other computer, downloaded Reaper. Set up the LaunchKey 61, figured out pretty quickly how to record a track. Same issue low velocities. He said Novation would certainly make their controllers work with CW. He believes maybe in my Controller Surfaces set up, I don't have it set correctly. Or somewhere else in my CW MIDI setup, something isn't set up correctly? IBut then why the same issue with Reaper

Here's a screen shot, the only thing I see highlighted is the Import ACT data. I click on it it goes to an upload page to search what's on my computer for a XML Map file or go out to the net for a file. I can;t see how a map file would affect velocities. 

I even tried the SI Bass in CW, recorded a track. Hit the keys firmly and only managed a 72 as top velocity. The mystery continues. The on;y common in all I've done is the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface. I sent them an email this morning, asking if they have seen this before?

1384872231_ControllerSurfaceCW.thumb.png.3a212a0457ef4b65df1bd42a407526ef.png

It's still a freaking mystery.

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