Studiologic SL88 Grand - No pitchwheel control via USB

[nichttuntun]

Hi dear people at KVR,

I need help.
The masterkeyboard is connected to the PC via USB and it is controlling every VST in my DAW (via USB out) and every outboard Synthesizer (via USB-out into PC / Focusrite audio interface connected to PC and MIDI cable out - from audio interface - to the outboard Synth).

Everything like midi channel-switch, VST control and extern synth-contol works fine except the fact that I can´t get the pitch joystick (joystick no.1) to control the synths pitch. No matter if hardware or VST.

For testing the function of the pitch-joystick I connected a hardware synth directly to the Studiologic Keyboard via MIDI-cable and the pitch-joystick worked like it should.

I don´t understand why this thing isn´t working when playing via USB/PC-connection.

By the way. The second joystick for modulation (cutoff eg.) is working fine on every VST.

I am using CUBASE if that helps. Really I tried so much so far...can´t figure the problem out. Maybe you got an idea? If you got further questions please do ask. Thank you in advance.

[lfm]

Many daws have checkboxes for various midi events that are to be recognized. Pitchwheel, aftertouch etc.

In cubase there are also individual setting for recording and midi thru as well. So what is echoed through can be customized. This for every midi port.

Unless you have cubase elements you have midi plugins, and then the midi monitor plugin. That is good help to see what occur on inputs as well as playback from a track. And there is a monitor bulb flashing on midi input when touching something like pitchwheel(lower right corner as I recall you see if midi in or out activity).

And some midi gear that have both midi over usb and midi din outputs - you can set certain things what are to be sent - either output or both etc. So could be settings in you SL88.

[nichttuntun]

Many daws have checkboxes for various midi events that are to be recognized. Pitchwheel, aftertouch etc.

In cubase there are also individual setting for recording and midi thru as well. So what is echoed through can be customized. This for every midi port.

Unless you have cubase elements you have midi plugins, and then the midi monitor plugin. That is good help to see what occur on inputs as well as playback from a track. And there is a monitor bulb flashing on midi input when touching something like pitchwheel(lower right corner as I recall you see if midi in or out activity).

And some midi gear that have both midi over usb and midi din outputs - you can set certain things what are to be sent - either output or both etc. So could be settings in you SL88.

Thank you so far
Seems logic that it maybe a CUBASE issue because the direct midi out worked.

I admit I am not very good with Midi and general Cubase settings. I use CUBASE artist 8. Do I have to set the midi thru settings in the general settings or via the inspector on each individual track?

Thank you again.

[lfm]

Since you have Cubase Artist - use the midi monitor plugin.
Insert on midi plugin bay.

It will remove the guesswork on this.
When you move the joystick - what codes are sent, or is it all dead?

Already the midi monitor in gui might give a hint, if it flickers or not.

If you see it flicker when hitting a note, but nothing when moving joystick - then something is up already there.

Yes, you might have a look at thru settings - but start with input side.
If you have input then next step is to see why nothing is coming through to external gear.

It might, as I mentioned, be setting in SL88. I have external midi gear that require settings if to receive controllers internally or on midi input to synth - this for Hammond digital organ. KingKorg is another that have various internal settings for midi clock etc.

So don't rule out anything yet.

If nothing on input in Cubase, with monitor plugin, you might start suspect either a bug over usb or a setting regarding this.

[nichttuntun]

Since you have Cubase Artist - use the midi monitor plugin.
Insert on midi plugin bay.

It will remove the guesswork on this.
When you move the joystick - what codes are sent, or is it all dead?

Already the midi monitor in gui might give a hint, if it flickers or not.

If you see it flicker when hitting a note, but nothing when moving joystick - then something is up already there.

Yes, you might have a look at thru settings - but start with input side.
If you have input then next step is to see why nothing is coming through to external gear.

It might, as I mentioned, be setting in SL88. I have external midi gear that require settings if to receive controllers internally or on midi input to synth - this for Hammond digital organ. KingKorg is another that have various internal settings for midi clock etc.

So don't rule out anything yet.

If nothing on input in Cubase, with monitor plugin, you might start suspect either a bug over usb or a setting regarding this.

Hi lfm,
I simply understood now that MIDI-Monitor is an external plugin
I will install it and check back.

In the meanwhile I experienced that:
All three joysticks are sending midi-inputs to the DAW. VST-Synth all react to stick 2 and 3 the way I am setting these in SL88, e.g. stick 2 modulates the cutoff. Everything works great.

Stick 1 ... nothing happens on the SL88 setting "pitchbend". It is sending to DAW but nothing happens on the VSTs and nothing on the external hardware synth. Stick two is coming in into the external synth!

When I define a VSTs pitchbend knob with eg. CC16 and put Stick 1 in SL88 on CC16 too, pitchbend IS working! But both set on "pitchbend", nothing happens. The problem is, every new Patch or VST-Synth loaded has to be especially newly set to work as needed.

I just want to have a setting where pitchbend is just pitchbend and is recognized by all instrumens automatically

Maybe a simple but unknown to me setting can help?

[lfm]

Midi monitor plugins should be there as standard in Cubase Artist, according to plugin reference.

You known where to insert midi plugins?
It's not the normal audio plugin bays.

You seem to have come a long way though.

Pitch bend is a bit special in that it is 14-bit, and consist of both "coarse" and "fine" events to make up the full.

You can also try and record a short bit and look in the clip what is there.

Then the midi monitor plugin can be set to show what is played back as well separately, or also live events.

And in Preferences look at Midi-Midi filter and thru section if anything there filter pitchbend. But thru section is for live events, what is played back is always sent to destination/port.

Pitch bend and modulation wheel are so standard, that it's weird you need to do anything.

[nichttuntun]

Midi monitor plugins should be there as standard in Cubase Artist, according to plugin reference.

You known where to insert midi plugins?
It's not the normal audio plugin bays.

You seem to have come a long way though.

Pitch bend is a bit special in that it is 14-bit, and consist of both "coarse" and "fine" events to make up the full.

You can also try and record a short bit and look in the clip what is there.

Then the midi monitor plugin can be set to show what is played back as well separately, or also live events.

And in Preferences look at Midi-Midi filter and thru section if anything there filter pitchbend. But thru section is for live events, what is played back is always sent to destination/port.

Pitch bend and modulation wheel are so standard, that it's weird you need to do anything.

That was exactly what I thought. Why isn´t such a standard thing not working?

I checked preferences/ midi-midi filters in CUBASE and put the settings back to standard. In this setting there are no activation hooks set at the "Pitchbend" checkbox. "Thru" is activated. "Sysex" is not checked.

Do I have to set up (add) a CC midi filter? There is only one command in the white information field registered (forgot the exact name...something with "all")?

Or do I have eventually have to set up a "quick control" under preferences?

Maybe its a SL88 setting concerning "merge" or "sysex" or whatnot. I don´t know

Due to the fact everything went alright while VST and SL88 both were set to CC16, I think there is nothing odd with Stick one in general. It´s so confusing and the manual for the SL88 isn´t really helping further (beside that, it´s a fantastic keyboard for piano players)

[lfm]

CC16 is single byte event - so different from pitchbend which is three bytes each event.

I worked a bit in Cubase today and tested a bit(Cubase Pro 9.5.21).

Nothing funny about it - it's just runs through Cubase to whatever.
Just normal midi track and in and out midi ports.
Midi channel set to Any so original midi channels are used.
And no checkboxes on pitchbend in record or thru in preferences.

To stop the guesswork, I repeat the following suggested tests:
a) record just a few bars and look that pitchbend and whatever is recorded and there in editor.
If what you expect is there continue with b).

b) insert midi monitor and look at playback what is actually sent further to instruments

Pitchbend is three bytes total - E0 data1 data2 on midi channel 1.
But if everything looks fine in Cubase recorded clip - it should be ok.

[nichttuntun]

CC16 is single byte event - so different from pitchbend which is three bytes each event.

I worked a bit in Cubase today and tested a bit(Cubase Pro 9.5.21).

Nothing funny about it - it's just runs through Cubase to whatever.
Just normal midi track and in and out midi ports.
Midi channel set to Any so original midi channels are used.
And no checkboxes on pitchbend in record or thru in preferences.

To stop the guesswork, I repeat the following suggested tests:
a) record just a few bars and look that pitchbend and whatever is recorded and there in editor.
If what you expect is there continue with b).

b) insert midi monitor and look at playback what is actually sent further to instruments

Pitchbend is three bytes total - E0 data1 data2 on midi channel 1.
But if everything looks fine in Cubase recorded clip - it should be ok.

Hi,
I will do exactly what you suggest...but after my trip to Ireland. I will come back to report here, when I did the tests in about 10 days or so. Until then