Patch Change messages bypassing MIDI Filter

[stiverstiv]

just got off the phone with Muse and may have discovered a bug in the Receptor Software. I have a Pro Jr. running system version 1.7.20080616 (the latest). it seems patch change messages are bypassing the MIDI Filter. For example, if I instantiate a plug-in on Receptor Channel 2, but set the MIDI filter for that Receptor Channel to listen to MIDI Channel 3 only, patch change messages on MIDI Channel 2 are still being sent to and received by the source plug-in on Receptor Channel 2. Anyone else out there have this sort of problem? I would like to have some Receptor Channels NOT receive patch change data, while maintaining patch change control over others (for instance, Ivory and Kontakt not changing patches, but Massive, pro-53, and Absynth receiving them. Anyone else having similar problems?

[batgab]

There's a function noted in the Receptor manual titled "SETUP: Program Change Chan" that you could use to tell your Receptor to respond to program changes transmitted on only one MIDI channel of your choosing. Your choices of MIDI channels are None, All, or the one you specify. This might help you in the interim, but it does seem that you may have uncovered a little glitch, from what you said.

[stiverstiv]

Muse phoned me last night (very cool of them to do so) and I had a long geek session with a MIDI specialist. The way it is handling patch change is by DESIGN. Using different setup modes (such as setting it to only deal with patch changes on one channel, as you described) and/or using snapshots rather than patch changes seems to be the way to go. A more Cro-Magnon style work around I implemented by the time he had called is to stick Akoustik piano and Kontakt on channels 15 and 16, then never use patches 15 and 16 on my Axiom (it holds 20, so no problem). All in all, I have to say the MIDI stuff in Receptor is kind of ungainly, esp. after having set up and played a few gigs in Mainsatage (part of Logic8). I am a MIDI CC nut, and I REALLY don't like having to choose between controlling what is in the insert effects/ Receptor mixer, and the instrument plug-ins. In Mainstage, I just point and click ANYTHING in any FX or plug-in or the host mixer, and I can point and click to map it to a controller on my keyboard. I don't see any real reason I shouldn't have control over stuff in the Receptor Mixer, AND the FX pug-ins, AND the source VST's. It would really open things up and make it more fun to program.

[gizmostatic]

All in all, I have to say the MIDI stuff in Receptor is kind of ungainly, esp. after having set up and played a few gigs in Mainsatage (part of Logic8). I am a MIDI CC nut, and I REALLY don't like having to choose between controlling what is in the insert effects/ Receptor mixer, and the instrument plug-ins.

Unfortunately, hear, hear. I spent a little time with Reason 4 and my Axiom 61 and PC3 last night, and once I got the multi-channel midi (advanced) working and multiple audio out of the hardware device figured out, it sure makes envisioning live and studio keyboard setups much easier. To know I can ctrl-click ANYTHING in the reason rack, be it on the mixer, synth, drum machine, sampler, sequencer transport, combinator .. and 'midi learn' it to any controller on either my PC3 or Axiom -

The sad part is the Receptor is 'dark' except for this one gig that is just starting back up, and now Reason, of all things, is taking away most of Receptor's responsibilities, mainly due to ease of use and not having to decide between midi cc control of the instruments or being able to control volumes on the midi channels.

I still think that maybe I simply don't know enough about the receptor and am probably just using it wrong, or haven't spent enough time with it, or haven't read the right chapter/tutorial, but I got more accomplished in 3 hours last night with Reason than I have in over a year with the Receptor, and being able to finally retire my Motif due to the sequencer in the PC3 and the full production capabilities of Reason is making me very happy.

I still love the receptor, and for some VST's it'll be irreplaceable. I just hope Muse works on the 'Human Factor' heuristics. I think that would go a long way towards their future success.

[mrhudson]

I'm very interested in this topic. To make sure that I understand: Receptor can't use midi on a channel to control BOTH the source plugin AND insert effects. For example, if you dial up a B4 or Electrik as the source, if you use midi to control B4 (e.g., drawbars) you can't control an insert effect?

There was another thread here where someone wanted to play a clavinet & then use a foot pedal to control Wah via midi. Apparently the workaround was to use the clavinet on CH1, set volume to zero, use CH1 output as the source on CH2, insert the wah as fxa on CH2, and THEN the MIDI info would affect the wah and the sound flowing through CH2 - because the midi only affects the first vst in a channel. Of course, you've now used two channels.

But, am I understanding this correctly? I'm looking to buy a Receptor Max and am trying to envision how you would do some simple things that you would with, say, a Nord Stage or Electro - where you have real time effect control via knobs.

So - is this the main way to control effects in Receptor - a 2 channel setup - or do I have it all wrong? Can you control effects in real time without complicated steps?

Thanks!