Program Change Receive/Sequencer control over presest (or notes)

[3Daymonk]

Hello Linn-folk,

I'm using my Linnstrument in a live electronic music performance setting and it would be great if I could send a "load preset" type message to it from my Octatrack. A lot of the time I'm looking to simply change the light config so it's displaying the scale or mode of that part of the track. So, it would be almost as useful if there were a way that sending midi notes to the Linnstrument would illuminate those notes (in all octaves).

Any ideas?

[Roger_Linn]

You could do this by using a MIDI Modifier in your DAW to send LinnStument both the sequenced notes but also the desired other octaves of those notes.

[3Daymonk]

Hi Roger, thanks for your reply!

I think I am missing the basic first steps to make this work.

Also, I am needing this for a DAW-less situation. Though, I am sure I can apply the principal to the Octatrack (with Blokas Midihub) to achieve the same thing if you can walk me through the basics of getting note lights to illuminate on the Linnstrument...

Quick Edit: I found this from Roger on another post if anyone else is trying to solve this:

Hi greatdismal,
Yes, simply send MIDI Note On and Note Off messages to LinnStrument, and all note pads with the same note number will light for the duration of the note. They will be lit in red, or whatever color you select in 'Per-Split Settings > Color column > Played'.
Also, the MIDI input receives sync for the Arpeggiator, and as Michael pointed out, you can send CCs to light the note pad lights however you wish. (If so, please turn off all note lights in Global Settings first.)

[3Daymonk]

I have some further questions about this if anyone/Roger is able to help?

I'm encountering some strange behaviour when sending midi notes to the Linnstrument from an Octatrack. The way Octatrack sequences notes is with a fundemental pitch and then up to four additional pitches as intervals +/- 64.

I know the note the interval notes are sent as they are clearly heard when sent to a synthesiser. However, they don't show up on the Linnstrument. I tried to get around by using diferent steps (sending whole notes or longer) and paramter locking the trigger to a different fundamental pitch. All this achieves is cutting off the note light for the previously sent note.

To zoom out, in the hope of other approaches... What I am trying to achieve is notes illuminated to "suggest" what I might decide to physically play. Using the sequencer to throw up clusters of note lights like a minimalist composer might offer abstract shapes in place of traditional notation. The benefit being I can send these note suggestions in the specific part of a song where these pitches would work well if played, but the interpretation and timing is up to me and can be varied each cycle of the sequencer.

If it is possible, another way I think I could achieve this would be by recalling saved scales or even full preset states. However, this does feel a lot more limited and requires much more planning and programming to have things remain in sync.

Another issue, which I can get around with the Blokas midihub filtering channels, is that there is no dedicated channel for the Linnstrument to "listen" for incoming data as far as I can tell. It will only "listen" to the currently selected midi channel. Most useful would be a channel per split solely for listening to note light information. Any ideas if any of this is possible?

Thank you

[John the Savage]

Pragmatic question...

This seems like a lot of work and frustration to simply illuminate a few notes that you may or may not play. I mean, it's not like a "Scale Mode" which eliminates the notes you don't want to play. And it sounds as though you're aiming to perform some pretty simple themes, so...

Why not just pick a single lighting configuration that speaks to you?

Indeed, the LinnStrument was designed to be played thusly, like any other instrument. And if you're programming these notes into the Octatrack ahead of time anyway, that tells me that you do know what notes you want, therefore...

Maybe just have at 'er?

Cheers!

[3Daymonk]

It's a fair point, and well made. However, it's over a 2 hour set and there's a lot going on (playing percussion, electronics, and singing). The harmony can get quite complex and I'm trying to keep pace with a professional harp player with extensive classical training. I'm getting better, but I'd be glad of the safety net for the time being.

Edit: The more I think of it like sheet music (just in LEDs) the more it feels justified, too

And worth mentioning: I previously looked into a way to try and get sibelius or other notation software to feed note data out to the Linnstrument as a sort of 'guitar hero' style method for learning to read and play pieces, and develop general musicianship on the LS. I think I gave up for some similar reasons

[Roger_Linn]

Hi 3Daymonk,

First, I apologize for not fully answering your original post:

Q: "it would be great if I could send a 'load preset' type message to it from my Octatrack"
A: If you are asking how to remotely select one of the 6 "All Settings Memories" on the right side of the Preset screen, LinnStrument permits you to send MIDI NRPN messages to set or query any setting, including selecting any of these 6 memories. From the LinnStrument Support page, click "MIDI Implementation".

And I missed this one from your Jan 8 post:

Q: "if you can walk me through the basics of getting note lights to illuminate on the Linnstrument..."
A: Please open the Panel Settings page, Global Settings tab, then search for "Setting the note lights remotely via MIDI messages".
Also, LinnStrument contains 3 custom light patterns, in which you can set each pad to any of 10 colors or off using the LinnStrument panel settings. To learn more, open the Panel Settings page, Global Settings tab, then search for "custom light patterns".

And here are my answers to your March 11 (today) post:

Q: "To zoom out, in the hope of other approaches... What I am trying to achieve is notes illuminated to "suggest" what I might decide to physically play. Using the sequencer to throw up clusters of note lights like a minimalist composer might offer abstract shapes in place of traditional notation. The benefit being I can send these note suggestions in the specific part of a song where these pitches would work well if played, but the interpretation and timing is up to me and can be varied each cycle of the sequencer."
A: The problem is that when you'd send a message to light all octaves of a specific note or chord, these new temporary lights would REPLACE the scale lights. I think you'd find that with so many pads replacing the scale lights, you'd find it difficult to know where to play.

Q: "Another issue...is that there is no dedicated channel for the Linnstrument to "listen" for incoming data as far as I can tell."
A: In One Channel MIDI Mode, LinnStrument lights pads in response to Note On/Off messages receive on the assigned Main channel. In Channel Per Note mode (MPE), it accepts Note On/Off messages on the selected Per-Note channels.
I'm afraid that adding another detailed setting for such a special-case personal need is beyond the scope of a musical instrument intended for real-time expressive play, not detailed programming of music. Please see my thoughts below for more info on this topic.


Additional thoughts on this topic:

I can understand your desire for the above requested features. The problem is that an instrument can't be all things for all people. LinnStrument's design focus is to give musicians an expressive performance instrument for real-time play, with minimal margins around the playing surface that prevent a graphic screen and many editing controls that are necessary for detailed programming workstations. But I recognize that some people may prefer for LinnStrument so be more of a desktop programming workstation, so Geert and provided extensive MIDI control, a User Firmware Mode, and 100% open source software, so that anyone is free to change LinnStrument from the instrument it is into the instrument they prefer.

If you'd like to learn my guiding principle for software feature additions, please see the LinnStrument FAQ page, "General" tab, FAQ "Can you add this feature _______?"

[John the Savage]

Deleted.

[3Daymonk]

Hi Roger,

Thanks again for the detailed reply. Whether or not the Linnstrument can be asked to achieve this very specific function, I still think it is perfect in every way (yes, John!). As someone without classical training or any background with instruments other than drums, it has changed my life by being the most intuitive, expressive device. It is the centrepiece of my studio and live setups, I use it for all melodic writing and am even able to play it live and accompany myself singing. I love the thing!

Can I just clairfy one point? Ignoring my "other approaches" --I agree, this is not a valid feature request-- and, forgetting the 'custom light patterns', is the Octatrack illuminating notes in the way you would expect? Currently, I have the Linnstrument showing yellow lights for all the white keys, no illumination for the black keys, and a purple root note light on every C. Pretty standard stuff. When I send a single note from the Octatrack, say A4, it lights up white (as if played, this is the colour other notes display if I physically press them) and goes out once pressed. But, as mentioned above, I can only light up one note per midi channel/track on the OT without errors.

I have tested in Studio One and the Linnstrument lights up white (like a player piano) with every note on the piano roll. A fully polyphonic light show rendering of the midi data. Any ideas as to why the Octatrack, which will sequence a synth fully, is not displaying the same output I would expect on the Linnstrument?

[Roger_Linn]

Hi 3Daymonk,

Thanks for your kind compliment about LinnStrument, which is very nice to read.

You asked:

“…is the Octatrack illuminating notes in the way you would expect? … When I send a single note from the Octatrack, say A4, it lights up white … But, as mentioned above, I can only light up one note per midi channel/track on the OT without errors. …. I have tested in Studio One and the Linnstrument lights up white (like a player piano) with every note on the piano roll.”

Unfortunately I don’t know the Octatrack product. But you’re experiencing a classic MIDI problem. You’ve proven that LinnStrument is working correctly because the problem doesn’t occur with Studio One. So the only way to solve the problem is to trace it down to its cause. On the LinnStrument Support page, I give helpful tips on how to do this. Note the tip about simplifying a complex problem in order to learn the exact cause. For example in your case, set Octatrack to send only simple MIDI data and see if that solves the problem. Another tip on my support suggest using a MIDI Monitoring app. This will allow you to see exactly what MIDI messages Studio One is sending, which you can then compare to what Octatrack is sending. You may find that Octatrack is sending different messages than you expected, or on different channels than you expected, or is lots of other unnecessary messages that you aren’t aware of. With this knowledge, you can possibly change some settings in Octatrack, or at least be better prepared to ask a question to Octatrack support.

My explanation in my previous post (about how LinnStrument responds to incoming MIDI Note On/Off messages in either One Channel or Channel Per Note modes) was intended to help you trace down the problem, but I should have been clearer in stating this.

[John the Savage]

Deleted.