Using Arturia Beatstep Pro with multi sequencers

[michellj]

I'm using the Beatstep Pro from Arturia. It is capable of simultaneously running 3 different sequences and setting them each to a different outgoing channel. If I want to run all 3 sequences together in Waveform using 3 different VSTs, one for each sequence (a melody, harmony and drums for example), how do I do this? Can Waveform receive MIDI signals from a single device into 3 different tracks simultaneously? Or alternatively can one track be split into 3 separate channels that correspond to the outgoing ones from the Beatstep? I've searched many tutorial videos with no luck.It would save a lot of time to record all 3 at once instead of recording each one separately.

[whyterabbyt]

The tracks on the Beastep can be configured to send to specific channels, see the manual section 6.9 for how.

When you have a Tracktion track set up to record MIDI, I believe that in the settings for the input device on the track, you can set it to filter specific channels via the boxes (numbered 1-16, one for each MIDI channel) beside the text 'MIDI filter'

[michellj]

thanks! i will check out that section

[Peter Widdicombe]

... and what you may find useful is to create 3 virtual MIDI devices up front - each with all channels BUT the one you want, disabled. That way, when you put on tracks, you can simply add the virtual MIDI device (i.e. Virt-Melody) to the track, and it will ONLY get the data with Melody (assuming you never change the MIDI channels around!).

This ALSO gets around the problem where a single MIDI device can normally be assigned to a single track. I had to do the same with my MPK keyboard, so that MPK on channel 10 works for the pads (MPK-Pads), and any other channel I use MPK-keys) for normal keyboard.

[michellj]

Screen Shot 2022-03-09 at 4.24.32 PM.png

It looks like maybe what I want is to make a rack that splits incoming MIDI signals on 3 different channels from the Beatstep, routes them to different VST instrument patches, maybe adds a volume/pan fader to each, and then routes those patches out to audio for the track? Going to try the MIDI Patch Bay plugin to route the signals from channel 1, 2 and 4 to each of the VST instruments and see if that works. Not sure if that's the right plugin to do that. Fingers crossed

[michellj]

Peter, would you then have to create an input track for the sequencer, then do aux send from it to aux returns on the 3 tracks with the filtered virtual midi devices on them?

edit: no this plays all channels through the return tracks for some reason, even though they had midi filters on them. don't know why, but that's fine. will just not do this.

[michellj]

This picture is what finally worked. Pretty simple once I'm familiar with what to do. I even was able to record keyboard notes into the sequence from an Edirol PCR-300 into the Arturia using the MIDI out option at the far right of the track.

The rack I had earlier tried to use pictured in the comment above doesn't work. dead silence. Might not be what the MIDI patch bay is for. Dunno. Splitting the channels up into different tracks is a better solution anyway, keeps MIDI notes separated for editing later and tracks can be muted, color coded and just better accessed.
Aux send and receive didn't work either. Even though the virtual MIDI inputs were channel filtered, all channels played all channels at once. Must have something to do with how bussing and aux sending works.