Sending midi to Bomebox Din out from a midi controller attached to PC

I can send midi to Bomebox Din out from a midi controller attached to PC only if I use MIDI OX  and choose  Bome Network for midi out in MIdi Ox but I can not do the same with DAWs or VST hosts even when I choose Bome Network midi out.    I wonder what I am doing wrong.

This might sound obvious but, did you close out the Midi OX connection and application prior to tying to use with your DAW’s or VST hosts?
I’ve found that MS Windows is pretty unforgiving of having multiple applications trying to access the same midi port (virtual or otherwise).

You are rght about Wimdows  being unforgiving.   I will give it  another try later on but isn’t it true that you can send mdi to Bomebox from PC just using Bome Network?  I had done that but It did not work.

Yes, I believe it is a single data stream (one PC connection) at this time. So anything you send to BomeBox will get routed to all attached ports that have routing to them (on the BomeBox). If you haven\’t figured it out by end of day. I will see if I can set up a test case (when I get off work at my day job).

I was able to get it to work both from Bome Mouse Keyboard and Cakewalk Sonar LE.

I first disabled the existing running Bome Project file on the BomeBox. I then set up a route from network midi to DIN on the Bomebox. Everything worked. Try rebooting your system and starting directly with your DAW.

Note I\'m running on Windows 10.

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the suggestion.  I started PC and tried it with Bome Network alone.  It did not work.   I opened a VST host and selelcted Bome Network Din as MIDI out.   It didn’t work.   I closed the host and opened MIDI-OX and it worked right away.   I suspect that this is more of an Windows issue and configuration.    BTW, I might add that I did disable the current project and tried different seetings in routing.

just a clarification: in the VST host, you select ”BomeBome – Net” (or whatever your BomeBox is named), as MIDI OUT port, right? Then you want to use the VST to send data to the BomeBox’ DIN port?

Correct. Also, it is possible to send midi to Bome Din Out from a controller attached to a PC on Bome Network, right? That doesn’t seem to work, either. I might add that becuase midi does not reach the Bomebox from PC 1, MIDI from PC 1 is not routed to PC 2, either. I selected the default routing in the Web Config so that everything is connected to everything else. By the way, does the Windows 10 MIDI device limit apply to this?

Yes, one midi reaches the Bomebox from my PC, the Bomebox will do its job. It is just that unless I use MIDI -OX my PC doesn’t send midi to Bomebox though Bomebox sends to the same PC just fine.

yes, that should work. As Steve tried, could you give it a try with Mouse Keyboard?

Downloaded Mouse Keyboard just now, and it works sending midi to Bomebox and PC #2. I tried a couple of DAWs and hosts, still doesn’t work. Only Mouse Keyboard and MIDI OX can send midi on Bome Network….

Also, I noticed that I have to check ”MIDI Through” in Mouse Keyboard” to send midi out over Bome Network. I did the same in VST Host which is a free program. It doesn’t work. Abelton Live doesn’t, either. I wonder why it works with Mouse Keyboard and MIDI-OX but not with other hosts.

As I mentoned to Florian, it works with Mouse Keyboard. Then again so does MIDI Ox. Also, I have to select ”MIDI Through” in Mouse Keyboard besides choosing Bome Network as MIDI Out. Do you have VSTHost? It is a freem VST host program. It offers midi out and midi through. Maybe you could test it in your PC? I have tested with two PCs here. The sesult is the same. Thanks,.

Florian, I did a number of things but still I am kind of baffled. With MIDI Through unchecked in Mouse Keyboard, it will show what keys are played on screen from the attached midi keyboard controller, but midi doesn’t go ”through.” However, if I play the onscreen keys with the mouse, midi will go through. If MIDI Through is checked in Mouse Keyboard, then I can just play the midi keyboard controller, midi will be sent on Bome Network. I understanad the problem is with apps that I use and possibly Windows settings though I went through all my midi drivers and deleted many of them just to make sure. I found out that Mixcraft Pro 8 has no problem sending midi on Bome Network, Ableton Live and other apps can’t. It seems to me that apps like Mixcraft Pro 8 and MIDI OX have a different kind of MIDI out to external devices, which work in this case. Any idea?

What you’ve found out about MIDI Thru in Mouse Keyboard is exactly way how it is supposed to work. Normally, software (or devices) will make use of any incoming MIDI from the MIDI IN connection, but not relay anything from MIDI IN back to MIDI OUT. However, a MIDI Thru function (or connector) will do that. So if you select your MIDI keyboard as MIDI IN in Ableton, and BomeBox as MIDI OUT, Ableton will most likely not create a Thru connection from keyboard to BomeBox, unless you explicitly set it up that way, somehow.

I’m not an Ableton or VSTHost expert though, so I cannot help you with that. Most DAW’s will go into a Thru mode if a track is armed for recording.

Sometimes, MIDI Thru is also called “Echo MIDI IN to MIDI OUT” or similar.

I just downloaded Ableton Live 9 Trial to explore further. I think you need to look at midi preferences. You should see a screen as attached. From the manual pg 518 it looks like you need to define your control surfaces, input and output for those things you want to go thru.

Thanks, Steve. I had already spent a lot of time there in preference.You would think it is where you select the right choice and make it happen. No, the routing still had to be done in each track. It is in a hard to find place. So the bottom line is Bome Network works just fine. I knew that from the beginning that it had to do with some setting in apps or in WIndows.

Just before I heard about Gig Performer, I had purchased Forte by Brainspawn. I also purchased their EHCo MIDI Out which sells for $49.95. It is just a driver to send MIDI to external hardware. in Gig Performer the most intuitive VST host that I have come across all I had to do was create a MIDI Out block which shows Bome Netwok. Bingo. MIDI was flying everywhere.

Thank you, Florian, for the explanation. My most favorite VST host Gig Performer must include a ”MIDI Thru funciton” in its MIDI Out, It works well with Bome Network. You must be referring to EHCo MIDI Out by Forte, Brainspawn. I have that. The driver itself is $49.95 whereas Gig Performer does it with its own MIDI Out. I tested with 3 PCs, 4 keyboard controllers, and a module. Can you imagine all the midi cables and midi interfaces it would require? Bomebox and Bome Network are the best thing that happened in my MIDI setup. Thanks again.