Variable value doesn't seem to stick

So here's my problem. I have perfectly working translators for controlling track volume in Ableton live, using the Mac keyboard's keystrokes, with relative ccs. Great.

Now I would like to use the same volume keytrokes on different tracks, by deciding, through a variable, which track is active. So I set up a translator with a simple rule and no outgoing action: na=0, na=1 etc. to show which track should receive the cc.

[x] Translator 1.0: New Translator Incoming: Physical Keys: Num 1 Rules: na=0 Outgoing: (none)

[x] Translator 1.1: New Translator Incoming: Physical Keys: Num 2 Rules: na=1 Outgoing: (none)

Then I use a rule inside my Volume traslators to skip outgoing action if the track is not the right one. Here's one of the translator :

[x] Translator 1.5: Vol Looper 1 UP Incoming: Key down: Num + Rules: if na!=0 then exit rules, skip Outgoing Action Outgoing: Periodic timer "Up Timer 1": 50 ms (initial delay: 0 ms)

[x] Translator 1.6: Fader UP Incoming: On timer "Up Timer 1" Outgoing: MIDI B0 28 06 B0 29 01 B0 2A 04 B0 32 56 B0 33 4F B0 34 4C B0 35 2B B2 78 01, to ports Bome MIDI Translator 1 Virtual Out, "SSCOM : Port 1 (KESUMO, LLC)"

[x] Translator 1.7: Key Release Incoming: Key up: Num + Rules: Outgoing: Kill timer "Up Timer 1"

[x] Translator 1.8: Vol Looper 1 DOWN Incoming: Key down: Num - Rules: if na!=0 then exit rules, skip Outgoing Action Outgoing: Periodic timer "Down Timer 1": 50 ms (initial delay: 0 ms)

[x] Translator 1.9: Fader Down Incoming: On timer "Down Timer 1" Outgoing: MIDI B0 28 06 B0 29 00 B0 2A 04 B0 32 56 B0 33 4F B0 34 4C B0 35 2D B2 78 41, to ports Bome MIDI Translator 1 Virtual Out, "SSCOM : Port 1 (KESUMO, LLC)"

[x] Translator 1.10: Key Release Incoming: Key up: Num - Rules: Outgoing: Kill timer "Down Timer 1"

Again, don't waist time analyzing the relative cc part of the translator, it's working great, nothing to correct. Only question is how to make it understand that the variable na's value has changed.

There's probably some very simple step missing, but can't figure out which one ;)

Thanks for your help !

Answering myself. My rules were OK. It’s just that I’m using a Belkin bluetooth numeric keypad  and – for some reason – keystroke “num 1” doesn’t work in my translator though it is recognized when I assign it both as incoming AND outgoing keystroke. Just not working to change the variable’s value !! Very strange, no problem with any other key.

Any idea ?

Hi, if you look at your log and turn on logging for rules? Can you see the value of na ever getting assigned? This might help determine whether in fact Bome is recognizing the keypad numbers.  I’m on a Windows machine so I have no way to try and duplicate the behavior you are seeing.

 

I followed your advice, checked the log window, and discovered that, as I suspected, the keystroke num 1 doesn’t work at all though it appears in the incoming field as “num 1”. All the other keys work without exception. Very strange. Thanks for any ideas or suggestion.

Maybe if I looked at your log, I could figure out what is going on.

My log won’t be interesting as nothing happens when I press “num 1” so it’s empty ! Actually this BELKIN keypad with Bluetooth connection doesn’t seem to be reliable enough, so I give up using it on stage. I had other strange behavior yesterday. So I’ll go back to my former setup, using the Mac keyboard 🙂 Thanks to you I discovered I could learn a lot with the log window !

OK, could you point me to a link (maybe Amazon?) of the keypad. Maybe I can figure it out from there. I’ve yet to see a computer keyboard that MT Pro cannot recognize. Maybe it is using a drivers for some other kind of device?

Actually, as I’m not the kind of guy who gives so easily 🙂 I finally made a nice setup which works OK with the Belkin Keypad. Except that f… “num 1” key 🙂 Nothing from it except it’s recognized in the incoming field. here’s a link : https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-YourType-Bluetooth-Wireless-Keypad/dp/B0046TBIEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505313467&sr=8-1&keywords=belkin+keypad+mac

Thanks! When setting up the translator are you actually clearing the key field and then using the actual num 1 key on your keypad or are your pressing num 1 on your main keyboard?

Very strange, there is also a setup option in MT Pro to ignore incoming keysrokes if you are within the Bome Window. DId you clear that option or ensure you are in a different window?

Using the actual keypad f or num 1and clearing of course. Setup option is valid for all incoming keystrokes so that can’t be it, as all the other keys work perfect as I said.

To put an end to this topic before marking it as resolved, I did find a way to circumvent my key problem. Just used an app called Keyboard Maestro (Mac) to change the faulty “num 1” into another keystroke that I used in BMT and Live. For this to work, I had to use the “release” option in Keyboard Maestro and the “up” radio button in BMT.

Glad to see you found a workaround but very strange about the problem. Seems to me if num 1 is recognized as incoming keystroke when you set it up, the translator should also see it. Do you mind sending me your project file?

If you don’t want to post it, you could send to bome@sniz.biz.