Is Midi Translator right for me

Hi experts.

Sorry if these question already have discussed her, but as I am totally new I'd like to get a short hint on how to continue.

I set up a "headless computer musical instrument" by installing by installing NI-Kontakt-Player (64 Bit) and LinuxServer on a small fanless Win64 PC Box with an SSD, enhanced by an NI-Audio-6 USB interface.

I am using this for live playing with a Yamaha-KX-88 masterkeyboard: I can just switch power on and after a short delay I can play.

This works fine so far but it there is much room to improve. I might be adding more sound engines, a Behringer-2000 USB-Midi-controller board and a Yamaha-WX7 Wind controller.

Right now I am still facing some problems. E.G. I need to play with a smaller masterkeyboard when I am not in my own "studio" but in the rehearsal room. Here I don't have multiple midi channels (to switch between the sound engines) and no very low keys (to switch the DrawBar settings of the NI-"VintageOrgan" engine in Kontakt.

In fact I would like to just use Midi "program change" messages to switch between multiple engines (via defining the appropriate routing and/or Midi channel). Moreover I might want to convert Midi "cc" messages to multiple calculated "cc" messages (aka "Morphing). A nice feature would also be defining certain "shortcuts" for key transposition.

Could "Midi Translator" help in this situation ?

As the hardware is in "production" use, I am very careful when it comes to install some software on this system, but I have no other 64 Bit PC with installed NI-software. So I can't decently try new software elsewhere.

Is it granted, that I quickly can bypass and/or uninstall the trial version of "Midi Translator" when I use the system in "normal mode" instead of testing the setup including "Midi Translator" ?

Thanks for any answers.
-Michael

Hi Michael

MIDI Translator can handle all of the tasks you are discussing. Any MIDI signal, keystroke or mouse command that is received can be translated to any other MIDI signal (including program changes in both directions), keystroke or mouse command. You can use presets and individual translators to define shortcuts for key transposition as well.

And if you do not load MIDI Translator everything will work as normal, and if you uninstall it everything will clear out.

If you have any more questions don't hesitate to contact us.
Jared

Great !

Thanks.

I'll install the trial.

(I suppose the most challenging task - but not very urgent and not even completely decently defined - right now, is the key transposition. One fancy idea to make this work in a flexible - usable with a non-masterkeyboard - way is: "hit the highest key of the keyboard, then hit the lowest key of the keyboard, then hit any key in the lowest octave - all of this with hold pedal up. After that the latest key is the transposition target". Another idea is to use a program change key to define a transposition together with sound change. )

BTW. As I am a computer programmer, I certainly will rather easily learn the language that Translator offers.

Thanks again,
-Michael

You can easily manage all of those tasks using variables, timers and/or presets.

I'm sure you'll pick it up fast, but we're still here for questions.

Jared

I D/lded and installed the trial. Seems to work, but I did not yet try to do a preset. I'll be reading the manual in the weekend .

Just some more questions:

Together with the master keyboard connected via a midi cable and a NI Audio 6 that converts Midi to USB, I'll be using a "Behringer BCR2000 B-Control Rotary" panel, that has it's own USB plug.

I understand that the Translator will be able to listen to both of the Midi input devices (maybe I even will connect another Midi hardware thingy to the Midi-In socket of the BCR2000 that supposedly will then generate messages at another dedicated Midi Channel.)

Now the BCR2000 also seems also to receive Midi input from the software via USB. Supposedly with this, you can remote-control the LED rings of the rotary knobs and the state of the push-buttons. Maybe you even can change programs or output Text on the display. Does the Translator support this stuff ? Did anybody try Translator with a "BC2000" (or a similar device) ?

But much more important, as I am doing a "headless" embedded system (no mouse and computer keyboard connected):

Can you confirm that Translator can start and load a "default" setup automatically when Windows starts up, all connections to hardware devices and software instruments will be in place after a short time and it will work decently reliable ?

Thanks again,
-Michael

Hi Michael

I attempted to build some mappings with the BCR2000, but the problem I ran into was that the top set of knobs handled all of their MIDI values internally. You can drive the LEDs, but it does not change the position the knob is at. It's strange and frustrating, but it won't do what we want it to.

This, though, is a limitation of the BCR, not MIDI Translator.

You can have one Project (.bmtp file) that communicates with multiple MIDI devices and applications.

When you load MIDI Translator it will automatically load your last Project and connect with all devices that are connected with the computer. You may run into an issue with it trying to assign connections to devices that are not plugged in anymore, but if you have a consistent setup it should just load once you open the application.

MT seems great in any aspect

I hope/suppose it also will be able to communicate with all Software "devices" that are started at the same time on that PC. (As you know I want the box to start up reliably without any user input.)

Regarding the BCR: This indeed is silly. You mention the "top set of knobs". This seems to be 8. Do the other 24 knobs work "normal" in that they can send and receive Position values ?

Right now I don't have the hardware yet. I'm going to borrow it from a friend before purchasing this (o maybe some other) controller board.

Thanks,
-Michael

I can't see why you can't set MT to boot on load.

I can't remember if the rest of the BCR is absolute or endless encoders, but I can ask a buddy of mine. If they are absolute then you can't send position to them, only use a sort of soft takeover, which can be difficult to manage.

DvlsAdvct wrote:I can't see why you can't set MT to boot on load.

That in fact is what I intend o do: starting everything at boot time.

I suppose the MT will be up a lot faster than the software instruments it will send messages to. (I don't really expect problems from this.)

OK. I'm going to do the setup and see what happens....

DvlsAdvct wrote:I can't remember if the rest of the BCR is absolute or endless encoders, but I can ask a buddy of mine. If they are absolute then you can't send position to them, only use a sort of soft takeover, which can be difficult to manage.

I did not yet find a user's guide for the BCR, Just one for the BCF. And I am going to see the hardware in some weeks.

Initially I'm mostly interested in the push buttons. But of course it would be nice to be able to send status notifications to the BCR and have it display them accordingly.

-Michael