New Bome user here, thanks for the software!
Do I need to change something in Ableton Live to get this to work? I’m seeing a midi signal, but no notes are triggered.
Hi and welcome to the Bome community!
If you open Bome MIDI Translator and turn on the log window, you should be able to see the incoming MIDI message. Then you need to tell me what the outgoing message to Ableton Live should be. Are you trying to use it as a sustain pedal?
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
Ok, I can see midi signal in the log window when I checkmark the midi input and open those ports. I have an Akai MPK249 and it has 4 mini inputs (MIDI, Port A, Port B and Remote). Does it matter which one I open? My aim is to use the expression pedal to trigger drum samples similar to OP. Finally, what else would I need to change in Ableton’s preferences to get the rule to work? What MIDI ports do I need to have checked there? TIA!
Well, I’m not that familiar with the MPK249. I think you can program it to send to USB A or USB B. What I would suggest is that you open all 4 ports, move your expression pedal and see which port is sending the MIDI from your expression pedal by looking at the log.
In most cases expression pedals will send CC message in the form of 3 bytes
bx pp qq
- bx (b0-bF) which says which MIDI channel it is sending.
- pp will be the CC Number which is usually either 04 07 or 0B for an expression pedal but it may be programed for something else
- qq wich will be a value between 00 and 7F hex (0-127 decimal).
As far as what Ableton Live expects, drums usually require MIDI notes to trigger. This is where I’m a bit confused on what you want as the expression pedal is like a knob and moving it you will get the same CC with a different value as you move from up (heel) to down (toe). So you will get 128 values (0-127) as you move the pedal.
Do you want to trigger different notes (drum sounds) as you move he pedal?
In Bome MIDI translator you want to send to a Virtual MIDI port like Bome Virtual Port 1. Ableton Live will see that as ‘BMT 1’. If you are triggering drum sounds you will need to set it to track. We will need to convert CC messages to notes.
In the example below, I’ve set it up so that as you move the expression pedal every the values will send a note on and then the other 2 will send note off. I’m using the same note for each. This is just an example as I’m not sure what you want to send.
I have aliases set up as follows.
You can learn more about aliases from this tutorial.
For Ableton Live I’m using track input. You will need to set your drum set track input to BMT 1 as well. You may need to adjust the note number being sent.
Again, I need to know what you actually are want to send as you move your expression pedal through the it’s range.
cc-to-note-demo.bmtp (964 Bytes)
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
Also I changed this to a new topic to match more what your original request was.
Thank you for all of your help! This is helping me understand your software very much.
I’m still figuring out how I would like to use different expression pedals and this will help me experiment with different values and ranges. For foot switch pedals with the rules from the previous post, I am getting notes when I step off. How would I adjust the rules to trigger notes when I step on?
I would need to see a log of MIDI message
I would need to see a log of MIDI messages that are sent by your controller when you press and release your pedals. Turn the Bome Log Window on and check MIDI IN and the press and release the pedal and the post a copy of what you see.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
OK, unfortunately this does not help. You are using an expression pedal and I send a note on every 3 increments or decrements. The pedal is like a volume control, so I don’t know what you mean ‘When you step on’. Do you only want a note-on when the expression pedal is all the way down (value 127) and a note-off only when it is all the way up (value 0)?
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
My apologies! I’m experimenting with both a volume expression pedal and various foot switch-type pedals. In this case, the Boss FS-5U is throwing those log events. It’s just triggering notes when I step off the pedal and not when I step on it. Actually maybe that’s just latency? Not sure. I’m triggering the same drum samples with a key from the keyboard and the footswitch sounds like it’s off by a hair in comparison.
I suspect you are using the FS-5U in an expression pedal jack which probably will never work correctly. It would need to be in a sustain pedal jack and would put out CC64 with value of 127 for push and 0 for release. You should probably us CC64 on MIDI CH1 with value of 127 for note-on (press) and CC64 on MIDI CH1 with value of 0 for note-off (release). That is the MIDI message normally used for Susttain.