I am trying to convert key strokes into MIDI CC messages using Bome MIDI Translator Pro on macOS, and assign them to functions in Ableton Live via MIDI mapping. However, I’m experiencing a problem with application focus behavior.
■ Environment
macOS: Sequoia
Bome MIDI Translator Pro
DAW: Ableton Live 12.3
■ What works
When the Bome MIDI Translator Pro window is the active application, typing a key correctly triggers a MIDI CC message.
I can see the MIDI output in:
Bome Event Monitor
Ableton MIDI Monitor device
So the Key Stroke → MIDI CC conversion itself is working.
■ Problem
When I switch the active window to Ableton Live, pressing the same key no longer generates a MIDI CC message. Ableton receives nothing.
It seems that Bome is not detecting key strokes unless its window is in focus.
■ Already checked
macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → ON
Ableton Live → MIDI Preferences → Remote enabled
■ Question
How can I make Bome continue sending MIDI CC from key strokes even when Ableton Live is the active (focused) application?
Hi, my understanding it the application in focus is the one that usually processes an incoming keystroke. If no applications are in focus, it is processed by the last application in focus or at the operating system level . Each application has the option to let the keystrok process further or not.
The default settings of Bome MIDI Translator Pro is not to process keystroke if in focus and only process them if not in focus, so you may have changed this setting.
Also, for incoming keystroke processing, the original incoming keystroke is NOT suppressed by Bome MIDI Translator Pro.
Ableton Live might be processing the keystroke when focused and decided not to pass the incoming keystroke message to the operating system, hence Bome MIDI Translator Pro doesn’t see it.
Since Ableton Live also processes incoming keystrokes, it is possible that it is using that and not passing the incoming keystroke to any other downstream applications (like Bome MIDI Translator Pro). This is usually the case if a keyboard shorcut is in use by Ableton Live so you might need to use a different one.
Also, since you are selecting both Bome MIDI Translator 1 Virtual Out and Bome Virtual Port 1, you would be sending double messages since Bome Virtual Port 1 is an auto aliase for Bome MIDI Translator 1 Virtual Port (for backward compatibility).
I’m not sure about Mac, but on Windows I like to use F13-F24 since they are widely not used anywhere else. You might need a programmable keyboard or a program to produce these keystrokes however. You should select one or the other but not both otherwise you will get double messages.
I wanted to give you an update:
After resetting all Bome MIDI Translator Pro settings back to default, the key-to-MIDI conversion started working properly even when Ableton Live is the active application. So it seems I may have unintentionally changed a setting that affected the behavior.
Thanks again for your guidance — much appreciated.
