MIDI from computer to multiple devices via BomeBox

[Peter.Ostry]

I have a BomeBox that controls an USB hub where most of my hardware is connected. Synths and effects. Just one box is connected to BomeBox DIN. Between computer and BomeBox is an ethernet cable. CCs are separated by MIDI channel per device. When I use the computer I would like to send CCs just to one “general” port and also send MIDI clock just to this port.

At the moment I send CC, PC and clock from a DAW to all individual ports which are provided by the BomeBox. But this feels a little awkward.

I tried to tell MIDI Translator to accept data from “Network Session 1” and/or “Bome Net” and distribute it to all devices. But this doesn’t seem to work. I think it should be possible to send to a “general” port from a DAW and route the data to devices in the BomeBox via a MIDI Translator file? Which “general” port is preferable, Session 1 or Net?

I am afraid I still don’t understand the Bome network stuff.

[SteveC (Steve)]

Hi,

If you are using a Bome MIDI Translator Project file on your BomeBox. Set up your routing to aliases in your project file with the device names you want to use (since the same device names may not be on your computer). Then set up routing as you wish to each of the aliases in your project file. Once your project file is running on your BomeBox, assign the aliases to your actual physical ports and then everything should work the way you want it.

You can also just assign static routes on your BomeBox (using the BomeBox router) to go to all devices, which sounds like what your are doing. However any routing in a project file running on BomeBox will take precedence over the BomeBox Static Routing.

In his example I’m routing both of my controllers to and from my PC (Steve-HP-Pavillion) with no project loaded.

Network 1 is just an auto aliases created by BomeBox for my computer name.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz

[Peter.Ostry]

Got it running now. First thing is, I have to send from the DAW (Logic) to the port “BomeBox-Net”. The port “Network Session 1”, which used to do something in the past, does not work.

In the BomeBox itself (web interface) I created MIDI Routes from “Network 1 (peter-mac-mini)” to all devices I want. Now I can for example send clock from the DAW just to one port if I want.

My Bome System is not really stable. Here and then it loses ports, hides ports and makes auto-aliases instead, pretty much life in this system

—

But – how should I interpret the screenshot of Bome Network below? All those ports and double ports? Obviously they also do something, I see weird data in Midi Monitor sometimes. Is such a list normal?

[SteveC (Steve)]

Hi if the system is not stable you may have created some MIDI loops when setting up your routing.

On Bome Network, you will see aliases and routes that are automatically created by Bome Network. This might be a bit confusing. There are physical devices which are generally not used and the virtual devices that are created which are usually the ones you want to use. I’m not at my computer now but I will see if I can show you some simple examples when I get home.

In general, if you want everything going to all BomeBoxes, then you would set up routing to and from the main Network Port. Then within each BomeBox you can create routes to and from the main network port of that BomeBoxes to the attached devices.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz

[Peter.Ostry]

Just to make it clear:
There is only one BomeBox but many devices connected to it.

You are right, MIDI loops are possible. Midi Monitor looks a bit like that and sometimes I see SysEx going out of the computer while there is no software that could send it. This indicates a loop, probably via the BomeBox. I will check all effect boxes and make sure they do not send controller data unless requested.

Below you see a screenshot of the MIDI setup. Wherever possibe the devices are separated by MIDI channel (the small grey rectangles). Do you think, that this setup can run with and without computer as it is, or do you rather expect that I have to change something in the loaded MT file or even load different files for the two modes?

[SteveC (Steve)]

Wow, awesome picture!

Yes make sure that any device has MIDI thru functionality turned off as if everything is going through the same BomeBox global port, the MIDI loops are indeed possible.

On the BomeBox, you want to route to and from the computer name that you are connected to with BomeBox. On your computer, you want to just send everything to the name of your BomeBox which should be called “BomeBox - Net”.

Within Bome Network on your Mac just send to and from the port “BomeBox - Net” and do not set up any routes using Bome Network.

On BomeBox, set up the routing so that everything, coming from your computer name goes to all available USB ports and visa versa.

If you need specific routes between devices, also set that up within BomeBox. Again be careful not to create MIDI loops.

On your computer, anything being sent by any device can be seen on your Mac on the port “BomeBox - Net”. Anything you send to “BomeBox - Net” will go to all ports.

Anything sent between devices will go directly to those devices and also to BomeBox - Net on your computer. Do not echo back what comes into your computer from BomeBox - Net back out to BomeBox - Net as it will create a MIDI loop.

It is usually best just to add one route at a time between devices and monitor BomeBox - Net on your computer to see if any MIDI loops are being created (by excessive MIDI data).

I hope this helps

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz

[Peter.Ostry]

Checked all devices and turned off their outgoing MIDI. Situation is not much better, maybe I’ll reset and start from scratch.

But one strange thing:
My Gordius controller has three ports.
LittleGiant [1], LittleGiant [2] and LittleGiant [3].
BomeBox or BomeNet or I-don’t-know-who removed these ports and I see only “LittleGiant”. As a result, I can no longer configure this controller because I need the port LittleGiant [3] for that.

How can this happen and how do I get the real ports back?
Reset?

[Peter.Ostry]

I did a complete reset of the BomeBox and a fresh setup and also installed a new Bome Network after deleting Bome’s “Application Support” files on the Mac. Currently no MT file is loaded. I got the three ports of the Gordius back for about half an hour, then they merged again to a single “LittleGiant” port which did not exist before. If I remember right this happens since the last BomeBox firmware update some days ago. Weird: it does not happen with other devices that have multiple ports. Only with the Gordius.

———

However, I think I found a good workaround and updated the drawing above. Gordius and Lexicon are now both connected to BomeBox DIN, one in and the other out. Less chance for loops. Gordius USB goes directly to the computer and is only used to program the controller. I would like to do the same with the Eventide effects but unfortunately their Factor series do not support MIDI USB and DIN concurrently.

I’m curious if the method of using only one BomeBox port for the computer will hold up over time. It won’t stay that clean, I need some controllers also outside of the Bome system and that is probably not possible via the MIDI channel. But I promise that I will only create the most necessary routes

[SteveC (Steve)]

Hi,

You might wan to check if the Gordius is “Class compliant”. Usually if I see this type of issue, I’ve connected up a non-class compliant device. This happened with my Roland A800-Pro when I set it to use “advanced MIDI settings”.

Also you might want to ensure that you have Automatic Routes turned off (unchecked) on your BomeBox.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz

[Peter.Ostry]

@SteveC

You might wan to check if the Gordius is “Class compliant”.

The Gordius is class compliant, at least I don’t need a driver. But it seems that this port-merging phenomenon led me me to a better setup. The Gordius’ USB directly on the computer and it’s DIN MIDI to the BomeBox has advantages. I wish I could do that with the 3 Eventide Factor boxes but unfortunately they do not allow USB and DIN MIDI concurrently.

@SteveC

Also you might want to ensure that you have Automatic Routes turned off (unchecked) on your BomeBox.

Yes, my Automatic Routes are turned off. I only turned it on once and was immediately able to enjoy some entertaining chaos in my setup.

———

I think I am on the way to a usable Bome setup. Almost all of my MIDI gear except the Gordius is connected to the BomeBox.

Bome Net
I have only the automatic connection and port:

BomeNet
All Remote Direct MIDI is off:

BomeBox
There are permanent routes from my input devices (MIDI-Guitar, Piano, Seaboard, Sylphyo) to the computer, so I can always use them in a DAW for software instruments and scoring.

MIDI Translator Project File
For playing, an MT File in the BomeBox listens to the FCB1010 that is part of the Gordius controller. 8 footswitches trigger MIDI route creation and removal between input devices, synths and possible computer input.

For example:

Piano>Blofeld ON
at CC1 value 1 from FCB1010 add MIDI route from Piano to Blofeld
at CC1 value 1 from FCB1010 add MIDI route from computer to Blofeld

Piano>Blofeld OFF
at CC1 value 0 from FCB1010 remove MIDI route from Piano to Blofeld
at CC1 value 0 from FCB1010 remove MIDI route from computer to Blofeld

(‘Piano’ is my master keyboard)

So far I can imagine there is no possibility for loops. The piano can send to the synth and always sends to the DAW (the latter via the BomeBox permanent route). The DAW can also send to the synth. But nothing sends to the piano and the synth does not output MIDI.

I think I can do with the synths set to omni because the routes themselves are switched by the BomeBox. Controlling channels is hard anyway, with an MPE keyboard and a MIDI guitar in the setup.

—

General behavior is good up to now. No loops, easy to maintain and convenient accessibility within the Bome system and from/to the computer.

Many thanks for your patient and effective support!

[SteveC (Steve)]

Glad to help!

Instead of adding and deleting routes, you could just set up static routing for everything in your project file and then “enable” and “disable” the routes using translators, instead. I’ve not tested if there is a performance gain in doing this, however. Also, I’m not sure that if you disable a route, then close the project and re-open it, what state the route will be (whether it will be enabled or disabled). I might need to do a little testing here.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz

[Peter.Ostry]

Adding/deleting or enabling/disabling the internal routes makes no difference for me. Unless you have technical concerns, I leave the translator as is. If you say, enabling/disabling would be preferable, I will of course change it.

Currently this isn’t a live setup and I don’t need to be able to switch quickly. I’m the only one who plays with this setup and only with one instrument at a time.

The routing state after a BomeBox reset is not critical because the Gordius controller is the master for everything and each of its presets does a complete setup of the required BomeBox connections.

The routing switches on the FCB1010 (which works as slave for the Gordius) are only here for computer work, where I freely want to decide about the connections. When the Gordius manages the whole thing for playing, these switches can be used for something else.

The BomeBox only has to remember the handful of static routes to the computer. The Gordius could also do that, but because I always want these routes, I see no reason to make them switchable.

[SteveC (Steve)]

@Peter.Ostry

Adding/deleting or enabling/disabling the internal routes makes no difference for me. Unless you have technical concerns, I leave the translator as is. If you say, enabling/disabling would be preferable, I will of course change it.

No technical concerns here. Just something I haven’t played with yet.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care

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Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz