Hello I 'm using Hauptwerk software with BMT. Both are adressing the same Midi interface (Behringer UMC 404). No problem at all. But for a new project I have to add a second Midi interface and unfortunately Hauptwerk say It can’t open the Midi port catched by another application (of course BMT) So is there a way to solve this problem ?
Kind regards
Bernard
Welcome back!
Yes, this is a Windows thing. There are a few approaches.
or
I use option 2 for a lot of things when I want to share devices with a given application. It doesn’t have translation though.
The below illustration shows how I can send my two different controllers to the same virtual output port. They are only greyed out because I don’t have them attached right now but the virtual port still exists and I gave it my own name.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Hello Steve, happy to read you again. Thanks a lot for your help. Just to be clear this is not a new app I would like to add but a second Midi hardware interface. Only Hauptwerk and BMT are running on my Windows 11 PC sharing (hopefully) the both Midi hardware interface…
Maybe that change your answer ?
Oh so you are using a new HW interface into your project, not a new application. In that case you need to add your new input device to your project file then any MIDI thru routing or translators need for that input device.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Hello Steve,
In fact I’m going in the wrong direction in my questions. Let me explain my concern:
For un organ I use Bome Midi Translator and Hauptwerk. I have a conflict on serial port. I use COM3 to send to some Arduinos board a variable. But in the same time I have some physical buttons which are interfaced by MIDI. The MIDI protocol is generated by an Arduino board. If I have no MIDI IN port open from this board everything is OK, I receive data from the physical buttons through MIDI OUT Arduino port. But I need to command led inside each buttons so this is why I need to open the MIDI IN port of the Arduino. Doing that it seems a conflict appears between the serial communication and the MIDI communication. Both seems using the same serial link. I’m not expert of Midi port and serial port, so I’m totally lost. Any idea ?
Kind regards
Bernard PASSAGEZ
STUDIO-BERNARD
OK, I’m starting to get the picture but to get a complete view of this, I have to ask a few questions.
Are you sending variables to Arduino from MT Pro through COM3? If not, what is the source of this data?
What is the source of these MIDI buttons? Are they interfaced through the Arduino coming in on COM3? Where does the data get sent (what port)? Is this coming through Bome MIDI Translator or getting sent directly to the device/application? If going direct, how are you converting serial data from the Arduino to MIDI data that goes to the final destination?
So I’m assuming the LED data will go out COM3 to the Arduino and you want to open that as an IN port on the Arduino and this is where you are having the conflict?
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Thanks Steve for time and effort you take to answer me.
Yes I send variables to Arduinos through COM3 from MT Pro. This way is used by many OLED displays to show the stops of the sampleset currently selected in Hauptwerk.
Buttons states (thumb buttons) are read by other Arduinos and convert to MIDI. (I need to do that as thumb buttons of this console are interfaced with shift register and not by simple switches) (Midi out to send the status of the switch and Midi in to light on/off their internal leds.) The conversion hardware-Midi is made by a Midi shield plugged onto the Arduino. The software of the Arduino is in charge of that. All Midi out and in are received and sent by MT Pro.
Functionally speaking the Arduinos driven by COM3 are independent of the functionalities of the Arduinos managing the thumb buttons.
No problem with the “thumb buttons” Arduinos with only Midi out connected. The conflict appear when I connect the MIDI in on the “thumb buttons” Arduinos. Strangely a kind of loop appears, producing a lot of data on COM3 !!! Even if I do not change the thumb buttons states. That looks like Midi and serial signal was in a loop or merged.
If I use an additional Midi interface to send MIDI message to the port IN of the thumb buttons there is no problem at all. But in this case when I launch Hauptwerk it stop saying one application is taking some Midi ports.
The only solution I have found is to use the second Midi interface to avoid conflict and redirect the Midi In and out of the Thumb button to Hauptwerk, using virtual ports and changing channel. With this way Hauptwerk don’t see the second Midi interface and don’t stop at start. But that push me into big changes in my software and mainly that doesn’t explain why the conflict appears with the previous version with only one Midi interface.
Bernard PASSAGEZ
STUDIO-BERNARD
Is MT Pro talking to the Arduino’s via COM3 converted by MT Pro to MIDI ports or via separate MIDI in ports ? Is this an accurate picture? Could you correct or add the missing pieces?
Sorry if I’m not getting the picture yet!
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Not exactly my configuration. I join two files. “Project” will answer to your question (I hope). “Midi” is the detail of “Merger and splitter” box.
Bernard PASSAGEZ
STUDIO-BERNARD
The 3 Arduinos that are used for your buttons don’t also use COM3 do they?
Can’t you send to them on an unused MIDI channel through your splitter to update the buttons via MIDI over the MIDI shield? The COM3 port looks like it is being used by a separate Arduino so there should be no conflict there?
You are right that most of the time, the Arduino will use serial COM port for both serial communications and MIDI (over the shield) so often you cannot use both MIDI and COM at the same time. Some Arduino’s however have 2 COM ports and you can use a sketch to route data accordingly.
If I understand, your objective is to update one of the 3 Arduinos with data to send to the thumb buttons. Do you want to send from COM3 to the 3 Arduinos or is the LED data coming from somewhere else?
I’m still struggling with the diagram as you show MIDI Interface 2 coming from your Keyboards and switches directly to your merger and splitter. Is the new MIDI interface a USB host for your keyboards and switches? Usually it is the other way around.
Also from the 1st diagram it looks like the merger and splitter are MIDI DIN into the computer which doesn’t make sense.
Sorry if it seems I’m dense on this.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Looking at this closer it indeed look like some kind of MIDI loop might be occurring. I don’t think you can put your buttons and LED’s through the same Merge, Split path.
Can you hook up one of the Arduinos as a COM device and manage all traffic through that one as serial data?
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Yes Steve, I think there is a Midi loop somewhere. But finally, I get around by adding another midi interface dedicated to the Arduinos managing the thumb buttons. That works fine but I must change some code in my project. Thanks for your help as this is a complex project and it not easy at distance to understand what I’ve done.
By the way I have a last question about MT Pro. Is it possible to change a common property for several translators selected ? For example, if I have 10 translators using the same Midi out port, may I select them (like to do a copy or a duplicate) and change simultaneously their Midi out port by another one ? Hope I’m clear but not sure 
Kind regards
Bernard
Hi,
Unfortunately you have to edit them individually or create a new one with the proper inputs and output and then duplicate it but then edit rules etc.
For this reason, I try to group my translators under presets.
For more information about device selection, see this tutorial.
I also like to create aliases so as port name changes there is less work to do.
You can learn more about aliases from this tutorial.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Hello Steve,
“You are right that most of the time, the Arduino will use serial COM port for both serial communications and MIDI (over the shield) so often you cannot use both MIDI and COM at the same time. Some Arduino’s however have 2 COM ports and you can use a sketch to route data accordingly.”
That exactly my concern. I’m happy to read that and understand better this limitation. Thanks to confirm my doubt. That explain now why that works fine with another midi organization, separating the thumb arduinos from the serial communication.
Once again thanks a lot my friend.
Have a nice day
Bernard PASSAGEZ
STUDIO-BERNARD
