Questions MIDI Translator Pro

Greetings,

I have some questions about bome as I evaluate the software:

-I was able to install loopMIDI and manage its ports in bome. Coolllll! Will that cause any issues? I want to have access to more than the nine virtual ports that bome can create.

-it seems the way Windows is set up, whichever MIDI software is open first, gets access to MIDI ports. If another app is then opened, it can't access ports. This was illustrated best when I opened Studio One before bome. There was MIDI activity in the DAW, but none of the virtual ports were sending data to the instrument. Can bome be setup internally or with a script, to open a particular patch/translator at startup? I know there are options to start bome with windows. I am thinking about a scenario where I want certain translators functional when windows starts.

-this is tied into the above question. I came to the conclusion that virtual ports are created and routed at the global level of the program. So you can't have one port setup per project, so to speak. That's OK. Does that mean that if there are 10 virtual ports being fed by a single controller set up in the software; that will be how the program is configured at startup?

-I will be using virtual ports pretty well all of the time. Is there any chance of conflict between windows, Studio One and bome, if it is running continuously? I noticed minimal resource use. Is that generally the case?

-can you point me to a tutorial what will help me setup program changes in bome, that can be activated from my controller? I am kinda clueless about that.

That's all for now. Thanks in advance for your help.

Graham

 

-I was able to install loopMIDI and manage its ports in bome. Coolllll! Will that cause any issues? I want to have access to more than the nine virtual ports that bome can create.

 

A: I\'ve been using LoopMIDI for years with no problems. The things you have to watch out for are:

- MIDI Loops - You can inadvertenly create a MIDI loop with loopMIDI and it could bring your whole system to its knees.

- Performance - Anything you send through a loopMIDI pipe will make two calls to the operating system. Bome MIDI Translator virtual ports only make 1 call. In general this is not a problem but if you have a very busy MIDI system, this could affect overal performance.

 

-it seems the way Windows is set up, whichever MIDI software is open first, gets access to MIDI ports. If another app is then opened, it can’t access ports. This was illustrated best when I opened Studio One before bome. There was MIDI activity in the DAW, but none of the virtual ports were sending data to the instrument. Can bome be setup internally or with a script, to open a particular patch/translator at startup? I know there are options to start bome with windows. I am thinking about a scenario where I want certain translators functional when windows starts.

 

A: Yes, just add the project file to your system startup and it will run. The user manual should explain more detail (F1 or help menu within MT Pro will open the manual).

And yes, for Windows, MIDI ports are first come first serve and exclusive. Bome MIDI Translator solves this by using it\'s MIDI router where you can split or merge into virtual ports and use virtual ports instead of the original port in your applications.

 

-this is tied into the above question. I came to the conclusion that virtual ports are created and routed at the global level of the program. So you can’t have one port setup per project, so to speak. That’s OK. Does that mean that if there are 10 virtual ports being fed by a single controller set up in the software; that will be how the program is configured at startup?

 

A: Overall, routing is static in MIDI Translator Pro if you are using the router. However you can through presets and translators create dynamic routes that can be changed with incoming MIDI messages or keystrokes. What you do is have different presets override the project default inputs and output and then enable and disable the presets you want depending on the route you want. The below tutorial explains this further.

 

https://youtu.be/KunN2A1rKMY

 

 

-I will be using virtual ports pretty well all of the time. Is there any chance of conflict between windows, Studio One and bome, if it is running continuously? I noticed minimal resource use. Is that generally the case?

 

A: MIDI Translator Pro does not stress compute resources near as much as most DAW which have to do extensive analog processing. MIDI is much less demanding.

 

 

-can you point me to a tutorial what will help me setup program changes in bome, that can be activated from my controller? I am kinda clueless about that.

 

A: I would start with the first few tutorials in the Bome MIDI Translator Tutorial Series and then go from there. The first two should get you \"grounded\".

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzwHsH6-VZ8Qy_dxsf0LqorjarvnDIFiy

 

 

That’s all for now. Thanks in advance for your help.

You are welcome!

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

Excellent response! Thank you. I will watch all of the tutorials. Regarding the MIDI loop: would that be where the port was attached as input and output in the same application?

Do you plan to increase the number of virtual ports available? It seems that your internal ports are very well designed.

Yes, Be careful with loopMIDI not to use the same virtual port for both input and output.

Yes, we are working on a product extension for Bome Network that will allow unlimited and user named virtual MIDI ports with advanced MIDI routing capabilities (even outside of MT Pro). It is in Beta right now.

Since I have am Beta user, I’ve been able to play with it some and have since no longer been using loopMIDI.
The product is quite nice and right now there is additional development in making the user interface easier. With all powerful tools, it is important to make the user interface as easy and intuitive as possible even for the non-techie.

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz