Drambo + TouchOSC
Gentlemen, I’d appreciate some advice.
I want to control the Drambo app using TouchOSC on an external device (a smartphone). I have a few questions regarding this:
1. How do I connect the smartphone to Drambo via Bluetooth?
TouchOSC supports Bluetooth connectivity, but when I initiate a search, the smartphone doesn't find the iPad, and Drambo doesn't detect the smartphone as a Bluetooth device. I’ve managed to connect the devices using third-party apps (like Loopy Pro or Midimittr), but a direct connection isn't working. Is there a solution for this?
2. I can't get the feedback working.
I created an 8-step sequencer on the smartphone and linked it to the sequencer in Drambo. When playing, I can see the steps progressing on the smartphone. When I place steps in Drambo, they appear in TouchOSC. However, when I place a step on the smartphone (in TouchOSC), the step appears but immediately disappears. What might I be doing wrong? The sequencer is built using button modules. In the TouchOSC settings, each button is configured to both send and receive signals, and feedback is enabled in Drambo.
Comments
The connectivity problem is neither Drambo nor TouchOSC support Bluetooth advertising. One side or other the has to advertise itself to make itself discoverable in order to establish a connection.
You're stuck using a 3rd party app to establish the connection until one or the other has the advertise option.
I had no problem establishing feedback (to iPhone) using a fader controlling Master level on a track. So, feedback is working at least for some things. I didn't try to recreate your step sequencer setup.
I recommend to ask the developer of TouchOSC to add Bluetooth MIDI advertising mode (to act as a MIDI device).
It's easy to add in code, and the idea of TouchOSC is to replace a hardware MIDI controller, isn't it?
An ugly workaround is to use e.g. AUM to advertise a virtual BT MIDI interface, connect both Drambo (local) and TouchOSC (on iPhone) to it as a MIDI controller for Drambo.
There are no issues with the faders and knobs. The only difficulty arose when setting up the step sequencer.
Didn't Drambo have an "advertise" mode? Or am I mixing things up?
I’ve had a slightly crazy but feasible idea: take a smartphone with a touchscreen and build a custom controller in TouchOSC.
That way, I could get a large workspace with exactly the controls I need.
I’ve built a project in TouchOSC before, but back then Drambo didn't support feedback. Now it does.
I’ll drop Hexler a line; maybe the guys there will add an "advertise" function.
My question here isn't really about linking the devices, but rather why I can't map the steps from TouchOSC.
There’s at least a workaround for connecting the devices, but I don't know what to do about the other issue.
@rs2000 said ...
I recommend to ask the developer of TouchOSC to add Bluetooth MIDI advertising mode (to act as a MIDI device).
Drambo should have it too. Every other host I can think of does.
@ptrvch - have you checked with a midi monitor whether the feedback is being sent by Drambo? TouchOSC has a monitor built in. There's nothing you can do on the TouchOSC side if Drambo isn't sending what it should.
(Sorry - these are just reflexive troubleshooting ideas. I haven't delved into the feedback customization side of Drambo, not having any controllers that could use it. Maybe this is the time for me to start getting into it using TouchOSC.)
Everything's fine. I'd appreciate any idea that might help.
I checked it using the Protocol app. It turns out the signal is only being received from the smartphone.
Humm ... I'm not sure that shows that the data isn't being sent from Drambo to the Pixel 7. The data wouldn't come from the "Drambo" port, it would be sent to the Pixel 7 Bluetooth port directly, but you wouldn't see that on the Protocol monitor on the iPad. To really check, you need to look on a monitor on the smartphone. I'd check the logger in TouchOSC itself on the Pixel 7.
Since your faders and other controls work with feedback, I'm confident that there's no general problem receiving feedback data on the smartphone. What's needed is to establish if Drambo is sending anything out from the sequence changes. You should see the fader feedback in the TouchOSC monitor no problem. What you're looking for is whether what you expect to see from the sequencer changes shows up.
If the sequence changes do output feedback data, then TouchOSC configuration needs to be adjusted in some way. If no data is received then it has something to do with Drambo, and possibly feedback script customization is needed, or there's a bug/limitation in Drambo.
I'm going to do some experiments. If you'd like to attach your TouchOSC project, or send it to me via PM, it might save some time. Otherwise, no problem, I'm up for starting from scratch. (You'll have to zip the project file to be able to attach it.)
Actually, I re-read your post. It's clear that the feedback from the steps is being received on the smart phone or the steps wouldn't light up.
So, forget about all the midi monitoring stuff I mentioned. This is probably a simple problem with your button setups. TouchOSC has separate touch and release parameters, etc, that often trip things up.
So far I'm able to get a TouchOSC button configured that toggles on and off, responds to Drambo's step state, and sends what looks like the right MIDI. But I've not been able to get the button to actually toggle the step state in Drambo. I'll come back to it later.
I give up. Even now that I sort-of understand control profiles, I can't come up with any settings where steps are toggled on and off via midi message. As far as I can tell, TouchOSC is sending the right MIDI, and that MIDI matches what I'm receiving from Drambo when I toggle steps on-screen.
Here are the button settings that from the TouchOSC side seem to be correct to me:
By contrast, I can do the exact same setup with a Buttons module, and everything works as expected.
This is really bugging me. @rs2000 or anyone else- do you have any recommendations on the MIDI messages that will work for turning steps on and off in the step sequencer? I can't find any combination of settings that works. The steps send MIDI feedback when they're toggled, but so far I've not found anything that can make them toggle on and off.
I've done this long before with my Launchpad, Spark LE and APC Mini and step sequencing control always worked flawlessly. There was only one little thing that needed to be changed in Drambo and that was to send Note Off instead of Note On with V=0 to become compatible with Arturia Spark and Spark LE step LED toggles on the controller.
Edit: Reading @ptrvch"s post again, when a step appears then immediately disappears, this sounds like a simple toggle vs momentary issue in MIDI mapping dialog @Control type. Scroll down in the same dialog and hit "Apply to all" to avoid changing the setting manually for 256 steps in the worst case :)
Edit: Reading @ptrvch"s post again, when a step appears then immediately disappears, this sounds like a simple toggle vs momentary issue in MIDI mapping dialog @Control type. Scroll down in the same dialog and hit "Apply to all" to avoid changing the setting manually for 256 steps in the worst case :)
It isn't that simple. Yes, the configuration of the TouchOSC button needs to be adjusted to put it in the right state, but if you look at my further posts, I've found "proper" settings for TouchOSC. However, I have tried every of settings on the TouchOSC side and on the Drambo side, and can find nothing that will toggle the damn steps on and off.
Forgetting TouchOSC for a minute, all I really need to know is what MIDI messages will work to toggle a step on and off. If it exists, I haven't been able to find it in lots of testing. I was hoping maybe someone could chime in with what has worked for them.
(Yes, I have only been testing from TouchOSC. I guess the next step is to try with something else, though I don't know why that would help. MIDI is MIDI no matter what it comes from.)
I have the same button settings in TouchOSC and I also couldn't get it to work.
If I understood you correctly, the screenshot I attached above shows the instant-on mode enabled. But it didn't work. The same applies to the toggle mode.
I contacted the guys at Hexler (the developers of TasOSC). They recommended using third-party apps for pairing devices and said they might add this functionality in the future.
But I'd also like to see an advertise mode in Drambo. As @number37 mentioned, many hosts have it, and I'd like to see it in Drambo. It would simplify the pairing process.
I think this inability to switch steps on and off warrants attention as a possible bug. I've drilled into the raw midi being sent both ways, more than one controller, and spent hours trying every combination I can think of. I'll be thrilled to find that I just overlooked something, but to me it looks like a bug. The only thing making me thing it might not be is that it hasn't been reported by anyone else.
I hate to tag @giku, but I think it's warranted in this case.
(btw, it's the same in the App Store version as in the beta.)
btw, Drambo is sending duplicate messages on the feedback port when a step is switched off (from the Drambo interface). It only sends one message when a step is activated.
For example:
Hey guys. Good you tagged me. Also don't hesitate to drop an email.
I definitelly need to take a look at this.
(I need a few days, finishing visual)
Thanks @giku. I'm hoping it's just something I've overlooked.