midi newbie question : controlling an external device with hollyhock

[XpiR]

Hi
This is really a basic problem I can't solve as I'm quiet new to midi control :
I want to control an external device (Line6 M9 multieffect) with Usine by sending midi messages.

The M9 is correctly midi connected to my sound card.
Midi in/out of the soundcard are activated in Usine.
I put the "out babyface midi port1" in my rack out.

I used the "create midi message" module, linked to a "midi out" module.
Example : according to my M9 specs, I should send a CC 11 0 to bypass my FX1. Nothing happens and I guess the M9 doesn't get any message or gets a wrong message.

Thanks for helping

[ceasless]

First thing to check is that you have the target MIDI out device included in the rack output section. When first created the rack will usually have the stereo out device down there.

[XpiR]

In my rack output section, I have my soundcard midi out.

Now, I have to check one thing : should I see my device M9 directly in Usine ?
I actually only see my soundcard out midi port, but not the device directly.
And then I have MIDI-OX running with the midi in/out opened.

[ceasless]

If it is connected through your sound card, then that all sounds correct. If it had its own USB midi then we could expect it to show up under its own name.

One thing I just noticed about the patch: you don't have anything wired into the create input. This would be where you connect a trigger. What you really want is a switch, but that takes additional wiring so for debugging a button will do. (I think you can also trigger it in the module settings, we're you doing that before?)

If you select the blue wire between the two modules, an overlay will appear on the left side of the patch window. You can use this to trace what goes over the wire. Whenever the create input "goes to 1" you should see the midi message cross the wire.

Hope that helps! To add a switch, look at the 'goes to 1' and it's partner, and the always important 'pass only if has changed' (might not be necessary but it is used all the time).

[XpiR]

My device is not USB, so it's linked via midi to my soundcard.
I don't have any button wired into the create input because for this test I used the "create" button available in the "create midi" module. Adding a create button didn't change anything.
And the message goes through to reach the midi out module, I can see it.

Going to the rack output, opening the "midi from usine" I find again my midi message (here CC 11 0).
But maybe my mistake is there : "midi for usine" has some tuning too, msg, code1, code2. I tried to enter 167 (for CC), 11, 0 but my external device remains deaf.
I'm sure the solution is very simple, but I don't find any tutorial...
Here is my demo patch : http://www.sensomusic.com/forums/upload ... olTest.wkp

[ceasless]

There are too few tutorials indeed. That's why I jump at the chance to help! Since I know it -- somewhat -- but I am often on the 'wtf' side of interacting with this software and always appreciate a nudge past the darkness. So I try to offer help when I can.

As you said, no need for a trigger button when you can trigger it from the module settings. *

If you've got the wire plugged, the triggers trigged, and the outputs enabled in the 'midi setttings', and it isn't working -- then something is fucked.

This workspace should work.

*[ a small rant at/to/with the devs ] There is not yet a good way to describe this. Is this the 'contexutal menu' ? 'Config' ? I see the context, but not the menu. The truth is, Hollyhock is introducing many new paradigms at once -- a good sign -- but we are behind with the language to describe it. I almost wrote "click the blue wire" instead of "select the blue wire", until I realized that xpir might be using a touch screen. To me neither of those phrasings sound right. Just a small example, but what am I supposed to call the 'translucent text overlay on the left of the patch window' when I select a wire?

[XpiR]

OK, I tried several solutions this morning and it ended to work... I don't really understand why, but maybe I made a mistake with the sending channel, as my external device has a channel selector, this is my unique explanation.

Now one last thing to really understand : why does the "midi from usine" module in the rack out has some tuning ? When I change those parameters (chan, msg, code...), there is no change, the transmitted midi command remains the one from the "create midi" in my patch.
This remains obscure to me.

[nay-seven]

i suggest you to read the device chapter in the manual, you'll see that devices in Usine are also patches you can customize.
for example you can imagine to transform the code 1 values of note On incoming in CC message ...

@ceasless: i understand , not always easy to find the correct word.
monitor window..?