John Bowen Synth Design

Oh, that is it! Thank you. I knew it was something basic. I misunderstood. That makes perfect sense. That also explains why I thought it was flaky... Some sounds the VCA level was less than 100% and so "it worked". In others, it was at 100% and "didn't work".

I still can't get it to respond to just CC2 coming out of the breath controller under the "breath" option in the mod sources. Interestingly, both knobs and breath work fine as "CC9" mapped to "CC1" in Solaris using what you've described above. Neither work if they come in as CC2 and I set source to "breath". But, I am off to the races. I can work with this, and I learned how it works, and it makes sense. Score one for understanding!

Thank you John! Much appreciated!

niversen wrote:No, I had it set to 100%, figuring that meant 100% modulation. I'll give that a try. Thanks! Still not sure why CC9 would work then - I had that set to 100% also.... Lots of things to learn. It is a wonderful instrument, and I know this is just teething stuff as I learn how to optimize it and my rig.

Just to be clear - the amount of modulation should be 100%, but the LEVEL parameter for the VCA should be at zero. You need to close down the VCA.

No, when you have the VCA Level up 100%, there's no place left for it to go. Think of it like a window - if it's fully open, and you then apply a force to open the window even more, well...it won't matter how much you try!

To modulate the VCAs from something (other than the hardwired EG6), you need to "shut the window" first. In addition, however, the EG6 needs to be set to play the sound as well (that is, you will still need the EG6 Sustain level up, as it is also connected to a 'final' VCA that controls the overall output of the synth).

john b.

And today, I can't make CC9 or breath work. I hope it is that I am missing something very basic. By way of documenting what I am doing:

RME MIDI out to Solaris MIDI in (no USB)
Mainstage sends patch change to Solaris
Adjust patch so that VCA1: Source1 = "Breath"; Amount = "0" or "100", Dest = VCA (hard coded)
Use MIDI monitor to verify that BC device is outputing CC2, and that is getting sent out the RME interface.
Try mapping Breath to filter cutoff, which should also work audibly and directly (no change observed)
repeat all the above with the BC mapped to CC=9 and then using the CC mapping of Solaris to make this CC1 (still no change)

I had it working briefly yesterday and now it doesn't. I may be me and something I am doing, but I am not having very good success controlling the synth externally except for note-on/off. The onboard controllers always work and work excellently. Every once and again on patch change, it gets stuck and I have to do a MIDI panic from Mainstage. So far, this always clears up the physical MIDI port - it did not on the USB port. This is a dedicated MIDI port on my rig - no daisy chaining.

Is there another parameter somewhere that needs to be set? In the MIDI page on the Home screen I have:

PrgChng = On
MIDICtrl = On
Volume = On

It definitely responds to CC7 from my little knobby controller box, so I know it is getting CC data.

And now it is working to move CC9 on my knobby box to control filter - but it still doesn't affect the VCA.

It just feels like I'm missing something obvious that makes this go 100% the same every time. I feel like it is different every time I try it, and that is not really how computers work. Grateful for any help.

Nathanael

No, I had it set to 100%, figuring that meant 100% modulation. I'll give that a try. Thanks! Still not sure why CC9 would work then - I had that set to 100% also.... Lots of things to learn. It is a wonderful instrument, and I know this is just teething stuff as I learn how to optimize it and my rig.

Are you setting the VCA level to zero?

John b.

Switching to a physical MIDI port makes CC7 (Volume) work as expected. CC7 has no effect over USB, so there is definitely a difference between USB and MIDI jack for incoming MIDI where CC7 is concerned.

Changing to a physical port makes no difference for Breath Control (CC2). I can't seem to modulate anything with Breath as the source. Tried pitch, tried LFO rates (that should be easy to hear), filter cutoff. Nothing. With Aftertouch (AT) routed to these parameters, there is a noticeable change, so I know I should hear it easily.

If I map CC1 on the Solaris to CC2 incoming (breath), I can get it to modulate pitch. If on the same patch, I then try to modulate the VCA with CC1 as the "Source", there is no change, even with the value at 100%.

I can use CC9 via a knob or breath control to modulate the VCA if I map it as "CC1" internal to the Solaris. It is like the Solaris "knows" that CC2 = Breath, and somehow won't use it for VCA (which is one of the few places one would want it). If I use an arbitrary CC number with no assignment, then it works like it should. The VCA modulation is clearly obvious.

So if I set breath to output CC9 coming out of my MIDI breath controller, and then map this to CC1 inside the Solaris, I can control VCA + filter cutoff with breath. I cannot do this sending CC2 from the breath controller or with CC2 (breath output) mapped to CC1 (Solaris).

Am I missing something?

I used this MIDI monitor: http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/ to check that Mainstage is indeed sending out either BC or Vol messages as configured in Mainstage. Mainstage is doing what I expect, but I can't get the Bowen to react in any interesting ways to Breath.

I also can't get it to see MIDI Vol (CC7). In the MIDI menu on the central screen, I have Volume set to "On". It doesn't seem to do anything. It didn't when I remapped CC11 to volume either.

The MIDI output of the Bowen seems fine - shows up consistently. The MIDI input over USB seems not all there. Switching to a physical MIDI port next.

Has anyone successfully used Breath Control with the Solaris? I am trying to control the VCA with it. I can't make the VCA do anything. Same as with the expression pedal. I can route the breath control to CC1, and then observe its effect on pitch in the oscillator section, but I have not had success in trying to drive the VCA with expression or breath control.

In the Mod page for VCA1, I set the Source to Breath (or CC1 - tried both), the Amount to 100%%, and the target to VCA. I believe this means that the VCA should be entirely under control of Breath or CC1, but there is no change. It is still tied to EG6, I think. I tried using Breath to modulate all the ADSR parameters of EG6, but didn't get any change with that either.

I've tried passing the breath control as MIDI Vol (CC7), and that doesn't seem to do it either.

Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to disconnect EG6 from the VCA somehow?