NRPN & Cubase

[Neil]

Has anyone had any joy automating all the parameters on their Solaris with Cubase using NRPN?

I've pulled the last of my hair out on this..... tried using USB & the midi in/outs fiddling with the midi filter preferences in Cubase...Quick Controls settings... Generic Midi device setup ....@£$%^&*!!!!

Can't even record ribbon controller let alone NRPN parameter changes.

All I can successfully do is keep locking Solaris up with data feedback loops

This works fine on all my other keyboards - some smarty pants must have worked this out?

[John Bowen]

Neil,

I can tell you up front that the ribbon is not sending out data at this time....sorry for the hair loss!

I haven't made any attempts at recording NRPN either - the only thing I tried was connecting 2 Solarii together, and making sure that adjusting the parameter on the master was also adjusted on the slave unit.

Maybe I can get Julian to chime in on this, since he wrote that part of the code.

john b.

[scope4live]

I use 4 x MIDI Monitors in Scope, so tomorrow I can use Reaper and monitor the messages in Scope.
I seperate them into categories, like SysEx, PBend, ModWh, Prgm Chng, etc.,etc.
i have only used Solaris as a controller, and had MIDI and USB working, never tried to record strings of realtime stuff yet.
I also will try and have the BCF 2000 try it's MIDI Learn features.

Gives me something to do, as even during downtime Solaris haunts me...

[Neil]

Great, thanks gentlemen! I really appreciate your help 'cos it seems a shame to have the BEST synth in the world and not be able to automate it!
It says something when you use a Solaris for Minimoog lines instead of the Voyager sitting next to it.....

[scope4live]

What I get is PBend, Volume Knob, Joystick, Aftertouch, Prgm Chng, ModWh, and ARP,
but each knob I twist to send data shows me the CC 006 and CC 038 ( #1 ), no matter
which knob I try to automate. Send and Recieve Channels are set, MIDI Cont.
MIDI Vol (knob) and Channel selection.
My only question is why each knob reads the same 2 x CC'c..?
What I do see functioning is the controllers I need automated, with the exception
of the Ribbon, which not only would be a major bonus for controller software, but is
the best thing for automating Filter Sweeps, as I use my ears and avoid math. This is
how I always timed my Sweeps Live, and also how I do big Noise Crescendos for
dynamic improvisational needs.
Updating the ribbon would be great for controlling other hardware too....

Ankyu

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[Neil]

Yes, I seem to get the same CC message all the time, but and John mentioned that the ribbon controller isn't transmitting midi data at the moment. Avoiding maths is my speciality as my ears are I think lager than my brain Jimmy!
I would have expected with Solaris local off and no midi filter applied and midi thru enabled to be able to record and realtime parameter changes over Cubase (or any DAW) as with the Moogs, Oberheim etc - but Solaris seems to get stuck in feedback loops and not respond.
I even tried disabling midi thru with Solaris local on, recording parameter change etc then reversed those parameters and Solaris still doesn't respond.

[Octupole]

Neil, Jimmy,

did you enable NRPN transmission? ("Tx-NRPN" to "on" in the MIDI menu).

I tried sending NRPN to MidiOx, and it seems to work - see screenshot below; these are ENV1 D,A,D,S,R (NRPN 10 to 14)

Best regards, Manfred

[scope4live]

I don't have MIDI Ox installed, but have been getting some really great BCF2000 tips using it, and have a Scope Modular app that is solely for the USB Mode allowing feedback while still accessing all hardware I/Os so I need to install that and see how far I get.
I know the USB on Solaris works as Reaper and Cubase have it show up in their device Menus.

Thanks,
If I get this to work I have a few ideas I'd like to try, even though I won't use such automations at a gig.
Glad to see guys using their synths though instead of showing it off like a new girlfriend in a Black Bikini with flourescent blue squares around the X Rated areas.

[Neil]

I had Tx - on Rx-on MIDIctrl-on ClkSrc-Ext Vol-on, Ch-1 PrgChnag-On SendArp-off Omni-off Local Off-On

Sure - this automation level is really specific to studio intensive control.

How did you know she wears a black bikini Jimmy? But I like to keep all the inputs and outputs covered in the shots - seems more poetical.

[scope4live]

Because Hot women don't need Flourescent Bikinis to attract the Male HoneyBees.....

I installed MIDI Ox and have a developer making me some Custom skins for Solaris. Already have the BCF 2000/Scope Modular Synth Skin, but now Solaris has a new friend and will dig deeply into the automation possibilities as someday I will retire from perfoming, I swear, and then these automations will be like having 2 girls in black Bikinis twisting my knobs rubbing my Ribbon while I play...I meant Solaris' knobs and Ribbon.

Hey thanks for the tip there Chief, it looks like the USB MIDI is the way to go.
I wish Solaris could use the hardware and USB simultaneaously. USB > MIDI Ox, while the hardware MIDI > BCF 2000 so I could use the Solaris KeyPad to change presets on the BCF 2000 in realtime.

Here's the BCF 2000 skinned for using Scope Modular IV ( another Bowen invention from the '90s ) that integrates Solaris into the Project window, where I route to DSP FX as well as hardware.
Solaris is played live through Mackie DLM8s + 12" Sub, as well as the Motion Sound Rotary Cabinet, soon to be replaced by the Leslie Studio 12. This allows to add Filters unknown to Analog or additonal modules Solaris didn't cover. I ran them @ 96k but they weren't designed in 96k like Solaris Filters, so the LPF, BPF, AP and HPFs of Solaris are noticably better than the best DSP Filters out there, which is a serious compliment considering those Filters in Scope are far better than Native countrparts that have the kiddies at KVR peeing their pants.

The MIDI Ox skin is Absolute 14bit resolution, what we need for the big jobs.
Solaris skinned should be pretty Cool too as I had to use a Canon Camera and a few top shots w/ the LCDs on in a low light surrounding.

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[Neil]

We can start a whole new thread on bikinis Jimmy!
Don't worry - I can't give up performing either! I had to look up what a MidiOx is and a BCF2000 - now I know why - I'm a Mac user so MidiOx won't be able to help me unfortunately. Moog recently released a nice VST plugin which handles all the automation for the Voyager within Cubase even though it records all automation without it. The negative side effect of owning an exclusive dream machine is that due to the small number of units there probably isn't enough demand for such a VST plug for Solaris though. I also wrote to Midiquest enquiring as to if they would support Solaris as a librarian module - but got no reply. If only I had learnt to write code in my youth - but I was always too busy wowing those bikinis with my superfast fingers.....but I cannot help feeling it's my stupidity that hampering my efforts at seamless midi integration with Mac/Cubase/Solaris.

[scope4live]

Yes, Bikinis, by all means.....

But also as the good Reverend would say..........

"Mans So-Wull,............Cannot Lee-ivv, on Shrimps, Clams and Poke Chops."
(there's other things)

Rev. Cleophus Robinson

He was the man where I grew up, and gigging Tent Revivals in rural farm communites where the Gospel greats came to sing, I had more fun there, than I did listening to my parents try and sing at the boring WASP Church I was reluctantly confirmed.

R.I.P. Rev

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[Neil]

Sorry Jimmy, I've no idea what you're talking about - growing up in Kent in the SE of England we had none of that in the Church of England, nothing happy clappy - just fire & brimstone and pastoral hymns. But as Charles Darwin lived & worked in the village where I grew up I'm more of an evolutionist. A bit like we can see the natural evolution of synths from it's early attempts until the majesty of John's Solaris Now all we need is to understand it's DNA so we can decode it's NRPN behaviour!

[Neil]

Is it just me or didn't any of the other Solaris owners get their synths out of the box yet?

[scope4live]

I'm from Vegas, we worship many Gods.
When I am gambling I take no chances are pray to all of them, one is bound to answer.

Last week Buddha bought me a Moog Ring Modulator to place in the front of a Leslie I have on order.
It sounds pretty good with my Motion Sound Pro3s, but the Leslie Studio 12 is what I am waiting for.
For an order of such magnitude, I believe Zeus or Oden would be worthy, but if they screw up, I will go alphabetically starting with Allah, Buddha, Joehovah and maybe I'll try Darwin to see if he has any juice.

Cheers