[FIXED IN 5.8.4.5] Lost midi connection on octave change

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kanduvisla
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[FIXED IN 5.8.4.5] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby kanduvisla » Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:37 am

I am currently running the demo of the va synth beast on android 10, on a Motorola one hyper, and I'm using an Arturia minilab mkII MIDI controller.

It works, but if I push octave up or -down on my controller, the midi input gets disconnected. The only thing I can do to make it work again is reconnecting the controller.

Not being able to switch octaves is pretty much a show-stopper for me from buying the full version.

Anyone else has this issue? Know how to fix it?
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planet-h
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby planet-h » Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:43 am

Welcome to the forum, kanduvisla
and thanks for your message.

kanduvisla wrote:I am currently running the demo of the va synth beast on android 10, on a Motorola one hyper, and I'm using an Arturia minilab mkII MIDI controller.

It works, but if I push octave up or -down on my controller, the midi input gets disconnected. The only thing I can do to make it work again is reconnecting the controller.

Not being able to switch octaves is pretty much a show-stopper for me from buying the full version.

Anyone else has this issue? Know how to fix it?

What you report is definitely not a bug in the G-Stomper VA-Beast app. The G-Stomper apps cannot disconnect a MIDI device by themselves. The connection/disconnection of the MIDI device is done by the Android OS, which means it's not controlled by a host app such as G-Stomper VA-Beast.

Have you tried any other Android apps with state of the art MIDI support (Android M MIDI API or later)?
If so, do these have a similar behavior?

However, if it is a bug, then either in the Android OS in general, or in Motorola's Android OS modifications, or in the minilab mkII MIDI controller firmware.
But it could also be that in the moment you change the octave on your minilab, the controller demands more electric power from the USB port of the Android device, more than it actually provides >>> This could be fixed by using a self powered USB hub, such as the ones shown at https://www.planet-h.com/gstomper/docs/ ... part10.htm

The best you can do is to test the controller on 1) different apps on the same device and 2) on the same app on different devices.
kanduvisla
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Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:32 am

Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby kanduvisla » Mon Dec 28, 2020 2:49 pm

Hi,

I don't have this problem with other midi apps on my phone. I've tried Caustic 3, rock relay synth fm and synprezfm. VA beast is the only app that has this problem.

I also noticed it's not only the octave buttons, it's also the shift and the pad-change button. I'll try later on an Android tablet here to see if it has the same problem.
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planet-h
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby planet-h » Mon Dec 28, 2020 3:42 pm

Thanks for your quick answer and for your additional checks.

kanduvisla wrote:I don't have this problem with other midi apps on my phone. I've tried Caustic 3, rock relay synth fm and synprezfm. VA beast is the only app that has this problem.

That's not surprising, as none of them use the modern Android M or higher MIDI API.
I'm not 100% sure about Rock Relay, but I know for sure that both, Caustic and SynPrez FM use the old USB host MIDI approach (pre Android M).

kanduvisla wrote:I also noticed it's not only the octave buttons, it's also the shift and the pad-change button.

This sounds like it's a power issue, means that your phone probably provides not enough power through USB. Do you have the chance to use
Nevertheless, quick question: In G-Stomper VA-Beast, are you using MIDI IN only? Or are you sing MIDI IN and OUT? In other words have you specified the OUT ports in the MIDI Channel Mapping?

kanduvisla wrote:I'll try later on an Android tablet here to see if it has the same problem.

That would be very helpful to find out if it's a power problem on the phone.
Can you please just test MIDI in first. In other words, just keep the default MIDI Channel Mapping (Selected Track to All channels - IN only).
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planet-h
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby planet-h » Mon Dec 28, 2020 3:44 pm

kanduvisla wrote:It works, but if I push octave up or -down on my controller, the midi input gets disconnected. The only thing I can do to make it work again is reconnecting the controller.

One more question. When it's loosing the connection, is the controller still showing up on top of the the G-Stomper MIDI Settings (Main Screen / SETUP / MIDI) ?
kanduvisla
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby kanduvisla » Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:37 pm

Thanks for the input. I've configured the app is receive only, the out is set to "none". If the connection is lost, the midi controller is still visible in the app as being connected.

I'm trying the tablet I have, but that doesn't seem to power the MIDI controller at all (no lights or recognition)
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planet-h
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby planet-h » Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:13 pm

kanduvisla wrote:I've configured the app is receive only, the out is set to "none". If the connection is lost, the midi controller is still visible in the app as being connected.

Thanks a lot for the further details.
What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app (not pressing home, by pressing the exit button) and then start it again?
What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app then start another G-Stomper app, e.g. G-Stomper Rhythm (it's free)?

kanduvisla wrote:I'm trying the tablet I have, but that doesn't seem to power the MIDI controller at all (no lights or recognition)

That even more tightens the opinion that the cause is the power that is supplied by the USB host (the Android device).
I remember that in the past there have been power issues with the minilab MK1.
When you press the octave +/-, it might require some lights to change, which might use too much power.
The best change to ensure that insufficient power is the problem is to try a self powered USB hub (one with an own power supply).

However, there is a chance that whatever the controller sends when changing the octave does invalidate the USB MIDI driver.
But in order to find out, it would be required to know what exactly the Minilab MK2 sends when changing the octave.
There are a few MIDI monitor apps around on Android to get that data.

This would also help to find out if the controller still sends data after "loosing contact", e.g. when pressing one of the kb keys afterwards.
This could be analyzed by starting VA-Beast, then force the "loosing contact" issue, then exist VA-Beast, and finally start a MIDI monitor app and check the data.
kanduvisla
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby kanduvisla » Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:19 pm

What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app (not pressing home, by pressing the exit button) and then start it again?


If I restart the app I get the default Android notification if I want to connect the controller, just as if I were connecting it for the first time.

What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app then start another G-Stomper app, e.g. G-Stomper Rhythm (it's free)?


The same as above. G-Stomper Rhythm has the same issue by the way.
kanduvisla
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby kanduvisla » Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:28 pm

What is a good midi monitor? I tried the following one, but it does not seem to work. Also it hasn't been updated since 2013, so I think that might also be the case:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... idimonitor

So the only option now left is to check with a powered usb hub, but I don't have one is those and I doubt if that is the case, given that the controller works with any other app and also with the lights and such.
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planet-h
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Re: [BUG?] Lost midi connection on octave change

Postby planet-h » Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:01 pm

kanduvisla wrote:
What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app (not pressing home, by pressing the exit button) and then start it again?


If I restart the app I get the default Android notification if I want to connect the controller, just as if I were connecting it for the first time.

What happens if you exit the G-Stomper VA-Beast app then start another G-Stomper app, e.g. G-Stomper Rhythm (it's free)?


The same as above. G-Stomper Rhythm has the same issue by the way.

G-Stomper Rhythm uses exactly the same MIDI drives. So it's no surprise that it has the same issue.

For both of the above, after restarting the app, once you've confirmed the notification (to connect the controller), does it work as normal then?
Or do you require to physically unplug the controller and then, re-connect it?

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