MIDI Trigger implementation is poor

Troubleshooting
1

So I did it and spend 90 bugs to get this app. My purpose is to control lights over midi triggers while the app is in background mode. Controlling light scenes with the app setlistmaker and make some interaction with a midi controller. Thats all. I have a AKAI LPD8 MK2 Midi Controller - the Pads sends Note on/off by pushing it. Note on with 127 or a with dynamic values - Note off always with the Velocity value = 0. Photon is not able to handle this and the scene flashes even in toggle mode. So I can not use this kind of controller… next issue, Program Change value from Setlistmaker does not work… only Controller Values…

My Wishlist: Midi Source setup like AUM or Quantiloop App where you can:

  • Choose one or several Midi sources (to avoid unwanted trigger signals)
  • Choose one or all Midi channels (to avoid unwanted trigger signals)
  • Choose the Midi Trigger by hand or by lern function
  • Interpret MIDI Note Off Velocity 0 not as “turn the button off” even in toggle mode
    (while Velocity = 1 works, which is a typical lowest value with a midi keyboard)

Thank you in advance!

1 Like
2

Hi!

Thanks a lot for your message and for supporting Photon :pray:

I understand your setup and your expectations. Currently, Photon reacts to MIDI Note Off (but not velocity 0), which explains the flashing issue you’re seeing. Are you sure in the MIDI protocol that velocity = 0 means note off. I’m not sure.

Program Change messages aren’t handled at the moment — only Control Change (CC) is supported.

Your suggestions about MIDI source selection, channel filtering are very clear and we already think about it but never implemented this kind of settings in the app. I’ve noted everything.

At the moment, MIDI handling in Photon is quite basic, and if we were to prioritize one of the improvements you suggested, it would be MIDI channel filtering.

Thanks again for your detailed feedback it really helps!

3

Thanks for the feedback. In the meantime I bought a second midi controller with more edit possibilities. But I have still a problem with ableton link sync. Sometimes it is in time sometimes not. I link it to one app called quantiloop. I found out, that the sync lights (1,2,3,4) in Photon are totally in sync with quantiloop, but the dmx output is not stable synced. Ok it could be a problem of the Artnet/DMX Controller, but in photon you can see the flashing of the lamp on the right bottom side of the display as a preview - and its not always in sync too… so I guess there are some sync problems internally in the photon app.