MIDI-CV Converter and MIDI Performance Data

Have any feature requests? No promise they'll get to Reason Studios, but you can still discuss them here.
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nscerri
Posts: 116
Joined: 01 Apr 2015
Location: Malta

06 Jan 2022

Hi,

I am currently using a Rack Extension called MIDI-CV converter, which makes CV routing easier and cleaner. One important limitation, which based on the documentation is due to a limitation in the Rack Extension SDK, is that the MIDI performance data (such as sustain, modulation etc) is not passed through, which is a bummer.

For all those folks out there who never used this, I recommend that you try it out, as even with its limitation, it can solve some of your routing problems, and if someone from Reason Studios is reading this, I would love to listen if such limitation is something that can be solved?

Thanks

Noel

Link to Midi-CV Converter --> https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... converter/

djsmex
Posts: 248
Joined: 23 Aug 2016

06 Jan 2022

Yes, the player device only listens to midi note data, this is a shame and I hope this will be looked at in a future RE sdk update.
On a side note, other devices, Instruments, Utilities and I believe Effects can listen to midi performance data and as my first rack extension I am looking building a utility device with switchable rooting for note and performance midi via CV. I'm learning as I go, so may be a while before its released.
This isn't perfect,more of a work around as my original idea was a player device but it lacked midi performance support.

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challism
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Location: Fanboy Shill, Boomertown

06 Jan 2022

LoveOne's MIDI CV Converter is a basically a necessity for anyone using Players. It's in every one of my post-player projects... probably my most used RE. For those who don't want to spend the $9 (when on sale), there is a free alternative that does the "same thing" but not nearly as well (Lectric Panda CV Player Tap) - it can be a bit buggy and it splits polyphonic notes into multiple gate/note channels, whereas LoveOne's keeps them all together in one channel.
Players are to MIDI what synthesizers are to waveforms.

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nscerri
Posts: 116
Joined: 01 Apr 2015
Location: Malta

06 Jan 2022

djsmex wrote:
06 Jan 2022
Yes, the player device only listens to midi note data, this is a shame and I hope this will be looked at in a future RE sdk update.
On a side note, other devices, Instruments, Utilities and I believe Effects can listen to midi performance data and as my first rack extension I am looking building a utility device with switchable rooting for note and performance midi via CV. I'm learning as I go, so may be a while before its released.
This isn't perfect,more of a work around as my original idea was a player device but it lacked midi performance support.
If I am understanding correctly, you can send note data and performance data mutually exclusive?

Bes
Competition Winner
Posts: 1128
Joined: 22 Feb 2017

06 Jan 2022

Thor can grab performance data for Breath / Aftertouch / Expression as well as Pitch Bend or ModWheel and you can route any via the modmatrix to a CV out and from there to anywhere you need it
- Certified Reason expert

djsmex
Posts: 248
Joined: 23 Aug 2016

08 Jan 2022

The player device works a little differently to other devices, as it has an automatic gate/note connection between the player and the connected instrument. This allowing for note data to flow back and forth between the player and connected instrument while midi focus is on the instrument. However, the midi performance data is not sent between the player and connected instrument, neither is any other midi data, this meaning the only way a player device can receive midi performance data, is when the player has midi focus, not the connected instrument. Although there are no methods to directly send anything a part from note data to the connected instrument, it can be sent to CV outs but it can only receive this performance midi while the player has midi focus in reason, which requires either a sequencer track for the player or by using surface locking.
Another method for rooting performance midi data is via the combinator, using the combi programmer.
Yes midi performance data is separate to note data, note data uses 80/8F and 90/9F for note on/off while pitchbend is E0/Ef with 2 data bytes, modwheel uses CC1 B0 01/Bf 01 with the third byte as data value etc.
Reasons implimentation of MIDI, is a little different to other DAWs, as it ignores MIDI channel data for the most part in the sequencer, the Remote for surface controllers can use MIDI channel data and midi performance controls can be mapped, which offers another way of using midi performance controllers.

The rack extension I am looking at developing, as a utility is to give switchable cv outputs for both midi performance controls and note data with split keyboard ranges. As said, I'm very new to re development, so can't make any promices on my success with this project.

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

08 Jan 2022

djsmex wrote:
08 Jan 2022
The player device works a little differently to other devices, as it has an automatic gate/note connection between the player and the connected instrument. This allowing for note data to flow back and forth between the player and connected instrument while midi focus is on the instrument. However, the midi performance data is not sent between the player and connected instrument, neither is any other midi data, this meaning the only way a player device can receive midi performance data, is when the player has midi focus, not the connected instrument. Although there are no methods to directly send anything a part from note data to the connected instrument, it can be sent to CV outs but it can only receive this performance midi while the player has midi focus in reason, which requires either a sequencer track for the player or by using surface locking.
Another method for rooting performance midi data is via the combinator, using the combi programmer.
Yes midi performance data is separate to note data, note data uses 80/8F and 90/9F for note on/off while pitchbend is E0/Ef with 2 data bytes, modwheel uses CC1 B0 01/Bf 01 with the third byte as data value etc.
Reasons implimentation of MIDI, is a little different to other DAWs, as it ignores MIDI channel data for the most part in the sequencer, the Remote for surface controllers can use MIDI channel data and midi performance controls can be mapped, which offers another way of using midi performance controllers.

The rack extension I am looking at developing, as a utility is to give switchable cv outputs for both midi performance controls and note data with split keyboard ranges. As said, I'm very new to re development, so can't make any promices on my success with this project.
Perfect timing - i was just going to ask about using a player to convert performance data to CV! Look forward to seeing what you come up with. :)
Selig Audio, LLC

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