How to debug generic MIDI binding maps

Installation & Configuration Linux
#1

Hi,

thanks for the new video, I started creating a MIDI map for the Yamaha MODX. It has three control modes (Transport/Track/Plugin), the ‘transport’ mode with six buttons works so far:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="Yamaha MODX">
<!-- 240816 DAW Mode 'Live' fraslo -->
<!--
ATTENTION, setup your MODX: 
- Performance/Remote/Settings/DAW has to be 'Live'!
- Connect the second MODX MIDI Port with Ardour (DAW-Control)
 -->

<!-- Transport controls -->
  
<Binding channel="1" note="89" function="transport-zero"/>
<Binding channel="1" note="91" function="transport-start"/>
<Binding channel="1" note="92" function="transport-end"/>
<Binding channel="1" note="94" function="transport-roll"/>
<Binding channel="1" note="93" function="transport-stop"/>
<Binding channel="1" note="95" function="toggle-rec-enable"/>

</ArdourMIDIBindings>

The creation was a bit painful, Ardour lost my control surface configuration several times, I guess there were errors in my MIDI mappings and nothing worked most of the time (the MIDI Tracer did, nice tool). Before I start with the more complex modes: how can I debug the creation? Is there a log where Ardour writes something about my MIDI map? Is it possible to load the file again without restarting Ardour completely?

#2

Use xmllint to validate. It’ll catch broken tags. If you need to bind to pitchbend, the type is ‘pb’.

#3

Are you sure that you should be using the “note” attribute rather than “ctl”?

#4

It works here, the MIDI Tracer logs:

   4057587          NoteOn chn  1 89  127
     4061757         NoteOff chn  1 89  64 
     4072649          NoteOn chn  1 91  127
     4079519         NoteOff chn  1 91  64 
     4088260          NoteOn chn  1 92  127
     4095660         NoteOff chn  1 92  64 
     4132552          NoteOn chn  1 95  127
     4136704         NoteOff chn  1 95  64 
     4146714          NoteOn chn  1 93  127
     4150841         NoteOff chn  1 93  64 
     4160454          NoteOn chn  1 94  127
     4165049         NoteOff chn  1 94  64

Anyway, I found out that the device acts as a Mackie control unit which is not documented in the manual nor the reference manual. For anybody who owns a MODX: just choose Mackie control unit in Ardour and select the virtual MIDI Port 2 after setting the DAW Mode on the MODX to ‘Live’ (Performance/Remote/Settings/DAW).