Well, exactly the oposite. I'm saying you NEED the start message to get LSDJ sequencer running. When you load new project it doesn't get any kind of start message because ableton has started long ago. You could try to send start message after loading your new project / song. As herr_prof suggested you should send note number 48 (C2) for start.
Try to hook up your midi keyboard to computer, start ableton sequencer, load new song in LSDJ (you'll probably have to press start now so you get into the WAITING mode), make sure you have it in SLAVE mode and then hit C2 on your midi keyboard. Or you can send the C2 from ableton, doesn't matter. It should work. If you are getting some kind of sync then I wouldn't blame the hardware.

That is exactly what I tried to do. But at some point of the way the midi note got lost.

@jrasor: I just tried the different ends of the link cable, it is one of those with two DMG and two Game Boy Color ends. I even tried it with a Game Boy color. I will look for another link cable now, but that might take a day.

I connected my arduinoboy's MIDI in directly to my sound card's midi out. I tried connecting my MIDI keyboard directly to the arduinoboy, but that did not work either.

Well, seems like you can rule out the controller being the problem. I still think you might want to probe your link cable with a volt meter. Maybe try a different Gameboy even.

Haha not necessary. That's nice of you though!

ashimoke wrote:

I'm not really sure but I think LSDJ needs the midi start message to start playback. Which is not the case whan you have constant midi clock stream while loading new song.

I do not follow. Would you care to clarify? Do you mean that LSDj does not need the start message (e.g. from ableton) to start playback when a new song is loaded, if the previous song already received the start message? That is not my experience.

Well, exactly the oposite. I'm saying you NEED the start message to get LSDJ sequencer running. When you load new project it doesn't get any kind of start message because ableton has started long ago. You could try to send start message after loading your new project / song. As herr_prof suggested you should send note number 48 (C2) for start.
Try to hook up your midi keyboard to computer, start ableton sequencer, load new song in LSDJ (you'll probably have to press start now so you get into the WAITING mode), make sure you have it in SLAVE mode and then hit C2 on your midi keyboard. Or you can send the C2 from ableton, doesn't matter. It should work. If you are getting some kind of sync then I wouldn't blame the hardware.

Well again, the voices are channels 1-4. So 16 isn't going to do anything. And if you're not getting any flashes or sound that's not a great sign. Do you have a controller with a midi din jack so you don't have to control the arduinoboy with midi over usb?

I connected my arduinoboy's MIDI in directly to my sound card's midi out. I tried connecting my MIDI keyboard directly to the arduinoboy, but that did not work either.

My apologies. I assure you I would not think less of anyone who uses Game Boys only in this way, though.

I just loaded mGB onto my cartridge again; I tried it out several months ago for the first time, with the same results: I sent the MIDI from ableton to different channels (at first 1, then 16, then 1 again) while trying out different modes on the arduinoboy. There was no sound from the game boy and no indication of the arduinoboy receiving anything once I started the MIDI clips.

On another note: You should totally try to compose something in LSDj.

Well again, the voices are channels 1-4. So 16 isn't going to do anything. And if you're not getting any flashes or sound that's not a great sign. Do you have a controller with a midi din jack so you don't have to control the arduinoboy with midi over usb?

I meant that I only use the arduinoboy to interface between a keyboard and a Gameboy. That's not the only way I use Gameboys.

Direktor wrote:

Could you maybe describe in more detail how to setup LSDj for this purpose, so I can determine wether it is actually a hardware problem?

I was suggesting a way that you could test your hardware. I know that you have something specific you want the arduinoboy and LSDJ to do together but if you can get some blips coming out in mGB you can rule out the problem being hardware.

And to be honest, I don't have any experience using the hardware or software in the way you want. I have just been plugging a keyboard into the arduinoboy and using the Gameboy as a sound module.

I just loaded mGB onto my cartridge again; I tried it out several months ago for the first time, with the same results: I sent the MIDI from ableton to different channels (at first 1, then 16, then 1 again) while trying out different modes on the arduinoboy. There was no sound from the game boy and no indication of the arduinoboy receiving anything once I started the MIDI clips.

On another note: You should totally try to compose something in LSDj.

You should check with the builder of your unit as the schematic for midi in is wrong (?) on the aboy code page. If he didnt test it before sending it, maybe its built wrong.

I sent the builder an email just yesterday, he has not responded yet, though. But he definitely tested it, it would be weird if he only tested the MIDI out function.

Could you maybe describe in more detail how to setup LSDj for this purpose, so I can determine wether it is actually a hardware problem?

I was suggesting a way that you could test your hardware. I know that you have something specific you want the arduinoboy and LSDJ to do together but if you can get some blips coming out in mGB you can rule out the problem being hardware.

And to be honest, I don't have any experience using the hardware or software in the way you want. I have just been plugging a keyboard into the arduinoboy and using the Gameboy as a sound module.

Syncmap requires a special version of lsdj. Otherwise you will need to use the regular midi slave mode along with the aboy set to slave mode and you can then send lsdj start and stop commands via midi. You will still need to move the cursor and load projects on your own.

If this is a deal breaker for you, id jsut render lsdj patterns as loops and use them in abelton.

Moving the cursor and loading projects on my own is no problem, I would only use ableton for transitions between songs anyway. But even that does not work right now, I am not certain if my arduinoboy receives any MIDI notes properly, and if it does not, why that is.
If I knew that the lack of syncmap mode was the only problem, I would invest some time looking into how to get that syncmap functionality, but I am not certain my arduinoboy even works properly.

I considered recording the patterns, but my version of ableton (live lite) only grants me 6 clips/loops per channel being loaded at the same time. I would have to reload loops all the time, so using a synced game boy would be a lot more convenient.

If this is a deal breaker for you, id jsut render lsdj patterns as loops and use them in abelton.

read the aboy page, you can use the max patch editor to set your incoming midi control channel. Then you get the special version of the lsdj rom (from the offical download page) and set it to syncmap sync mode, and set the arduinoboy to sync map mode and then have abelton send the midi commands above.

So it does not work with the arduinoboy's standard modes and the standard LSDj at all? From your last post it seemed as if it should work with the normal modes as well, just not as conveniently.

I apologize for my considerable n00b attribute.

In LSDJ Midi slave mode you can have abelton send a note when you want to start a sequence started:

LSDJ Slave Mode Midi Note Effects:

    48 - C-2 Sends a Sequencer Start Command
    49 - C#2 Sends a Sequencer Stop Command

You will have to manually select the row to be played, so thats why I suggested syncnamp

SYNCMAP - Lsdj will sync to incoming MIDI sync, and notes immediately change the song row #.

Thanks you! But how exactly do I set that up (for the LSDj MIDI slave mode part)? LSDj sync to "MIDI"-mode, put the cursor into the row desired to start, connect it via arduinoboy to my soundcard's MIDI-out, and then produce a C2 MIDI note which is sent to the MIDI out via some channel (I tried channel 1 just now)? what does 48 and 49 mean?
Or do I send the note from LSDj to ableton?

For reference: I never snyced anything else to ableton but a Game Boy, so I am a noob about midi functions of daw as well. I only barely got my MIDI keyboard to send notes to synthesizer plugins in ableton.