Duck
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London, UK

I can't seem to get this to work with a home made MIDI cable. I have it wired up as below, and have checked with multimeter.... seems to have zero effect on anything whether I plug it into my audio interface and try and sync ableton OR into my drum machine.....

I wondered if it might be this:

"The current supplied by the GBA's link port does not quite match the MIDI specification (3.5 mA instead of 5 mA). So far, it worked with all devices tested but there may be devices that require full 5 mA."

but seems odd that I should own two things that object to the voltage when it sounds like it's uncommon.

Has anyone had issues getting this to work/could explain more clearly than the manual does how I am supposed to set off nanoloop so it should work?

I'm in the middle of building an arduinoboy to get round this (at least until I can get a USB midi dongle) but would be even better to only have to carry a MIDI cable with me if I could get

Dumbug (UK)
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Lancashire,UK

set nanoloop into midi sync mode got to BPM change press a + b then hold B press select till a M appears under bpm value then make sure your cable is working (plug into midi IN) then once nanoloop is in midi mode press start and its should clock external gear to nanoloop, ive made this cable and i have  successfully synced a yamaha RX21 to nanoloop 2.7 and it works like a dream (if this is not the case try a different link cable im using a gamester link cable some third party cables might not work)

Dumbug (UK)
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Lancashire,UK

.

Last edited by Dumbug (UK) (Mar 12, 2020 6:54 pm)

Dumbug (UK)
Offline
Lancashire,UK

i suspect that you already know the above id recommend trying a different cables entirely if it still doesn't work then it will probs be due too the midi device needing the full 5mA

Duck
Offline
London, UK

thanks.

having massive issues getting Nanoloop to sync to anything at all tbh- now trying with an arduinoboy with a similar lack of success!

possibly my drum machine wants 5v i guess. no idea whats up with the arduinoboy though

Orgia Mode
Offline
Sea of Souls

Have you tried connecting the ground pin? It is the third pin that is shaded in on the link port drawing, but not labelled.
Connect that to the center pin of your midi cable.

Duck
Offline
London, UK

thanks, that sounds like a very good idea! Will give it a try later.

Duck
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London, UK

alas this did not solve things.
I have two GBAs, a teensy boy and a newly modified cable and I get absolutely no effect from any of it. Weird.

Duck
Offline
London, UK

I am right in thinking there are three sync modes aren't I? MIDI slave is first, showing nothing? It's not the same as "a"?

So confused as to why I can't get it working...

Orgia Mode
Offline
Sea of Souls

idk what options there are in software.
But my other suggestion is to swap In and Out on one end of your cable. You know how Rx goes to Tx and vice versa.

barbeque
Offline
detroit
Duck wrote:

I am right in thinking there are three sync modes aren't I? MIDI slave is first, showing nothing? It's not the same as "a"?

So confused as to why I can't get it working...

a is for an incoming analog click to set the timing of the sync and after that is m which is midi out as master. what devices are you trying to slave to your nanoloop? ive had trouble getting my built midi cable to start my digitakt, but works on my tb03. so i just route my tb’s midi out to my digitakt and that works out well.

Duck
Offline
London, UK
barbeque wrote:
Duck wrote:

I am right in thinking there are three sync modes aren't I? MIDI slave is first, showing nothing? It's not the same as "a"?

So confused as to why I can't get it working...

a is for an incoming analog click to set the timing of the sync and after that is m which is midi out as master. what devices are you trying to slave to your nanoloop? ive had trouble getting my built midi cable to start my digitakt, but works on my tb03. so i just route my tb’s midi out to my digitakt and that works out well.

thanks - yeah it's a Digitakt and ableton through a MIDI interface I can't get to start, so maybe the Digitakt is just a no go because of the voltage.

The annoying thing is that I also can't get the teensyboy to work in nanoloop mode, when I know this is working for someone else..... I might have to have another go at getting an arduinboy I built going and see if that is any more use.

Duck
Offline
London, UK

Well, I never got that working but I found a half finished old Arduinoboy, fixed it up and that now works. Not really sure why that works and the teensy boy didn't, but at least it's synched up.

Thanks for all the suggestions!