oliver
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akira^8GB wrote:

I already have a feature request (and my package has not arrived yet tongue)
Trash80 made a Max/MSP patch to set which MIDI channels one can use with mGB. This software works with Arduinoboy.
Can we have similar functionality for this adapter? The default channel numbers used are a little bit inconvenient for me.

Isn't that a function of mGB? The adaptor and also Arduinoboy forward the complete MIDI stream and mGB picks the apropriate channels. You can configure one mGB to use channels 1-4 and the other, running on a different Game Boy, to use channels 5-8. Both are connected to the same adaptor via a split cable. This should work with up to 4 Game Boys, using all 16 MIDI channels.

akira^8GB
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New York City

The configuration is done using the MAX/MSP patch, or so I been told, so I don't know, do you think it would work with the device? Because it seems it is designed for the Arduinoboy.
By the way I *just* received mine so I am willing to test that big_smile

Last edited by akira^8GB (Feb 22, 2012 12:39 pm)

herr_prof
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The config is in the aboy code. The maxmap just provides a gui to update those settings over midi.

oliver
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The idea is to have multiple Game Boys, running multiple instances of mGB and controlling them with different MIDI channels over the same cable, right? How else could this be achieved than by configuring each mGB to listen to a range of MIDI channels? And wasn't it nitro2k01 who added this patch to mGB (can't find the coresponding post here)? AFAIK, Arduinoboy code is not involved, hence it should work with the nanoloop adaptor, too.

akira^8GB
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New York City
oliver wrote:

How else could this be achieved than by configuring each mGB to listen to a range of MIDI channels?

Exactly. But mGB has no way of changing this from within the software. The MAX/MSP patch is required to do so.

I have noticed the Game Boy skipping certain notes, specially when they are short, while using NLMIDI and mGB. Have you noticed this, oliver?

nitro2k01
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oliver wrote:

And wasn't it nitro2k01 who added this patch to mGB (can't find the coresponding post here)? AFAIK, Arduinoboy code is not involved, hence it should work with the nanoloop adaptor, too.

I simply added an offset to the MIDI address in the mGB source code. It turned out that the versions I created crashed when receiving data on incorrect channels. This was, I think because for data received on incorrect channels, only the first byte would be read, and the next 1-2 bytes would be interpreted as the start of a new message. But in theory, this should be possible.

The recommended way as of now to achieve this is within Arduinoboy.

oliver
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Thanks for the clarification. But if the goal is to have multiple Game Boys on the same link cable, how can this be achieved within Arduinoboy?

e.s.c.
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IL, US

I think the goal was more for flexibility to work around devices with permanently set MIDI channels or for people like me who already have gear using channels (i use 1-6,8-11,14 &16 in my setup for other gear)

akira^8GB
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New York City
e.s.c. wrote:

I think the goal was more for flexibility to work around devices with permanently set MIDI channels or for people like me who already have gear using channels

Exactly, I have very specific channel routings and mGB's default could pose a problem some times.

Also, sorry about me repeating things, but I think this is imprtant: I have noticed the Game Boy skipping certain notes, specially when they are short, while using NLMIDI and mGB. Have you noticed this, Oliver?

oliver
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e.s.c. wrote:

I think the goal was more for flexibility to work around devices with permanently set MIDI channels or for people like me who already have gear using channels

I think the cleaner and better solution would be to fix this within mGB (or whatever software is used on the Game Boy end). If mGB is misinterpreting data, that's a bug that can be fixed.

akira^8GB wrote:

Also, sorry about me repeating things, but I think this is imprtant: I have noticed the Game Boy skipping certain notes, specially when they are short, while using NLMIDI and mGB. Have you noticed this, Oliver?

Yes, I have noticed that on certain Game Boy models. By default, the adaptor forwards data at approximately MIDI speed (3125 bytes/second), which seems to be slightly too fast for mGB. Since such gaps do not appear with real MIDI / Arduinoboy, I may either have miscalculated the rate or Arduinoboy has a slower rate. However, there is a throttling parameter in the adaptor firmware, and when slightly slowed down, mGB works fine. The throttling can be set permanently with a special MIDI command. The current version of the nlmidi utility does not support it, but I'll add that with the next update.

akira^8GB
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oliver wrote:

Yes, I have noticed that on certain Game Boy models. By default, the adaptor forwards data at approximately MIDI speed (3125 bytes/second), which seems to be slightly too fast for mGB. Since such gaps do not appear with real MIDI / Arduinoboy, I may either have miscalculated the rate or Arduinoboy has a slower rate.

From what I understood, the Arduinoboy design understands that the GB cannot take data at this rate and does something else. As you can see I am not really sure about what is going on tongue but someone will and could post here.

I'm getting real issues with this, a staccato is basically impossible.

However, there is a throttling parameter in the adaptor firmware, and when slightly slowed down, mGB works fine. The throttling can be set permanently with a special MIDI command. The current version of the nlmidi utility does not support it, but I'll add that with the next update.

Loooking forward to the next update. However, what are the consequences of throttling down the rate? What will happen? Delays perhaps?

oliver
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If you set it to the maximum (127), there is an audible delay. However, you just have to slightly increase it over the default value (26) to get mGB running stable. I think it was GB Pocket where it also worked fine at the default rate.

akira^8GB
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New York City
oliver wrote:

If you set it to the maximum (127), there is an audible delay. However, you just have to slightly increase it over the default value (26) to get mGB running stable. I think it was GB Pocket where it also worked fine at the default rate.

I am using two regular Play It Loud DMG game boys. I think DMG is by far the most widely used unit around and it would be great to have the throttling set as default to run well on these units, not on a pocket.

When can we expect a software update?

oliver
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I'll make one for OS X today, windows may take a few days.

akira^8GB
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New York City

I hope it runs on my Hackintosh setup big_smile
Please post here when done.
Thanks Oliver!

oliver
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http://www.nanoloop.com/midi/nlmidi_02_osx.zip

This version has no extra option yet but just sets the throttling to 50.