Dave Smith MonoEvolver Midi Issues ... please help!

pbanken · Post by **pbanken** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:49 am

Hello everyone!

I recently bought a desktop version of the lovely MonoEvolver by Dave Smith. However, there is a small problem when it comes to sending Midi information from the synth to Live 7.02.

I'll begin by describing my set up:

I'm running Live 7.02 on a Mac. Audio / Midi interface is a Presonus Firebox, which gives out Midi Clock / information to instruments in the following order: Presonus - MicroKorg - MonoEvolver - Creamware Minimax - Acidlab Bassline 2. So far, every instrument has received Midi perfectly fine, and all is running smooth.

Since the Presonus Firebox only features one Midi In port, I hooked that up to the Midi Out port of my MicroKorg (it's the only instrument in my collection to feature a keyboard). That worked nicely, too, I was able to play the keyboard and assign the Korg's knobs to control Plug Ins.

My set up featured another Midi interface, which used to control a drum machine, just with an Midi Out signal, running very smooth. Since this interface's Midi In path had not been used ever, I wanted to hook up the Evolver's Midi Out path to it, in order to record filter sweeps, for example. However, none of the knob movements on the Evolver are transmitted to the Midi Recording in Live. It is possible to draw filter sweeps in Live's Midi envelope section, but as you can imagine I'm not looking for that.

I read the corresponding sections of the manuals for both Live and Evolver, and the synth is sending out all Midi information it can send out, but nothing seems to work.

I would greatly appreciate all advice and help you could offer! Please help!

Cheers, pbanken

pbanken · Post by **pbanken** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 12:42 pm

An odd update to my problem!

As you know, Live features Bank Information for your Midi Clips, e.g. one particular Midi Clip was recorded while Program 1 in Soundbank 1 was used. You can find / see this information in the Note Section of the Midi Clip Section.

Oddly enough, the Evolver doesn't send any Midi Information but these exact Program / Bank information ... I can now save this, but not record any filter sweeps or other manual tweakings of a program ...

There seems to be some information exchange, but the 'good stuff' doesn't work ... damn!

pbanken · Post by **pbanken** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:25 pm

Not a single soul out there, which can help?

That's sad ....

amoeba · Post by **amoeba** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:56 pm

two things i have to offer/suggest.

first, get a copy of midipipe or midimonitor, just to make sure you are even getting anything from the evolver, to rule that out.

second, and i admit i'm a bit fuzzy on this, but i think the evolver sends/receives sysex rather than midiCC info. i had been looking for a good editor (didn't like the vyzor or sound tower ones) and came across this little plugin some guy made. it needs the pluggo runtime to work (i believe that's what handles the sysex/cc translation), but so far it has been really a pleasure to use. works great in live for me. records automation, and makes editing the evolver dirt simple. give it a try! it's called MEDitor

http://www.headermunge.blogspot.com/

ps: be sure to read the first post, at the bottom of the page. it explains setup and the other thing you need to install & run

pps: i love my little evolver! such a great little machine for leads!

pbanken · Post by **pbanken** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:48 pm

Thank you very much for aour support on this question. Indeed, I checked back with DS, and the Evo. sends out SysEx exclusively.

I'll give the tool a try, no doubt, but for now I'll stick with trying to control the Evo. from a sound-sculpting point of view first. It's an amazing machine, which I'll hope to grasp as much as possible during the next weeks ...

Thanks again,

pbanken

amoeba · Post by **amoeba** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:57 pm

well, keep in mind this little tool works both ways - receiving info from the evo (recording knob tweaks, etc) as well as sending to the evo from the host. really neat way to touch/see all settings on the evo at once. it's a weird little machine, and even just using this plug to understand the innards of the evo has been hugely valuable to me. also makes editing the sequencer a breeze!

good luck!