User building midi device library?

middle_pickup

middle_pickup

Well-Known Member
Is it possible for a user to add the midi CC and PC info for an unlisted midi device? I'm adding the Selah Quartz V3 to my rig at the moment, and as you may know, this box lets the user change all the midi numbers at will. I'm guessing that's why there are no pre-listed PC or CC numbers when you go into the preset actions window in the PBC editor. I would like to add these numbers to the device listing for the Quartz timer in the PBC editor. Remembering these CC numbers and values is going to get old super fast.
 
It’s not possible at this time, though I know it’s been requested before (at least by me haha!).

Can I ask how you are wanting to use the Quartz with the PBC? I’ve thought a lot about various workflows with the two and landed on using the PBC as the midi controller, and only using the Quartz as a midi clock and a pretty screen with song titles. This gives the advantage of only having to send the Quartz a PC message for each preset to display the right song as well as being able to quickly re-dial or tap and save the tempo on the Quartz. The drawback is having to enter every song into the Quartz in addition to the PBC, but that goes pretty quick to get them all in there, and usually I’m only adding a song or two at a time as I learn them or add new ones to a set.

The alternative of using the Quartz as a full-blown midi controller seems convoluted to me since the software seems a bit less intuitive and it divides the work too much between the PBC and the Quartz. I prefer having all the midi control work being handled by and edited on the PBC.
 
Josh Demolar said:
It’s not possible at this time, though I know it’s been requested before (at least by me haha!).

Can I ask how you are wanting to use the Quartz with the PBC? I’ve thought a lot about various workflows with the two and landed on using the PBC as the midi controller, and only using the Quartz as a midi clock and a pretty screen with song titles. This gives the advantage of only having to send the Quartz a PC message for each preset to display the right song as well as being able to quickly re-dial or tap and save the tempo on the Quartz. The drawback is having to enter every song into the Quartz in addition to the PBC, but that goes pretty quick to get them all in there, and usually I’m only adding a song or two at a time as I learn them or add new ones to a set.

The alternative of using the Quartz as a full-blown midi controller seems convoluted to me since the software seems a bit less intuitive and it divides the work too much between the PBC and the Quartz. I prefer having all the midi control work being handled by and edited on the PBC.
Click to expand...
I'm still trying to figure it out. I would like to not have to make a song preset on the Quartz for each song. I'm hoping that I can leave the PBC10 as the midi clock source, and just send the Quartz a midi message to tell each output what subdivision it needs to be at the moment. I haven't tested it yet, and I'm not sure if the tap outputs will fire their relays without changing to a new preset on the Quartz.
 
Ah I see. Seems possible. Are you using the Quartz as an interface to time-based effects that aren’t midi capable (hence the various TRS outputs)? If so then that approach makes sense. Otherwise it seems like it would be easier to rely on PC messages on each time-based effect itself to update subdivisions.
 
Josh Demolar said:
Ah I see. Seems possible. Are you using the Quartz as an interface to time-based effects that aren’t midi capable (hence the various TRS outputs)? If so then that approach makes sense. Otherwise it seems like it would be easier to rely on PC messages on each time-based effect itself to update subdivisions.
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Yea. I'm trying to send tap tempo to my Deluxe Memory Man, and my DD-5. I might use one of the remaining outputs on the Quartz to manage the footswitch functions on my Ox, but I doubt I'll use those functions much. Mostly I just want it to send tap tempo to the pedals, but I need to be able to send unique subdivisions to each pedal.
 
Do you have any other devices on your board that use presets (PC)? If you are already maintaining a list of presets spomewhere, keeping a similar list of Quartz presets would be similar. Create a preset for each combo of divisions for the pedals attached to the Quartz. Seems like a lot but probably no more work than entering all as CCs in the PBC.
 
I think I've come up with a better solution than that. I'm creating IA buttons for each subdivision. I'll put all the buttons for managing the subdivision of the Quartz Timer's first output jack in button group one, and the buttons for managing the second output in group two. Using the groups will ensure that I'm only sending a CC for one subdivision at a time, and I'm telling each group to never send off messages.

Still programming it all out, and I'll have to wire it up to test it. I also have to figure out all the CC values for the different subdivisions since Selah was lazy with their manual. They only listed the first three values, and note "etc." for the rest.

If it works out all I'll need to do is click the correct buttons from the new button page for a handful of presets I already have made.
 
Bam! That’s some ninja masterminding right there haha! I know who I’m gonna hit up when I run into tough programming problems.
 
I'm still having a weird issue with the Quartz. The midi clock isn't being tracked for the first few seconds after I bank into a new song. Midi clock is digital, right? Shouldn't the tempo change be as fast as any other midi message? Is midi clock an actual metronome signal that the Quartz has to listen to, and calculate? It also tracked the tempo incorrectly a couple of times.
 
I haven’t had that issue but I’ve also never used it for non-midi tempo application. Didn’t you say that you send midi clock from the PBC? There may be a slight delay as it gets converted from midi to (whatever the protocol is for the other pedals... not even sure it is digital). It could also be those particular pedals that have some latency in their response to the tempo.
 
Hello Guys!

i 've just received a Selah Quartz V3, it is not a plug n play device, I have difficulties to update the firmware, it is in version 117, have you encountered this kind of problem?
I 've tied to contact Cal last week, but no news since...
 
REFAGAEM said:
Hello Guys!

i 've just received a Selah Quartz V3, it is not a plug n play device, I have difficulties to update the firmware, it is in version 117, have you encountered this kind of problem?
I 've tied to contact Cal last week, but no news since...
Click to expand...
Cal can be slow to respond, and yes I have encountered a similar issue. I tried to update a few months ago (don’t remember the previous version but I’m now on 200 from what the boot screen shows me). My issue turned out to be that I’m on a Mac and the interaction between macOS and the pedal isn’t as stable as with a PC. I downloaded and installed from a friend’s PC and it worked without issue.
 
Hi Josh,

thanks for your response! i'll try to find how to with my 2 PC , they don't see the same thing in the device manager...:confused:
 
Did you download the lates software too? There’s a newer version that seems to recognize and connect easier, though it’s really only capable of tempos and titles (which in my case is all I use it for anyway). But once I got the firmware working and the newer software connecting, I’m now able to open and connect with the full-featured older software version too.

One caveat - I have the Quartz v2. Supposedly there are only some minor differences in hardware only, but I suppose there may be differences in behavior in upgrading firmware too.
 
I bought the v3. It shipped with 1.1.7 firmware. I updated to the latest, but was disappointed with the new firmware since it seems to limit the features of the Quartz, and the PC app wasn't as featured either. I was able to reflash the 1.1.7 firmware onto my Quartz with the 1.1.7 firmware tool for Mac.

I know this is technically the alpha firmware compared to the new versions, but I don't know why they removed features. I don't recommend the latest firmware.
 
Ok Guys, Many thanks for your help!

Finally i think to begin with 1.1.7 version... it's the only i can download ;), it seems that it could be an issue with my PC 's, i have to check this...

Thanks again!
 
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