[IanMSpencer]

Has anyone got a GX10 or GX100 with dual BT  midi to work with Mobile sheets?

MS doesn't seem to see the GX10 I have. The Tone Studio finds it.

I've only been trying for 30 minutes, but MS doesn't find it on a scan for MIDI.

The Galaxy Tab A9+ I am using does pop up a message about having a MIDI connection. Not sure if that is a Galaxy notification or some interfering background app.

At the moment, I haven't restarted from scratch and stepped through, just looking for a "shrug, works for me" or sharp intake of breath! Any handily hints to avoid any rabbit holes would be appreciated.

Edit:correct tablet model

[Zubersoft]

Which MIDI library are you using on the Galaxy Tab S9? If possible, please switch to the Google MIDI library. Do you see any input/output ports show up? There is a checkbox at the bottom left of the Configure MIDI Connections screen. Please uncheck this "Show only MIDI devices" checkbox just in case the MIDI connection is coming across in an unusual way. Also, make sure you switched the connection type to "Bluetooth". I'm assuming those don't support a connection over USB, but if they do, it would be interesting to try that to see if they show up when the connection type is set to "USB".

One last thing - sometimes I have better luck when the bluetooth MIDI devices are paired beforehand in the bluetooth settings. Other times I've seen that it's better not do to this. So definitely try both to see if one works better for that particular device.

Mike

[IanMSpencer]

Which MIDI library are you using on the Galaxy Tab S9? If possible, please switch to the Google MIDI library. Do you see any input/output ports show up? There is a checkbox at the bottom left of the Configure MIDI Connections screen. Please uncheck this "Show only MIDI devices" checkbox just in case the MIDI connection is coming across in an unusual way. Also, make sure you switched the connection type to "Bluetooth". I'm assuming those don't support a connection over USB, but if they do, it would be interesting to try that to see if they show up when the connection type is set to "USB".

One last thing - sometimes I have better luck when the bluetooth MIDI devices are paired beforehand in the bluetooth settings. Other times I've seen that it's better not do to this. So definitely try both to see if one works better for that particular device.

Mike

Thanks, that gives me something to work with, as I say, I need to have a proper sit down and try the combinations. Nothing popped up on the Google library when I clicked that, with or without the Show Only. I'll start again from a reboot after killing the bluetooth. 

Hopefully, once I've pinned it down, I can add a post here on what the pitfalls were. I generally get the feeling from odds and ends around the Net that they are not the friendliest of devices to work with.

[IanMSpencer]

I've got it working, but unfortunately Im not entirely sure what the change was.

The notification bar was coming out of MS.

MIDI connection library is default. The scan doesnt do anything now it is connected. However after killing the BT pairing and restarting, first time though the GX10 midi device did briefly come up in the scan window, and also in the Google library in and out lists (non-midi). However they don't appear now.

I forced a transmit and receive channel to 1 which may have been the magic ingredient,but not convinced.

Somewhat disheartened, i went to a song and added a midi command for a patch change and it worked. Ive also added a smart button to switch an effect on via a CC.

What i haven't yet got working is receiving MIDI commands from the GX10. Nothing appears on the listening screen and so i can't tell whether it is the GX10 or MS config. I shall try linking it up to something else tomorrow to see whether it is emitting MIDI.

Anyway, I've got my patches set up on song load for my weekend gig.

[IanMSpencer]

Hmm, I tried a couple of midi monitoring apps and they didn't want to play on the A9+, no signs of any messages.

The transmission and connection outbound seems rock solid, even after switching to the Boss Tone Studio (which I think works my transmitting lengthy MIDI messages of every possible parameter for the current patch and is very slow) and other potentially interfering apps.

I went back and switched libraries to Google, and noticed I was getting some Sysex messages from by footswitch pressing, but the outbound MIDI stopped. So I switched back to default and tried changing MIDI channels. Everything continued working outbound, and I noticed that now on the monitoring screen I was getting consistent SysEx messages, sometimes lots (presumably switch bounce), though the footswitches were set to send CC messages. Then occasionally I'd get a stream of random note on and note off, and even CC messages, which seemed like noise to me but were related to pressing a footswtich.

I tried linking the SysEx messages to Page Forward/Page Back, using the + then associating an action, but got no response from MS when I tried using them.

Still, it is a nice to have rather than essential.

Conclusion: MS works well with the GX10/GX100 series on the Samsung A9+ for patch switching and for smart buttons for setting effects mid-song.

[IanMSpencer]

Another note, in case any other GX users wander by, which may be obvious to MIDI stalwarts but caught me out.

I've switched guitars to an Acoustasonic, and unlike my Strat it only has a single pickup. I've resolved the tone differences I want by having the GX10 have a couple of Equaliser blocks (PEQ) at the front end which I switch on for a tonal change to represent a neck pickup or a middle pickup (the Tele pickup is a bridge pickup therefore bright). This works fine for my purposes. I've assigned a consistent CC# to the two blocks for each program where it is relevant. 

I then programmed in a CC# 0 or a CC#127 for each of the blocks on each song so that a program change could have 1 of three settings, and I always switch the unused settings off, because if a program change is sent to the GX10 which matches the current program it is ignored and doesn't reset. So if I change from program 3 (Neck) to program 3 (Middle) I could be left with a setting with both Neck and Middle if I don't switch the unwanted setting off.

The catch is that the GX10 doesn't buffer the MIDI commands during a program change, so the CC changes were lost. After a bit of head-scratching I spotted the Pause option and added a 0.5 second pause after the program change and the CCs were accepted. Multiple CCs don't need pauses.

Other hints: program changes are offset by 1, so program 1 is PC 0. CC numbers are not offset, so CC#1 is CC#1

   

[IanMSpencer]

Response from Roland support.

Thanks for getting in touch.

Sorry, but BT-DUAL MIDI only communicates with the Boss Tone Studio. However, it is possible to transmit MIDI messages such as CC via USB.

So, thanks Boss for a MIDI implementation that doesn't support MIDI!

[Zubersoft]

That's definitely disappointing...

[IanMSpencer]

For completeness, in case anyone else is wondering, I decided to follow through and test the GX10 with a USB connection. 

After getting some odd results yesterday, I decided to start again and firstly connected the GX10 to my Windows Cubase 14 and set up a MIDI monitor. I could immediately see the messages I expected (and only the messages I was expecting), program changes, CC messages on and off, and I could configure a toggle or a momentary switch. None of this required any specific setup, just worked out of the box.

Going back to the Samsung Tab A9+, leaving the GX10 configured exactly as for the PC, I could not get an attachment that received MIDI over USB into MobileSheets. I know the connection is there with the default library, because I can send commands to the GX10 over USB (Bluetooth disabled). I tried with a straight USB cable and an OTG cable.

Over USB, sending commands to the GX10 only works with the default library.

Yesterday, after some incantations, I did manage to get some USB MIDI output from the GX10 (I was trying swapping libraries, leaving settings re-entering settings, trying the MIDI monitor in the songs rather than in the Action settings). What I found was that the messages I did get did not match what I got on the Windows PC.

With the Samsung, when I had it working, it would receive a CC, but each CC message was repeated. So when I set up a MIDI action of Next Page, it would move two pages. Once that started working (and I am entirely unclear why it started working and I haven't been able to get it going today), was sending doubled up momentary off/on messages rather than a single off then an on. 

As far as I can recall, it did not respect the momentary/toggle configuration and there is a global setting and a program specific setting which behaved differently, which made me suspicious that the GX10 was misbehaving with an Android USB connection. 

Other notes, for USB, the GX10 is the controlling device so I do not have any options on the USB connection. MobileSheets acknowledges the connection and asks for permission to access MIDI. Bizarrely, Boss Tone Studio, which uses a USB (MIDI?) connection on Windows, does not support a USB connection on Android - not an option that is presented on its connection screen. (Probably a marketing driven choice). The manual notes that the USB connection is for "computers" and the Bluetooth connection is for "smart phones and tablets".

So my conclusion is that the GX10 does not properly support USB connections to Android either. (Another support message to be sent!). I get the impression that Android MIDI is a flaky thing in itself so perhaps it is device dependent and unsurprising.

[Zubersoft]

Thanks for sharing all that information. I'm sure it will be helpful for any other users that have a GX10.

Mike