Midiflow (iOS) Q - numbering presets, how?

[Reezekeys]

I just started with this app. I have several presets that I want to call up with program changes. I have this working, but right now PC #s are locked to the order of presets in my list, which is arranged alphabetically by song title. I need a specific PC #s to call up specific presets. The documentation describes assigning a number to the preset which should let me do this:

 

 

"Tap the button on the right side of the preset name"... right... well I see no button on my screen:

 

 

I registered on the Midiflow forum but it won't let me post – I get an "SQL error." That error page says to "Please contact the Board Administrator" and provides a link opening my email client. When I sent a message I got an automated reply that they aren't responding to emails and to use their support forum! 🙂 

 

As I was typing this message the light bulb went on and I figured out a workaround - simply prepend the appropriate letter to the name of the song to put them in the correct order! I'd still like to know how to get that currently invisible button that would let me assign a number to the preset. TIA!

 

 

[Jinkings]

Press the edit button on the top left corner of the list

[Reezekeys]

Whoo boy, wow how did I miss that - I remember hitting "edit" and only seeing the option to delete presets! I need more coffee. Thanks! Onward... I'm really liking this app but it sure seems like support is very spotty, going by some of the posts I see on their forum. I hope this app is stable, I'm asking a lot of it!

[Stokely]

I've toyed around with this app, and am considering using it (if nothing else) to send patch changes to my two keyboards and maybe the one ipad app I use (B-3X) though I mainly only use one preset with that.

I did test out some more involved routing, with keyboards and ipad hooked to a hub, but the "virtual connector" for the Modx had way more latency than the direct one so I tabled that.  I had to set that up so that I could have the ipad controlled by either keyboard iirc; another reason I think was that the Modx can't listen to both midi and usb, so with the ipad connected I couldn't play Modx sounds from my Summit without having it use that virtual connector.  Kind of funny, but since the Summit has no per-patch local on/off, I had to globally turn it off and route it to itself for patches when I wanted Summit sounds to play from its own keyboard!    

I think I'll keep things a bit simpler than that in the future if I use this.

Anyway, I wasn't super happy with the preset management either, it's possible I also missed the edit.   Ideally there's be some kind of setlist builder though we tend to take requests and move things depending on factors (people dancing etc) so alphabetical might be good enough.

[Reezekeys]

So far Midiflow has been very useful, but I haven't finished my project which is to possibly replace the laptop rig I bring on the road with AWB and use an iPad or iPhone instead. Unlike you I have no hardware keyboards that make sounds - everything is in my laptop or iPad/iPhone. I've already ditched the laptop for local work but those are almost always casual pickup gigs playing jazz and funk where I don't need presets – just a decent piano, ep and occasional sweetening with strings & organ - you know, old fart sounds!

 

The setup I use on my laptop when I tour uses my host program Bidule with a lot of weird programming designed to make everything easily controllable from my keyboard without needing to look at or touch the laptop. This includes several presets with different instruments spread across the keyboard. Recreating that for the I-device world is gonna be a challenge, but between AUM, Midiflow, and Streambyter (another I-app that appeals to my programming bug!) I'm cautiously optimistic I'll be able to pull this off.

 

44 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Ideally there's be some kind of setlist builder though we tend to take requests and move things depending on factors (people dancing etc) so alphabetical might be good enough.

 

Once Jinkings straightened me out on my inability to see what was right in front of my face (!), I did some more reading of the documentation. You can assign a controller (typically program change but could be something else, maybe even a key on your keyboard) to either go directly to a particular Midiflow preset (which is what I needed) or to increment/decrement through the preset numbers – which is more like a setlist function. Obviously you don't want to be spending time before every gig editing the assigned preset numbers in Midiflow, so adding the ability to quickly reassign numbers to re-order a list of presets would be very useful. Luckily for me, I only need six presets to do the AWB gig, so I assign program changes to six of the pads on my keyboard and just tap on a pad to choose a preset - no set list function required.

[Jinkings]

You can also map to change presets on AUM… It’s more intuitive but takes longer to load a new session

Checking out Key Stage….you can rearrange things using the same AUV3 instances

[Reezekeys]

Wait... AUM has presets? Of course I know you can load & save "session" files, is that what you're calling a preset? My current AUM session has close to 40 "nodes" and takes around 15-20 seconds to load* on my older iPad. This would certainly not be viable during a set, not with the gigs I play anyway.

 

*[edit - I have several instances of Virsyn AudioLayer with ~ 1 GB of samples loaded, which might account for the load time].

 

[SECOND edit - I just re-read your post and "takes longer to load a new session" just registered with my foggy brain, so it appears you did mean "session" when you said "preset." I suppose there are folks that only change presets between songs, so can afford a few seconds of silence, but that's not always the case with me.]

[Viv Savage]

Sorry if this is elementary but it wasn’t clear to me from the Midiflow app or documentation:  Any tips on how to get Midiflow to respond to incoming program changes? I’m trying to use my MODX to select different Midiflow “Song” presets.  I understand how to assign numbers to the Midiflow presets, but I’m not even seeing that Midiflow is receiving the PCs I am sending from the MODX.  Do I need to unlock one of the confusingly named “controller” purchases in Midiflow in order to call up Midiflow presets from external gear?   Thanks in advance!

[Reezekeys]

I don't believe you need the IAP for doing this. I'm not 100% sure because I bought all of them before I started programming anything in Midiflow!

 

Hit "Config" at the top right, then under "CONTROLLER ASSIGNMENTS" hit "Add Assignment", then on the next screen choose the correct source of the PCs to change presets. Set "incoming controller" to "Program Change." You should return to the first screen. Make sure "Mode" is set to "Direct" and you should be good.

 

The manual describes it here: https://www.midiflow.com/documentation/#controller-assignments

[Viv Savage]

Thanks! That did the trick! Really appreciate the pointer!  Midiflow sure is a powerful little program!  

[Reezekeys]

I agree it's a great little app but probably abandoned. I ran into a bug but wasn't able to post on the support forum and can't reach the dev.

 

I noticed that if I edit a setup, then save it (overwrite), the app will oftentimes crash when I switch to another setup. When I run the app again, the setup reverts to the older version before the save. I work around this by airdropping the saved version to my Mac before I switch to another setup. If a crash happens I airdrop back to the iPad/iPhone & save it; the new version sticks.

 

I have to say I'm a little nervous using this app since there's no longer support. However, the feature set makes it hard to ditch, and I spent a lot of time programming everything before I realized this was a bug and not a random crash that wasn't repeatable. Other than this, the app has been stable.

[Viv Savage]

Interesting. Yes, I know what you mean about being nervous with lack of support. My needs are more simple and it has been stable (at least so far!) —  I’m basically using it to alternate between two setups that remap channels so I can play either Parts 9-16 of my MODX from a single-channel MIDI controller, or Parts 1 & 9-16.   But once you realize the power of the app, it’s tempting to use it to play more tricks! 

[Reezekeys]

It's almost worth the price for the velocity remapping feature alone. That's helped me get my acoustic & rhodes pianos to respond the way I like.

 

I'm not as worried about the support aspect since it's been completely stable and working great once I figured out a workaround to the saving bug. What I am worried about is if an iOS update breaks it - at that point I'd probably need to find a different app. That's not an issue on my old iPhone SE 2016 which is at the end of the line for updates at iOS 15, but for more recent devices like the iPad I plan on buying soon, it could be a problem.