Little Phatty MIDI DIN version doesn't receive MIDI

The Moog Forum Little Phatty & Slim Phatty Forum
1

Hello!

Well, I suppose I could reopen a thread about it, but I don’t think I’ve read any with the exact same problem.

MIDI din version (not usb) issue:
Little Phatty does not receive midi.


I have had my Little Phatty stage 1 for about 10 years, it has never had a single problem with the midi via Din 5 pins, neither input nor output.

Always using a 4X4 MIDIBOX in which the MIDI IN of the LP enters Cubase and the MIDI OUT of Cubase enters through the MIDI IN of the LP. I detail it in the most (silly) but clearest way possible, ok?

The only change I made in the last two years was updating the LP firmware to its latest version 3.21 691.

With the old firmware, I could see on the left of the screen a triangle indicating the incoming midi activity on the LP working perfectly.

Since the update, it is super stable in terms of stopping doing strange things like seeing movements in some parameters (at least that’s what it did) otherwise, everything is ok…except for not receiving any MIDI. In all the versions of Cubase that I have been able to connect it to, there have never been any problems.

I open a midi track in Cubase, assign where the midi comes in (sometimes using an external master keyboard) although almost always from the same LP, assign the output of the track to the same port where the midi in of the LP is connected and then add an audio track linked to an audio input so I can record it as such.

I have checked the MIDIBOX by removing the midi OUT from Cubase that goes to the MIDI IN of the LP on other synthesizers (PROLOGUE, MOTIF

In Cubase I have midi through activated, in the midi filter only the exclusive system filter.

The good thing is that from the LP I can play it, hear its sound and see how I record it (midi) in Cubase perfectly… it’s just that once I press play, or open the Cubase midi editor and play a note with the mouse, etc. nothing reaches the LP, really curious, and very frustrating since it has never left the studio or received any blows, etc.

It doesn’t matter if you have it in Local ON or OFF, the problem is the midi input to the LP, not the output of data, notes, pitch bend or modulation…Cubase captures everything without problem..

In Cubase I insert a midi monitor as a midi insert and I can view everything recorded as I play on its keyboard in the two characteristic colors (white for midi in and purple for midi out) and it doesn’t look bad at all…

Anyway, sorry for such a long post, but I’ve been testing cables, software (win10) and MIDIBOX drivers for days now and I don’t know where to go, so I’m trying to leave every detail no matter how small it may seem to see if you can find a solution.

I don’t know if going back to a previous firmware would at least restore its functionality, but I don’t know how to do it.

Thank you very much in advance for the help.

Xavier

2

Hey Xavier.

Here are a couple of tests you can perform.

1- Try to control it with another hardware controller. Use the MIDI cable that works for sure, i.e. the one you use to record MIDI from the LP into Cubase.
If it works, your LP is safe and you may want to try with the other cable. Otherwise your LP seems not to receive MIDI indeed.

2- After having unplugged all MIDI cables from your LP, set the LP’s MIDI input and output channels on the same number and deactivate the “Local control”. At this point, playing the LP keys should not trigger any sound. Now plug one functional MIDI cable from the LP MIDI output ot its own input. Try to play the keys again. You should be able to control the LP engine with its own keyboard… through MIDI.
If it works, the solution to your problem is on the Cubase side. If it doesn’t, that confirms the LP is not receiving MIDI.

You may want to try to downgrade to the previous firmware, indeed.

3

Hi stiiiiiiive,

Thank you for fast replay and for your clear and precise instructions about this matter.

I did both tests, with a working cable used for sending MIDI to Cubase, from MIDI out of another keyboard to MIDI in of the LP and nothing changed. I did another test just to be sure again the cable is ok, connecting MIDI out from Prologue to MIDI in of REV2 and it works perfectly…

The second test about deactivating Local control and plug the MIDI out to the MIDI in of the LP, same channel for in and out…nothing.

I guess, the final test will be downgrade the firmware, but I am searching clear instructions because my LP has not an USB port so, the last time I did it was with a software called Bome Send SX and, before doing all this tests and post this topic, I tried the software but this time windows doesn’t let me open because something related to winmmbase.dll…but, this is for another chapter…

If you know how to downgrade easily the firmware, I will try it and maybe this solve the problem…weird, because I don’t want to use an old firmware but…

Thank you so much!

Xavier