Trouble With MIDI Control Surface - Help Needed With NRPN Numbers...

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Doctor Varney

Cave dwelling Luddite
I'm trying to program a Novation Zero SL MKII control surface, using it's native editor, for Windows...

It might take a long time to explain exactly all of the problems I am encountering but I need to know if it's the controller that is faulty (so I can send it back) or whether it's my understanding of MSB (main significant byte) and LSB (least sig. byte) numbers is at fault.

Is there something I should know about assigning NRPN numbers? As I understand it, the MSB of 710 would be 7, whilst the LSB would be 10. Is that right?

I am getting some very unpredictable results and it's VERY frustrating. Because the Novation controller uses template-switching in order to bank, I have assumed I need to give each encoder on each template, a unique NRPN.

I am really unsure of what I am doing. I have tried various combinations of MSB and LSB numbers but cannot seem to escape conflict and/or eratic behaviour. So I am hoping that perhaps it is just my understanding of the concept that is at fault and this controller isn't completely duff.

Can anyone who is experienced with these matters help me out? Is there anything particular I should know before trying to program NRPN commands into a controller?

Thanks
 
Okay - here's where I am. I have started reading further about LSB and MSB in NRPN and it goes way above my head. I'm lost already. Evidently I don't comprehend the very basic meaning of these terms and cannot hope to, when it is written by people who assume I know what they are talking about. Can anyone here provide a very basic explanation of what MSB, LSB and non-registered parameter numbers actually mean, in simple, layman's terms? In such a way that I can apply it practically to what I'm trying to do?

So basically, I have to give all of these encoders different numbers. What numbers should I give each one and why?

Thank you.
 
The LSB and MSB are binary numbers. You would have to convert the whole decimal number to hexadecimal to get each byte. (There's a simple mathematical trick involving pounds and ounces that you can use to get it off the top of your head, but I can't remember it at the moment.) I have a book that talks about NRPNs and such, but it's at home and I'm at work right now. I'll check back when I get off.
 
Thanks.... Only, tricks?

Why can't I just set them sequentially - 1-8, 9-16, etc? This seems logical to me but there are conflicts and I can't understand why.

Also, why aren't MSB 4 & 5 working?

This is becoming a nightmare. I can't count the change in my pocket, so I don't know how I am going to calculate all that!
 
I'm amazed the Novation is making you tool around with NRPNs. The Tascam sends plain old NoteOn and ControllerChange messages in 4-banks mode.
 
Oh, I can actually choose exactly the sort of messages I want for each encoder. CC, RPN, NRPN, SysEx and MMC.
 
Well, hey bingo... lookie what I found... I just read this...

...and it makes me want to vomit.

Which is the only valid reaction, short of an immediate brain hemorrhage.

And I thought women were complicated...

So yes. I'm all for choosing something easy. So which one of those is 'easy'? CCs I presume? Though, if I mess with those, will it affect my Roland MIDI keyboard, which i am also using to send notes to the DAW?

Frightened now. Like being in a haunted wood without a crucifix...
 
It shouldn't affect any other MIDI device. Put it on a separate MIDI port (separate socket, not channel) and set your DAW to receive commands on that socket. Yes, I think CCs would be best, as they most closely resemble the kinds of operations you want to perform with the Novation.
 
Cool... I take it this doesn't pertain to USB?
 
It could. MIDI over USB is common. The Tascam has two regular MIDI sockets and one MIDI control port with no physical socket for the control surface. All three go into the computer over USB.
 
Okay, dude, good news.... I have cracked the Novation nut...

It's a powerful controller with a terrible lack of instructions supplied. The trade off is that with power, you get complication.

I went back to scratch. I took the NRPN values from a factory supplied template and just adjusted the LSBs upwards for each. Is it worth the complication, I had to ask... well, the feedback you get on the LCD kinda does make iseem worthwhile. Now that it's working correctly, I can't actually think what I was doing wrong.
 
Glad you got it working. :D

It's nice that you're able to get feedback from a MIDI keymapped device. Reaper doesn't do that.
 
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