I’m trying to get vibrato working with MG-3 and MPE.
I’m using Studio One’s MaiTai which has some MPE presets and those track vibrato and pitch bending perfectly. So I think my setup on the JamOrigin / DAW side is correct.
When I switch to Surge XT, which has MPE presets, it does not work. And I’ve seen LoFiLeif using it, so it’s possible. The Surge’s MPE indicator on top is on, I tried many MPE presets but none work. (The vibrato/bending does not work, I can’t really speak for pressure / brightness)
I realize I don’t understand how this works with MaiTai in the first place, so I don’t know how to set it up anywhere else. How is vibrato/bending MIDI being send to third party synths?
It’s not pitch bend, not pressure or brightness. Where is the magic here? How can I set this up?
Thanks in advance and congratulations on MG3, I’ve been using MG2 for years and this version is a massive step up. Great job!
I did a DAW guide on Studio One and MG3 a while ago. It (hopefully) shows what is possible, but also what is not possible with Studio One.
If you are working with a PC or using the VST version of the MG3 plugin inside Studio One, you will not be able to send any MPE from the MG3 plugin to any synth on another track. Studio One doesn’t allow for that. I could set up with MPE using an AU version of the MG3 plugin because it create a virtual MIDI output for the MIDI messages. That way I can create a “NEW Keyboard” which, in turn I could MPE-enable and use for the MPE instruments I put on a track in Studio One. So it is not that Studio One doesn’t allow for MPE, it is just that we can’t pass that on directly from the plugin to the other track.
You should be able to use MG3 in Standalone mode outside of Studio One though. I have no idea how you got MaiTai to work with pitchbends. But did you see this already:
If you’re transmitting MPE MIDI from MG3 and you do not activate MPE in Surge XT the not data will pass through – but pitch bend data will not be received!
I’m on mac using the AU version of the plugin, exactly as described in the video. VST was not working as you explain. Surge’s MPE indicator is turned on.
I have the two virtual instruments on different tracks, being fed by the same virtual keyboard. MaiTai picks up MPE vibrato and pitch bending perfectly, Surge does not.
Even more, I can activate both of them simultaneously, and one vibrates the other one doesn’t. That’s why I’m thinking it has to be a synth configuration issue. The MPE data is being sent.
How does MPE communicate vibrato? is it a continues stream of data versus the classic note ON/OFF + CC of common MIDI?. I’m guessing there’s a note ON + some CC that continuously transmits pitch variations. I’m guessing that’s not properly configured. Does that make sense? How does vibration work? Is it a CC?
Is there a way to read MIDI output log from MG-3? Maybe that will give us a clue.
Vibrato is pitch (GLIDE) and it is sent on a per note/per channel basis with the other note specific massages. Of course there are stuff like scripted vibratos, and these are going to be different for each patch or instrument. But, in most cases you really don’t want to use them.
Surge XT hasn’t always been the easiest MPE instrument to start with. I have struggled sometimes too with getting bends to work. So can we agree on some patch to take a look at? And have you tried Surge in the standalone setup (and have it work there)?
I have not tried it yet. I will today. I’m ok with any patch you can get working. Also… I’m not married to Surge, it’s just free. But If I can get another synth working as MaiTai… I wouldn’t mind paying for it.
MaiTai’s main issue for me is the lack of presets. I know enough about synths to work with them but I don’t have the time to come up with new sounds myself. I need a synth with TONS of presets I can try and then tweak from there. It’s for a personal project, and I just need to fill up some spaces.
If you try a patch like “Coteaux du Giennois” from the MPE category, and see to that you don’t have any MPE pitch bend smoothing going on (MENU/MPE settings/MPE pitch bend smoothing/NO smoothing.
Since you are on a Mac you can use any MPE synth, so it is just a matter of finding one you like.
It depends on what kind of sounds you are looking for, but Arturia Pigments 6 is extremely versatile. But not for ttraditional analog pads or emulation of other synths.
I can’t load surge straight from MG3 standalone because it’s not an option. I tried to rescan plugins but did not work. MaiTai is not there either. I’ll try from that patch from Studio One later. I don’t have other MPE synths to test in standalone mode.
Zykløp is free (brilliant) MPE synth if you just want to try stuff out.
And if you need a MIDI inspector tool, ShowMIDI is also free. It doesn’t open inside MG3 but throw in a MIDI OUT module on a chain somewhere and you can watch all your MIDI controllers messages together with the MIDI output from MG3 together:
I got it to work. For anyone else looking for the same answer:
As @LoFiLeiF said:
If you are working with a PC or using the VST version of the MG3 plugin inside Studio One, you will not be able to send any MPE from the MG3 plugin to any synth on another track. Studio One doesn’t allow for that. I could set up with MPE using an AU version of the MG3 plugin because it create a virtual MIDI output for the MIDI messages.
The missing nugget of information is that the virtual instrument you add on the separate track also needs to be in AU format for it to pick up on MPE messages. That’s why MaiTai worked, it’s only available in AU format.
