Es-5 / ESX-MD Getting Nowhere

[MARCHEAL]

I bought an ES-3 and Silent Way and I loved it. In fact, they revolutionized my use of modular. Emboldened, I bought an ES-5 and an ESX-MD but I cannot make sense of them at all in the software.

I seem to be connected correctly. I follow the very limited documentation and lights flash, seemingly at random, but I’m at a dead end. Presumably I’m doing something wrong but there doesn’t seem to be any additional documentation to help. The ES videos show a system working smoothly, but offers no information how to set it up.

Is there some support resource that I'm missing? I can't believe that I have to go trawling forums for such a basic / set-up level.

[os]

What are you trying to send out of the ES-5/ESX-8MD? MIDI? Or triggers/gates?

Set up of the modules & plug-ins is described in their respective user manuals.

[MARCHEAL]

Thank you for responding. I am trying to send midi messages out from the ESX-8MD - clock and individual notes. I am running Logic, with an ES3. ES5 and and ESX-MD. With respect, there is nothing about this in the ESX-MD “manual”, which only talks about the hardware connection.

It seems to me that I am properly connected because I can send midi clock to the ESX and control the output from the ES-5 controller. So if I run Logic I can sync a drum machine using midi clock through the ESX - all good (and rock solid, as promised). However when I play a midi note on the very same channel I can’t get any midi to output. I can see midi going into the ES5 controller. A light come on on the output of the ESX. But nothing comes out of the ESX.

I tried 44.1 and 48k, though the midi clock works fine on either.

Am I routing something wrong? But then why does the light come on on the ESX output? Any help gratefully received.

[os]

Can I see the plug-in settings?

[MARCHEAL]

Thanks. Here is my Logic channel and here is my ES-5 controller. I've kind of guessed at this set-up and it seems to work.

So, to the ES5 controller. Coming out of 6/2 is midi clock. I’ve got an old Roland drum machine attached from 6/2 on the ESX-8MD and it’s rocking along fine.

You can see that I’m sending midi note info at the top where is it show 128 value. In this setting on the ES5, a red light comes on at ESX 6/3 (or whatever) whenever I press a key, or in time with a sequence. I’ve tried sending note info out of 6/2 or 6/3 or other outposts at the bottom, but no note info is transmitted.

If I turn up output 6 bottom left, all the ESX lights flash on and off (why is that btw?).

I'm also curious as to why the note info is coming in on number 4 at the top.

Thanks again.

[os]

You don't want to use the Input To Gates section. That's for generating analogue gates from MIDI.

If you're sending MIDI, the only relevant section is the 'MIDI Out' block.

[MARCHEAL]

Thanks, I know that, I was just mentioning to show I was connected right. I am asking about midi,

So - why am I able to generate midi clock routed through the ESX, but can't get a midi note to register? I play the keyboard. I can see the value register at the top as in the screen grab. If the gates are turned off then nothing shows at the ESX output.

But if i run the sequence, light comes on at ESX output 2 and clock works just fine.

[os]

A MIDI note on/off is too brief to light up the LED enough to see. Clocks, being much more frequent, are visible.

[MARCHEAL]

OK, interesting.(Though I'm not sure why that should be because the ES-3 LED lights up when i give it a midi note).

But my question is still - why is midi note information not being transmitted? If it was, I would be able to trigger sound by playing the notes on the keyboard. But that doesn't work.

[MARCHEAL]

I've tried it through three different outputs, with three different machines (Access virus, mmoog mother, Roland R70) all receive clock but no midi note from a sequence.

[os]

Can you plug the MIDI back into the computer and watch it with MIDI Monitor (https://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/) or similar, and see what's actually being generated?

[MARCHEAL]

Yes. As before.

If I run a sequence from Logic, midi monitor shows receiving clock nicely from the ESX. If I play a note I can see it going out (and into the ES-3 / 5) but the ESX transmits nothing. If I plug in a MOTU midi port, the lights flash up when I give it clock, but nothing comes through when I play notes.

I absolutely promise you that midi note information is not being generated from the ESX. But clock is.

[os]

Just noticed in your screenshot above you have a Voice Controller in the track. What's that doing?

If that's your 'instrument' in the track, will Logic be sending the MIDI notes there instead of to the ES-5 plug-in?

[MARCHEAL]

OK, thanks for noticing. I've been trying combinations to try to get this operational. What was suggested in the documentation didn't work and some online videos had that set-up. At least that way I could see midi note information going into the ES-5.

Here's another set-up with just the ES-5 controller. Same deal. Clock works but no midi note. Only this time when I play a note, I can't see any input at all on the ES-5 controller (and nothing registers on the ES-5 itself).

Also when the sequence is at rest, the ESX seems to be throwing out a bunch of odd information, which does seem to contain note information.

I don't know if that's better or worse, but functionally it's no different. W hat do you think?

[MARCHEAL]

OK, wait. I think I've figured it out. I think you were right about the voice controller interfering with the midi. I need to go now but I have a hopeful sign. Thankyou - for the moment!