Workaround for MIDI Note Off Bug

TLDR: To minimize the effects of the Note Off bug, set all unused input ports to <none>.

I use my MPC extensively as a sequencer to drive synthesizers, both mono and poly, and I have to say that I have not experienced the MIDI Note Off bug frequently. There is one circumstance under which it is guaranteed to happen; and knowing that, I can avoid it.

For my external synths, I use a single pair of MIDI ports along with a merger; each synth is on a separate channel. The monitor setting for each track is set to Off, so as to avoid MIDI loops. The input is normally set to the input port that the synth is connected to, for recording purposes. However, with these settings, the MPC will pass Note Off messages, on the original channel, to the MIDI out port, even with the monitor set to Off. If the port is set to <none>, the Note Off is not passed. Interestingly, if the monitor is set to In, there is no additional Note Off sent, just the original Note On/Off pair.

So my solution is to set all input ports to <none>, except when recording MIDI data.

Hope that helps someone.

Thank you jamos !
By the way, which device do you use for the midi merge ?

semar wrote:Thank you jamos !
By the way, which device do you use for the midi merge ?

MIDI Solutions:

https://midisolutions.com/prodmrg.htm

jamos wrote:TLDR: To minimize the effects of the Note Off bug, set all unused input ports to <none>.

I use my MPC extensively as a sequencer to drive synthesizers, both mono and poly, and I have to say that I have not experienced the MIDI Note Off bug frequently. There is one circumstance under which it is guaranteed to happen; and knowing that, I can avoid it.

For my external synths, I use a single pair of MIDI ports along with a merger; each synth is on a separate channel. The monitor setting for each track is set to Off, so as to avoid MIDI loops. The input is normally set to the input port that the synth is connected to, for recording purposes. However, with these settings, the MPC will pass Note Off messages, on the original channel, to the MIDI out port, even with the monitor set to Off. If the port is set to <none>, the Note Off is not passed. Interestingly, if the monitor is set to In, there is no additional Note Off sent, just the original Note On/Off pair.

So my solution is to set all input ports to <none>, except when recording MIDI data.

Hope that helps someone.

yes - this does help indeed - great find

It would be very cool if some (or at least one) of the beta testers in here could submit this workaround to the AKAI developers, thanks!