Various issues when using Launchpad.
Posted: 08 Nov 2020, 19:10
Please excuse the poor formatting I just copied & pasted this from discord so it has a permanent home like was suggested.
I've been messing about with the launchpad led editor in MidiKey2Key and i've noticed that for launchpad pro the light adjustment settings of Low, Medium, Full don't do anything. I've also noticed that Set All Leds and All lights off don't do anything. I also can't get the Pro RGB to work at all with my launchpad pro.
I found my answer by looking a bit more and checking out the launchpad pro programmers reference. The only thing I can take away is that the codes being generated for what i'm having trouble with doesn't match what is in the programmers reference. (Using a launchpad pro and not the pro mk3)
Upon being asked for an example of some code with the above issue I provided this response.
I'd use https://resource.novationmusic.com/site ... uide_0.pdf to compare what your system outputs to examples. But lets say I want to light up all my LEDs. Your program generates F000202902180E08F7 the programmers guide says it should look like F0h 00h 20h 29h 02h 10h 0Eh <Colour> F7h. (18 should be replaced with 10) The code your program generates does nothing when I test it by sending it to my launchpad but after replacing the 18 with a 10 it works.
It appears the RGB section suffers from the exact same issue where 18 needs to be replaced with 10. I do hope the information i've provided helps. They do also have neat examples of other things that can be done like text scrolling or lighting up groups of leds or causing them to flash on the launchpad if you want to add that in as well.
I mean the Pro rgb section with the sliders just to be clear.
I have noticed one other issue. When trying to use the long hex codes (I believe the launchpad programmers reference guide calls them SysEx Messages) to change pad colors accurately. It doesn't want to function when saved to a pad even when using the correct hex code. (Pressing the pad you link it to never triggers a response of color changing) It only applies the color change after you save it then open it back up in "edit" then select "test" under the "send midi" tab. But even that doesn't function 100% of the time. It sometimes takes multiple clicks of test to get it to work and when it glitches a few pads light up colors I never even selected for them.
If you want someone to test stuff on a launchpad pro i'd be more than happy to help.
Summary
When using SysEx (long hex code) to send color commands to the launchpad it doesn't work when bound to a midi key at all. It also doesn't reliably work when you are in the editor. Sometimes when you have the screen up where you can edit the text you have to hit "Test" multiple times for it to work and sometimes it does other things that are unexpected like light up random pads.
New! I don't know if this is supposed to be how it works but I have to Save any change I make to the code before I go back into the edit section then "Test" otherwise it won't work. I just feel it is odd to "Save" have it close out of the edit window then you have to go back into the edit window to "Test" because the option for test in the main window doesn't seem to work at all for when I was trying to mess about with the lights using the long hex codes (SysEx) and my launchpad.
The brightness option when setting colors for the launchpad doesn't function at all.
Some of the Hex code generated when using the Pro RGB mode is incorrect when comparing to the example code in the programmers guide to the launchpad as shown by my example which can be found by reading the block of text I just copied & pasted from discord.
I've been messing about with the launchpad led editor in MidiKey2Key and i've noticed that for launchpad pro the light adjustment settings of Low, Medium, Full don't do anything. I've also noticed that Set All Leds and All lights off don't do anything. I also can't get the Pro RGB to work at all with my launchpad pro.
I found my answer by looking a bit more and checking out the launchpad pro programmers reference. The only thing I can take away is that the codes being generated for what i'm having trouble with doesn't match what is in the programmers reference. (Using a launchpad pro and not the pro mk3)
Upon being asked for an example of some code with the above issue I provided this response.
I'd use https://resource.novationmusic.com/site ... uide_0.pdf to compare what your system outputs to examples. But lets say I want to light up all my LEDs. Your program generates F000202902180E08F7 the programmers guide says it should look like F0h 00h 20h 29h 02h 10h 0Eh <Colour> F7h. (18 should be replaced with 10) The code your program generates does nothing when I test it by sending it to my launchpad but after replacing the 18 with a 10 it works.
It appears the RGB section suffers from the exact same issue where 18 needs to be replaced with 10. I do hope the information i've provided helps. They do also have neat examples of other things that can be done like text scrolling or lighting up groups of leds or causing them to flash on the launchpad if you want to add that in as well.
I mean the Pro rgb section with the sliders just to be clear.
I have noticed one other issue. When trying to use the long hex codes (I believe the launchpad programmers reference guide calls them SysEx Messages) to change pad colors accurately. It doesn't want to function when saved to a pad even when using the correct hex code. (Pressing the pad you link it to never triggers a response of color changing) It only applies the color change after you save it then open it back up in "edit" then select "test" under the "send midi" tab. But even that doesn't function 100% of the time. It sometimes takes multiple clicks of test to get it to work and when it glitches a few pads light up colors I never even selected for them.
If you want someone to test stuff on a launchpad pro i'd be more than happy to help.
Summary
When using SysEx (long hex code) to send color commands to the launchpad it doesn't work when bound to a midi key at all. It also doesn't reliably work when you are in the editor. Sometimes when you have the screen up where you can edit the text you have to hit "Test" multiple times for it to work and sometimes it does other things that are unexpected like light up random pads.
New! I don't know if this is supposed to be how it works but I have to Save any change I make to the code before I go back into the edit section then "Test" otherwise it won't work. I just feel it is odd to "Save" have it close out of the edit window then you have to go back into the edit window to "Test" because the option for test in the main window doesn't seem to work at all for when I was trying to mess about with the lights using the long hex codes (SysEx) and my launchpad.
The brightness option when setting colors for the launchpad doesn't function at all.
Some of the Hex code generated when using the Pro RGB mode is incorrect when comparing to the example code in the programmers guide to the launchpad as shown by my example which can be found by reading the block of text I just copied & pasted from discord.