Only MIDI Output ports listed for selection as MIDI target

[CaBleman]

OK, I re-installed Aerodrum after a longer time of not having used it.

Is there a reason that only MIDI outputs that are registered and active in my Windows 10 are selectable as send options in the MIDI setup?
Wouldn't it make sense to list MIDI *inputs* there, no? How else could I route to a virtual instrument in a DAW or other software, which would listen to MIDI Inputs?
I am a bit baffled that after all those years I still have to utilize a MIDI looper helper app to use Aerodrums? DOH

Please clarify or fix. cheers

Bye,
CaB

[Richard]

We could avoid the need to use LoopMIDI or similar if we implemented our own virtual MIDI driver with Aerodrums. We agree with you that it would be a very good improvement. The only reason it hasn't been done yet is that it's quite a big job but we will try to look into it soon.

[CaBleman]

Hi Richard,
but since Aerodrums lists all the registered (&active) MIDI outputs, why not just list the Inputs as well, as any other MIDI capable Windows app would do? On the Windows API there must be a method that provides the list of MIDI input devices?

[Richard]

I'm a bit confused. Currently we send Aerodrums MIDI notes to whichever output port is selected. Wouldn't the input ports be used if we wanted to receive MIDI notes into Aerodrums? I used MIDI-OX to check what MIDI ports became available when I ran a DAW and other VST hosts and the list never changes. So it seems like using a third party virtual MIDI cable or implementing our own is the only solution, unless I'm missing something. Can you give an example of a Windows application that behaves the way you think Aerodrums should behave?

[CaBleman]

Richard, all I mean is why you limit the MIDI target selection in Aerodrums to outputs only...
If you listed inputs as well, users could setup the routing to their discretion, often w/o a MIDI looper.
Example: assume an audio interface has MIDI IN and OUT. Both ports are registered ans Windows and available for third party. The MIDI Out port is usually being used to pass it to other hardware. Yet the MIDI IN port is usually used to get MIDI data from a MIDI generating device...
Now Aerodrums actually could be considered as such a MIDI generating device - it is a software, yes, but would you not naturally connect it to a MIDI IN port of your system to then route this to your VST Instrument in a DAW?
I don't get the idea why Aerodrums only sends to MIDI Output ports of a system, unless one would like to drive hardware drum extenders through that. To drive software instruments on the same system, an EXTRA routing or loop software is needed to achieve that. If Aerodrums would be capable to select MIDI Inputs of the host system as a sending target, all would be fine and much more flexible... is is clearer now?
Thanks for listening, CaB

[Sipaliwini]

Ugh, I'm the idiot who wrote the port listing the wrong way around (I was thinking about it from Aerodrums' point of view instead of the program offering the port, which of course is the right way to read "output").
In the main use case we had in mind - virtual MIDI cable to input into a DAW - it works because cables are agnostic to what's in and what's out.
We will fix this in the next update. We can send you a preview of it.
We'll try to make the change transparent to virtual MIDI cable users, but unfortunately there is a chance some users will have to re-select the MIDI port in Aerodrums.

[CaBleman]

Alrighty, happy to receive preview and test, folks! just let me know, thanks.

[CaBleman]

OH, and while you#re at it... wasn't there an option for hi-hat to send CC continously in previous versions?
I cannot make it work with MT Drums, Studio drummer or DrumSonic.
ANd I treid all the options in the MIDI setup of aerodrums... it never stays closed, just goes shortly to closed.
CIao, C

[Richard]

That option is still there on the MIDI screen, labelled "Open or closed only".

Studio Drummer supports CC openness so that should work fine. Click on NI Studio Drummer in the MIDI maps screen and it will display further instructions for setting up Studio Drummer in the right hand side of the window. Make sure the "Open or closed only" option is unticked.

I'm not sure if MT Drums/DrumSonic support CC for controlling hihat openness. I suspect they don't in which case you will need to tick the "Open or closed only" option. With this option ticked, when editing the hihat in the MIDI map editor you will be able to specify a different note that is sent when the hihat is open and when it is closed.

Let us know if you still can't get it to work, thanks.

[Sipaliwini]

So I was working on this and now realize that I was confused when writing my last reply:

Aerodrums currently only lists the MIDI ports that are accepting MIDI notes: these are the MIDI IN ports from the point of view of the program offering them.

CaBleman, could you explain why you believe the opposite is true? Do you have a specific program or inteface that you know declares a software MIDI IN port that Aerodrums is not listing?

Like Richard said earlier, connection to a DAW would be made simpler if Aerodrums offered a MIDI port that would then be listed as an input device in DAWs.

We haven't prioritized this because it is of interest to advanced users for whom the use of a virtual MIDI cable (Mac IAC or LoopBe1) is straightforward.