OP-Z with FH-1 (also starring iConnectMIDI4+)

I’m testing the OP-Z with the Expert Sleepers FH-1, a promising start but after a while I’m getting strange results. As you might know, FH-1 translates MIDI into CV and it’s endlessly configurable, so for example you could use it to send four pairs of gate/CV, or turn MIDI CC into CV LFOs, or many combinations in between. It even has an expansion for adding more outputs… Sounds great if it works with the OP-Z, right?

However. When I connect the OP-Z straight to the FH-1, some notes are dropping out —like, I can program a straight four on the floor and only one or two notes per measure is played—. No step components or anything fancy. It also “freezes” from time to time, FH-1 stops sending data altogether while the OP-Z is playing alright. Also of note: I’m not inputting any CV into the FH-1, the kind that causes the OP-1 to get crazy when I used with the Expert Sleepers as well.

So then I connected the OP-Z to an iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ box (to the controller USB input), and from that box to the FH-1. It works overall better, with an occasional freeze, the only big problem is that when I use some punch-in effects the CV tuning gets a little crazy (I’m guessing the punch-in effects “overload” the MIDI messages that the FH-1 receives and it causes it to malfunction a little?).

I get that this is a very specific configuration, but has somebody succeeded in connecting the OP-Z to the FH-1?

I was fighting with exactly the same thing yesterday. If you switch off sending midi clock from the OP Z, shift and 5 in the module track, it thins out the midi data flow and for me has stopped the glitches

I think that you get best results when sending midi to OPZ if you turn off all transmission of midi from the OPZ, otherwise it seems to echo back its own data.

Also just picked up the FH-1 and it’s doing the same thing even with midi clock set to off as well as everything else except for midi out. It’s really bad, pretty much every other note skips. If I’m not running the sequencer and only playing the keys it works fine…

The more I think about I think it could be a setting in the FH-1. I’ll mess with it and keep you guys updated.

I had a lot of problems with it over the weekend and eventually gave up. I think the issue is that the FH-1 is mot picking up every midi note off.

Tried again briefly this morning with the new OS upgrade and it looked like it was working a lot better. Will check more thoroughly when I get back home after work.

Did some testing for half an hour when I got back home…appears to be working ok with direct USB connection to FH 1.

Will try testing for longer when I get a chance.

Sadly having put a long stint in last night struggling with hung notes again. Channel 4 seems to be the worst but the synth channels seem much worst than the drums but heavy midi seems to affect the timing.

I need to check what’s going out on channels 4-8. Ideal solution might be Bluetooth to iOS then use a midi filter with phone plugged into FH-1.

If anyone is getting anywhere consistently it would be good to know as the OP-Z modular combo works on a lot of levels.

Yeah. I sent TE a message about this. I’ve tried every configuration whatsoever and nothing seems to fix it. I even get dropped notes when turning the knobs on the OP-Z.
I make ambient so it’s sort of useable for me cause I have the bpm going really slow and I don’t get many dropped notes unless it’s going faster. Still though hopefully this gets taken care of ASAP.

Can I ask your setup process with the MIDI4+? I am trying to get sync working with my Novation Circuit via a MIDI2+ and have had no luck.

@tyroneshoelacez said:
Yeah. I sent TE a message about this. I’ve tried every configuration whatsoever and nothing seems to fix it. I even get dropped notes when turning the knobs on the OP-Z.
I make ambient so it’s sort of useable for me cause I have the bpm going really slow and I don’t get many dropped notes unless it’s going faster. Still though hopefully this gets taken care of ASAP.

I’m currently having much better luck when I connect the OP-Z to Ableton Live, then route the MIDI from there to the FH-1 via the iConnectMIDI2+. No perceptible dropped notes. When I connect the OP-Z directly to the FH-1, I get dropped notes aplenty. I suspect that I could ditch Ableton and try OP-Z -> iConnectMIDI2 -> FH-1, I’ll just need to get a power supply for the middleman.

@jamesstiff said:

@tyroneshoelacez said:
Yeah. I sent TE a message about this. I’ve tried every configuration whatsoever and nothing seems to fix it. I even get dropped notes when turning the knobs on the OP-Z.
I make ambient so it’s sort of useable for me cause I have the bpm going really slow and I don’t get many dropped notes unless it’s going faster. Still though hopefully this gets taken care of ASAP.

I’m currently having much better luck when I connect the OP-Z to Ableton Live, then route the MIDI from there to the FH-1 via the iConnectMIDI2+. No perceptible dropped notes. When I connect the OP-Z directly to the FH-1, I get dropped notes aplenty. I suspect that I could ditch Ableton and try OP-Z -> iConnectMIDI2 -> FH-1, I’ll just need to get a power supply for the middleman.

@jamesstiff said:

@tyroneshoelacez said:
Yeah. I sent TE a message about this. I’ve tried every configuration whatsoever and nothing seems to fix it. I even get dropped notes when turning the knobs on the OP-Z.
I make ambient so it’s sort of useable for me cause I have the bpm going really slow and I don’t get many dropped notes unless it’s going faster. Still though hopefully this gets taken care of ASAP.

I’m currently having much better luck when I connect the OP-Z to Ableton Live, then route the MIDI from there to the FH-1 via the iConnectMIDI2+. No perceptible dropped notes. When I connect the OP-Z directly to the FH-1, I get dropped notes aplenty. I suspect that I could ditch Ableton and try OP-Z -> iConnectMIDI2 -> FH-1, I’ll just need to get a power supply for the middleman.
That means I would have to buy an Iconnect Midi2 though. I’ll wait it out and hopefully they’ll sort it ASAP. Nice you have it working though!

@tyroneshoelacez said:

That means I would have to buy an Iconnect Midi2 though. I’ll wait it out and hopefully they’ll sort it ASAP. Nice you have it working though!

I hear you. It’s far from an ideal solution. More of a stopgap until a better one comes along! I’m sure TE will fix it with a future update (I’m assuming their own forthcoming MIDI/CV module will depend on it).

I am having the same issue with my Hermod, some tracks are great but the bass track almost never plays correctly. Especially with the master track transposing. Hopefully the modules will be better (but kind of lame that I already have a usb/midi module of my own that apparently isn’t working.). Might be an overload of messages, I haven’t been able to sift through all the parameters yet to figure out a clean solution

Same deal here, tons of stuck notes on the FH-1 even with custom scripts while OP-Z -> computer -> ES-8 works fine. Any resolution yet?

Finally got the FH-1 to work wirelessly without dropouts

https://instagram.com/p/Bs8sjhcBrGe/

OP-Z to AUM on iPad to iConnectmidi FH-1.

Happy days!

That’s really great news. Big thanks for sharing! Was hoping this set up would remedy the dropouts. Going to download AUM and give it a spin.

Oh. An FH-1 or an oplab module. Now you’ve got me thinking!

Good to know someone was interested

I tried many combinations of gear before arriving on this setup. AUM is such a great tool and the midi router is fantastic for problems like this.

Be interested to know it works for someone else as there are so many places a setup like this might fall over.

Anyone had success with the Oplab module vs FH-2 or Hermod? I’m debating whether I should sell my Hermod… or my Oplab module… they both work – but I see more options through the Hermod since I’ve got it