Welcome to the USBMIDIConnect app!
You will need an OTG (on-the-go) adapter for your android and a USB-MIDI converter. This app will connect to your MIDI device (sound module, keyboard, ...) through USB or Bluetooth LE / wireless and take you on a musical journey! There are billions of melodies and millions of accompaniments waiting to be found.
(Some devices may have a built in USB-MIDI converter; connecting to such devices only requires the appropriate USB to USB cable).
(OTG and USB-MIDI converter or USB to USB cable not required for Bluetooth LE or writing to MIDI files).
There are 2 ways the app enables connecting to your MIDI device:
via USB (Universal Serial Bus)
via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
*Note - this assumes a standard configuration. There may be other possible configurations.
Step 1
Please connect a USB-MIDI converter to your MIDI device (keyboard, sound module, ...).
Step 2
Please connect the converter also to an OTG or other adapter that can connect to your Android.
Step 3
Please connect the adapter to your Android.
*Please note that with USB-C type adapters, the USB symbol must be facing up.
Step 4
With your Android and MIDI device turned on and the USBMIDIConnect app running, press the "MIDI" button at the top.
The blue text area near the top should display details of your hardware configuration.
If not, please check again to make everything is connected properly and turned on.
Some hardware configurations may have multiple interfaces and/or jacks, and in that case you can specify which to use. In that case, you can select the "Interface, Jack" check box at the top. 2 spinner controls will be come enabled, 1 for each selection. If you are unsure of which id numbers to select, try generating a piece as described elsewhere in the manual. In case the currently selected pair of interface and jack are not used, the app will cycle through some suggested id numbers to select, displaying the suggested id numbers in the blue text area and transmitting a musical phrase to the corresponding interface and jack.
Step 1
Please make sure your Android and MIDI devices are turned on and within BLE range.
Step 2
Please open your Android settings, connected devices, and make sure your Android device is paired to your MIDI BLE devices.
Step 3
Please press the "MIDI" button at the top
The blue text area near the top should display details of your hardware configuration.
If not, please check again to make everything is connected properly and turned on.
Press the help button for a display of univeral help images and text.
Press the listen button to generate a musical phrase using the current selections.
Press the begin button to generate a full piece using the current selections.
Press the halt button to halt generation.
Press the share button to generate a full piece for output to a standard MIDI file. A dialog box will open, allowing you to select a directory on your device where to save the file. A unique file name will be given, and you can choose to change the file name also.
Use the algorithm and variation spinner controls to select which algorithm and variation will be used for music generation.
Each musical journey has a "beginning" (Capo) and an "end" (Fine). There are 7 musical elements associated separately with capo and fine:
Chord
Mode
Motif
Note Duration
Velocity Range
Scale
Key
The combinations of each of the capo selections with each of the fine selections are applied 1 at a time, starting with only the capo values and transitioning to the fine values. The order in which the combinations are applied depends on which algorithm has been selected.
By default, only the capo values are editable, and the fine values are selected for you by the app. However, for more advanced usage of the app, you can deselect the "d.c. al fine" check box, enabling either the "capo" or "fine" radio button to be selected. When the "fine" radio button is selected, all the labels of the controls that are specific to capo and fine will appear in upper case. Those selections will be used instead of the defaults that would be chosen by the app.
There are other musical elements that can be changed:
Tempo
Cambiare
Sustain
Octave
*Note - When generating a full piece for sharing (ie- generating a MIDI file), Sustain is tied to the Cambiare feature and will only take affect if the Cambiare checkbox is selected.
The musical elements selections mentioned so far are for generation of music played by a virtual piano/keyboard player. As such, many of those elements can be selected by hand, and are grouped together per hand. To suppress generation of either the left or right hand playing, deselect the corresponding hand check box. At that time, all the controls for all the elements specific to that hand will become disabled.
The music generated using the selections described above simulates music played by a virtual piano/keyboard player. Additionally, you can add a melody, so the piano/keyboard part becomes the accompaniment. Do this by selecting the "Comp./Aria" checkbox. Selecting the "Comp./Aria" checkbox causes 2 things to happen:
A grouping of controls for melody generation becomes enabled.
Before any music generation occurs, your MIDI device is put into "General MIDI" mode (enabling selection of standard instruments).
*Note - some MIDI devices may not support General MIDI mode, but that will not prevent music generation.
The controls for selection of elements for melody generation are:
Aria (melody)
Random Seed (needed for probability and random Aria selections)
Sound Bank and Instrumentation selections
Dynamics selection (tied to the Cambiare feature described above)
Pan selection (positioning of instrumentats relative to eachother in degrees about a virtual circle)
Foot Pedal Octave selection (selection of octave for organ foot pedal or accordion left hand)