Divisimate 2.1 improves MPE handling for controllers such as LinnStrument that send pitch or controller data before a Note On message. NextMIDI identifies that message order specifically rather than claiming a general rewrite of every MPE function.
MPE gives each active note its own MIDI channel so pitch bend, timbre, and pressure can change independently inside a chord. A separate Main channel carries information intended for the whole MPE zone. Divisimate must preserve those relationships while dividing, processing, and routing the performance.
The 2.1 change matters at the first instant of a touch. Expression data can arrive before the message that starts the note, so the receiving processor needs to handle that state in the correct channel context. Pre-note expression data handling is narrow, but a failure there can make an otherwise correct MPE setup feel inconsistent.
For the left split, the shortcut assigns Main channel 1 and per-note channels 2 through 8. For the right split, it assigns Main channel 16 and per-note channels 9 through 15. Those two channel groups let the surface run separate MPE zones without placing their per-note traffic on the same channels.
The same shortcut sets pitch-bend range to 48 semitones, Timbre on the vertical axis to CC74, and pressure to Channel Pressure. These values follow common MPE conventions, but the receiving instruments must interpret them the same way. A controller setting alone cannot force every sound library or synthesizer to respond correctly.
Match pitch range at the sound generator. If LinnStrument sends a 48-semitone range while an instrument expects a conventional two-semitone bend, a small finger movement produces the wrong interval. When a destination cannot accept 48, Roger Linn Design recommends using the highest range it supports and setting the controller to match.
That precise scope defines Divisimate 2.1's LinnStrument compatibility change. It should improve performance affected by early pitch or controller messages, but it does not automatically repair mismatched channels, bend ranges, or unsupported destinations. NextMIDI does not publish a universal audible symptom for the earlier behavior.
Test the beginning of notes rather than listening only to long slides. Strike one note without movement, repeat it with initial pressure, then begin another touch while applying pitch or vertical position immediately. An ordering problem is most likely to reveal itself near Note On, before the sustained expression settles.
Use chords after single notes behave correctly. Each finger should retain its own pitch, CC74 timbre, and Channel Pressure response on its assigned channel. If moving one finger alters every held note, some downstream stage is treating per-note expression as channel-wide or collapsing the MPE channel map.
Record a short diagnostic phrase when the DAW permits detailed MIDI inspection. Use one held chord, bend only one note, move another finger vertically, and add pressure to a third. The resulting events should remain associated with the channels used by their individual notes.
Symptoms can narrow the search. Wrong bend intervals point first to pitch-range disagreement, while missing vertical response points toward CC74 mapping or destination support. Missing pressure suggests Channel Pressure handling, and global controls behaving strangely justify checking the Main channel assigned to the active split.
Test the left and right LinnStrument splits separately before using both. Their default Main and per-note channel groups differ, so a routing setup that accepts channels 1 through 8 may ignore the right split's channels. Expand the receiving configuration deliberately rather than assuming one working zone proves the other.
Finally, replay a recorded phrase containing pitch or controller data before Note On while leaving every setting unchanged. Consistent input isolates message handling from changes in your touch. If the problem remains, inspect the first point where pitch, CC74, pressure, or channel identity differs from the LinnStrument input.
MPE gives each active note its own MIDI channel so pitch bend, timbre, and pressure can change independently inside a chord. A separate Main channel carries information intended for the whole MPE zone. Divisimate must preserve those relationships while dividing, processing, and routing the performance.
The 2.1 change matters at the first instant of a touch. Expression data can arrive before the message that starts the note, so the receiving processor needs to handle that state in the correct channel context. Pre-note expression data handling is narrow, but a failure there can make an otherwise correct MPE setup feel inconsistent.
LinnStrument defaults establish the channel map
LinnStrument calls its MPE mode Channel Per Note. In Per-Split Settings, holding the ChPerNote control until it turns light blue applies the manufacturer's current MPE defaults. That shortcut configures the channels and three principal dimensions together instead of leaving a partial manual setup.For the left split, the shortcut assigns Main channel 1 and per-note channels 2 through 8. For the right split, it assigns Main channel 16 and per-note channels 9 through 15. Those two channel groups let the surface run separate MPE zones without placing their per-note traffic on the same channels.
The same shortcut sets pitch-bend range to 48 semitones, Timbre on the vertical axis to CC74, and pressure to Channel Pressure. These values follow common MPE conventions, but the receiving instruments must interpret them the same way. A controller setting alone cannot force every sound library or synthesizer to respond correctly.
Match pitch range at the sound generator. If LinnStrument sends a 48-semitone range while an instrument expects a conventional two-semitone bend, a small finger movement produces the wrong interval. When a destination cannot accept 48, Roger Linn Design recommends using the highest range it supports and setting the controller to match.
Message order explains the compatibility change
Pitch bend or controller data sent before Note On can define the initial expressive state for a new touch. A processor that waits for Note On before associating channel data with the note may mishandle that opening information. Divisimate 2.1 explicitly improves compatibility with this ordering and names LinnStrument as an example.That precise scope defines Divisimate 2.1's LinnStrument compatibility change. It should improve performance affected by early pitch or controller messages, but it does not automatically repair mismatched channels, bend ranges, or unsupported destinations. NextMIDI does not publish a universal audible symptom for the earlier behavior.
Test the beginning of notes rather than listening only to long slides. Strike one note without movement, repeat it with initial pressure, then begin another touch while applying pitch or vertical position immediately. An ordering problem is most likely to reveal itself near Note On, before the sustained expression settles.
Use chords after single notes behave correctly. Each finger should retain its own pitch, CC74 timbre, and Channel Pressure response on its assigned channel. If moving one finger alters every held note, some downstream stage is treating per-note expression as channel-wide or collapsing the MPE channel map.
Every downstream stage must preserve MPE
Divisimate sits between the controller and receiving instruments, so the test cannot stop at its input display. The DAW routing, virtual ports, track channel settings, and destination instruments must preserve the per-note channels. A single stage that merges them can erase the independence that MPE provides.Record a short diagnostic phrase when the DAW permits detailed MIDI inspection. Use one held chord, bend only one note, move another finger vertically, and add pressure to a third. The resulting events should remain associated with the channels used by their individual notes.
Symptoms can narrow the search. Wrong bend intervals point first to pitch-range disagreement, while missing vertical response points toward CC74 mapping or destination support. Missing pressure suggests Channel Pressure handling, and global controls behaving strangely justify checking the Main channel assigned to the active split.
Test the left and right LinnStrument splits separately before using both. Their default Main and per-note channel groups differ, so a routing setup that accepts channels 1 through 8 may ignore the right split's channels. Expand the receiving configuration deliberately rather than assuming one working zone proves the other.
Finally, replay a recorded phrase containing pitch or controller data before Note On while leaving every setting unchanged. Consistent input isolates message handling from changes in your touch. If the problem remains, inspect the first point where pitch, CC74, pressure, or channel identity differs from the LinnStrument input.
