How To Use the Midifighter Menu Mode (Classic & Pro only)

How To Use the Midifighter Menu Mode (Classic & Pro only)

NOTE This method of configuration still works but it is much easier to use the Midi Fighter Utility - Check it out HERE

How To Enter and use Menu Mode
20091230: created by Fatlimey

To enter Menu Mode, hold down the top-left key while resetting the
Midifighter. You can power on the Midifigher by either by plugging in the
USB cable, or by pressing an optional 6mm tactile “reset” switch that can be
soldered to the top left of the motherboard.

Continue to hold the top-left key until menu mode is reached, this will take about 2 seconds, you will know you have accessed Menu Mode as the LED will display 7 option keys and a flashing “exit” key:

* * * *   <- Menu items
* * * .
. . . .
. . . #   <- Flashing exit key

To leave any Menu page or the Menu system itself, just hit the flashing Exit key.

Any changes made to the options are only written to the Midifighter if you
exit the Menu Mode through the top level “exit” key - this allows you to
play with the options and be sure your settings are correct before
committing the changes, without having to remember previous values.
Only when you are sure the Midifighter is set up to your specifications
should you use the top level “exit” button to commit your changes.

The seven menu items are:

  • MIDI channel
  • MIDI velocity
  • empty
  • Enable Keypress LED
  • Select Fourbanks mode
  • Select Expansion port Digital inputs
  • Select Expansion Port Analog inputs

1. MIDI Channel

# . . .   <- Flashing exit key
. . . .
* * * *   <- MIDI Channel in binary
o . . o   <- increment/decrement keys

Each note generated by the Midifighter is generated on a single MIDI
channel. By default this is Channel 3, but the first menu item allows you to
change this to any of the 16 MIDI channels. The 4-bit binary value can be
altered by incrementing and decrementing or you can directly toggle bits in
the value itself.

NOTE: MIDI channels are written down as “1..16” but their binary number is
written “0..15”, therefore all leds off will represent the binary value
b0000, which is interpreted as “MIDI Channel 1”, b0001 is “MIDI Channel 2”,
b0100 is “MIDI Channel 5”, etc.

2. MIDI Velocity

. # . .   <- Flashing exit key
. * * *   <- MIDI Channel in binary (high bits)
* * * *   <- MIDI Channel in binary (low bits)
o . . o   <- increment/decrement keys

Each NoteOn event has an accompanying velocity. As the Midifighter keys are
not velocity sensitive we use a single fixed value for all events. This menu
item allows you to alter that velocity value. The 7-bit binary value can be
altered by incrementing and decrementing or you can directly toggle bits in
the value itself.

3. empty

. . # .   <- Flashing exit key
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .

This menu slot is currently unused. Press the flashing Exit key to leave
this page..

4. Enable Keypress LED

. . . #   <- Flashing exit key
. . . .
* * * *   <- All on or all off, click to toggle
. . . .

The LEDs react to MIDI inputs on the same channel and note numbers that they
generate when pressed. This allows advanced users to directly control the
display of information on the 4x4 grid using their software mappings. The
keypad also automatically lights the LED associated with a keypress. This
feature can be disabled if the user requires complete external control over
the 16 LEDs using this menu option.

The four LEDs of the “boolean bar” are either all on or all off. Press the
bar to swap between enabled and disabled.

5. Select Fourbanks Mode

. . . .
# . . .   <- Flashing exit key
* * * *   <- Selection bar graph (three states)
o . . o   <- increment/decrement

This menu page allows you to select one of the three bank modes by using the
increment/decrement keys to move through the different options.

. . . . = Fourbanks Off

. . * * = Fourbanks Internal

        • = Fourbanks External

NOTE: If Fourbanks External is selected, the Digital Inputs menu page will
be disabled.

6. Select Expansion Port Digital Inputs

. . . .
. # . .   <- Flashing exit key
* * * *   <- one LED for each digital input, click to toggle
. . . .

Enabling this option causes the Midifighter to read the values of the
external digital input pins and track their state using a debounce
buffer. Each LED can be individually toggled to enable MIDI events to be
read from that digital input.

NOTE: If Fourbanks External mode has been selected, this menu page is
disabled as the digital inputs are being used as Bank Select keys.

7. Select Expansion Port Analog Inputs

. . . .
. . # .   <- Flashing exit key
* * * *   <- one LED for each Analog input, click to toggle
. . . .

Enabling this option causes the Midifighter to read the analog values of the
external Analog Inputs and generate MIDI events. Each analog input channel
acts as a “Smart Fader”, outputting two CC values and two KeyDown events
along the range. See the section “Expansion Ports” for more information on
the Smart Faders.

Each LED can be individually toggled to enable MIDI events to be
read from that digital input.

This nifty controller seems to amaze me more and more every single day. :smiley:
(And every new thread on the controller ofcourse. :wink: )

Do you guys have a recommended program to use on OSX yet to apply updates to the MIDI Fighter firmware? I see that in the readme file you list atmel’s flip, but that is only available for Linux / Windows platforms.

You’re looking for a “DFU programmer” (Device Firmware Update, a standard set of commands recognized by the AVR bootloader). The preferred Mac and Linux command line programmer is “dfu-programmer” available from Sourceforge here:

More details on this in the “How to flash a new HEX file” document coming as soon as I can stand behind each recipe on all three platforms. People developing from source have it a lot easier as the commands to reprogram the device are included in the makefile - once the environment is set up you just “make flip” under Win32 or “make dfu” under Mac or Linux.

Thanks for the response. I have used it in the past for small electronics projects, but wasn’t entirely sure if it’d work with the MIDI Fighter. I dug around a little in the code yesterday and flashed the device with new code twice. It all looks good.

very nice job on this write up Robin- the guide is very clear and easy to use!

When four bank mode is going to be available it is going to be really cool for me since i’m using my midi fighter in serato and I want to control everything on it. :slight_smile:

I don’t understand the “RESET” instructions. My nephew was messing around in the Menu Mode (my bad) and now my MF doesn’t work in TP… ugh! I don’t have a reset button… so how do I do it? Just want to go back to the factory default.

I got the same problem as above. Is there a restore default option available to sort out? My 2 1/2 year old son propably did the damage this time…

Are you guys seeing any midi messages at all?

It could be the base note or channel has been changed which would break any existing mapping

The default values are:

# . . .  <- MIDI Channel = 3 = 0x02
. . . .
. . * .
o . . o

. # . .  <- MIDI Velocity = 127 = 0x7f
. * * *
* * * *
o . . o

. . # .   <- MIDI Base Note = 36 = 0x24
. . * .
. * . .
o . . o

:slight_smile: Got it Fatlimey, Thank You! My brain made it more complex than it really was… HAHA!

I Have tested unit on Ableton Live & It’s not sending any midi at all. Also on the program mode, when I press key 3 to get to base not edit mode, it does not light up the keys that are on the instruction above, instead the top two left buttons are lit.

Weird ?

M

I’m having a similar problem with my midi fighter. Last night at my show I was setting up in a small booth and I looked down to see all the lights lit up on my midi fighter… Stupidly enough I pushed a few of the buttons and then unplugged it. After I plugged it back in, It would not trigger or send any midi messages to traktor… Every time I connect it now, only 1 LED lights up ( 3 button from the left, top row), and when other buttons are pressed no LED’s light up.

Please Help!!!

Anything to reprogram this??? Please!!! I love my midi fighter

Ive tried using the menu mode and restoring the default values but every time I have them set as shown above, I press the top level flashing exit, it just goes back to having the third (from the left, top row) LED on! What am I doing wrong?

Hi There,

You may need to Flash your MF with new firmware. There is a detailed instruction how to do that on PC just at the beginning of threads.

I just managed to get mine flashed today & I am back in the game. : )

It took a while as I am on Mac format & have not used PC for a long time.

On the new firmware there is “restore default” key combo, so you should not be getting stuck anymore.

Cheers,

Matti

Updated to reflect the 2011-02-04 firmware.

Fatlimey, I have the newest firmware loaded, but for some reason, I only get 2 states of 4 banks when I use try to select internal 4 banks.

I get all 4 leds slightly dim on the 3rd row and then all 4 brightly lit. Am I doing something wrong?

Sounds like you’re using the older firmware. Try downloading and updating the firmware again.

Hmm, I’ll give another shot, the updater says that its been loaded sucessfully. Not sure what could be wrong on my end. :disappointed:

Edit: still the same too options =/ Dim and slightly flashing or external mode,

i can get the new tsi to work, will i get different results external vs internal?

Edit #2 (solved): I ended up having to download the new firmware off sourceforge, then load it through the updater. Either my updater wasnt reflashing at all, or I’m assuming its pulling the older firmware off the servers. Either way, I got internal mode now :smiley: