USB B MIDI Input Issue - MIDI Notes Not Received from Ableton Live - Similar Unanswered Threads Exist -[SOLVED]

S2400
1

Hello everyone,

First off, I want to say that I absolutely love my S2400! It’s an incredible machine and I’ve been having a blast with it. However, I’m encountering a persistent issue with MIDI input via USB B that’s really hindering my workflow, and I’m desperately hoping someone can shed light on this or offer some advice. I’ve noticed a couple of other threads describing similar USB B MIDI input problems, but unfortunately, they remain unanswered, which is concerning.

Ableton Live 12 Suite recognizes the S2400 without any problems, indicating a successful USB connection. My S2400 firmware is also up to date (latest version as of today). My operating system is macOS Monterey 12.7.6 (latest version). I’m trying to use my S2400 as a sound module with Ableton Live, connected via USB B. I’ve been using the MIDI monitor on the S2400 to check for incoming MIDI notes from Ableton, but nothing is displayed when sending notes.

To troubleshoot, I tried a few things:

  • DIN MIDI Connection: Connecting Ableton to the S2400 via DIN MIDI cables works perfectly, and MIDI notes are received and displayed in the MIDI monitor.
  • USB HOST MIDI Input: I connected a MIDI keyboard to the S2400’s USB HOST port, and it successfully received MIDI notes, which were also shown in the MIDI monitor. This suggests the MIDI monitor itself is working correctly.
  • Alternative USB B Device Test: I replaced the S2400 with another USB MIDI device, using the same USB cable and Ableton setup. This device successfully received MIDI notes from Ableton over USB B, indicating the USB cable and Ableton’s MIDI output are likely not the issue.

According to a beta tester’s comment I found, the MIDI monitor should display any incoming MIDI data regardless of the S2400’s MIDI settings. This leads me to believe that the S2400’s settings are not the cause of the problem.

The results are quite puzzling and frankly, quite frustrating. It seems, unbelievably, that my S2400 is simply not receiving MIDI notes specifically via the USB B port from Ableton, despite other devices working correctly with the same setup.

Has anyone else experienced a similar issue with USB B MIDI input? Is there anything obvious I might be missing, or any further troubleshooting steps I could take? Any help, insights, or suggestions would be immensely appreciated!

Finally, I know the team is likely very busy with the development of Caladan, but if anyone from Isla Instruments could chime in, or if any other users have experienced and resolved this, I would be incredibly grateful for any assistance you could offer.

Thanks in advance for your time and assistance.

2

I can confirm that the S2400 does receive MIDI events from the USB-B port connection and they do show up in the MIDI Monitor. why it does not work with Ableton I cannot say at the moment because I don’t have that SW

1 Like
3

Hi av500,

Thank you so much for your quick response and for confirming that USB-B MIDI input should be working and showing up in the MIDI Monitor. It’s really helpful to know that the S2400 hardware itself is likely functioning as expected in that regard.

I understand that you don’t have Ableton to test with, but your confirmation is still valuable in narrowing down the issue. It seems the problem might be specific to my setup with Ableton Live or perhaps some interaction between Ableton and my S2400 unit specifically.

I’ll continue to investigate from the Ableton side and double-check all my settings there. If I find anything new or if there’s any specific information about my Ableton setup that you think might be helpful for others to consider, I’ll be sure to share it here.

I’m still open to any other suggestions or insights from the community regarding this issue. If anyone else has experienced something similar or has any ideas, please do let me know!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and for your help!

4

Hello again everyone,

Just wanted to give a quick update on my USB B MIDI input issue. Following the advice and suggestions I received here (thanks again, av500!), I focused my troubleshooting efforts on the Ableton side of things, checking MIDI settings, drivers, etc. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work, and the MIDI Monitor on the S2400 remained stubbornly blank when sending notes from Ableton. I was honestly starting to feel a bit lost and frustrated.

However, I vaguely remembered seeing a post on this forum (or maybe another forum?) where someone mentioned that simply unplugging and replugging the USB cable while everything was powered on had resolved a similar issue for them. It sounded like a long shot, but at this point, I was willing to try anything.

So, on a whim, with my Mac, S2400, and Ableton all powered on and the MIDI Monitor active on the S2400, I unplugged and then immediately replugged the USB B cable. And guess what? As soon as I did, the MIDI Monitor flickered, briefly displayed “U SysEx Begin”, and then… MIDI notes started flowing in! Just like that, everything started working perfectly. I couldn’t believe it!

YES! IT’S WORKING!!! :party_popper::party_popper::party_popper:

Seriously, I’m still a bit baffled by how such a simple thing could fix it, but I’m incredibly relieved and happy that it’s finally working. Maybe it was some kind of weird USB initialization issue? Who knows!

Anyway, I wanted to share this in case anyone else encounters a similar problem with USB B MIDI input. If you’re scratching your head and nothing seems to be working, try the “unplug and replug while powered on” trick. You never know, it might just save the day!

Thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions and support. I’m now off to finally make some music with Ableton and my awesome S2400!

Cheers,

3 Likes