Luminite Graviton M1 MIDI Controller

[Melodioso]

Where is Luminite based out of?

From ChatGPT:

Here’s evidence linking it to the UK company Luminite Electronics Ltd., which is based at:
2a Bellevue Road, Friern Barnet, London N11 3ER, United Kingdom — this is the listed address for Luminite Electronics Ltd. (UK electronics company).

Also, their Terms of Service specify that [...] "shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of United Kingdom".

However their shortest shipping time is for the US - shorter than for Europe:

• United States: 3-5 business days.
• Canada: 7-9 business days.
• Europe: 5-9 business days.
• Australia / NZ: 8-10 business days.
• Japan / Korea / Asia: 7-9 business days.
• South America: 12-15 business days.

So... not 100% clear but probably UK?

 

[[Nathan]]

Wasn’t worth it’s own thread, interested to see Morningstars new one here, looks like the graviton sort of layout

 

[Melodioso]

It's a MC8 PRO divided in 2 basically:

I was also looking forward to a Luminite Graviton type of device, which would receive the MIDI wirelessly from the foot controller. Alas, no.

 

[Elric]

It's a MC8 PRO divided in 2 basically:

View attachment 58237


I was also looking forward to a Luminite Graviton type of device, which would receive the MIDI wirelessly from the foot controller. Alas, no.

I haven't been keeping up w/ MIDI controllers as I have sttled on the OG MC8 but I do use CME WIDI stuf w/ it. I was considering upgrading to MC8 Pro. It *does* support BT MIDI according to the info at Morningstar... is that insufficient to address the concern re, foot controllers you are citing wheras the Luminite does? Guess I should get a complete picture before moving to a new unit in the future...

 

[Orvillain]

Here’s evidence linking it to the UK company Luminite Electronics Ltd., which is based at:
2a Bellevue Road, Friern Barnet, London N11 3ER, United Kingdom — this is the listed address for Luminite Electronics Ltd. (UK electronics company).

Ha! I used to live up the road from there many moons ago.

 

[hunter]

Just a heads up regarding customer service.

One of the two joysticks on my X/Y acted up. I wrote them an email and received a reply a few days later, they shipped out a new one no questions asked. I like!

 

[Jack Luminous]

One thing bothers me and doesn't seem logical. When you assign an action to a second tap in a preset and select another preset, when you go back to the first one, it executes the second tap. I would have thought changing preset would reset the process, especially when there's a third tap. What do you think ?

 

[laxu]

One thing bothers me and doesn't seem logical. When you assign an action to a second tap in a preset and select another preset, when you go back to the first one, it executes the second tap. I would have thought changing preset would reset the process, especially when there's a third tap. What do you think ?

I think it has a lot of "well this makes sense...but this other way also makes sense" type things. I don't remember if there was an option to reset this functionality in the options or a special command.

 

[Jack Luminous]

Yeah, a reset tap on preset change option would be great.

 

[Skwizzerjumbs]

Does anyone else here use their own DIY MIDI switchers to control the M1/M2? I'm trying to figure out the right way to code tap vs hold actions, and what I'm doing now doesn't seem to be working. Some MIDI switchers use tap-release sequences, and others use continually fired MIDI messages to indicate a held switch. I'm using an Arduino board with the Onebutton library.

 

[iaresee]

My M2 and the controllers arrived. Will dig in to programming starting tonight. My initial needs are super simple

* MIDI loop with it, the VP4 and my FM9
* Bandhelper page up/down and next/prev chart control
* Using the X/Y controller to trigger page up/down and next/prev chart wirelessly
* Expression controller value transmission over MIDI for the 4 wireless controllers I bought

Beyond that I'm not sure what I'll do with it. I'll probably leave the one Moog controller plugged directly into my FM9. But the chasebliss exp I'll move to the M2 and map it via MIDI into both the VP4 and the FM9.

On the fence with moving tempo control from the FM9 to the M2. Maybe?

 

[laxu]

Does anyone else here use their own DIY MIDI switchers to control the M1/M2? I'm trying to figure out the right way to code tap vs hold actions, and what I'm doing now doesn't seem to be working. Some MIDI switchers use tap-release sequences, and others use continually fired MIDI messages to indicate a held switch. I'm using an Arduino board with the Onebutton library.

Most MIDI controllers use release for press if a hold function is in use. It's just much easier to execute because there's no guesswork if the user wanted to press or hold.

Morningstar's Action Types documentation should be good reading for ideas how they do it.

I'd go with "if configured for single action -> detect press for tap" and "if configured for hold action -> detect release for tap".

 

[Skwizzerjumbs]

Most MIDI controllers use release for press if a hold function is in use. It's just much easier to execute because there's no guesswork if the user wanted to press or hold.

Morningstar's Action Types documentation should be good reading for ideas how they do it.

I'd go with "if configured for single action -> detect press for tap" and "if configured for hold action -> detect release for tap".

I tried the standard hold behavior, but the M1 only registers it as a single tap. I think my Ground Control Pro sends the selected message every 250 ms or, when I hold a switch down.

 

[iaresee]

Programming the M2 tonight is making me realize why Morningstar is superior. That touchscreen is cheap AF on the M2.

Got it controlling BandHelper.

The rest will have to wait until the weekend.

 

[laxu]

Programming the M2 tonight is making me realize why Morningstar is superior. That touchscreen is cheap AF on the M2.

IMO it's totally fine for a small company product that costs less than the Morningstar MC4 Pro.

 

[Sedaxel]

IMO it's totally fine for a small company product that costs less than the Morningstar MC4 Pro.

Yeah. The M1 costs 100€ less than the MC4 Pro.

I love my M1.

That said, the USB Midi Host functionality being much less polished than Morningstar or even M-Vave annoys me. It doesn´t work with my Nano Cortex, but I know both Morningstar or M-Vave do. Even the Hotone Airstep works via bluetooth.

The guy at Luminite is great, responsive and has an inmense merit for having such a complete product... but sadly there´s no doubt it´s still quite more DIYish than the competition.

 

[Sedaxel]

That said, the USB Midi Host functionality being much less polished than Morningstar or even M-Vave annoys me. It doesn´t work with my Nano Cortex, but I know both Morningstar or M-Vave do. Even the Hotone Airstep works via bluetooth.

Replying to myself because... Now the USB midi host is working with the Nano!

Luminite sent me a prototype board (because, before I ordered, he told me the feature worked... And when it didn't, he offered to refund me or keeping on helping me to fix the issue... And I chose to keep the unit and help him to make the host work).

And now it's working perfectly fine.

Another user told me he was able to make it work following a cycle (selecting usb device, then restarting, then selecting host and restarting again) every time he powered up the unit. But mine is working straight out when starting the unit. I guess it's because of the new board.

So happy now! Love it!

 

[iaresee]

So I think I'm ready to roll with it. Though I'm barely taking advantage of what it can do right now.

Got:

• It connected via BT to my iPad and controlling Bandhelper (page up/down, song forward/back)
• It connected to the FM9 and VP4 via MIDI cables
• 4 switches on the unit mapped to Bandhelper control
• My chasebliss exp running into a TRS input on the back and broadcasting a CC to both my FM9 and VP4
• The wireless XY connected and controlling Bandhelper (going to stick it on my guitar)
• One of the wireless expression controllers connected and the knobs both controlling externals on the FM9 and VP4

I bought two of the wireless expression controllers but I'm barely using one now so going to hold off opening the other one up for a bit.

Definitely feeling faster navigating the unit now. But it's a pretty crude experience all around. If you like this UI you're never allowed to bitch about Fractal UI's again @laxu.

This video is a lot better than the manual for getting oriented with the menus and the programming concepts.

 

[laxu]

If you like this UI you're never allowed to bitch about Fractal UI's again @laxu.

It has its pain points - but I'm again coming at this from the point of view that the M1 I own is about 137 euros. I can forgive a lot more on a niche, inexpensive product from a tiny company.

As the feature set has grown, the extra features have been crammed in within the original, simpler UI concept so it's become quite crowded and for sure unintuitive. It has so many "it can work this way, or this way" features that you will have to look at the manual to figure out how some of them work.

But as an experienced user, despite having not used my M1 in a bit, I just used the touchscreen to program the Fractal AM4 Sysex footswitch mode switching into the unit. It took me more time to figure out how to connect the two boxes (had to dig up a 3.5mm audio cable and use TRS3 out) than it did to actually type in all those Sysex commands.

I could just write one MIDI Sysex message, copy & paste it to another slot, edit the relevant bits and give it a name. Then I wrote some presets using those commands. Now I can switch between the AM4 footswitch modes at the press of a button.

It's a lot of "library within library within library" type stuff with this thing.

1. You set up your "PC/CC library" for the MIDI channels/commands you want to use. This is so you don't have to memorize preset or CC command functions and names.
2. You set up your "Preset library" where it sends those commands.
3. Finally you can build multi-preset or multi-command chains that can act kinda like Scenes/Snapshots on a modeler.

For example with my Strymon pedals my "Solo lead" preset basically reads as "Compadre PC 0 (both sides OFF), Riverside ON, Volante ON, SA Collider both sides OFF via CC", or "compressor/boost off, drive on, delay on, SA delay/reverb off".

 

[laxu]

Replying to myself because... Now the USB midi host is working with the Nano!

Luminite sent me a prototype board (because, before I ordered, he told me the feature worked... And when it didn't, he offered to refund me or keeping on helping me to fix the issue... And I chose to keep the unit and help him to make the host work).

And now it's working perfectly fine.

Another user told me he was able to make it work following a cycle (selecting usb device, then restarting, then selecting host and restarting again) every time he powered up the unit. But mine is working straight out when starting the unit. I guess it's because of the new board.

So happy now! Love it!

I tried and couldn't get USB host to work with my Fractal AM4 either. It just shows "not connected". Tried the toggling trick and it didn't seem to help, and the USB-C vs USB host port doesn't seem to make a difference either.

I had never had any use for this feature before but it would be a nice way to avoid having to carry a 3.5mm cable.