#1

When I connect the grid to my macbook everything works as expected. If I remove / reconnect the usb cable the grid is not detected anymore (by Max 7 or any other app running with the Max 5 runtime) even if I stop/start serialosc with the scripts under utility/monome. So I’ve to reboot every time.
I’m on a macbook with OSX 10.11.1 and SerialOsc 1.4. Latest grid edition.

#2

which version of grid? the grid won’t detect if you simply restart max? (or in max 7, click the dropdown “none” for a refresh).

what do you see in the activity monitor when you disconnect and then reconnect?

#3

The grid is the 2015 edition with aluminum base.
Restarting max has no effect and the dropdown has only the option “none”. Nothing change if I select it.
What I have to watch in the activity monitor? There’s 2 process (serialoscd and serialosc-detector) but nothing happen to them if I connect / disconnect the grid.

#4

For what it is worth I’ve noticed that OSX 10.11+ seems much more finicky when connecting USB devices - sometimes they are detected, sometimes not. I’ve been seeing this behavior with sdcard adaptors, ilok dongles, and usb serial adaptors…

I found that sometimes switching which USB port I’m using (on my MBP) helps.

#5

The whole monome thing seems to be incredibly flakey. It’s great when it works, but then what was working a day earlier suddenly doesn’t, and other things you couldn’t get to work suddenly do. I spent a good half hour trying to get the party van to open and play a file this afternoon. No success. Rebooted several times. Nothing. It worked OK this morning though. Instead, sum, which I’ve found to be very dodgy, today works fine. As does MLRV. That’s nice. Maybe TPV will run fine tomorrow.

Among other things, I got rid of my 64 because I simply could not get it to reliably connect to the macbook. That pissed me off, because I had bought it specifically to run TPV. Well it did - sometimes.

There does seem to be a disproportionate number of threads basically asking: why does monome not work? In the end the problem gets solved in some way or another, but it’s a shame this lovely device is plagued by these issues. It really comes across as a hobby project a lot of the time.

I say this as someone who really loves the monome, but who is very very frustrated by the flakiness of the whole project. I’m sorry to have to say so (to my own cost), but it’s just not professional.

1 Like
#6

same problem…the other USB port stop detecting the monome after disconnect / reconnect.

#7

Really if you look at it that way, the whole idea of the modern personal “computer” is pretty flakey. Lots and lots of people with lots and lots of different ideas. I can releate to your frustration, but really what do you expect for Monome. They aren’t a big ol’ company with coustomer support and all that. I’m pretty sure they’d just a couple people who like sound and sweet minimal ascetics

You could of course code this all the way you want it to work, as I think Monome community did in the first place. I mean I can’t, probably never will.

#8

Jk I’m hungover af and a bit irritable. Disregard previous statements

#9

No problem. I have defended monome against any number of attacks from accusations of excessive hipsterdom, no after touch or velocity, all kinds of things, some of which are germane, others just don’t get the point. But that doesn’t mean that the device itself should be given a pass on basically not working as reliably as one would expect from something that, after all, costs a good amount of cash. I love the “sound and sweet minimal aesthetics”, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, but… it would just be nice if the damn thing worked reliably. And in my experience - and I’m very evidently not alone - it simply does not.

One thing I’d really like to hear from Brian and Kelli is - does it work better in windows. I mean just imagine - windows works better than mac. But what if it was true? I don’t see many complaints here about monome on the PC. And although I ride a singlespeed MTB with Jones bars and a Wald basket up front, I don’t really care that much about whether my laptop is brushed aluminium or plastic.

#10

I can’t speak to Windows behavior as I haven’t attempted to use the monome on Windows. But my mac/monome problems ended up being serialosc problems. Upgrading to serialosc 1.4 fixed them for me (so far).

monome_sum needs to be updated to include serialosc 1.4.

serialosc 1.5 needs to introduce a version flag so you can more easily figure out which version you are running.

I’d like to see much more active discussion about how serialosc actually works. What changed between 1.2 and 1.4? (there are no release notes). The code is open source but the community is not involved. Serialosc is critical infrastructure. It needs community involvement.

#11

I love the way Geert Bevin discusses Linnstrument firmware on the Linnstrument forum. He gets absolutely as technical as necessary to discuss the issue at hand, no punches pulled. That way he’s gradually bringing the community up to his level of expertise, and this has resulted in community contributions. I really admire that.

Here he is in person explaining the firmware code in great detail:

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#12

That being said, I consider Linnstrument and monome to be complementary instruments. Linnstrument is optimized for live performance by a human player. Monome is especially well suited to generative compositions and sequencing. I want to continue to be equally enthusiastic about both instruments.

2 Likes
#13

I just updated to el capitan and am having this exact same issue. Bummer.

#14

Are you guys on serialosc 1.4?

#15

yes. I was on serial 1.2. installed 1.4.
Also updated ftdi driver just in case.
Just updated max to 7.1 as well.
No change so far.

#16

the problem is simply keeping up with OS updates and that are imposed upon us all.

the much more real problem is that OS updates that break everything are happening much more frequently.

monome is hardly alone with these issues.

given we’re an incredibly small operation (it’s just me here, and you, the community) the best way forward is thorough detailed bug reports, and being very very skeptical of operating system updates. because honestly, Apple hasn’t done much for me since 10.6.8-- when everything ran perfectly.

i was just forced to buy a new computer after this one wouldn’t upgrade to the newest broken thing, so i’ll be testing the new broken thing now. thank you for your patience-- we’ll work it out.

3 Likes
#17

@tehn, I hear you. I was fighting upgrading from snow leopard forever. I’m going back to my mountain lion back up for now and not worrying about the newest thing.

#18

fwiw i just installed El Cap today. i had to reinstall serialosc 1.4, reinstall Java SE (for max/m4l), and everything is working fine now.

#19

@abozzelli
i’ve only had this issue with serialosc versions prior to 1.4. it happened all the time, but not once since i upgraded to 1.4. when u unplug, replug and it won’t connect, go to activity monitor and check the cpu usage for the serialosc processes. is it at 100%?

#20

serialosc it’s at 0% all the time.
I’ve tried to upgrade to 10.11.2, java from the link you have provided, max 7.1 and serialosc 1.4 with no luck.