[IanMSpencer]

I've been trying to pin down why I sometimes lose connection in MS to my Bluetooth MIDI controlled effects processor.

I know Bluetooth can be an unrealisable beast, but I have noticed I can induce the problem as follows (it is something I do during my rehearsals).

Using Android 16 on a Galaxy Tab 9+, MS 3.9.40 (586). The do not disturb mode is on (set by MS running) to minimise other tasks potentially interrupting, but I have retested having disabled the Do Not Disturb mode and the problem remains. Not intentionally running anything than the two apps below. No other tasks observed interrupting.

Play a practice playlist on YouTube Music on the tablet.

Start up MS, at the bottom the MIDI device XXX is connected status message appears. Change songs, all good, MIDI messages sent on song load.

Switch to YouTube Music and skip a track. You have to interact to be certain Android has switched tasks.

Return to MS. No alert message, swap song, no MIDI messages sent.

Stop MS with the Android Task Switcher screen.

Reopen MS, MIDI device is connected comes up again and MIDI is re-established.

Interacting with notifications doesn't trigger the problem (e.g. checking the time).

I wouldn't like to say if this is recent behaviour. or it has always done this but losing connection when switching apps is a problem if I am using MixingStation on the same tablet..

[Zubersoft]

If you tap the recent button, tap the MobileSheets icon, select the option to open it in a popup-view, and then do the same for the other app, does this prevent the MIDI issue? It might stop MobileSheets from being put in the background in the same fashion, as this causes the MIDI to be disabled if you stay in another app longer than about 10 seconds. If the problem still occurs, then the big question is why the MIDI doesn't reconnect automatically when it's enabled when you put MobileSheets back in the foreground. That may have something to do with the nature of bluetooth MIDI connection. The operating system is not kind to foreground apps that continue processing things in the background (it can decide to suspend the app forcefully if needed), so I don't think I would want to try to have the MIDI going nonstop even if MobileSheets isn't in the foreground, but I'm not sure how to preserve the bluetooth connection if it's in the background. I will have to run more tests with keeping MobileSheets in the background and seeing if it properly reconnects to bluetooth MIDI devices with my tablets.

Mike

[IanMSpencer]

Thanks, Having done a little Android development back in the day I am painfully aware that Android reserves the right to kill things off without a please or thank you.

I tried the pop-up thing both ways round and it seemed to solve, or at least work around, the connection issue. I was gigging on Saturday in a fairly clean environment, outdoors, middle of nowhere, no WiFi but of course people have phones, and over a 4 hour period I did have one drop out where I hadn't left the setlist, so the tablet was always on, in MS. Restarting MS reliably connects to Bluetooth, and I've not seen my pedal Bluetooth connection glitch through lights, so I do suspect it is Android being unkind to us.

I'm about to install a Boss VG-800, so I am going to be using more MIDI commands.