Cannot update PBF4 firmware

katze203 · February 19, 2026, 6:48pm

I have some issues with sending MIDI to my PBF4 ever since updating my macOS version. There is a Processing sketch that sends values for the LEDs corresponding to their addresses. I can see that the correct messages are still being correctly sent from the sketch via MIDI monitor, but they stopped triggering the LED changing on the controller, so the issue must be on the receiving end.

This is the MIDI rx script that changes the LEDs:

if param1 >= 8 and param1 < 12 then
    element[param1].p = param2
    led_value(param1, 1, param2)
else
    element[param1 - 4].lp = param2
    if param2 > 0 then
        led_color(param1 - 4, 1, 0, led_default_green(), 0, 0)
    else
        led_color(param1 - 4, 1, led_default_red(), led_default_green(), led_default_blue())
    end
end

I did not change anything about the setup since it was last working in the summer, except for updating my macOS version from Sequioa to Tahoe. I did not update the firmware or Grid Editor, or even open the Grid Editor since loading my working configs on it. (Edit: I did in fact upgrade the Grid Editor, which was the culprit, not the macOS update)

I went to investigate in the Grid Editor (1.5.7), which wasn’t even properly readable anymore on this macOS version due to UI issues (black on grey text?). I figured to update to the latest (now ‘grid-editor’), which of course also prompted me to update the PBF4’s firmware. But if I hold the utility button while plugging in, it does not seem to start the bootloader mode. The grid-editor does not prompt an update and the controller’s LEDs just go to a constant green.

Resetting the controller manually via pressing the utility button shortly after plugging the cable in does not reset it either, it just prompts a page change (as I have it configured to do).

What do I do? I have a show on monday and wasn’t expecting something like receiving MIDI to break when I update my OS. The thing is that the setup still works sending the correct MIDI messages from the controller to my Processing application, but not having updated LED values defeats the purpose of the controller. I have my configs saved in your cloud, so I thought updating the Grid Editor and Firmware might fix the issue on macOS 26.3, but I also don’t want to risk not even being able to use MIDI send anymore.

Are there any known issues with MIDI rx or the grid-editor automatic firmware updates for newer macOS versions?

narayb · February 20, 2026, 9:55am

Hi there!

Lots of things to unpack here. But the main problem is probably caused by your code using the MIDIRX Event which is now considered legacy and has been sunset sometime last month.

MIDIRX as an Event is now non-functional, and should not even be accessible anymore on the latest firmware.
It has been replaced by a new solution called a midirx callback function, which is more flexible and is our current solution for receiving MIDI on Grid controllers.

For your urgent show, you have two options:

Revert back both Editor and your module’s firmware to the last version and your old config will just work.
Migrate your original code to the new platform of the midirx_cb() function. This is probably the best way to go about it, since this is the current implementation.

Looking at your code, it seems like just creating a code block on the System Setup Event and putting this code in there should just work:

self.midirx_cb = function(self, header, event)
local ch,cmd,param1,param2=event[1],event[2],event[3],event[4]
  if param1 >= 8 and param1 < 12 then
    element[param1].p = param2
    led_value(param1, 1, param2)
  else
    element[param1 - 4].lp = param2
    if param2 > 0 then
      led_color(param1 - 4, 1, 0, led_default_green(), 0, 0)
    else
      led_color(param1 - 4, 1, led_default_red(), led_default_green(), led_default_blue())
    end
  end
end

Assuming your lp code is unchanged.

katze203 · February 20, 2026, 10:17am

thanks for the quick reply. I will write here instead of my email so others can see it as well in case they have the same problem.

The thing is I really haven’t updated the firmware or grid editor since at least May 2025 (I was on 1.5.7.) so I wonder why this unchanged config is not working anymore.

I’d be willing to try the new firmware + midirx callback but I seemingly can not update the firmware either. When I plug it in while holding the utility button (with the latest grid editor version), the LEDs go to green but there is no update prompt. Does green mean bootloader mode? When I try to reset it by pressing the utility button shortly after plugging in, it just executes the page change script I have on that button.

Just to be sure, is there a way to check which firmware is installed in my PBF4?

thanks for your help!

narayb · February 20, 2026, 10:27am

Okay, so let’s clear this up.

What is your FW version? Shown in Editor here as v1.5.1:

What is your Editor version? Shown in Editor here as 1.6.5:

I’m guessing your 1.5.7 version is your Editor version which is from last summer, yeah.

Upgrading your modules if Editor doesn’t prompt you to update should also be possible manually, following this guide here:
Manual FW update.

If the modules don’t even show up as removable devices, than that’s an OS problem (happens sometimes on both macOS and Windows 11) you should try a different device for the manual update method. This is something you should be able to do on even an Android phone on similar if it comes to that.

katze203 · February 20, 2026, 12:42pm

Yes I am on Grid Editor 1.5.7 and my firmware version shows at v1.4.1 which released in September. So I must have updated the firmware after May and not remembered doing that (who would have thought, sorry!). I can see in the change logs some stuff regarding MIDI rx after v1.3.5, so that upgrade must be the culprit.

I will try to downgrade or upgrade then.

But I still need to know: since I can’t prompt an update through the grid-editor by holding down the utility button while turning it on, how do I know that I am in bootloader mode for the manual up-/downgrade? Does green LEDs mean bootloader mode?

Edit: I’ve successfully downgraded the firmware to v1.3.5 and my config is working again! I can do my show on monday with this setup and then after it I will try to update everything and try your updated script.

thanks for your help and have a good weekend!

katze203 · March 11, 2026, 4:14pm

Okay I am trying to use the new firmware and grid-editor but now all my MIDI channels have moved one number up? I loaded my config onto the updated grid controller and suddenly the channels are 1-32 instead of 0-31?

Edit: I downgraded again and the issue still persists. Not currently sure what is even going on, but I can see in MIDI monitor that some buttons send out on all 32 channels instead of the one they’re assigned to.

Maybe just a question before I start trying to deal with this: Are configs made before the breaking changes generally expected to even work still? I do not see myself dealing with recreating my entire config again just to get it working like it was before. I also can not just use the old Grid-Editor anymore because the UI is not readable anymore on my current OS.

Is there something like a migration guide or anything?