mulitple midi devices

Use this forum to discuss Midi Issues as they relate to Cakewalk.
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bigraddish

Post by bigraddish » Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:28 pm

I use Caskewalk 9 and a SBLive. Does anyone know how I can chain several midi devices together and get control over each device separately? The SBLive card only has one external midi port. I would like to run several different synths at the same time, but the way it is now, they will all play exactly the same data. I would like to be able to set it up so that different Cakewalk tracks go to different midi devices. I don't know if this has to do with something within Cakewalk, such as controllers or banks, whether I need to get a hardware midi router, or whether I can use a virtual midi router. If I need to buy new hardware, can anyone recommend some equipment that I might be able to afford?


andychap
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Location: UK

Post by andychap » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:57 pm

Search for a site for a company called Philip Rees. They specialise in this sort of thing. You will need a routing interface but you will probably have to upgrade you soundcard. You may be able to get one that connects via USB.

Guest

Post by Guest » Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:26 am

I can't tell if you've already successfully connected them or not from your note. If not, you can daaisy chain up to about 4 or 5 synths using midi thru on each synth - if they don't have midi thru - you'll need to get a midi thru box. I'm looking for one myself.

If you got the connection part of it down - my assumption would be that you don't have the synths set up in the right mode if you're getting a sound on both synths that you want to go to just one. In mode 1, a receiving midi device responds to voice messages from all channels, in mode 3, it responds to messages over a single assigned channel, and in mode 4, it responds to voice messages over a specified range of channels. I suggest that you do some research on midi modes to get a better and more detailed explanation than I can do here.

As an example, I have Cakewalk running on a Dell XPS B600r with a
Turtle Beach Montego II soundcard. I have a GR-1 guitar synth. I have borrowed an Akai AX-80 analog synth and a Sequential Circuits Max analog synth. Only the AX-80 has a midi thru so I can only chain two of the synths together at a time with the AX-80 being one of them until I get a midi thru box.

The GR-1 four part recorder defaults to midi channels 1, 3, 4, and 10. The AX-80 defaults to 1. I haven't done anything with the GR-1 but I change the AX-80 to channel 5. I can create a sequence, say, with data and different instruments on channels 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10 (drums) and when I play it connected to these two synths, I get the proper parts going to the proper synth.

I've just figured this out in the last week, so I'm still learning, but I hope that this helps for starters...

betelgeuse

Post by betelgeuse » Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:36 am

bigraddish:

I posted the above reply ... I did not realize that I wasn't logged on and this seems to be the first forum that I've seen that allows guests to respond. Of course I couldn't edit it.

I'll be glad to answer any other questions that you might have. As I said, I'm kind of tyring to figure the midi thing also. My next step is to get my vs1680 in the loop and have it control Cakewalk via midi and to run the audio outputs of the synths back into the 1680...

Later ....

andychap
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Location: UK

Post by andychap » Sun Oct 12, 2003 11:45 am

The only problem with thru boxes or using midi thru on the instruments is you can only use one at a time. If you want to use them at the same time you will need at least a midi merge box.

Wildman
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Location: Wilmington, NC

Post by Wildman » Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:34 pm

I would suggest you buy a midisport 4x4 made by midiman. That will give you 4 seperate in's/out's. All synths need to be on seperate channels unless you want to layer them. Good luck as MIDI is a complex system. I've been working with 6 synths & a drum module. Sync is another monster! :roll:

betelgeuse

Post by betelgeuse » Mon Oct 13, 2003 3:29 am

Wildman:

it looks like the 4 x 4 midisport with it's usb is an alternative to using the MPU401 interface of the soundcard. I assume that it's as fast or faster than the soundcard. Of course, I need the multiple midi ins and outs that it provides.

I'm trying to figure how I would connect the PC (Cakewalk), two or three synths, and a vs1680. I want to sync the 1680 to Cakewalk and kick it off (record) and connect the synths to the PC so that Cakewalk then kicks them off when the sequence starts with the audio out going to the 1680.

Is the midi from Cakewalk getting to the midisport via the usb connection, and would I connect the 1680 midi out to the midisport midi in and the midisport outs to the synths ins???

betalgeuse

Post by betalgeuse » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:14 am

betelgeuse,

I am running Sonar 2.2XL & now 3.0 all thru my interface with all my audio plugged into my Roland VS-2480CD. There is some tricks to getting it all to sync & use either your 1680 or cakewalk as the "Master" where you use your transport functions. You can get back via my e-mail address & detail your setup. I need to know all your gear & how you have it setup now. I record with my 2480 & Sonar at the same time but I keep the VS in record ready as I record my tracks into cakewalk. Then after any edits I can playback & record onto the 2480. I get very solid tracks & a backup by doing it this way. I also have a dat running record paused into several CD players/writers that are then into several cassete decks which is what I record my initial ideas to listen in my vehicle through out the day which gives me what it really sounds like from the start..... Wildman :roll: :D

Guest

Post by Guest » Thu Nov 06, 2003 6:13 am

Wildman,

I have the same problem, trying to figure out a solution for more than 6 months now...
I got 4 synths that I would like to control individually.
I have a Roland MPU64 (4MIDI In/Out) interface that connects via USB to the computer. In Cakewalk 9 I assign each of the 4 In/Out ports to individual tracks.
I expect that what I record while playing on those 4 synths, will play back on the original synth, instead all 4 tracks record a mix of MIDI data and play back on all the synths simultaneously.

I do not use MIDI OMNI in Cakewalk, I specified PORT and CHANNEL.

I do not understand how I can set it up to use the 96 MIDI channels that Roland MPU64 allows.

Could you please let me know what setting do I need to use in Cakewalk to record and play back on individual ports and channels from those 4 synthesizers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Anton

GretscGuy
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Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts USA

Post by GretscGuy » Thu Dec 04, 2003 6:41 pm

I have a Midisport. It is running USB 1.0 and works well. However there are some quirks with it.

Your souncard (midi drivers) need to be installed FIRST or else the midiman will be found but won't work.

You need to install the drivers BEFORE you plug in the usb midi device. If you don't do this you need to run this little midi uninstall program that is out on the web somewhere to uninstall the midi drivers completley. Then reinstall your soundcard and then the usb device.

Once it is working it's great. I am still GASing for a MOTU Midi Timepiece, but this one suits my needs.

Good Luck!

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