Faderfox MX12 + Rytm + Octatrack + Synths: Some questions

I’m using a faderfox MX12 with the Octatrack and the Analog Rytm. I also have 3 synths in the setup.

The octatrack goes to a thru box via the midi out, then sends a signal to the synths via midi thru 1-3 and also goes to a midi merge box via midi thru 4. The faderfox goes via midi 1 to that same midi merge box, and the output of that merge box goes into the rytm. So the clock is sent to the rytm and also the midi output from the faderfox’s faders. Midi 2 of the faderfox goes into the octatrack in.

The faderfox is mapped so that faders 1-4 are controlling the rytm track levels and faders 5-8 are controlling the octatrack track levels, easy.

Now, what I noticed when performing is that whenever I use the faders of the rytm, sometimes the beat skips. I think it’s because both the clock and the midi messages from the faderfox are going through the merge box. Is there a solution to this? Has anyone ever had this?

Also, I’d like to be able to play my synths and record those midi notes in the octatrack, but the faderfox already is claiming the midi in port. How do I solve this?

Does anyone know if I can let the octatrack’s clock go through the faderfox? Would it be smart to have the rytm as the masterclock instead of the octa and then use sync A or sync B?

Anyway, been scratching my head! haha

Thanks for the help

You would have to provide more details, and perhaps break down your setup to try out direct connections between the individual units, in order to troubleshoot this issue. I suspect that the merge box is most likely to be the source of the problem.

The MX12 has some basic merging capability, described in the Routing section of its manual, so it may well be possible (with care) to connect your unidentified synths in this way to the OT.

According to the MX12’s manual, yes.

That depends on the overall configuration of your system. Note that the AR only sends MIDI clock from its MIDI Out port.

Hey there thanks for your reply. Let me try to answer a bit more in detail.

Mackie MX12FX mixer.
1 - MAM MB33
2 - Arp Oddysey
3 - Mic
4 - empty
5/6 - Octatrack
7/8 - Rytm
9/10 - Prophet 6
11/12 - Empty

Octatrack is the master clock. From there the midi out goes into a midi thru box sending midi to:
Midi 1: Prophet 6
Midi 2: Arp Oddsey
Midi 3: MAM MB33
Midi 4: empty
Midi 5: rytm

The Midi 5 cable goes into a Midi merge box. There it receives input from the Faderfox MX12 and merges it into 1 out. So the clock of the octa is sent via the midi thru box, into the merge box, and then into the Rytm.

The Octatrack is set so that Midi track 1 - 3 are sending to the midi channels of the same number.
Audio track 1-8 are set to midi channels 5-12. The faders 5-12 are setup so that they correspond to midi channels 5-12. This works perfectly. The Midi out 2 from the faderfox goes into the input of the Octatrack.

The Rytm is set up so that faders 1-4 correspond to midi channel 1-4 on the octatrack. The midi in of the octatrack recieves the midi out from the merge box. Midi out and midi thru are free.

The MX12 has two free midi inputs still.

I’m noticing the beat skipping whenever im using fader 1-4 on the faderfox. When i do quick movements eventually the two devices are out of sync.

What would be a solution to this? I would like to sync the rytm and octatrack, but also use the faderfox’s midi outputs 1 and 2 to send to the rytm and octatrack. This way I can really use the MX12 for a live situation.

As a ++++ extra, it would be amazing if I could play the synths (P6 and Odyssey) and record the notes I’m playing in the octatrack for improv parts, or if I could use a keystep to play the synths. Right now the midi in is already taken. Maybe there’s a way to use that merge box for the input of the octa or something.

Let me know if you have an idea of how you would connect everything. And, thanks a lot for your effort.

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Would be amazing if anyone has a solution of the midiclock + faderfox midi data going in the rytm and conflicting with eachother <3

As I wrote previously, the MX12 has merging capability, so you could easily:

  • connect the Keystep or one of your other synths to one of the MX12’s inputs,
  • route this messages to Out 2 on the MX,
  • use the OT’s Auto Channel facility to route the messages ao any of the other gear.

Again, as I write before, the likely culprit is the merge box.

You could make a simple test by:

  • connecting OT Out to MX12 In 1,
  • routing clock from MX12 In 1 to MX12 Out 1,
  • connecting MX12 Out 1 to AR In,
  • connecting MX12 Out 2 to OT In,
    to see whether the same problem occurs.

Further, if you connect your Thru box on the MIDI Out of the OT in the above setup and connect your synths and MX12 to the outputs of the Thru box, you can probably achieve everything you want without the need for the Merge box.