Need help with midi connections and settings.
I want to use the octatrack as a master and connect th following:
How would you connect the midi cables and most important, how would you set the midi channels on all devices to not collide? I am a bit confused here…
Seems pretty straightforward TBH
I do it like this:
OT midi out >> midi thru splitter (I use the MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru)
Quadra Thru >> three separate MIDI outs to A4, AR, Sub37
I tried responding to your two previous questions on these threads:
http://www.elektronauts.com/t/ot-four-rytm-setup/7584/73706
and
http://www.elektronauts.com/t/midi-controller-ot-a4-ar/8850/71534
but I never heard back from you, so I guess it didn’t go too well. I’ll try again.
I don’t have an Analog Four, an Analog Rytm, or a Sub37, but I had a look at their respective manuals to try to figure out a solution for you. Maybe someone with more hands-on experience will also post.
I suggest that you start with the fewest possible units and then add the others one-by-one. Maybe start with the OT and the AR.
I’m assuming that you don’t have a computer that you want to connect as part of the set-up. If you did, my advice might change.
PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS
For the S37 to send notes to the OT, connect the S37 MIDI Out to the OT MIDI In.
For the OT to synchronise with the AR, connect the OT MIDI Out to the AR MIDI In.
For the OT to talk to the other units, connect the AR MIDI Thru to the AF MIDI In and connect the AF MIDI Thru to the S37 MIDI In.
CONFIGURE THE OT
In the PROJECT>CONTROL>MIDI SEQUENCER menu:
Set the CC Direct Connect setting to ‘on’.
In the PROJECT>MIDI>CONTROL menu:
Set the AUDIO CC OUT setting to ‘INT’ for simplicity.
Set the AUDIO NOTE IN setting to ‘On’ to allow the S37 to play the OT’s audio track sounds.
Set the AUDIO NOTE OUT setting to ‘INT’ for simplicity.
In the PROJECT>MIDI>SYNC menu:
Set the TRANSPORT SEND setting to ‘on’ so that the OT controls starting and stopping of your gear.
Set the TRANSPORT RECEIVE setting to ‘off’.
Set the CLOCK SEND setting to ‘on’ so that the other units can synchronise with the OT.
Set the CLOCK RECEIVE setting to ‘off’.
Set the PROG CH SEND setting to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
Set the PROG CH RECEIVE setting to ‘off’.
In the PROJECT>MIDI>CHANNELS menu:
Leave the channel settings as the defaults shown in the manual (AUTO CH = 9, TRIG Channels = 1, 2, etc.
CONFIGURE THE AR
Select one of the Global slots to store your configuration.
In the MIDI SYNC screen:
Set the CLOCK RECEIVE setting to ‘on’ in order for the AR to synchronise with the OT.
Set the CLOCK SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the synchronization signal.
Set the TRANSPORT RECEIVE setting to ‘on’ in order for the OT to control the AR.
Set the TRANSPORT SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the control of starting and stopping.
Set the PROG CH RECEIVE to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
Set the PROG CH SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the control of switching patterns.
In the MIDI PORT CONFIG screen:
Set the THRU PORT FUNC setting to ‘MIDI’ so that MIDI information will be passed from the OT through the AR to the other units.
Set the INPUT FROM setting to ‘MIDI’ to get information from the OT.
Set the RECEIVE NOTES setting to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
Set the RECEIVE CC/NRPN setting to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
In the MIDI CHANNELS screen:
It’s probably best to temporarily set the MIDI channels for tracks 1-12 and FX all to ‘off’. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn these on.
CONFIGURE THE AF
Select one of the Global slots in the Global menu to store your configuration.
In the MIDI SYNC screen:
Set the CLOCK RECEIVE setting to ‘on’ in order for the AF to synchronise with the OT.
Set the CLOCK SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the synchronization signal.
Set the TRANSPORT RECEIVE setting to ‘on’ in order for the OT to control the AF.
Set the TRANSPORT SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the control of starting and stopping.
Set the PROG CH RECEIVE to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
Set the PROG CH SEND setting to ‘off’ because the OT will provide the control of switching patterns.
In the MIDI PORT CONFIG screen:
Set the THRU PORT FUNC setting to ‘MIDI’ so that MIDI information will be sent from the OT to the S37.
Set the INPUT FROM setting to ‘MIDI’ so that the OT can control the AF.
Set the ENCODER CFG setting to ‘INT’ for simplicity.
Set the KEYBOARD CFG setting to ‘INT’ for simplicity.
Set the RECEIVE NOTES setting to ‘on’.
Set the RECEIVE CC/NRPN setting to ‘off’ temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
In the MIDI CHANNELS screen:
It’s probably best to temporarily set the MIDI channels for tracks 1-4, FX and CV all to ‘off’. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn these on.
CONFIGURE THE S37
Make the following settings n the MIDI menu:
IN CHANNEL: perhaps ‘16’ to allow you to use the OT to sequence the S37 on MIDI channel 16.
OUT CHANNEL: set 9 so that the S37’s keyboard can be used to enter and play notes on the OT.
SEND PGM CHG: ‘off’, temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
RCV PGM CHG: ‘off’, temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to turn this on.
IN PORTS: ‘DIN’, temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to change this.
OUT PORTS: ‘DIN’, temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to change this.
ECHO DIN IN: ‘OFF’.
ECHO USB IN: ‘OFF’.
POLY NUMBER: ‘OFF’.
OUT FILTERS: KEYS: ‘ON’
OUT FILTERS: WHEELS: ‘ON’
OUT FILTERS: PANEL: ‘OFF’, temporarily. When you are confident that your system is OK you can choose whether to change this.
Give this a try, adding one instrument at a time, and report back with any problems you have.
Have fun!
Without splitter. OT >> Sub37 >> OT >> thru >> rytm >> thru >> A4
Make sure that each has a different midi id. On the A4 and RYTM make sure the auto-channel is different on each. Sub 37 = 9, RYTM = 10, A4 = 11. On the OT you would select that number in the midi sequencer to trigger or record that device using the sub37 keyboard. You will also be able to press record on the A4 or rytm to record on their own sequencers using the sub 37 keys.
You may have to have patience and change the ids around a bit to get it right. Start with the OT and sub 37 first only, then start adding the others.
Peter Haynes. I appreciate your thorough answer a lot. BIG thank you.
I did try your last reply but it didnt really work out. Maybe because I didnt really got the MIDI logic. Sorry for no feedback on your last answer. I was travelling and then caring for my kids with a cold 
I will get right to it now trying that setup
Udenjoe: I will definitely try your advice here. That cleard how the autochannels work. Will try and get back
THNX
If you don’t get the MIDI logic, try connecting OT to one simple device and play around with it.
You just have to plug the OT MIDI out to whatever MIDI in.
(I trained with a Volca)
Then use OT sequencer to control as much parameters of the other device, with LFOs on the CCs you configured.
Once you understand completely what’s going on, you can go one step further.
But chaining everything is crazy if you don’t get the basics already.
Lying dalai, thanks for the tip, but i know how to work midi with one device, but it gets trickier with multiple, which is my next learning step.
Now i have connected as suggested before. I tried both methods and the second one from Udenjoe, did unfortunately not work.
Going from OT to Moog and back to OT an the thru to Rytm and thru to A4 wouldnt send the midi clock to AR and A4. I had to go this way to make that work:
OT out > AR in-thru > a4 in-thru > moog in-out > OT in
It think it works now but i will try more tomorrow… I am still a litte confused over those auto channels though. Exactly what they do.
Also some confusion over what peter hanes recommended with midi channel 9 out from the moog. Woulndt that interfere with midi channel 9 on the rytm, which controls pad 9 there? Maybe not since i set the rytm to not recieve notes.
And also, i guess the OT needs to be set to also recieve midi data, not only send?
Guess i have to try som more tomorrow.
And do som google:ing on what the autochannels actually do.
Midi Thru simply passes data thats received by the In port.
It’s sort of like an Out port, but it’s only sending “Out” whats coming to the “IN” port.
For example, if you have the OT (out)>(in)Moog(out)>(in)AR
The Moog’s ‘thru’ port is ONLY sending out the incoming OT data, none of the Moog data goes out of it’s Thru port.
If I were you I would try this.
Turn off Auto Channel on every device where you can.
Set the OT to Send Clock, and Send Transport
OT(out)>(in)AR
In AR turn on Receive Clock, and Receive Transport.
In AR turn off Send Clock, and Send Transport
AR(thru)>(in)A4
In A4 turn on Receive Clock, and Receive Transport.
In A4 turn off Send Clock, and Send Transport
A4(thru)>(in)Moog
Set Moog to receive external clock.
This should allow the OT to send it’s clock and transport to all devices.
And only the OT would be capable of sending out other midi messages.
Once you get that working, then you could address sending the Moog back to the OT.
Auto channel on the Elektron boxes is their technique for controlling MIDI input and passing it on to whichever of the tracks is currently selected on the machine. So, in my example, if the S37 sends MIDI data on channel 9 and the Octatrack’s auto channel is channel 9, the Octatrack will pass this data on to whichever of the eight tracks is currently selected. This way, you can play any of the eight tracks from the S37 keyboard simply by selecting the applicable track on the OT.
Regarding the use of channel 9 in your set up, I recommended in my post that you switch off the MIDI channels for the individual tracks on your AR to begin with, on the assumption that you will use the internal sequencer of the AR to trigger its sounds.
With the settings I listed (AUDIO NOTE IN = ‘On’), the OT will receive MIDI notes from the S37. I suggested that you set both TRANSPORT RECEIVE and CLOCK RECEIVE to ‘off’ because the OT will be the master in the system.
Check out the manual page 127 OT as Midi Control Center. The wording is confusing because they mix synth with keyboard or something. That is how I figured out how to use a Access Virus kb with an A4 and OT and any other drum machine along the midi thru chain.