Huh, I really need some advice… been messing around for hours without success.
Here is what I struggle to achieve :
I want to play, for example - DSI Tetra ( or any other synth ) with MIDI keyboard (Korg microKontrol) and record sequences to OT.
I want to use the same MIDI keyboard to play oneshot samples in other songs, without hearing Tetra.
Here is how I’been trying to achieve this:
Korg microKontrol MIDI OUT -> OT MIDI IN,
OT MIDI Thru -> Tetra MIDI IN
I am able to hear the sound from Tetra when I play the keyboard, but I am not able to record a MIDI sequence and I also can’t play the flex machine samples.
I also have tried various setting combinations in Octatrack MIDI and Control menus, but it seems I am doing something very wrong.
First off, you want to route your midi connections like this:
controller MIDI OUT -> OT MIDI IN
OT MIDI OUT -> Tetra MIDI IN
Using OT’s MIDI Thru will not allow you to control the Tetra from the OT.
The other thing is that you’ll want to set up your channels correctly. Controller should be sending on the same channel as the OT Auto Channel. Then you’ll want to set up a MIDI track on the OT that is configured to the channel the Tetra is receiving on. And to reduce the potential of conflicts, don’t use a midi channel that is in use by the OT audio channels.
thanks, but it doesn’t work that way
I didn’t mention that I also tried to connect it that way - OT MIDI OUT -> Tetra MIDI IN
In this case I can control Tetra by pressing OT trigs, but It doesn’t correspond to MIDI keyboard.
When I am using OT MIDI Thru -> Tetra MIDI IN, Tetra corresponds to MIDI keyboard, but doesn’t correspond to OT trigs and I can’t record a sequence.
How can I set up OT so I can use MIDI keyboard as master keyboard to record external synth sequences ?
I have read the manual and watched tons of tutorials, can’t believe it is so difficult
glaciertree’s advice was spot-on. You may need to make some adjustments to the settings on each of your instruments.
Use the MIDI cable connections suggested by glaciertree. From what you wrote, we can assume that your MIDI cables are fully functional.
In the OT’s PROJECT > MIDI > CHANNELS menu, read what number is set for the AUTO CHANNEL setting. The default value is 9, but you might have changed it. Set the output MIDI channel of the microKontrol to this number.
In the OT’s PROJECT > MIDI > CHANNELS menu, read what numbers are set for the TRIG CH settings. These are the MIDI channel numbers for the OT’s internal audio tracks. The default values are 1-8, but you might have changed them. Set the Tetra’s MIDI channels to be numbers different than these, for example 10, 11, 12, 13 if you are using Multi Mode on the Tetra, or just 10 if you are using Program Mode.
In the OT’s MIDI sequencer, set 4 tracks to the MIDI channel numbers that you are using on the Tetra.
To play the Tetra’s sounds, select the applicable MIDI sequencer track on the OT and play the microKontrol’s keyboard. You should see the single ‘MIDI In’ pixel blink on the OT’s screen when you play.
To sequence the Tetra’s sounds, select the applicable MIDI sequencer track on the OT, record some trigs, and press play on the OT. You should see the single ‘MIDI Out’ pixel blink on the OT’s screen.
If any of this is not working for you, report back with your settings and maybe a photo of the OT’s screen.
Allright, this was super helpful! Thanks a lot!
I changed the MIDI keyboard, did what you wrote and everything works now. Seems that one of the problems was caused by microKontrol ( leds doesn’t work and I can’t set up global midi ch properly )
Anyway, one problem remains unsolved.
When I switch to flex machine track to play samples, some strange things start to happen - I can play 2 octaves but the other notes are triggering various parameters of OT, changing the tracks, stop and play, etc. How to disable this?
I have tried to turn of “audio note in” in MIDI control Menu, but I am not able to play flex machine samples then.
You cannot disable this when you are triggering the audio tracks via MIDI.
All is explained on page C-1 of the OT’s manual.
The workaround is to not play the wrong notes.
the only thing that comes to my mind, as I use an iconnect audio 4+ is, to setup a complex midi note filtering for the notes that are sent to the octatrack.
but as the iconnect is so fkn difficut to program it will take a while to say if this is a success…
sorry to resurrect this old stuff but I still consider this an awful problem…
It would be better to have an option to disable sequencer functions, but I do with it, respectecting the C5-C7 note range.
I also tried successfully Event processor Plus to filter other notes…
I guess it is the way to do…
As the iconnect software does not allow to limit the note range, I have to pay attention to the note range…
ah, technology… sometimes I hate it…
So my octatrack was being triggered by my midi master keyboard even though all I wanted to control was my external synth module. I changed the auto channel to something different and all of the sudden everything functions as I want, with only a midi track set to the channel I’m controlling my synth module through. Idk if this helps anyone but it was annoying having my octatrack get all triggered every time I play certain notes
Just wanted to say thanks for this excellent explanation.
(I’m on an island in Croatia and brought OT, A4, Keystep, two MIDI and two audio cables. I never used an external MIDI keyboard before. Impossible to buy a MIDI box now.
Being able to control the A4 with the Keystep going through the OT worked perfectly, as described by Peter! )
Ooh, so If I understand correctly, there is no way to play a sample on the octatrack chromatically accross all octaves using a midi keyboard (like the keystep?) -> only betweein C5-C7?
Yes, kind of. Octatrack allows you to play 3 octaves on keyboard in chromatic mode, but as far as I remember it is possible to pitch each note (step) much higher or lower seperately on a sequencer
You can disactivate the sequencer control by MIDI notes in OT firmware 1.40 and above using the AUDIO NOTE IN setting in the PROJECT > MIDI > CONTROL menu using a CHROMATIC note mapping on the target audio track.
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