Keystep controlling both Digitakt & Digitone

[Fotopaul]

Yet another MIDI question…

Here is what I want to do:

• The Keystep to control both Digitakt and Digitone (dip switches on the Keystep is set to MIDI)

• Digitakt to be the master and send clock and PC to Digitone.

My current MIDI setup is as laid out in Setup #1.

Which enables the Keystep on the Digitakt but not on the Digitone.

To get that to work I need to set it up as in example #2
but then I do not get Clock and PC from the Digitakt to the Digitone.

Is there a way to get Digitakt to send its clock and PC over MIDI thru? Or is the best solution a MIDI merger as in example #3?

Thank you!

[Jeronan]

If I understand it correctly. You should not mess with the dip switches on the keystep. Its for the clock. So if you set these switches to Midi, then Keystep will send out Clock signal to Midi out.

I am confused, as you want the Keystep to both control Digitakt and Digitone? So why not let the Keystep be Clock master then?

In that case, you would use SETUP #2, as Midi Thru on Digitakt will pass through Clock signal.

If you want Digitakt to be clock master, then you have to use SETUP #1 and keep the dip switches on keystep to default internal config, but then again… what you want to use the Keystep for?
If it’s just for live playing some notes on the keystep, when sequences are running on Digitakt and Digitone. Then do as above with SETUP #1 and you can keep the PC out of the equation.

As you have to be careful not to create a loop in the Midi chain.

[soundgoonie]

Hi Fotopaul.

Might be a bit of a boring read, but I had issues with a similar setup:

Please help with Digitakt and Keystep setup!

will try that… hopefully then the programme changes make it back to the DT from the DN though!

In essence, what I had to do was setup a midi channel on the DT on the autochannel that is recognised by the DN in order to play the keystep on the DN.

FYI: My DT is setup as master as well.

[Jeronan]

@soundgoonie You need to do that yes, if you use Midi Out on Digitakt. Since Keystep midi input will otherwise stop at the Digitakt, so you can indeed work around this by sacrificing one midi channel on the DT to pass the midi signal through on DT’s Midi Out.

But I don’t use Autochannel though. I. In my case, I need to know which channel the keystep is outputting on.
The keystep needs to use a Midi channel that is not used by Track 1-8 on the Digitakt as to not trigger any of those tracks.

That is what I actually do myself.

[nionmu]

Is there a way to get Digitakt to send its clock and PC over MIDI thru? Or is the best solution a MIDI merger as in example #3?

hi, your thoughts are right. nice graphics

additional to what others already wrote:
on dt or dn you can not do a midi merge / soft thru, unfortunately. but keystep has this option. it is in the software manager for it.

basically you can use keystep as a merger in between dt and dn. then from dn thru you go to dt midi in… it is explained many times on the forum so please use the search!

here you should find useful info:

Digitakt + Digitone + Arturia Keystep

Hello all, I bought Digitakt, Digitone and Keystep with a vision that DTT will be the brain of the group, DTN will listen to mutes, pattern changes etc and Keystep will be melody input for DTN. I have connected it as DTT midi out > DTN midi in (of course) but is there any solution to connect keystep to DTT and pass the midi informations thru it into DTN? I tried to map DTN synth channels as 11-14 and the keystep is working only for DTT (channels 1-8) but there it ends. If nothing, would some …

feel free to come back with specific questions…

[Fotopaul]

Thank you, I’m really trying to wrap my brain around MIDI and the tracks/channels etc. But i seemed to get it to work with Nionmu’s great advice using MIDI THRU on the Keystep!

Now i need to read up more so i understand exactly why it works. .-)

[Fotopaul]

Hi! Thank you so much for your help and suggestion! Apologies for not utilizing the search function better.

I routed the midi as you suggest and turned on MIDI THRU on the Keystep and it works both controlling the DT and DN but also DT sending clock to the DN!

For future reference and in the hope it might be helpful to someone else ill update the graphics with the setup you suggested.

Again Thank you!

[Fotopaul]

Thank you Jeronan for your reply and valid questions.

Yes, I basically just want to use the keystep as a controller, not utilizing it’s arp or sequencing.

Nionmu posted a another option that worked out excellent for what I want to do!

Thank you!

[nionmu]

no problem, glad that it works.

thanks for the nice graphic - it surly will help others in the future. (i will happily link to it, if needed)

Now i need to read up more so i understand exactly why it works. .-)

to further expand on it, you could even add the midi settings of the boxes and the signal flow on the arrows… but you seem to have a good understanding now.

you should also be able to use keysteps arp and sequencer on both dn and dt, if keystep is set to midi slave via its dip switches, it should be on time / in sync… arp on dt?!

[Fotopaul]

Thats a good idea, will update the graphic with some more details.

Thank you!

[Alariamusic]

Hi there,

Just explaining how I go around this. Might help you.

I have all my hardware synth connected to DT (5 of them) with a quadrathru from midi OUT. Every midi track is set so the input channel is the same as the output channel.

Then in Midi IN of DT y have attached a Midi Keybord that lets me change Midi CH on the fly, so If i set it to ch 9, DT will recieve the notes and output this in the same midi ch, therefore playing that particular synth on midi ch 9.

This set up lets me either record those notes, play them live or both.

[nionmu]

yep, thats also a good solution. thanks for sharing.

[Fotopaul]

OK, so I thought i would give an update as setup and solution have changed a little…

The solution listed as setup #4 worked but after some more testing, I discovered got some MIDI feedback loops.

I also wanted Keystep to act as a controller for the Microfreak for times when I might want normal keys.

So I tested Kenton merger box, which worked well. But after adding some gear i realized i needed to get a bigger merger box, and al lot of cables between the boxes.

Considering the cost of the Kenton boxes, I started to look at other solutions in a similar price range.

So I researched midi interfaces and looked at MOTU, ESI and others but all with some mixed features and reviews.

The one that stood out in terms of being able to pretty much route and filter MIDI as you like with both USB MIDI and DIN MIDI was the Iconnectivity mioXM/XL series.

Received the mioXM today and it was up and running within minutes, super easy to install and setup!

The interface is something I can grow with and it offers a plethora of options to route and filter MIDI which is very nice. But the best feature for me is the sofware where i with a click can connect different midi devices. No need for thru or merge boxes.

[sndrsklr]

Somehow I never ran into any issues with my DT + DN setup both controlled by the Keystep. Guess I experienced some kind of beginners luck here. The way I always do it is to simply sequence the DN through the DT with the proper channels of the DN set up on the MIDI channels on the DT. Never any issues, simply MIDI out from the Keystep to MIDI in on the DT, then MIDI out from the DT to MIDI in on DN (and most recently MIDI through from the DN to MIDI in on the M:C). Done.

I switch setups a little from time to time just to limit myself to just 2-3 machines but for this combination I just hook it up like described and I´m good to go. And in case the 4 channels on the DT would be missing for other stuff I still have 4 MIDI channels left on the DN.

Edit: this way you also have a third LFO for the DN, not the worst option to have.