Midi help

Elektron Gear Model:Cycles
#1

Time for my latest round of being an idiot…

Trying to hook up my model cycles, keystep, typhon and db-01. I want the cycles to be the master clock and then be able to use to keystep to input notes into the cycles and typhon (so I can use the scale mode on the keystep). I tried the following:

Keystep midi out > cycles midi in cycles midi out > midi splitter > typhon and db-01 midi in

If I have the cycles midi out port set to midi out then I get clock and start/stop sync but I don’t get the keystep going thru to the typhon. If I set the cycles to midi thru I don’t get clock and start/stop sync.

Could someone help me out? Thanks.

#2

Cycles needs to be on Midi Thru to send the notes from Keystep via Cycles to Typhon.

#3

I suspect you need extra hardware. I made the same discovery as you (that neither ‘out’ or ‘thru’ will do the job) a few days ago. Posted a question here ‘Can it be done without extra hardware’ and I got no replies. Maybe your question is clearer than mine and you’ll get help that will answer my question too. :slight_smile:

#4

You have diagnosed the situation correctly.

Is your goal to do these things without simply switching the M:C’s MIDI Out port between functioning as MIDI Out and MIDI Thru?

If so, it may be possible. I don’t own any of these instruments but it seems likely that you could try:

Connections:

  • KS MIDI Out to Typhon MIDI In
  • Typhon MIDI Out to DB-01 MIDI In
  • DB-01 MIDI Out to M:C MIDI In
  • M:C MIDI Out to KS MIDI In

Settings:

  • set the M:C to NOT receive MIDI clock messages
  • set the M:C’s MIDI Out port as MIDI Out
  • activate MIDI Thru in KS’s configuration software
  • set the Typhon’s MIDI Out to act as MIDI Thru
  • set the DB-01’s MIDI Out to act as MIDI Thru

There may be some other settings to tweak if you have unexpected behaviour, but I believe the above will do what you want.

[Irrespective of the above, your setup would be simpler if you were willing to use the KeyStep as your clock source. Also, the MIDI “splitter” may be unnecessary in your setup because it seems that the MIDI Outs in both the Typhon and the DB-01 can be configured to act as MIDI Thru.]

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#5

Thanks Peter. I would be happy to use the keystep as clock source but I was under the impression that keystep 37 only sends clock when the sequencer is started (and I don’t want to use the keystep sequencer).

#6

Would that be a problem if it sends note messages that the synths aren’t listening for?

#7

I suppose not! So what would the setup be in this case?

#8

Exactly as you had in your original post, but with the KS sending MIDI clock and the M:C’s MIDI Out set to be MIDI Thru.

You also have the option to exclude the superfluous splitter.

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#9

Got it working, thanks a lot. A few quirks, but it’ll do for now.

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