Midi in, then out back to the synth

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I use a Mopho as a synth connected to the DT. I connect the midi in and out of the Mopho to the out and in of the DT. I disable the local control on the Mopho so that it can send midi to the DT, which on track 9 send back the note to the synth. So far so good, I can play my synth as normal and record the midi live. Even better as I set the Mopho on the Auto Channel so that it can control other tracks and other synth plugged in.

The problem I have is that when I turn some knobs on my synth, since the local control is off, it doesn’t affect my synth sound. When I activate the Receive CC on the DT, then when I flip some knob on my synth the DT just go crazy as the CC parameter just start changing random stuff on the DT.

How can I have the CC sent from my synth, going trough the DT without affecting its setting, and sent back to the synth? Is it possible? Can I also send CC from my synth trough the DT to other pluged in synth? I can send notes to the other synth by having my Mopho on the Auto channel, but maybe it cannot send CC?

#2

This is not easily achievable. While it’s perfectly possible to set up 8 CC numbers to send from each MIDI track on the DT manually or with LFOs and parameter locks, these data cannot be directly recorded from an external device.

Instead, the DT’s MIDI tracks CCs can be controlled using CCs 70 to 77 as listed in Appendix A of the DT’s manual. If you can get the Mopho to transmit CCs 70 to 77 from its controls then you should be able to at least record those knob movements in the DT.

However, I note from the Mopho’s manual that only a few of the Mopho’s control have CCs assigned in the range from 70 to 77. You are likely to find that it’s best to use the DT’s knobs as the controllers for the Mopho’s sound parameters.

I don’t have a DT, but I believe that this will work in the same way as described above; if you send CCs 70 to 77 from the Mopho and have the appropriate CC numbers for the external synth set in the CC SELECT page of the DT’s MIDI track, then the Mopho could act as a controller for the external synth.

However, the same restrictions as above apply: you will likely find it better to use the DT’s knobs as manual controls for sound parameters on any external synths that you hook up to it.

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#3

Thanks, yes that is what I realized unfortunately the DT doesn’t freely relay the CC from one synth to another, which is a bit strange because the DT does receive CC from my synth and can send some… but not all. Even on the Midi trough port? More testing to come…

I would see a ‘pass trough’ option for the CC that would re-direct the all the CC from one controller to other external synth so that you have access to more than 8 CC signals. Not sure if the limitation is only software at this point.

For the Mopho, what I’ve found as a solution, is that I record the Midi in the DT, then when it’s playing I switch back the Local Control On so that I can further tweak my sound, so for that part I have a working solution. The Gloabl Menu on the Mopho stays on the last parameter you’ve selected so it’s easy to come in and out of that setting. On the DT I make sure that I don’t receive any CC.

#4

The DT will pass whatever MIDI messages arrive at its MIDI In port to its MIDI Thru port.

#5

Sorry for clarification but that comes from my lack of understanding MIDI ~ Do you mean that all the CC message will also pass trough?

#6

Yes.

#7

Ah yes, with the midi THRU I can control the other synth with note and CC, but I would need to change the midi channel on my main synth in order to make sense, and that midi will be recorded too in the DT but then I can’t use that from the DT to play back the synth as the THRU doesn’t have the OUT…

So the fact that the CC signals aren’t recorded is a software designed limitation right? Elektron decided that 8 CC signals should be enough and there is probably no way to expand on that apart if they would change the firmware.

#8

If 8 CC messages from one MIDI track is not enough for you then you could assign a second MIDI track to the same MIDI channel number to allow you to use another 8 CC messages.

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#9

Ha! This is a great idea! I do have 5 other midi track I am not using so that is a total of 40 extra programmable cc messages. Thanks for the trick this is great!