MIDI setup help

[starmanwarz]

After several months of renovating and having my gear in their boxes it’s finally time to take’em out and set them up properly this time. I’m going to need your help to do this the right way.

What I have:

A4MK2
DT
Boog D
MPC Live
Keystep

What I’d like to achieve:

I’d like to have 2 masters, if possible. The DT and the MPC Live. Kinda like 2 different, independant setups. The DT should control the A4 and the Boog D, and the MPC Live everything. Oh, and the Keystep should be the master keyboard of everything, too.

Am I asking too much? Is this possible? If it isn’t, I’ll settle for the DT as master controlling the A4 and Boog D, keystep doing its thing (being able to play everything in a different channel).

[stretchyman]

You can ONLY have one master, OBVs!

Not sure how’d you do this however.

I find it’s best to draw it out and try and make sense of it that way.

Str.

[chaocrator]

I’d like to have 2 masters, if possible.

anyway, there can be only one clock master.
so, DT and MPC must be synchronized to each other.

what you want can be built using some MIDI splitter boxes (and possibly some MIDI merger boxes if you need receiving some MIDI messages back from sound generating units that you described as slaves)

[starmanwarz]

Ah, alright then, 1 master it is

So DT controlling the A4, A4 controlling the Boog D via CV and Keystep as master keyboard. What’s the ideal MIDI routing?

Also, since all these machines have MIDI thru, could I some how use the MIDI out ports of the MPC to also control the A4 and the Boog D? And possibly the DT too?

[PeterHanes]

So DT controlling the A4, A4 controlling the Boog D via CV and Keystep as master keyboard. What’s the ideal MIDI routing?

KS MIDI Out to DT MIDI In.
DT MIDI Out to AF MIDI In.

could I some how use the MIDI out ports of the MPC to also control the A4 and the Boog D? And possibly the DT too?

Probably. What do you mean by “control”? Sequence? Master tempo & transport?

[starmanwarz]

Probably. What do you mean by “control”? Sequence? Master tempo & transport?

Yeah, all of the above. Sequence, send clock and start/stop etc.

[PeterHanes]

could I some how use the MIDI out ports of the MPC to also control the A4 and the Boog D? And possibly the DT too?

OK. So the basic connections for this would be:

KS MIDI Out to MPC MIDI In.
MPC MIDI Out to DT MIDI In.
DT MIDI Out to AF MIDI In.

You will have to carefully set up the MIDI settings on each instrument. It’s probably best to set up one configuration at a time to ensure it’s working before moving on to another.

[starmanwarz]

Ok, gotcha, thanks.

One last question, let’s suppose that I have DT master and do the MIDI routing you suggested. Is it possible to use the MPC’s 2 MIDI outs to sequence the A4 and Boog D via MIDI through, and use it as a different setup?

[d4g]

Maybe this doesnt answer your question but I have got a similar setup with a Mpc live and an Octatrack. Which both serve as master clock.
Mpc sends midiclock to octatrack. Set Octatrack (or digitakt) to receive and send midiclock.
Now If I dont use the mpc live, the Octatrack (Dt) functions as master. Octatrack handles all midi to other gear with a midi thru box.
Dont have a digitakt, but setup should be similar.

[Synthesis]

This is possible. Possibly. If DT is master you could send all commands to mpc live. The cc messages would be transmitted to the machines via midi thru. However, midi thru only transmits incoming messages so the midi messages from the Mpc Live would not be transmitted to those machines, unless there’s a setting that allows you to choose how the Live’s midi outputs operate ( out or thru) I don’t have an mpc Live. But all would respond to midi from DT. Not sure what you mean by a different setup though? Midi splitters cables are awesome and cheap. Midi patch pays offer total flexibility but at a cost. Although your current machines are quite expensive so that may not be an issue for you. Either way, the best way to do it is to play around with different midi patching and using trial and error. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish. It’s awesome when you get it figured out! Good luck

[PeterHanes]

let’s suppose that I have DT master and do the MIDI routing you suggested

What do you mean by “master”?

Is it possible to use the MPC’s 2 MIDI outs to sequence the A4 and Boog D via MIDI through, and use it as a different setup?

Your question is a little ambiguous, but you can sequence the AF and the Model D from the MPC without changing anything previously suggested and by connecting AF MIDI Thru to Model D MIDI In.

[starmanwarz]

What do you mean by “master”?

starmanwarz:

I meant master clock, provided by the DT. What I am trying to achieve is to control the A4 and the Boog D both from the DT and MPC (not at the same time).

I’ve got an idea of what I should be doing, thanks for all the suggestions!

[starmanwarz]

This sounds like what I’m looking for. I guess I’ll need a MIDI through box then.

[PeterHanes]

I meant master clock, provided by the DT. What I am trying to achieve is to control the A4 and the Boog D both from the DT and MPC (not at the same time).

As long as both the DT and the MPC are upstream of both the AF and the Model D then you will be able to use either DT and MPC as the master clock for the AF and Model D without any additional hardware.

[PeterHanes]

This sounds like what I’m looking for. I guess I’ll need a MIDI through box then.

As far as I can tell, you will not need a MIDI Thru box: you can just use a straightforward chain as described in other posts because your other gear has MIDI Thru ports.

[starmanwarz]

Sweet, thanks!