Octatrack & iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ Set Up Clarification

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Dear Fellow Octatrack Users,

I am presently configuring my live-performance system and as I outline what I believe is the proper connectivity below, I would appreciate any additional feedback or insights. Thank you very much for lending your wisdom.

Jeff

Octatrack MIDI OUT to Analog Four MKII MIDI IN
Analog Four MKII MIDI THRU to Analog Rhythm MKII MIDI IN
Analog Rhythm MKII MIDI THRU to Digitakt MIDI IN
Digitakt MIDI THRU to Digitone MIDI IN
Digitone MIDI THRU to iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ MIDI IN
iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ MIDI OUT 1 to Novation Circuit
iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ MIDI OUT 2 to Novation Circuit Mono
iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ MIDI OUT 3 to Moog Subsequent 37
iConnectivity iConnectMIDI4+ MIDI OUT 4 to Strymon Timeline Digital Delay

If this is solid, please let me know. If I am missing something or way off a logical methodology please (kindly) correct and educate me.

Cheers!

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#2

Whew, that is a doozy!

The way I do it is master (OT for me) into iconnect midi4+ on the front port. Then everything else is linked through iconnect and out the back ports, utilizing a Kenton midi thru box.

Less chaining into each machine from one another is better in my mind.

Hereā€™s a video that helped me a lot:

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#3

Thank you, PlumWrinkles, for taking the time to reply and for the video. Iā€™ll definitely check this out!

Much appreciated,
Jeff

#4

I canā€™t sort through that right now, but Iā€™ll say that usually with the ICM4+ you connect each devices din out and in to the ICM4+ ins and outs. With a usb hub you can connect up to 8 devices by usb which provide full in/out for each. Many of those devices have usb so you can offload from the din ports. This way every device has its own port and you can create and save a custom config for the Iconnect that routes everything for you, and be able to use its filtering/remapping if neededā€¦ Much more flexible this way to take advantage of the ICM4+.

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#5

Thank you, Open_Mike. I appreciate the information.

Jeff

#6

Yes to above, Iā€™ll add your daisy chain (several gear with thru) is too long. Try to use IConnectMidi4+ at max, and connect gear with Thru first. That way you can have shorter daisy chains.

Oh and buy MD, MnM, AH, AD and Sidstation, youā€™ll be fine after. :smile:

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#7

Yep agree with all comments.
Any chain (midi in > midi thru) that long will fail if any of the boxes crashes / dodgy lead / wrong setting etc etc
A couple or even one simple mid thru box would alleviate significantly (even if it is a bit of a depressing thing to spend ā€˜gear moneyā€™ on)

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#8

If you get a hub, then everything goes into ICM, and everything gets an out from ICM. That way every device only has the ICM between it and any other piece of gear, no noticeable latencyā€¦

You have to figure out the routing which is a bit tricky. But you can do things like distribute the clock from one device to all other devices, and enable specific routes from controllers to only devices you want to control and stuff. Iā€™m not really saying how to do that just that you can so you get the concept, if you go that way me or someone else can help with the routing later, it is a bit tricky at first but itā€™s super awesomeā€¦ You shouldnā€™t need any other box with an ICM4+ until you have more than 8 usb and 4 din devicesā€¦

The ICM is like the midi middle man. Everything gets an in and out from it, and after its configured with the software, it sends the midi from each device only to the other device or devices that need it, and doesnā€™t send it to the ones that donā€™t, custom for any kind of setup once configuredā€¦

The ICM handles thru/merger activity internallyā€¦
In the future it can do more stuff like remap channels to other channels, remap ccā€™s to other ccā€™s, block or enable sending/receiving different types of midi messages for all devices, both for their inputs and outputs separately. Itā€™s complex but itā€™s amazingly configurableā€¦

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#9

LOL, Sezare56. Additional ā€œmust-havesā€ Iā€™ll need to look at.

I really appreciate this but I am not sure Iā€™m following what youā€™re saying.

Based on my equipment listed above, how would you configure it all with the iconnect?

Thanks,
Jeff

#10

Hi Open_Mike,

Am I understanding you that I need a router AND the iconnect? Iā€™ve looked at some videos and on the iconnect and Iā€™m comfortable with what Iā€™ve seen so far, but Iā€™m not sure if youā€™re suggestung a router as well and how I would hook that into my system based on my gear above.

Thank you,
Jeff

#11

Something like that, if you canā€™t plug via USB as @Open_Mike said. The idea is to avoid long daisy chain with thru connections.

OT>ICM4
ICM4 > A4 > THRU > CIRCUIT
ICM4 > AR > THRU > STRYMON
ā€¦

#12

The ICM4+ is a router/merger/thruā€¦ With other capabilitiesā€¦
Nothing needs to be daisy chained when using an ICM, that limits its functionality because the device connected to the through no longer gets its own midi port to utilize the features of the ICMā€¦
As far as Iā€™m concerned youā€™d just need a usb hub to offload devices from the din ports to usbā€¦
Typically no mergers/thru boxes, or any other type of midi box is needed with an ICM4+, it does all of that, by using them(merger/thru) you actually limit its functionalityā€¦ Been using one for years with all kinds of devices attachedā€¦

DT, DN, A4, AR, can all be attached to usbā€¦
OT must be din, so there are 3 more din pairs.

Out of Circuit, Cuircuit Mono, Moog, and Strymon, do any of those have usb?
If so you can connect them all to the ICM as long as you have a usb hub and no other devices are neededā€¦
If not then youā€™d just need one of them connected to a thru or somethingā€¦

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#13

Itā€™s complex, but so is your setupā€¦
Itā€™s really the way these units are designed to be used, it might require some study/research to utilize because of the nature of your advanced complex setup that you haveā€¦

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#14

You attach the ICM to a computer or IOS device, and it allows you to control routing/merging/all kinds of midi functionsā€¦ You then save the config and then it operates standaloneā€¦
It is designed to be an advanced one box midi solution so that you donā€™t have to use other devicesā€¦
You can save and recall configs and its like you just rewired your entire setup, but you didnā€™tā€¦
Typically once you land on a good configuration you can just use that over and over standalone without a computer or IOS deviceā€¦

This might seem intimidating but thatā€™s not the point of what Iā€™m trying to say, Iā€™m simply trying to explain the features of the device you have and that itā€™s probably all you need. If this is new to you it might take some days or weeks to get it going, but the results are a super customized midi setup that allows all of your gear to communicate with each other only in the ways best for your particular setupā€¦

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#15

Ah, ha! Thank you, Sezare56! Light bulbs of illumination are now going off.

Jeff

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#16

Open_Mike, wow. Thank you for the in-depth information. I am starting to get a better understanding of things. The Novation Circuit and the Novation Circuit Mono station do have USB midi as well as midi din, so I see now the added flexibility of using the USB connections on the ICM. And, the Moog Subsequent 37 also has USB midi in addition to its midi din. Yes!

I am going to read up on all of this a bit more and have a solid thing-through of the set up. As soon as I feel I have gleaned some addition understanding, I shall reply once more if it would not be an inconvenience, just to get another spot-check on my thinking.

Gratefully,
Jeff

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#17

Itā€™s a lot manā€¦
But you need no other device, and with a hub you can do all you want plus worlds moreā€¦

No device gets connected to another device. They all get connected to ICM, and it takes care of how everything communicates with everything else once configuredā€¦

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#18

If your iconnect is not enough, you can either connect 2 together or switch to an mio10, which has 10 in/out and usb host in a nice 19"

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#19

All of his gear is possible to connect to one ICM4ā€¦ :slight_smile:

#20

You know - GAS strikes once and booom no more i/o :smile:

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