Synching Korg XD, Tempest with Octatrack

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi all… I’m a relative newbie with the Octatrack but (mistly happily) ploughing my way through manual, vids, elektronauts forum. But I’d appreciate if anyone could help me fathom the best routing for the above as it’s causing me frustration.

I’m using Octatrack as master for the Tempest (midi out Octa - midi in Tempest), which is working pretty well. But I’m having problems trying to synch the Korg Xd, not helped by the fact it’s the module version for which I’m using my Bass Station II as the keyboard.

Leaving the BS II’s actual sounds out of the equation, I’d simply like to have the Octa, Tempest and XD playing together in synch.

Firstly, can this be done without having to screen dive into the Octa’s midi pages ?

I can play the Xd along with the Octatrack but am getting some strange results when cabling up via midi including seeing the BS II tempo hit 125 bpm while the tempo is playing at 120. I’ve also seen it stuck at 75 for some reason.

Tried delving into all the midi parametres on Tempest and XD but getting nowhere.

Any help, suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks

#2

If you are running in to midi issues, try breaking things down first to simplify the connections and identify where the problem is. Example: Is clock sync from the bass station to the XD working without any other midi coming? Or try just connecting the Octatrack direct to the BS, etc.

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#3

You will have to amend your plans or buy some extra equipment in order to achieve what you want.

Because neither the Minilogue XDM or the Tempest feature a MIDI Thru port, you cannot simply make a MIDI chain that starts with the OT and leads to the XDM and the Tempest.

Without additional equipment, you could use the Tempest as the master:

  • connect Tempest MIDI Out to OT MIDI In
  • connect OT MIDI Thru to XDM MIDI In

If I were in your situation, I would use OT as the brain of the system and purchase a small MIDI ‘Thru box’ to overcome the connection limitations of your other gear:

  • connect BS2 MIDI Out to OT MIDI In
  • connect OT MIDI Out to ‘Thru box’ MIDI In
  • connect ‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #1 to Tempest MIDI In
  • connect ‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #2 to XDM MIDI In
  • connect ‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #3 to BS2 MIDI In

If set up correctly, this would allow the BS2 to act as master keyboard for all the other gear and allow the OT to control all the gear including the BS2.

Whatever setup you choose, there will be some careful adjustment of MIDI settings required. Keep the manuals close at hand for reference. @metalfalcon’s advice to make one connection at a time in order to understand what is happening is sound. We can help you with the settings no matter which setup you decide on.

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#4

Thanks for your input Peter, I will try this solution a little later once my ‘home work’ day ends. I totally understand the logic, and realised - having read the manual section relating to this very setup - that the lack of a midi thru was going to cause problems. I have an M-Audio Midi in/out box if that helps? I’m sure it will be useful in any case, given the number of machines I’m trying to control. I also have a microbrute, which is sitting idle for the moment.
Anyway, I will update and let you know how it goes.
Many thanks

#5

I don’t know if it will help; which model is it?

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#6

Hi Peter, thanks for the tip. Everything is playing in synch when I press play on the OT, the Tempest and the Xd both being triggered.

It’s great, but has created another problem ! which, I hope, will be resolved by some inner tweaking.

I now get no sound from the XD, via the BS II, when I press on the BS keys - and I don’t see line signal going into my Octatrack inputs. I’ve checked the mixer inputs etc but no luck.

I do on the other hand hear sound from the Tempest when I play it manually, which is encouraging.

I’ve set the channels on the BS and XD to be the same and fiddled with the Tempest’s midi parameters, but I’m still scratching my head.

When I press the BS keys, I no longer even see the waveform appearing on the XD screen. Which is not encouraging.

Any suggestions humbly welcome

#7

That’s great.

Now you need to tell us first what MIDI connections you have made, in the form “X Out to Y In; Y Out to Z In” etc. Then we can begin diagnosis.

#8

the midi connections I made were the ones I followed from yourself !
Works a treat when I press play on the OT, but can’t get sound from BS keys when I press.

BS2 MIDI Out to OT MIDI In
OT MIDI Out to ‘Thru box’ MIDI In
‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #1 to Tempest MIDI In
‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #2 to XDM MIDI In
‘Thru box’ MIDI Out #3 to BS2 MIDI In

Nothing is coming from the Midi Out of the XD, is this why I’m getting no sound ? I suspect I need to go into midi settings on the OT and assign channels to correspond with my external instruments.

#9

The typical way to set this up would be to:

  • Determine which MIDI channel your XDM is set to listen to.

  • Set one of the OT’s MIDI sequencer tracks to transmit on the XDM’s MIDI channel

  • Determine which channel number is used for the AUTO CHANNEL feature on the OT.

  • Set the BS2’s output MIDI channel to transmit on the channel number used for AUTO CHANNEL on the OT.

  • Set the BS2 to ‘Local Off’.

All these settings are described in the manuals for the instruments.

Now, if you select the OT MIDI sequencer track that is aimed at the XDM, the BS2’s keyboard should ‘play’ the XDM.

You can also play the OT’s audio tracks from the BS2 keyboard, but beware that the OT only responds over a two-octave range and notes outside that range will trigger various sequencer functions on the OT.

Try this out and let us know how it goes. There may be some deeper tweaks needed to get everything working together.

#10

Peter, thanks for your informed reply. Before I read it this morning I’d already figured out, as you rightly suggested, by assigning the midi correct midi channels in the OT (something I hadn’t a clue about previously, I admit). So basically it’s working, I can play my XD sounds while the OT’s sequencer is playing - which is heaps of fun, despite my ear picking up a slight latency from the Tempest - although ONLY while I’m in OT midi mode. I assume this is because I’m not employing a THRU machine on the OT.
I also had to tweak the Tempest’s parameters a little as certain keys on the BS II were interfering with midi notes coming out of the Tempest ! As you say, keeping the manuals handy is key to making communication possible.
I haven’t tried 'playing the OT’s audio tracks on the BS, but that sounds interesting. I’ll try to figure it out. Thanks again

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#11

Probably not: if you are live playing the BS2’s keyboard, the Note messages are only routed to the other synth when the active track on the OT is the MIDI track that is transmitting to the other synth.

If you’re using the configuration that I described above, it’s as simple as selecting an audio track on the OT and playing in the two-octave range that the OT’s audio stacks respond to.