Using a separate MIDI controller with Digitakt and external synth

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I recently got a keystep controller, and my set up is as follows:

Logic DAW
Digitakt into mac via USB - set to All MIDI channels
Keystep into mac via USB - can select channels 1 - 16 via the on-device controls
Minilogue into mac via USB - Set to Channel 13

  • I also have the Minilogue plugged into my Digitakt via MIDI cable. The channel is assigned correctly in the settings.

I am able to control the minilogue and the digitakt individually in Logic via the Keystep, however when I play something on the Minilogue via the Keystep, the Digitakt doesn’t appear to be receiving any notes. I do know that the channel is assigned correctly in settings because when i play they keyboard on the minilogue, the Digitakt picks it up.

I’m hoping to use the Keystep as my primary controller (vs. the chromatic “keyboard” on the Digitakt) and would love to be able to still sequence Minilogue notes on the Digitakt as I’m playing them.

Any thoughts here? Thank you!

#2

Why not run the Keystep MIDI out -> DT MIDI In -> DT MIDI out -> Minilogue MIDI in? Then you can play both the DT and Minilogue chromatically. Just use the DT auto channel.

#3

Yeah - that’s what I plan to do when I jam DAWless, but since I only have the Minilogue right now, I’m also hoping to incorporate some virtual synths as well.

#4

So long as the DT is also wired up through USB you can send MIDI out through both the standard 5-pin and directly to your DAW at the same time. The DT is an amazing brain for a hybrid setup…I drive multiple hardware and soft synths from it pretty much every session. :slight_smile:

#5

That’s great to know! So i think that’s exactly what I’m trying to do, and am going to give it a shot this afternoon. I’ll follow up here - i REALLY appreciate the responses. This has been driving me crazy for the last few days.

Are you in Logic Pro? Ableton? I’m getting the sense that Logic Pro isn’t the best platform for managing midi / synths vs. Ableton. I got a free 90 day trial of Live 10 so I’m going to start trying to learn it. Just a lot more expensive than Logic and since I already have Logic I’m going to try to make it work.

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#6

Hello!
Reviving the old post because I couldn’t find a certain answer online for midi routings. I had recently got a Digitakt, I loved the workflow. I am using its audio tracks besides midi tracks to control software synths without a DAW.
I want to pair with keyboard midi controller, most probably Keystep 37. Can I route Keystep’s touch strips and knobs as midi cc over Digitakt’s midi channels to both software and hardware synths? Because I do not use any DAW for now, I only want to use Digitakt’s tracks. Hope I expressed myself clear.
Cheers,

#7

Unfortunately none of the Digi boxes pass through pitch bend or mod wheel data from MIDI controllers, so you won’t be able to use those when controlling other synths through the DT. The same applies to MIDI CC messages coming into the DT (you can assign those knobs to control the DT’s internal tracks, but not the MIDI tracks…check out Appendix A in the manual to see the MIDI CC mapping options).

Your best chance to apply the Keystep’s pitch bend/mod wheel/MIDI knobs to other synths that you sequence with the DT will be to get a MIDI merge box (like by Kenton) or other MIDI hub (like by Blokas).

If you use a merge box like the one above, it will only work with hardware synths. You would pass both the DT’s MIDI Out and MIDI Thru into it…that way you can sequence from your DT but also pass your Keystep’s parameters as well.

If you use a MIDI hub like the one by Blokas, you have a lot more routing options available to you. It’s a bit more expensive, but not terribly so. You’ll have to use their software to set it up, but it’ll work for both hardware and software over USB, and will be super flexible in terms of what controls what. I have a Blokas MIDI hub and it has made my setup incredibly flexible, in terms of the options I have for sequencing/controlling stuff.

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#8

Thank you so much for the comprehensive reply!!
It’s sad to hear that. That’s why I didn’t come across any solution :slight_smile:
In this case, in order to use all of the features on the midi keyboard, I suppose you should connect it to the computer directly and sacrificing Digitakt’s sequencing unfortunately.
Blokas seems really good, never heard of it. Thank you for the suggestion, I will look through.

#9

In my experience with these two, touch strips no, knobs yes. Setting the CC knobs to 70-77 on Keystep 37, theyll control the 8 encoders on the VAL/Filter page. You set what CCs you want to control on the AMP/Select page of the midi track. They’ll then be passed on through the MIDI track out to hardware CCs.

And while it’s unfortunate that Pitch Bend , Aftertouch, and Mod Wheel don’t get passed through, the DT’s MIDI LFO usually adds a pretty full-featured LFO to a hardware synth (to fade in vibrato using PB, say), one per MIDI channel.

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#10

Keystep touch strips are very limited in their midi cc implementation, also research that if you don’t already own it. Essentially, you’ll need to configure the receiving boxes or software around the CC that keystep emits, as opposed to assigning CC to the keystep to match the receiving device/software. Not the end of the world, but worth mentioning.

Like humanprogram mentions though, cc knobs on keystep have assignable values so that’s not a problem with that particular line of controllers.

Also, in the first case with the merge box davestasiuk mentioned, if you get one that has dual outputs, you could send one side through a midi interface (example is if your audio interface has midi in/out) into your computer and still use the controller to live control your computer synths, and I assume that may work while DT sequencer is playing, however you won’t be able to record that kind of CC data automation on the DT sequencer by doing this, it would only work for live manipulation of sounds.

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#11

Oh! I got the workflow now!

#12

That’s great to know! I wonder why that isn’t shown in the MIDI implementation page in the DT’s manual.

#13

It is in the manual, see page 90:

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#14

Well slap me silly