I have a TE Oplab and it’s full. I’d like to keep using it and add more MIDI and MIDI-USB functionality and have everything on either hub be able to talk to each other. Will this work? The iConnectMIDI4+ looks promising. I need more MIDI ports and the iConnect’s USB host explicitly supports connecting more MIDI-USB instruments via an add-on port (I’m told the Oplab probably doesn’t support this).
I come from a history of patch cables or things like USB and Firewire where hubs and daisy-chaining is fairly straightforward. I’m a bit ignorant still on more advanced MIDI connectivity. I’d basically like items on the Oplab and iConnect (or any other recommendations in its price range) to be able to communicate with each other, as sometimes I’d like run sequences off of the Machinedrum, FR Zillion, and iPad, all at the same time, and be able to hit the USB, regular MIDI, CV, and Volca Sync (via an add-on board I have for the Oplab), regardless of whether those things are attached to the iConnect or Oplab.
You need to think carefully about exactly what you want. Some of these devices give you more physical ports to route signals between different devices, but don’t give you any more independent MIDI channels. In some circumstances, you might need a multi-port USB-MIDI interface/patchbay instead.
Physical channels as in MIDI channels 1-16? I’m still well below that. The highest channel I’m using right now is 6. I think my full expansion plans would lead me to 12-14 tops.
My needs, if I understand them correctly, is MIDI Merge functionality to be able to use the Machinedrum and Zillion sequencers at the same time. I can’t wrap my brain around how to do that with the single DIN MIDI-In port on the Oplab because of what gets sent on Thru ports versus Out ports… right? This is where some of my midi ignorance comes in.
So I’d like to MIDI Merge at least two sequencers on DIN MIDI, with possibility of Octatrack and/or Monomachine being added in the future (although it’s likely that I’d only use one Elektron for its MIDI sequencing capabilities at a time).
I’d like to be able to a MIDI Port or two to spare for some of these lovely little microsynths that don’t support MIDI Thru.
And I have a Waldorf Streichfett on USB already and on my wishlist are the Rocket and Blofeld. I can’t remember if the Blofeld can be powered by USB, but I think the Rocket can and I’d like to have those devices attached with as few cables as possible. None of them support MIDI Thru, which is where needing a hub (MIDI or USB) is needed.
I understand that the iConnect can be programmed/configured to support a few different modes, such as merge.
The iConnect 4+ sounds pretty good for my needs, but I’m trying to figure out how to make it work with the Oplab which offers some similar functionality but also some differences I’d like to keep.
Hi jShell,
I only have the midi4+ and no oplab, but they should work together. You can route many controllers to one destination with the midi4+, so everything can get connected with everything. But its always a good advice with midi to turn everything off that you dont need, so the serial signals dont interfere with each other. You can do that with the midi4+ very easily. I use it to contol an A4 with a USB-Keyboard and a Faderfox UC3 at the same time.
You can also remap the channels on device sends to another – in dependecy of the device: So if a Controller sends messages on channel one, midi4+ can remap this so the messages are going on channel 2 to one device and channel 3 to another – very flexible. The biggest constraint Ive found so far is, that you can only remap 8 cc commands per controller to a new cc command. EG I would like to control the A4 R with all the knobs form my Sub 37, but as it uses a different cc mapping, I can only reroute eight of them to control Filter Frequency, resonance etc.
If you don’t need many channels, then things should be easier. You might (I’n not sure) even be able to put a USB hub on one of the Oplab’s USB host ports to meet many of your needs.
What’s wrong with using OpLab Mode 1 or Mode 2 with the TM-1 to merge the MD and Zillion messages, as you proposed in your other thread?
I was told on the Operator-1 board that the Oplab might not be able to handle a USB hub off of one of its ports, but the answer didn’t sound definitive. I think I’ve got a spare hub lying around unless it got thrown away in the old-usb-and-firewire-cable purge last weekend. If it’s still around, I’ll give it a try this weekend and see if it can support the Streichfett and OP-1.
I should also be able to try the TM-1 off of an Oplab USB port this weekend with the Machinedrum. The Zillion won’t show up until Monday.
So it sounds like I should be able to live off the Oplab alone for a little bit longer. I was also thinking that I should treat this setup like I treat my noise setup - don’t try to use everything at the same time! Just what can be reached!
Ugh. It appears that neither of the things I want to do with the Oplab can be done.
I put the TM-1 on one of the USB host ports, with the Machinedrum connected to both ins and outs. I had the MD set to only be sending out clock and clock control. I selected the USB port on the Oplab as source and…! nothing.
Plugging the Machinedrum MIDI Out directly into Oplab’s MIDI In worked fine.
I also tried using a USB hub. Granted, it wasn’t externally powered, so that may have had something to do with it. I only connected the OP-1 to the hub, and the hub to the Oplab. No matter the order in which I plugged them in, the Oplab would not register any activity.
