I’m currently looking for ways to control the parameters of my DX21 via the Digitakt to avoid the clunky process of dialling in parameters one by one using the data entry slider.
Often I just plug a midi cable in and an audio out from the DX and sequence it from the Digitakt - which is really fun but does have its limitations.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience controlling the parameters of this synth (or a Yamaha Dx7/any old digital synth of that era) via the Midi CC controls on the Digitakt.
I’ve been using these controls on modern gear and it’s worked really well do far (Roland Boutique Models).
On the Dx21 I’ve managed to get a few basic parameters working, such as the mod wheel, master volume and portamento switch, though I think this is because these selections correspond to actual hardware, such as a foot switch or breath controller which require a much more basic form of midi messaging to function.
The challenge is that I can’t seem to get this to work with aspects which would be functional for sound design purposes, such as the ADSR controls, or the operator frequency. I believe that this is because these functions work via some form of Sysex data messaging, rather than Midi CC.
Some possible solutions I’ve looked into:
-Using a “Midi Solutions” event processor or similar hardware to process the Midi CC and turn the messages into Sysex signals (unsure if this will work for these parameters)
-Using a program such as CTRLr or Midi Designer to program the Midi CC signals to Sysex, and running the messaging from the Digitakt to the DX21 via my laptop
Before I purchase/download anything, I’d just like to know if anyone has tried something similar to this with old gear and wouldn’t mind sharing their method.
The midi solutions box does seem fairly expensive (almost as much as I originally got the synth for second hand), but it would be more convenient to have this functionality in a small box rather than setting up my laptop as the middleman every time I wanted to use this setup (I may as well just use a vst at that point). Perhaps there is a more cost effective option (possibly raspberry pi based?)
Cheers!