mte Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 hey, I have 2 keyboards and B4(on the computer). Now, I'd like to use 1 keyboard as a controller for upper manual (MIDI channel 1) in B4 and the 2nd keyboard for lower manual (MIDI channel 2). So I'm asking how to connect all this stuff with just normal midi cables? I guess I don't understand that MIDI Thru jack on a keyboard. Is it for what I want? If it is - how does it work? Thanks, Matej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod S Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Depends on the keyboard. What you need is a midi MERGE option. My kurzweil PC88mx will merge signals com in the MIDI in port with the internal signal, out the midi port. So the following would work Gen Keyboard ---> Kurzweil PC88mx MIDI OUT MIDI IN KURZWEIL PC88mx ---> Computer MIDI OUT MIDI IN You can also buy a midi merge box. Midi solutions sells one. Korg Kronos X73 / ARP Odyssey / Motif ES Rack / Roland D-05 / JP-08 / SE-05 / Jupiter Xm / Novation Mininova / NL2X / Waldorf Pulse II MBP-LOGIC American Deluxe P-Bass, Yamaha RBX760 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mte Posted January 9, 2003 Author Share Posted January 9, 2003 hmm seems like neither M1 nor P120 have that merge option. About that midi merger.. could that be just a box with 3 female midi connectors connected in a proper way or is there something a bit more complicated in that box? thanks, Matej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod S Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Originally posted by mte: hmm seems like neither M1 nor P120 have that merge option. About that midi merger.. could that be just a box with 3 female midi connectors connected in a proper way or is there something a bit more complicated in that box? thanks, MatejConnecting wires won´t work. You need to put the midi messages in the appropriate order in the data stream, you can´t connect the different signals. What you are suggesting only works for midi patchbay type of connections, where you are just routing signals. There´s probably some kind of mux/demux chip in there, I would assume. I would search the web for a schematic. Whatever it is, it´s probably not too involved for a DIY project. Korg Kronos X73 / ARP Odyssey / Motif ES Rack / Roland D-05 / JP-08 / SE-05 / Jupiter Xm / Novation Mininova / NL2X / Waldorf Pulse II MBP-LOGIC American Deluxe P-Bass, Yamaha RBX760 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Winer Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Matej, > About that midi merger.. could that be just a box with 3 female midi connectors connected in a proper way or is there something a bit more complicated in that box? < Yes, it's more complicated than that. MIDI messages are comprised of several sequential bytes, and the number of bytes varies with the type of message. If you simply merge two unrelated signal streams, the messages will be scrambled whenever two messages arrive at the same time. For example, the first byte of one message would be followed by the first byte of the second. That would send the wrong data! So to work properly a MIDI merger has to know how long each message is, and keep the relevant bytes adjacent. --Ethan The acoustic treatment experts Ethan's Audio Expert Book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coyote Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 There are MIDI merge boxes available which will do exactly what you want. It's better to buy one than try to build it - MIDI signals have timing issues which require logic to integrate. Here's one for 65 bucks: http://www.americanmusical.com/item.asp?item=MII+M220&SRC=D0207FS1HAMS0000 I used to think I was Libertarian. Until I saw their platform; now I know I'm no more Libertarian than I am RepubliCrat or neoCON or Liberal or Socialist. This ain't no track meet; this is football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mte Posted January 9, 2003 Author Share Posted January 9, 2003 oh thanks! so this merge box is just the opposite of the thru box, isn't it? I guess I need just the basic one with 2in/1out for now.. But..will the computer recognize that a signal from 1 keyboard was sent through midi channel 1 and the other one through midi channel 2? tnx again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joegerardi Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Yes it will. IIRC, the channel assignment is in the header data of the MIDI stream Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Originally posted by mte: hey, I have 2 keyboards and B4(on the computer). Now, I'd like to use 1 keyboard as a controller for upper manual (MIDI channel 1) in B4 and the 2nd keyboard for lower manual (MIDI channel 2). So I'm asking how to connect all this stuff with just normal midi cables? I guess I don't understand that MIDI Thru jack on a keyboard. Is it for what I want? If it is - how does it work? Thanks, MatejDo you have two MIDI ins on the computer? If at least one of your boards has a serial conection you can connect it up that way. How does the B4 accept input? Does it have a "MIDI IN" in the midi mapper to which you can assign a midi output. If so I have software that I wrote (so I can give you a copy) that will merge two input channels to the one B4 output channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mte Posted January 10, 2003 Author Share Posted January 10, 2003 thanx Byrdman, I didn't even think of it. I'll try with serial connection of P120 and normal MIDI cables with M1. Don't have a cable right now, but I'll go get it today. I think that your program won't be necessary as B4 has a table with available midi ports and you can probably assign more than one port (at least for midi out, but if midi out, why not also midi in?). If it won't work I'll let you know. thanks, Matej Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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