From bruce@ashbysolutions.com Wed Mar 28 09:40:21 2007
Subject:Re: How do I make midi work? [OT]

Hi Chris,

I think that you actually can play the drums without any MIDI merger in the chain. Cakewalk has a feature where the notes are echoed on the channel that you have selected, rather than the channel that they came in on. Thus, if you are playing the CX-3 with the DM5's track selected, the notes will come out on the DM5's track. When you change to the CX-3's track, the notes will play on the CX-3.

In this case, to make things work simply, you will want to have Local Off on the CX-3, and the Thru echo enabled in Cakewalk. Just remember to reset to Local On before you play the CX-3 on its own, or you'll hear absolutely nothing!

Regards,

-BW

--
Bruce Wahler
Design Consultant
Ashby Solutions™ http://consult.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@ashbysolutions.com

At 12:21 PM 3/28/2007, Bruce Wahler wrote:
>Hi Chris,
>
>I suspect that you don't have things connected correctly. As previously mentioned, the definitions of MIDI In and Out aren't the same as many other computer items.
>
>MIDI In = accepts MIDI data from an external master device
>
>MIDI Out = sends MIDI data to an external slave device
>
>MIDI Thru = a copy of the MIDI In data, for daisy-chaining to more devices
>
>You need to connect things as so:
>
>UM1-SX MIDI Out --> CX-3 MIDI In
>CX-3 MIDI Thru --> DM5 MIDI In
>DM5 MIDI Thru *** --> UM1-SX MIDI In
>
>*** The DM5 doesn't have a dedicated Thru jack. Use the MIDI Out jack, with the Thru setting enabled in the menu. See page 7 of the DM5 manual for instructions.
>
>There is still one potential problem, a "MIDI loop." Since the CX-3's note data is sent to the PC, and then the PC's data is sent back to the CX-3, there is a feedback path. This can either be fixed by setting Local Off in the Global menu of the CX-3; or by turning off the Thru setting in the Preferences in Cakewalk.
>
>----------
>However, this may not allow you to do everything you want. I suspect that you might want to play the DM5 from the CX-3, to record parts. If so, you will need a device that you don't have: a MIDI merger. This is a device that combines two or more MIDI outputs into a single data stream. (As a general rule, MIDI devices can only accept one input at a time.) What you PROBABLY want to do is this:
>
>{Combine the keyboard data and the data sent by the PC}
>UM1-SX MIDI Out --> CX-3 MIDI In
>CX-3 MIDI Thru --> MIDI Merger In1
>CX-3 MIDI Out --> MIDI Merger In2
>
>{Send the combined data to the DM5}
>MIDI Merger Out --> DM5 MIDI In
>DM5 MIDI Thru *** --> UM1-SX MIDI In
>
>*** MIDI Out jack, with the Thru setting enabled in the menu
>
>----------
>And MIDI channel is very important to playback, even if it's not when recording.
>
>----------
>If you need a MIDI merger, please contact me offline; I would be happy to sell you one. :-)
>
>Regards,
>
>-BW
>--
>Bruce Wahler
>Online Music Sales
>AshbySolutions.com™ http://music.ashbysolutions.com
>978.386.7389 voice/fax
>bruce@ashbysolutions.com
>
>At 10:30 PM 3/27/2007, you wrote:
>> Not strictly a clonewheel question, but I do have a newer CX-3 that's part
>> of the chain. This is a REALLY basic set of questions.
>>
>>I have a WindowsXP computer, an Edirol UM1-SX USB->midi adapter, the CX-3,
>>and an Alesis DM-5 drum synth (with drums). I have Cakewalk Home Studio
>>on one computer, and KeyKit on another. All the midi Out's are connected
>>to In's
>>in one big loop.
>>
>>The CX-3 is set for channel 1 (default), and the DM-5 for channel 3. What I
>>can't
>>do is record any midi activity on cakewalk, and I can't get anything to play
>>using Keykit. Using kaboom, I can get the data out indicator on the
>>interface
>>to blink, but the input indicator doesn't blink playing either of the
>>instruments.
>>
>>In Cakewalk, what do I set the Edirol to for channel, bank, etc. Channel
>>barely makes
>>sense for the computer interface (omni mode?).
>>
>>MIDI can't be that hard to get basic functionality. Please help!!
>>This makes TCP/IP networking seem easy.
>>
>>Thx, Chris
>>
>>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>To unsubscribe, send email to: CloneWheel-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>To unsubscribe, send email to: CloneWheel-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>