Basic MIDI question

Probably wrong forum...but the MIDI forumis dead and same elsewhere with other gear forums..
 
I have TWO Roland XP series keyboards that I use as MIDI controllers for Z3ta, Dim Pro...etc.. all the virtual stuff.
 
For analog use, I have them MIDI'd together to layer nice stuff, but I'm only able to get one keyboard at a time to be my MIDI input into the computer.
 
I can get either keyboard to work separately, but not together.  You'd think [1st keyboard[ midi out  --> [2nd keyboard] midi in   --> to computer (from 2nd keyboard midi out) would work... but it doesn't.  Tried all combinations of midi thru, in, out, etc...  adjust settings on the keys... no go.  ONLY ONE keyboard at a time.  Do I need a MIDI hub or something?

You'd think [1st keyboard[ midi out  --> [2nd keyboard] midi in   --> to computer (from 2nd keyboard midi out) would work... but it doesn't.

No it will only output #2
The problem is #2 out will only contain information from #2
MIDI thru of #2 will only transmit information from #1.
MIDI out will only transmit local data. Midi thru will allow MIDI to pass thru but contains no local data.

  Also there can be filters to stop Program change etc 

The problem with daisy chaining is this increases the latency.
You need a MIDI patch bay with MIDI MERG to use 2 controllers.
 
You can easily build a  2IN to 1 out MIDI switch which is passive and this allows 2 controllers, but only one at a time.
All you need is a plastic project box 3 MIDI ports, and a DTSP switch.

For the analog outputs, you can have two sound modules, but for midi messages you are only using one channel like Channel 1 transmitting the midi message.
You have to split the keyboard or perhaps dual it, and with at least the split midi keyboard, using different sections of the keyboard, then transmitting on both channels like say Channel 1 and Channel 2 for the different keyboard sections. Whether you can set up your DAW to pick up both channels at once, may be the problem, and it probably can not. You would have to review on how perhaps you may pick up two channels in midi on one input midi connection of the computer. It would be all there, but probably the DAW can not do that - perhaps. That I do not know.
But then I do not see where you can not set up two channels into the DAW picking up each part of the split and record two channels coming in at once. It works for analog and recording two armed tracks at the same time.
 
The only problem I see using two sound modules is that you only have one "Local On/Off" switch I think for the keyboard. So both sounds of a split keyboard (the first module and the second module - layered sound) would come out only using the second module for receiving just one of the channels.
Usually you have 16 channels of midi combined coming out of a DAW perhaps going into a Performance Patch set up to play the entire music with all channels, so I suppose you could have 16 channels of midi going into a DAW also perhaps if the tracks are set up with different channels to record and all of that.
I don't know if that would work because perhaps midi messages are not fast enough for that, but playing back it works.
 
 
Well I hope that was not too confusing, as I was kind of thinking along while typing out.
 

I'm thinking we need the OP to add some info about what he's trying to do.
For example, I didn't see anything about wanting to record the midi streams from the two KBDs.  Strictly speaking he said he was using the KBDs as controllers to trigger some soft synths.  


Is he trying to play both KBDs at the same time or just one at a time but he wants to keep both of them connected to the PC?

Unless he connects the KBDs with a 2X2 midi interface, he will need to use different output midi channels on each KBD.  That way he can record them onto separate tracks even when playing them both at the same time.

--Larry

In other words, all of that can be set up and sent to Sonar to store, and transmit back, individually, one thing at a time. In the end playing it back then all of it comes out like it should with all the tracks used in the music and different sound modules. Unless there are too many midi messages and it can not handle it all.

Ya, I was reading some of the reply's and I was getting confused too....
Basically, to use the two keyboards you will need either the MIDI merge box or the flip switch, It sound to me like a merge box would be your best bet, Then it's always working for you.

Just so folks understand, It is not a good idea to use a Y cable as there is a 5volt output in midi so it could become doubled to 10v and therefore fry something very expensive. Therefore the active merge box.

Hard to find any info about that mixer,  but it does look like it has MIDI merge.

http://bluess.cocolog-nif...files/tascam_mm200.pdf
This is not in English but the picture say's it all.


Further digging had me reading the history of Tascam itself!! this is cool stuff I think I'll start a thread as there is  a lot of history here.


http://tascamforums.com/index.php?showtopic=707

1994-
- The TASCAM MM100 and MM200 were keyboard mixers with 16 line inputs and stereo outputs plus four effects sends. The MM200 was the same as the MM100 except it had MIDI patching and built-in BBE processing.