Midi connections

I know this is a dumb question but I have never been able to answer this on my own so I shall ask this question.

I have a Motif ES6, and a Remote SL61 midi controller.  I am working under the Windows 7 64 bit platform, Sonar 8.5.3,
the V-Studio 100, and basically all I want to know to do is be able to connect the Remote SL61 and the Motif ES6  to the V-Studio 100 so that I can record in Sonar.  Now, I want to use the Remote SL61 as the master controller.  I just basically want to use the Motif as a sound module.  Do I need a patchbay or a midisport 2x2, or do I just need midi cables?  Do I need to just go midi-out of the Remote SL and midi-in to the Motif while going midi-out (Remote SL)  to midi-in  ( V-Studio 100) ? Is my Remote SL overkill?   I am truly baffled because I am not as techy as I would like to be and I don't  have a partner that I work with that knows how to connect stuff.
Can somebody get me on the right track?

AMD Phenom Quad Core 2.4 ghz
6 gb Ram
NVidia GeForce Dual Monitor card
Sonar 8.5.3
Omnisphere , Trillian, Reason ,
Motif ES6
Remote SL 61

you are right. i will try that . thanks

OK, since they come with USB connectivity, then most likely the makers do provide "drivers" (software) for that connectivity to the PC.

You can start with the ones that come in CD's with said equipment, or get the latest drivers from their websites.

Also I put a little masking tape on the laptop and number the USB ports, and also mark the usb cables, because when Windows typically wants the USB device in the same USB port where you initially installed it with the drivers.

Without the tape marks, it was almost impossible to know where they devices work, and where not, as sooner or later one disconnects them.

Best of all.

clasonar37


i just thought about this though.  i have the remote hooked up to the v-studio 100 (via midi-in and out) . are you saying that i don't have to hook it up midi since i'm hooked up usb?  and that maybe i could hook the motif to the v-studio 100 via midi.  that would be easier for me if I could do that.  i don't want to experiment with that unless you or somebody knows for sure that i could hook the motif via midi. thanks for the response...

MIDI connections with classic MIDI cables do not need a PC, and that allows MIDI device to MIDI device connections. That's one thing.

MIDI USB connections require a PC that, like a telephone central, handles the data to and from.

So, you can do connections as Middleman describes, using part MIDI cables.

But you can also do it with USB only cables, as long as the device connecting to the USB cable handles MIDI-in and MIDI-out thus, which is usually the case when they provide USB connectivity.

Thus, you can avoid cabling (MIDI cables)..However, depending on how/what you want to achive, you likely use MIDI-Ox and MIDI-Yoke in the PC, which would turn your centralizing of USB-MIDI devices into a very powerful MIDI routing center.

It's up to you. No need to be real techi, but MIDI-Yoke and MIDI-Ox do need some studying and figuring out.

Sonar, by the way, can also do some routing as a central, but not as much as MIDI-Ox.

There is no significant loss of speed or performance when using USB only..On the contrary, USB MIDI connections are in general faster and more reliable than via earlier MIDI classic cables.

Remember, though, usual MIDI is device to device, where the PC can be seen also as a MIDI device with in/out capability.

If you use only USB cables, though, the PC is also, then, a MIDI central. That means that with USB one can not connect two MIDI devices directly (just like telephones. They go to a central or centrals).  But once a device gets to the PC, with MIDI Yoke/MIDI-Ox manager, many connections are possible, and as a bonus, much filtering of MIDI data, and other powerful translations can be established. I think the allegory of USB as a telephone system might help visualize USB-MIDI.

I'd say you take one thing at a time and trying is the best way...The specific questions come later, but more and more one learns to figure things out.

Best of all.

All controllers are dumb.

The management of MIDI devices, of both USB and regular MIDI cables or ports is best done at a PC with MIDI-Yoke and MIDI-Ox. Many musicians use them. It get rid of cables because one then uses virtual cables. One can also have various schemes and change them very easily, without having to plug/unplug real cables.

I'd like to suggest not to discard those possibilities, for situations and thing  do change with time.

When one is not pressed by the need, is a good time to explore things.

Best wishes.