General connecting advice

dingebre · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:47 pm Post subject: General connecting advice

Hi all,

First time in this forum...

I am in need of advice regarding how to connect my gear. I've never had more than one midi device and now I find I have many. I am at a loss on how to start connecting. Which should be in their own loops? Which should be on their own? The Time Piece has 8 ins/outs but I'd like to be efficient and smart about it.

Any advice, links, books, anything to help me understand the overall picture of a midi driven studio.

In short:

Keyboards:
John Bowen Solaris (on order and should have in October)
Moog Voyager keyboard
Moog Voyager Rack Mount Edition
Moog Midi MuRF
Old (I know) Kawai K1 MK II
CME VX7 controller
Use Audio Plugiator ASX (made for the CME VX7, connects internally to the CME Midi connections)
Oberkorn sequencer
Encore Expressionist Midi to CV

Software:
Sonar 8 Producer
Midi OX
Arturia Moog Modular V
Arturia MiniMoog V
NI FM7
NI FM8
Misc. Editors/Librarians

Other hardware:
MOTU 828 mk3
MOTU Midi Time Piece - AV
Echo Audio Layla 24
Desktop PC Vista Home 64 bit

rAC · Joined: Dec 30, 2010 Posts: 7 Location: Australia

I'm not 100% sure (as some of your equipment I dont know) but I would start by connecting as many as possible MIDI Outs to the MOTU Timepiece's IN's (and vice versa), the 828 could take another MIDI device I think.
Then with the Timepiece and 828 connected to your computer configure your software to recognise them (and the connected peripherals) then spend ages ( Smile

) working out your desired signal paths/routing.

Good luck with it

Bryan B · Joined: Oct 16, 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Minneapolis

My practice has been to consult the manuals to find out which devices are the most limited. If it is difficult or you cannot change the receiving channel, put those on the easiest default channel to make them work without any extra effort.

Then you can fill up the rest of your outputs/channels making a chain of the least amount of machines possible. If you are sending a lot of data (notes, changing cc's, etc) you might want to give those machines their own midi output. You can experience midi spurts if too much information is being sent at one time.

You would benefit from setting the Voyager up to send Midi out to a DAW to record knob tweaks and such. I don't know much else about your specific setup, but it should work great.