Hi, I’ve been using my Digitakt as the centre of my setup. Long story short: Do I need a midi thru box and where do I put it?
The long story being: Digitakt is the first in my midi chain. I am happy to having finally figured out the settings how to use the Digitakt to synch the Minilogue and Monologue (and sometimes an Arturia Drum Brute). When I press play on the Digitakt, both synthesizers also start playing their sequences. I can also use Midi channel A on the Digitakt and write a pattern that then plays on the Monologue. But since the Monologue only has Midi in and out, but not midi thru, I cannot control the next synth in my chain, the Minilogue. Would a midi thru box help and how/where should I conntect it? (Would be good to know before I buy one). Many thanks if there is anyone out there who has a suggestion!
The Monologue and Minilogue need to both receive MIDI on different channels. For example, set the Monologue to receive MIDI on channel 1 and set the minilogue to receive MIDI on channel 2. Then on the Digitakt, set Track A to send MIDI on channel 1 and set Track B to send MIDI on channel 2. Now the DT’s track A controls the Monologue and track B will control the Minilogue.
Using a MIDI through box is the best solution for your current setup and for proper expansion. If possible try to get more channels than you need. You’ll be surprised how they fill up in the future.
Be sure to buy a MIDI Thru box that powers itself! I don’t know if they make them unpowered anymore, but buy one that accepts its own power source for sure.
I do that (setting them on different channels), but since the Monologue doesn’t have midi thru, the signal somehow could not “go through” and actually control the Minilogue, only the sequencer could be started and stopped. That is why I am thinking of buying this midi thru box. I would definitely prefer not to Less gear would be convenient… But I cannot seem to control both of them at the same time. Did you?
I couldn’t control both without the midi through box.
The only way to control multiple is with some type of midi thru (either on the synth or a midi thru box). You can do what’s called daisy chaining synths only if your synths have a midi thru port (increasingly rare that they do).
What happened when you daisy chained the two synths via midi out, is that the DT output two different channels of midi, the first synth only allowed 1 of them to enter and the other is “blocked” from entering. So the 2nd midi channel never reached the 2nd synth. When you hit play on the DT, that’s called a transport control. It also sent what is known as clock. Depending on your DT’s settings all synths would be able to receive transport control and clock independent of whatever channel they are on.
Midi thru is pretty cool where all the channels that enter it (up to 8 channels from DT) get copied and sent to every midi out jack on the other side of the box. Then each synth that you hook up is presented with all the midi channels–including the one that it is “listening” for.
Best value thru boxes I’ve found are the Mindburner ones on ebay. I’ve had an 8 channel one for a few years now, works perfectly Items for sale by mindburner_midi | eBay
Less gear would be convenient… But I cannot seem to control both of them at the same time. Did you?