New To Synth Modules Midi Setup

I am new to using synth modules without the keys so go easy on me if this is a stupidly obvious question for most.

Up until now any hardware synths i have ever owned have featured their own keyboard, so simply i just need a little guidance on the MIDI setup required for the use of modular synths.

Must the first keyboard in the chain i.e. the controller, have MIDI Thru in order to control the rest? A brief guide through would be amazing...

Thanks for your patience! Ha.

No, the controller needs MIDI OUT, since it's the one producing the midi note data.

THRU only re-sends what is received on the MIDI IN port - you want the controller to send its own note data, not re-send data received from something else.

also, a modular synth is not the same as a synth used as a sound module

a "sound module" is just a synth (or sampler etc.) controlled from an external controller/sequencer. A modular synth is a particular way of constructing a synth, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_module and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_synthesizer

http://www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_get_started_with_midi.html

This should help too.

Ahh my bad on the lazy terminology! ha.

Thanks for the help, say for example you had a hardware synth as your main controller, something like a moog lp without a midi thru, and say 2 other modules, how would you set this up with the mpc or even just your daw.

Thanks again guys.

Glydez wrote:Ahh my bad on the lazy terminology! ha.

Thanks for the help, say for example you had a hardware synth as your main controller, something like a moog lp without a midi thru, and say 2 other modules, how would you set this up with the mpc or even just your daw.

Thanks again guys.

A midi interface takes care of what you're asking. In my case, I can run up to eight midi instruments from the interface I use.

Each with its own independent midi out port.

if you don't have a midi interface, you can by a midi thru box
e.g.
http://www.midisolutions.com/prodthr.htm
http://www.philrees.co.uk/products/thruunit.htm

or you can just put the moog last in the chain


MPC OUT -> module1 IN

module1 THRU -> module2 IN

module2 THRU -> moog IN

Just don't cross the streams... you know what happens when you do that from Ghostbusters...

The benefits you get from using an interface is it shows up in your daw s/w.

Daisy chaing your gear won't give you that luxury, 'cause the whole link has to share 16 midi channels (not enough for me, plus latency issues).

So the MIDI setup using a DIGI 003, Moog LP and say 2 modules would be...

Sorry if i still seem a little clueless

Glydez wrote:So the MIDI setup using a DIGI 003, Moog LP and say 2 modules would be...

Sorry if i still seem a little clueless

If the 003 had more than one midi in/out ports, then it would be deemed a multi-port interface also, but it doesn't.

So we go back to the daisy chaining theory, which limits you to only 16 midi channels. Every out port on a midi interface counts for 16 independent midi channels. Combine more than one, then you multiply 16 times whatever number of ports you have.

All of this works in conjunction with your multimedia programs on your daw too.

midi out 1 from 003 to sound module 1

midi out 2 from 003 to sound modual 2

midi out of moog to midi in of 003



start 1 new midi track.


set track input to "all" set track output to either midi out 1 (has 16 channels) or midi out 2 (16 channels as well)



this way, you can play your moog keys and the midi data it sends will "receive" on the midi track you started... and by selecting the output of either 1 or 2 midi out (to our modules, you can decide what you want to play (and on what channel of each)


If you simply want protools to send midi data to devices, and not program from a source, then use your machine with a "thru" to chain 003>device 1 in> device 1 thru> device 2 in.

dabmeister wrote:If the 003 had more than one midi in/out ports, then it would be deemed a multi-port interface also, but it doesn't.

My bad, 32 midi channels for the 003. Good...but still not enough for me, but that's just me.