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Controlling more than 1 MIDI device

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:48 pm
by karjo238
Hey there. I have a Roland Ax-Synth keytar which I am using as part of an upcoming production. Amongst its other uses, it sends MIDI commands to SCS to play audio and visual cues. However, I also need to use the keytar to control a lighting board.

My problem is: I can connect the keytar to SCS *or* the lighting board, but not both. The research I have undertaken seems to suggest that I daisy-chain the devices together and get the middle device to pass on unwanted MIDI commands. Can SCS do this, ie if it receives a MIDI command it does not recognise, it resends it through the MIDI out port, the theory being that the MIDI command is intended for the lighting board, which would be the next device in the chain.

This is how I think I want to work things, but I'm open to suggestions if people can think of a more appropriate solution.

Many thanks,

Joseph :-)

Re: Controlling more than 1 MIDI device

Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:14 pm
by Mike Daniell
Unfortunately SCS doesn't currently support MIDI Thru. Does your lighting board support this?

Re: Controlling more than 1 MIDI device

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 1:39 am
by BCGTech
If there are no physical MIDI-through ports, could you simulate them using MIDI-OX? I don't have a lot of experience with it, but it looks like you can "wire" one input port to multiple output ports and even define filters to control what messages go to each port. I think you could run MIDI-OX on the SCS PC, plug the keytar into an external MIDI input on the PC, then send messages to SCS internally and via the external output to the lighting controller.

Bruce

Re: Controlling more than 1 MIDI device

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:36 pm
by rborsey
Would suggest in investing in a Midi Splitter - a little bow that takes one Midi In and sends to multiple outputs. In Europe you can get one for about €50 at Thomann. The less software gets in the way the quicker everything works (and less chance of failure . . .).

Cheers from war-torn France

Richard

Re: Controlling more than 1 MIDI device

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 11:05 am
by lttton
The daisychain-thing is exactly what you are looking for. .. BUT..
Check out the MIDI Channels (there are 16)
You can send unique messages to different devices using different Channels.
regards
Uwe