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I am trying to create this setup, and wondering if it's possible. I have an MOX6 that I wish to be controlled by the MP11. I want to be able to play either the MOX sounds on the MP11, or use internal MP11 sounds to connect to Cubase on my Macbook via USB to host.

1. I have successfully been able to set up the MOX as slave to the MP11 via MIDI cable. 2. I have also been able to successfully set up the MP11 via the USB to host to my Macbook and been able to record MIDI in Cubase. When I did this, I was able to select the output as USB-MIDI and hear the playback through the speakers connected to the MP11 of the MP11's sounds.
3. I was able to record MIDI data while playing the MOX sounds on the MP11, so the information is transmitting correctly.

The problem is when I try to play #3 above back, it will not play back through the MP11 sounds or the audio out on the Macbook. I understand that MIDI is just data and that the information must play back through the sound generator. It's just I'm not quite sure where I'm going wrong here with the MOX added to the mix.

Hopefully I'm clear, but should this be possible, and does anyone have any ideas on what I need to do?

Did you select a midi out zone on the MP11?

Yes, a MIDI link exchanges only data (called MIDI events).

I suppose you can link the MP7 to the Mac (which record events) and the Mac back to both piano/synthesizer (two USB links or a MIDI link from the Mac to one and another one from the Thru socket to the In MIDI socket of the second, with a single link and a thru which copies events, you will have to set MIDI channel which enables Cubase to indicate the right synth)

The MP7 should be set with local off (avoiding the sound generation when playing with the MOX6. Cubase should be set to redirect MIDI events to the right synth depending of which track you record. (On reaper, it is a monitoring setting)

For the sound, you will need a mixer or sound card with enough entry ports.

EDIT : I have assumed you record yourself twice: first on one synth, second with the other... Not once with two zones.

Yes, I was working with MIDI zone 1 for this.

I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around this one. I tried using MIDI Thru from the MP11 to MIDI In on the MOX, and also tried just for kicks MIDI Out on the MP11 to MIDI Thru on the MOX, but both options didn't work. I have MIDI Thru selected in Cubase.

Check!

Here is where I think there's a problem. I only have one MIDI instrument hooked up to the computer: the MP11 via USB MIDI. So I can either select USB MIDI out or audio out. With USB-MIDI output selected, I should be hearing the sound from the speakers off the MP11, which I'm not.

I have a mixer, but sound is neither going to that via my computer out nor from my MP11.

You are correct, I'm not trying to do both simultaneously.

The MIDI Thru is an output which copy the MIDI In signal. You should not get anything working when the MIDI Thru is used as an input.

I guess (I havn't verified) that most synth don't provide a MIDI merger intended to output MIDI events from USB *and* MIDI In. Then, I would use either 2 USB links or 2 (real) MIDI links (from Mac to one of the synth, and then from Thru to the second synth).


On Reaper (which is available for Mac as a 60 days evaluation demo), there are two MIDI settings for any tracks : which MIDI interface (usefull when using 2 USB links), and which MIDI channel (usefull when using a single link from the Mac). Then whatever the cabling (USB or MIDI), there is a setting which tells which synthesizer should receive each event. (The events are sent back when the track is set with "monitoring" AND "record armed")
Cubase should have such settings, but I would not be able to tell you where.

EDIT : I have searched MIDI instrument recording on Cubase and found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfXoZMijas ... it is quite different than what I have thought. I havn't seen "midi channel" settings, and the recording is done with the audio output. There is no clue about the use of a keyboard from one instrument and the use of the sound of another.

Having looked at ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Download/Cubase_4/Docs_English/Operation_Manual.pdf, page 79-80, we can see the setting of the MIDI interface and the MIDI channel. The p29 does show us another way to set these parameters.

I note the existence of "MIDI tracks" and "instrument tracks". As "instrument track is a combination of a VST Instrument, a MIDI track, and a VST Instrument channel - in other words: it is a track coupled with a sound ", I suppose this one has the property of MIDI tracks. Both type of tracks should be tried... but the p185 about "instrument track" gives us a picture where the "track inspector" doesn't show the "MIDI channel" as the p80 does.

Note also, p317 : Monitor button : When this is activated (and the option “MIDI Thru Active” is activated in the Preferences–MIDI page), incoming MIDI will be routed to the selected MIDI output. ---- Then both settings (monitor button and MIDI Thru active) should be done.

EDIT : I have just thought: if you want to use multiple MIDI channel on the MOX6 (multiple instruments), a dedicated link should be preferable, then 2 USB links.

Which sound (tone generator) do you wish to hear? The MP11's sound, the Macbook's sound, or the MOX's sound? (or something else...)?

I'm sure Alan at Kawai America will be able to assist with this kind of thing if we're unable to help.

Cheers,
James
x

1) I think you'd be better off plugging the MOX into the computer via USB as well, and selecting the output on the track inspector Output Routing. This would make the whole thing incredibly simple.

I presume it would show both the instruments there. If not, you could set each instrument to receive on a particular MIDI channel, say MOX = 1, MP11 = 2, and select the relevant output channel in the track inspector.

2) If you want to just connect the MOX to the MP11, you need to connect the MP11's MIDI Thru to the MOX's MIDI In, and set the MP11 to receive on (say) channel 2, so if Cubase is transmitting channel 1, the MP11's voices won't sound as well.

So: as you play, the MP11 will send via MIDI Out to the computer, receive the same data back via MIDI In, and forward it to the MOX via MIDI Thru.

(I'm not entirely confident the MP11 will transmit MIDI Thru data if receiving via USB. If not then either use (1) above, or a MIDI interface which will let you use the conventional MIDI In/Out from the MP11 to your computer.)

Thanks for the ideas, guys! I will hopefully have a chance to play around with this more over the next few days. I know that when in doubt, I can always just do the two separate USBs I'm pretty sure that would work). Just seems rather clunky.

James to answer your question:
I hear no sound at all! When I have the MP11 hooked up just to the MOX, I can get the MP11 to play the MOX's sounds, or if I make Local Control on again I hear the MP11. So that is working well. It's just when I introduce the Mac to the mix it causes no sound from either.

Morodiene, I'm still not 100% sure about the connection process. Is the following correct?

MOX6 --[MIDI OUT]--> MP11 MIDI IN
MP11 --[MIDI OUT]--> MOX6 MIDI IN
MP11 --[USB-MIDI]--> Mac USB

You wish to play the keys of your MP11 and hear the MOX6's sound, while also recording the MIDI into Cubase.

Then you wish to play the recording from Cubase into the MP11, but hear the MOX6's sound.

Is this correct?

Have you tried experimenting with the settings in the SYSTEM:MIDI menu on the MP11? I think you may need to enable 'USB to MIDI' in order to have the MIDI signal received via the MP11's USB passed through to the MOX6.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
James
x

I hesitate to intervene here . . .

MIDI-Ox software might be a solution. It's the equivalent of a MIDI "patch bay", connecting various MIDI inputs and outputs together _inside the computer_.

So it'll do things like take the MP-11 MIDI out (via USB or "real MIDI"), and route it to _both_ MIDI recording software (in the PC) _and_ to the MOX6.

Not too expensive.

. Charles
. Charles

There are two problems with MIDI-OX (and MIDI-Yoke) : it is only available for Windows (not OS-X), and the configuration of this software must be change when we change the track which should be recorded (not as easy than a recording track change). Cubase should be able to send received events depending of the recording track. (If not, Reaper does)