Turtlerock Forum

Hi,
I have a problem I am sure someone will be able to answer (hopefully!).

I have got my Octopus setup and working OK, but now I want to get the keyboard
input working.

So I tried this with my controller ( A Moog Phatty) but for various reasons, setting it
up via my MIDI Interfaces results in a MIDI data loop.

So, I do some tests and come to the conclusion I need to break out the MIDI Out of the
controller and use a MIDI Thru box to do the job. The Phatty only has MIDI in and out.

So I buy a Thru box on ebay, "touchprone", which I suppose is a home made job.
A week later, it arrives. But it will not work with my Phatty. The Thru box I bought
is "passive" ie it is supposed to draw power from MIDI. But I suspect the Phatty
is not doing this. When I hook the Thru box up to another source, it works just fine,
but of course not connected to the required device.

I used to have a Roland MM-4 Thru box, which was 9v powered. But it seems to
have vanished after being in storage and moving house and it is obviously been
thrown out somehow.

So, I guess, before I spring $149 for the powered Thru box on ebay now,
does anyone think it will work? The Phatty transmits MIDI perfectly well in every
other respect, so am I wrong to think the powered Thru box will help me out of this?
The one on ebay is an 8x8 with DIN sync as well, so I supposed it will be useful,
but all I need is a 1x2 Thru box or an MM-4, so long as it is powered I guess.

Advice would be helpful before I spend more money on stupid boxen I shouldn't need!


rachel

Yes, any active splitter will work.

$149 seems a bit pricey tho.

This is one I've made, which was handy
http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electron ... hp?id=1250

Another alternative is to buy a second hand midi-patchbay.. generally they are 8 in, and 8 out.
With this you could route the first in (1) into all outs (1-8)...
I do like having a midi patchbay, makes my midi setup a lot more simpler as I don't need to worry about daisychaining midi stuff. (estimated ebay price should be $100 - $150)

Ahh... the ever expanding cycle of MIDI... soon your be wanting a midi merge so you can use two keyboards to record in riffs on your sequencer.. lol.

Regards
Mike

Rachel,
Get in touch with www.midisolutions.com - they are really helpful and have several top quality midi products available.
The guy that runs midisolutions is really helpful and will probably answer your questions via email should you need further help.
HTH.
Tim..

Sounds like the Phatty doesn't supply enough current on it's 5V MIDI data loop. Can you go out of the Phatty into any other piece of unused MIDI gear (like an FX unit), and then from the MIDI through of that piece of gear, using it as a driver for the through box?

Thirteen wrote:Can you go out of the Phatty into any other piece of unused MIDI gear (like an FX unit), and then from the MIDI through of that piece of gear, using it as a driver for the through box?

Damn! I was just going to suggest that!

Curse you Steve! Curse you and your soldering iron
(p.s, The Linn is working sweet!)

Thirteen wrote:Sounds like the Phatty doesn't supply enough current on it's 5V MIDI data loop. Can you go out of the Phatty into any other piece of unused MIDI gear (like an FX unit), and then from the MIDI through of that piece of gear, using it as a driver for the through box?

\

Hmm, yes - I think I can do that, but I have to rummage inside the rack cabinet, which I will do tomorrow now.
Other guys - Yes I looked at MIDI solutions. They have a MIDI power module that would make this
thru box I just bought work, but reading Steve's signature "something's not cheap if you have to buy it twice"
really makes me feel annoyed that I just cannot use what I've already got!

But, yeah - I am already in MIDI madness land. I have three AMT-8's but they won't route cleanly for me
in the current configuration as I just need to isolate the input of the Octopus. I have asked the software
developer if they can add a switch to enable/disable MIDI echo, which would actually work better for me,
but a thru box was my solution for now. The Octopus works great, BTW. It's really a neat way
of sequencing and composing - I love it! Beats poor old Logic by a mile.


rachel

Hi Rachel,

Don't know if this helps ...but I have used the Akai me 30 p mk2 which is a 4 in 8 out programmable midi box
with merge on inputs 1 and 2 for about 20 years !

Should be able to pick one up for under $100...(you'll appreciate the merge)

Cheers
N
Y
M
O

Hmm - yeah the Akai pops up on ebay from time to time.
I had a whole swag of kit like this and I gave it away to someone needy
a few years ago and seem to have tossed the rest.

The good news is the seller on ebay got back to me and he is
going to modify my thru box for power free of charge, so I am going
to drop it back to him in the post! A good save and a good deal too....


rachel