Stumbled upon this thread while searching how to forward the MIDI notes received via USB to the MIDI Out port. I think it’s really, really annoying this isn’t possible. I travel a lot with my gear and am always on the lookout for ways to carry less kit around.
Elektron advertises the Soundcard functionality prominently on the Heat product page, so they do intend to sell it as such. Every soundcard I ever used had MIDI In & Out functionality over USB. While they don’t explicitly advertise the MIDI functionality as a core feature, it is not clear from the manual nor the product website that you CAN’T use the unit as a USB MIDI port to send MIDI Notes to other devices.
However, it seems MIDI Clock is forwarded (which is a good thing). But that means Elektron decided to filter out MIDI note information from the USB to MIDI outputs. This means it is a conscious decision to make their machine less functional!
… and nothing at all to do with making the device perform better by only processing the information it actually needs to
Most sound cards have pre-amps and XLR inputs etc and often spdif, but nobody is assuming those should be present … expecting the device to function as a general MIDI device is optimistic at best
I agree with @simonhold. It makes absolutely no sense to impose this lack of functionality. I’m no longer interested in the AH so it’s not a big deal to me.
Thinking of this and being in a situation on the road with a Heat and a Make Noise 0-coast made a little bit furious again. I packed these two thinking they’d be the perfect combo for mobile work, but it seems Elektron doesn’t think so. I need another USB to MIDI solution on top of that to make that combo work, even though the hardware is right in front of me.
I can’t imagine why Elektron would need to filter out 1 byte of MIDI information to make the device perform better. The drive circuit itself is analog so that won’t be influenced. The Overbridge data stream is probably severals orders of magnitude larger than one MIDI word, so we know it can handle big chunks of data.
So I ask : Why?
Even the mensa members at Roland who haven’t done anything right in DECADES have most of their gear ready to perform both audio and MIdI interfacing duties.
JDXI: Audio and Midi
RC505: Audio and Midi
TR8: Audio and Midi
Entire Boutique line: Audio and Midi
I can’t stand Arturia but…
Mini/Micro Brute: Midi (Interface that is, in addition to Midi for the synth it’self)
Korg Minilouge: Midi
Hell even the AKAI Rhythm Wolf, Tom Cat and Timber Wolf can ALL be used as USB MIDI interfaces, In fact, I will go ahead and say there isn’t a single product of this type on the market today that CAN’T act as a usb MIDI interface, and do you know why? Because it’s EASY to implement, it really helps out consumers who are tired of all the cables and boxes. There is just TOO MUCH USB CRAP these days, and it need to end , via manufacturers making daisychaining a part of every release
So, Having owned an Analog heat for a few days I’m hoping I’m missing something and it does indeed perform that most basic function because the alternative is that Elektron crippled this ability KNOWING it would cause hassles for people who paid a good chunk of change for this piece of kit. Why they would do that, I haven’t a clue
There is no excuse if this is the case, funny, when I buy an Elektron product there is ALWAYS a catch, something that doesn’t work as it should. The only reason I bought this was because I could use it as a straight FX box and bypass all that OB nonsense they have been conning thier way around with for years now,
I’ll contact Elektron tomorow and see what they have to say about it
You know full well that isn’t true there would be ZERO performance sacrifices for its primary purpose if this was included. I can only surmise that you work for them.
That he works for them or that Elecktron manufactures intentional shortcomings into it’s gear, that is too obvious and simple to be anything else?
The first assumption would be just that, an assumption more than an opinion if semantics is your thing.
The second point isn’t debatable, every release omits, not some dreamt of fantasy feature, but stuff you would have to TRY and miss.
However, I must say, Akai is making Elektron look like a benevolent NPO at this point, it seems Akai just can’t help being Akai and the new MPC’s have been rushed out crippled.
And the thing with Akai is…They don’t really fix their mistakes or support customers, if anyone bought one I’d get it back to the store ASAP
I’m kind of wondering too. A mediocre audio interface that can’t allow all midi data is kind of weird to me. I love the heat as a effects unit, but for example I have an Octatrack and Heat with me today. It would be cool to work on a project that utilizes the OT as a master clock and for sequencing various items in Live and Other software by midi notes.
So in this case the best I can do is send clock (which I can’t even get that much working). Can you only send midi data through USB when not in Overbridge mode?
Is this something that is going to be, or that can be addressed in a future Overbridge update, or Heat update? Or is the heat pretty much abandoned as far as updating or new features go?
If such a useful feature would be possible to implement via an OS upgrade I think it would be already implemented.
I found it always strange that none of the Elektron machines can be used as MIDI bridge (DIN <-> USB) since this should be only a standard HW circuitry thing …
: Why?