Digitakt and MIDI connections

[im_maara]

Hi Elektronauts!

This is my first post here, I’m so happy right now!
And I need your help!

This is about my gear connections, and I want to know if I’m able to:

1. Have Digitakt as my master Tempo sequencer, sending tempo to the Keystep, who’ll receive the clock in order to send it to the synthesizers and play them through its own keyboard.

2. Have my Arturia Keystep as a master MIDI keyboard, sending MIDI info to a Prophet Rev2, an OP-Z, a Moog Minitaur and the Digitakt.

Can you help me with this routing? Can I do that?

I’ll appreciate so much.
Your replies will be my joy.

Thank you so much.

[nionmu]

welcome to the forum!

@im_maara

Have Digitakt as my master Tempo sequencer, sending tempo to the Keystep. who’ll receive the clock in order to send it to the synthesizers and play them through its own keyboard.

sure, you can do that. no problem: just connect digitakt midi out to keystep midi in. have dt sending clock and keystep receive it… (look at the little dip switches on the back of keystep and set them to receive clock mode / midi slave…

i would suggest to go keystep midi out to dt midi in and from dt midi out to all other synths… this way you can play and sequence them all via dt midi tracks

also please do a forum search, as there are already many topics about it with all the info you will need!

[Tchu]

The problem is that not all of the devices have MIDI THRU.

You certainly need a MIDI THRU device. It’ll be easier.

KS OUT > DT IN
DT OUT > MIDI IN (MIDI THRU device)
MIDI OUTS from the MIDI THRU device to all MIDI INS of the rest

[im_maara]

thank for the fast replies guys!

so I need to set all the Keystep MIDI Channel in order to play all my synths, I guess. @nionmu

but I think that the minotaur and the op-z don’t have a MIDI thru, as @Tchu wrote

[im_maara]

@Tchu

You certainly need a MIDI THRU device. It’ll be easier.

something like Kenton MIDIThru devices?

[Hawk]

Get a Retrokits RK-006, just trust me.

RK006: Portable MIDI/Gate Master Hub / Standalone Host / Interface / Multiclock

[Tchu]

@im_maara

so I need to set all the Keystep MIDI Channel in order to play all my synths

You only need to set the KS MIDI Channel to the same AUTO CHANNEL as The DT.

[Hawk]

Yes but they will also need to merge the OUT and THRU from the Digitakt to maintain mod wheel and pitch bend functionality, and the mod and pitch from the Keystep will need to be assigned to the channel of the synth in question independently of the MIDI channel that they Keystep’s keys are transmitting on (I can do this with my MIDI controller but am not sure if it’s possible with the Keystep).

[im_maara]

@Tchu

AUTO CHANNEL as The DT.

what do you mean with auto channel?

[Hawk]

@im_maara

what do you mean with auto channel?

Alright time to read the Digitakt manual and come back to this thread afterwards.

[im_maara]

@Hawk

Yes but they will also need to merge the OUT and THRU from the Digitakt to maintain mod wheel and pitch bend functionality

how can I do this?

[Tchu]

@Hawk

to maintain mod wheel and pitch bend functionality

True. DT doesn’t pass or record MW and PB from an external Keyboard.

[im_maara]

@Hawk

Alright time to read the Digitakt manual and come back to this thread afterwards.

ok

[im_maara]

@Hawk @Tchu

I read on the manual the AUTO CHANNEL section.

Why I need to use this?

I’ll play the Digitakt with its keys, not by Keystep.

I only need to “go across” Digitakt and send clock to the Keystep and synths.

Maybe my explanation wasn’t so clear, I’m sorry about that, just trying to understand the routing.

[Hawk]

Trust me, you do want to control the Digitakt with the Keystep, and as you’ll be sequencing the other synths by the Digitakt I promise you it will be very useful.

[Tchu]

For now, what I suggest is to put the op-z out of the equation.

I’d go like this :

KS MIDI OUT > DT MIDI IN
DT MIDI OUT > REV2 MIDI IN
REV2 MIDI THRU > Minitaur MIDI IN

KS on the same Channel as DT Auto Channel
Minitaur on Channel 1
Rev2 on Channels 2 and 3 (bitimbral synth)

DT MIDI CONFIG :

MIDI Tracks Config :

@im_maara

I’ll play the Digitakt with its keys, not by Keystep.

Why do you need the KS, though?

[im_maara]

@Hawk

Trust me, you do want to control the Digitakt with the Keystep, very useful.

ok and what about the MIDI OUT and THRU merge?

[Hawk]

Many many ways, very much depends on your setup and hardware. It also depends on whether the Keystep can set the keys/PB & MW to different channels. You’ll need to read the keystep manual to find out.

A big reason for having the DT controlled by Keystep (not tempo necessarily) is that in Step Mode you’ll be able to hold a step and press the keys you want to record to that step and it will input the velocity and note data into the Digitakt sequencer. MUCH nicer way to input note data versus twisting the knob to move the little highlights around on the piano graphic, seriously.

[im_maara]

oh wow. really thank you @Tchu .

@Tchu

Why do you need the KS, though?

it’ll be my main note sequencer, but I need to be in sync with the DT and the other synths (I guess)

[im_maara]

@Hawk

Many many ways, very much depends on your setup and hardware. It also depends on whether the Keystep can set the keys/PB & MW to different channels. You’ll need to read the keystep manual to find out.

ye, for sure. can I text you if I have any problem?

thank you, sir.