Hi all,
I am looking to getting a Hydrasynth to pair with my DN. I am wondering about how to using the keyboard as a controller for both synths. Would it be possible to record the Hydra’s midi (including poly-aftertouch) into the DN’s sequencer, and basically route all midi control through the DN back into the Hydra? Sorry if that is not clear.
Thanks.
An unholy circle of MIDI…
No idea! I’m super interested to see the answer though. Planning similar stuff with a Minilogue.
I don’t have a Digitone, so not sure how DN handles midi, but - assuming there is no special way of handling midi - you can do this usually with any synth that can be set to local off (local off decouples the keyboard - or pads - from the synth engine).
The pads, or Minilogue’s keyboard would basically work like a midi controller connected to DN playing the synth.
But, does the Digitone record poly aftertouch?
Can’t tell whether the poly-aftertouch can be recorded by the DN, but generally speaking such a set-up is possible, if the Hydrasynth supports a kind of master-keyboard functionality.
To play the DN a keyboard has to send midi on midi channels according to the DN’s track settings, or more specific, on the channel the DN is listening for incoming midi.
To play and record the Hydrasynth make sure not to use the same channels, which are used already by the DN. Example set Hydrasynth to send and receive on channel 16 for this task and to prevent a midi loop set the Hydrasynth to “local-off”.
There is some switching of midi send channels needed to make this working, if that fits to your workflow.
If you set a synth to local off, sending midi on the auto channel of the DN, it should be possible to record into all tracks on the DN and play the synth via a midi track on the DN.
No need for different midi channels.
Yes … but this works only on the “active” track. But guessing that the Hydrasynth doesn’t have a quick and handy change midi-send-channel option, this might be the best approach.
Sure, but track selection on Elektrons is just a button press, usually way faster than changing midi channel on a synth.
There are some master keyboards with easy access to midi channel selection, even the short cut [button press + key on the keyboard] which is on many midi controller keyboards isn’t so bad, but for a synth you usually have to go to a menu.
Absolutely … I was a little biased, because I’m using master keyboards often 