Hello all. I treated myself to some new toys when i retired but my old brain is not coping well with setting up the midi so they work well together... I get one thing working but not the other then i get THAT working and i get a different issue... and USB is a new hardware feature that might be screwing with my head. My new toys are, a Focusrite Clarett+8pre I/O, an Arturia Polybrute (6 voice) and a Digitakt 2. Do I need midi cables as well as the USB? (all the above use USB) I have issues using Reason on a PC and similar but different issues in Bitwig. I've had the hardware a few weeks now and got nowhere but frustrated. I'm sure i should at leaset get them syncing within the DAW... All the settings appear to be ok but... I'm grateful for any assistance. Thank you.
Rob
New gear connection issues
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- KVRer
- 6 posts since 17 Jul, 2017
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- KVRAF
- 12173 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
The short answer is, no, you do not need both USB and standard 5-pin MIDI connections if you’re sending everything to and from your DAW. Your computer will recognize the USB devices and your music apps (e.g., DAW, PolyBrute Connect, Overbridge) will send and receive the MIDI signals to/from each device just fine over USB and there is no need for the 5-pin connections. However, if you want your PolyBrute and Digitakt to directly communicate with each other outside your computer (I.e., in standalone), then you’d want to connect them to each other using the 5-pin connections (MIDI In to Out/Out to In).
I believe they both have settings in their menus to assign the MIDI connections (e.g., USB, MIDI, or both), but I don’t have a PolyBrute anymore so I don’t recall for sure. Make sure those assignments are set correctly for your connections and intended use. Also, just be aware that using both connections simultaneously can introduce problems (e.g., MIDI feedback loops) in some situations, so keep it as simple as it needs to be.
I believe they both have settings in their menus to assign the MIDI connections (e.g., USB, MIDI, or both), but I don’t have a PolyBrute anymore so I don’t recall for sure. Make sure those assignments are set correctly for your connections and intended use. Also, just be aware that using both connections simultaneously can introduce problems (e.g., MIDI feedback loops) in some situations, so keep it as simple as it needs to be.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Trigon 6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Integra-7 | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRAF
- 8676 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Ditto what he said above.
One or the other, not both. I still use MIDI for everything hw related except audio interface <-> laptop. USB is intended for direct 1-to-1 communication and hw can have issues if you run them through USB hubs, some have noise issues if you also use the USB for power supply. So if you only have 1 item connected up at a time you mostly won't have problems with USB, but if you want both connected at the same time I'd strongly recommend standard MIDI leads. If you only had 1 hw item then USB makes sense. More than that and it might be OK but is kinda asking for problems IMO.
One or the other, not both. I still use MIDI for everything hw related except audio interface <-> laptop. USB is intended for direct 1-to-1 communication and hw can have issues if you run them through USB hubs, some have noise issues if you also use the USB for power supply. So if you only have 1 item connected up at a time you mostly won't have problems with USB, but if you want both connected at the same time I'd strongly recommend standard MIDI leads. If you only had 1 hw item then USB makes sense. More than that and it might be OK but is kinda asking for problems IMO.
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- KVRAF
- 12173 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
I currently have 14 synths/drum machines, with six of them running USB only (the other eight connected to my MOTU MIDI interface), plus several USB other devices/peripherals and have no problems, no USB hum, and everything syncs perfectly.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Trigon 6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Integra-7 | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 6 posts since 17 Jul, 2017
Excellent. Thank you guys. (y)
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- KVRAF
- 4066 posts since 22 Aug, 2012
+1. I've used USB with numerous HW synths without issue.
I don't have any of these devices or Bitwig but this is how I would approach it.... Connect PolyBrute & Digitakt to PC over USB. Digitakt can send audio over USB as well as receive MIDI when using the Overbridge application — so you don't necessarily need to connect Digitakt audio outputs to the Focusrite depending on your preferences. In Bitwig I expect you will need to add a Digitakt track with the Elektron plugin which will manage that connection. I'm not sure if the Polybrute Connect plugin handles audio. You may need to add the Polybrute track as a 'Hardware Instrument' device, selecting the connected MIDI device and Focusrite audio channel — and then use the PolyBrute Connect plugin to remotely control it.
Note that Overbridge adds latency, so if that's an issue there's the option to just use the Digitakt as a MIDI Hardware instrument with its audio outs.
I don't have any of these devices or Bitwig but this is how I would approach it.... Connect PolyBrute & Digitakt to PC over USB. Digitakt can send audio over USB as well as receive MIDI when using the Overbridge application — so you don't necessarily need to connect Digitakt audio outputs to the Focusrite depending on your preferences. In Bitwig I expect you will need to add a Digitakt track with the Elektron plugin which will manage that connection. I'm not sure if the Polybrute Connect plugin handles audio. You may need to add the Polybrute track as a 'Hardware Instrument' device, selecting the connected MIDI device and Focusrite audio channel — and then use the PolyBrute Connect plugin to remotely control it.
Note that Overbridge adds latency, so if that's an issue there's the option to just use the Digitakt as a MIDI Hardware instrument with its audio outs.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 6 posts since 17 Jul, 2017
Thank you. I get one issue sorted and it produces a different one. I'm beginning to wish I'd bought a drum! 