Midi: One to many routing (how do I?)(resolved)

[UncleAge]

I am a former Tracktion owner demoing the latest version. I am somewhat familar with racks and such but I am having a problem wrapping my head around the following midi issue. I am on OSX.

Q - How do I route midi from one track to multiple destinations without using the IAC bus?

So let's say I have a midi clip on track 1. I want that midi clip to drive 3 different VST's on 3 different tracks (tracks 2-4) simultaneously.
- I have had no luck using the track input and selecting "Midi Tracks/Track (2, 3 ,4) because the selection is exclusive allowing a monitor of only one track at a time.
- I dont see any type of AUX Send/Return for midi (other than the IAC bus)
- I guess I could use a rack for this IF I could find a midi plugin that would simply relay the midi input to an output. If I did then I could stick it on track 1 and then again on any subsequent track that needed the signal.

Please keep in mind that there are quite a few different things I am trying to accomplish with this type of setup. So listing just one scenario and getting help with that "one" thing won't help me much. Its the functionality that I am looking for. But, if it helps... consider the following.

Track 1 - Input-none/Midi Clip/
Track 2 - Input-Track1/Tonespace
...Track 3 - Input-Track2/Midi Modifier + Zebra
...Track 4 - Input-Track2/Midi Modifier + Ace
Track 5 - Input-Track1/NORA
...Track 6 - Input-Track5/Midi Modifier + Mid Patch Bay + Zebra
...Track 7 - Input-Track5/Midi Modifier + Mid Patch Bay + Lounge Lizard
...Track 8 - Input-Track5/Midi Modifier + Mid Patch Bay + Predator

A rack really doesn't fit my needs as the make-up of the tracks and intruments changes considerably over time. And my main gripe with the IAC bus is in the timing. It is sometimes a bit laggy.

So far out of the hosts I own only Reaper allows for this type of flexible routing. I can't get it to happen in Live since it won't respect multi-channel midi sent from track-to-track via plugins. It squashes everything to one channel. Tracktion keeps the channel data intact. And even though it seems very flexible to route audio anywhere via the AUX Send/Returns the midi seems a litle more limited in that regard.

So what am I missing? What have I overlooked?

[chico.co.uk]

What's the IAC bus?

[chico.co.uk]

Just make a blank rack, connect the midi input to the midi output, put that rack on the track with the midi clip, and before the plugins on the subsequent tracks. Done.

There may be a rack preset that already does this, I can't remember.

[chico.co.uk]

Quick look, it seems there isn't a rack preset that's quite that simple. The Stereo Pass Through or Mono Pass Through rack presets would work, but will also pass the audio through, if you put them after any audio generating plugins, so maybe not ideal.

But just make a new rack with just the midi input connected to the midi output, nothing else, and save it as a rack preset for future use. That'll do it.

If you want to do anything more complicated with midi, there's a Midi Channel Splitter rack preset that you might want to have a play with.

[UncleAge]

Thanks for the input chico.co.uk

1. The IAC bus is a virtual midi bus already in place in the OSX operating platform.
2. I tried that suggestion with the blank rack and it does not work on my end. And by this I mean that it will not just pass the midi thru.

[UncleAge]

Alright, I see my error. The blank rack will not work if just the midi connections are made. If I connect the audio connections (in the rack, even though they are not in use) as well then the midi connections act as a pass thru.

Thanks chico.

[chico.co.uk]

Have you set the rack filter up like this?

midi-pass-through.PNG

I'm 99% sure this *should* work. If not, it might be a bug, pretty sure i've done this in the past

[UncleAge]

Yes, that is how I had things setup initially. And it did not work (OSX 10.9.5 & Tracktion 6.0.25)

But connecting either of the audio in/outs will make the midi connection work.