Connecting a MIDI Keyboard, Drum Machine and Audio Interface

[Libertine Lush]

My planned setup is very simple. The components: MacBook Pro (2 USB 3.0s ports), Komplete Audio 6 (audio interface), Komplete Kontrol S61 (keyboard controller) and Maschine Studio (drum controller)--and Komplete 10 and Logic. Right now, the audio interface and keyboard use both of the USB ports.

1) What are all the available options for my setup? These are the ones I'm aware off. I'm unsure of the MIDI cable parts. When do you use 1 versus 2 MIDI cables?:

a. KA6 to a laptop USB port. KK S61 to the other laptop USB. Maschine MIDI out to KA6 MIDI in.
b. KA6 to a laptop USB port. Maschine to the other laptop USB. KK S61 MIDI out to KA6 MIDI in.
c. KA6 to a laptop USB port. Maschine to the other laptop USB. KK61's MIDI out to Maschine's MIDI in.

2) Is anyone one connection method the best? Is choosing USB or a MIDI cable functionally and qualitatively identical?
3) In the "Audio and MIDI settings" window in NI products, I do not yet understand how the Routing and MIDI works. The KK S61 did not offer instructions in this section, so it was only with trial and error that I set it up--I turned on "Komplete Kontrol S61 (Port 1)" in MIDI Inputs. With the addition of a Maschine, what settings will I need to enable in Komplete Kontrol and Maschine?

Thank you! Looking forward to hitting pads and making horrible sounds.

EDIT: I was just told by a couple people that the NI instruments I mentioned can only work with a USB connection. So nix my first 2 questions. Although, if MIDI cables can normally be used by other drum/keyboard controllers, I would still love to learn how to properly use them in a setup.

[BertKoor]

If you don't have enough USB ports on your computer, a simple USB Hub can solve that.

Some caveats:
* Avoid using a hub with devices that need much bandwidth: portable harddisks, audio interfaces with more than 4 channels.
* Devices that need much power should be on a powered hub. For a hub powered by the computer the sum of power demands of all devices on the hub should not exceed the power one port of your computer can deliver.

Using 5-pin MIDI or USB: as you already found out the Maschine Studio drum controller can only be connected with USB. But with the keyboard you do have the choice. Functionally it doesn't matter much, the same midi commands get into your computer no matter whether it's through either. Slight advantage of USB could be that in your DAW when picking a device you see the name of the keyboard instead of the name of your MIDI (and audio) interface. There are some situations when one is preferred: buggy drivers, rare incompatibilities.

Side note: MIDI is designed to daisy-chain devices. Midi Out of keyboard 1 goes to Midi IN of keyboard 2, and Midi Out of keyboard 2 sends out the messages of both (on seperate channels, you have to set that up) to whatever is connected to that, and you can expand that chain. You can't do that with USB. Some older MIDI devices have a seperate Midi Thru that only mirrors the incoming Midi commands and doesn't send out the notes you play there locally.

Usually in a DAW you can set up just one MIDI device (and also one specific channel of that port) as the input device for a specific track. So me thinks (I don't have any first-hand experience with any stuff you use) you could set up Maschine Studio to control the start & stop of the sequencer and record notes played on the keyboard on a specific track.

Ofcourse the manual of the keyboard doesn't offer instructions for specific DAWs since it can be connected to anything. That list would be endless. The other way round: the DAW manual can't go further than point you to a drop-down list of MIDI devices it has detected being connected to your system at that time, and say "pick the one you want".

[Libertine Lush]

Some caveats:
* Avoid using a hub with devices that need much bandwidth: portable harddisks, audio interfaces with more than 4 channels.
* Devices that need much power should be on a powered hub. For a hub powered by the computer the sum of power demands of all devices on the hub should not exceed the power one port of your computer can deliver.

Since the Maschine and Komplete Kontrol keyboard are both AC powered, would that lessen the need to get a powered USB hub? I'll still get a powered one though, to be safe, and for posterity.

Side note: MIDI is designed to daisy-chain devices. Midi Out of keyboard 1 goes to Midi IN of keyboard 2, and Midi Out of keyboard 2 sends out the messages of both (on seperate channels, you have to set that up) to whatever is connected to that, and you can expand that chain. You can't do that with USB.

That's a wonderful example. How MIDI ports are used are now less of an abstraction for me.

Thanks for your entire post. There is so much great info.