Port assignment in Logic, is it possible?

This is so accurate that it's *not* funny....

It's only a problem for those people affected by it (and for these people, it *is* a real problem), but I'm guessing the actual numbers of users affected by this is tiny compared to Logic's userbase, as by far the largest use case is people with a main master keyboard, and very little external MIDI hardware these days.

 

(Heck, it's not even *that* common to have a master keyboard, judging by the amount of people here who seem to *only* be using the *qwerty* keyboard to play notes.... gah!!)

 

However, it is more trendy these days to go back to having more and more hardware, and MIDI itself is getting more capable. Perhaps Logic's MIDI will get an overhaul in conjunction with various MIDI 2.0 and MPE support improvements.

 

Maybe 2021 is the year that *finally* kills the MIDI input bottleneck in Logic, and people will finally stop moaning about it...

I personally don't need 6 controllers, but I definitely have a few. Its really only a problem if you need to be able to have multiple controllers connected at the same time to different instruments, as if you were doing a live show or something.

 

Me personally, with my Roli, my main keyboard, my Kawai weighted controller off to my left, three more hardware synths with their own keyboards off to my right, a couple of midi fader units, etc.. I don't think its that uncommon actually to have multiple input controllers. I think its less common to be using external synths for sounds, most people are using software instruments, but even that is changing.

 

But anyway, back to input controllers... I think most people are happy to just record one track at a time...using all of their controllers as if they are one giant midi controller. In other words, I'm going to record to track 1, which is some instrument sound, I can press keys and move faders on any of my numerous different controllers and they will all send midi on 1 or 16 midi channels and basically they all would record to one track that I have enabled...into one region. Fine! For me that is perfectly fine most of the time and I think for most people it is perfectly fine.

 

Where things get complicated is if you want some kind of setup that is more like a live rig...while you write...where one controller is controlling soundA, and another controller is controlling a completely different sound, etc.. (never mind recording that for right now). I can see a benefit in that, but I agree, few people probably need to have their controllers setup that way, but some might. But I think it's rare. Even more rare is the case where someone needs to actually record a performance of them controlling two different controllers at the same time, using two different sounds, and ending up on two different tracks in logic pro from one trip through the record button.

 

Nonetheless, this issue causes a lot of confusion for many people if for no other reason that every other DAW works the other way, only LogicPro leaves new users scratching their head and wondering WTF how do you connect your controller to your sound. Magic select-the-header behavior, that's how. I think Apple could find a way to keep the magic behavior for die hard LogicPro fans, while also providing the method used by all the other DAW's....explicit assignment of midi port to track/channel.

 

Aside from that, there is the environment, and it can be used to set something up which isn't half bad..but still kind of annoying that you have to keep a project template in order to use it, or even know WTF you're doing in order to create it to begin with.

I got rained out of tennis today so I decided to improve the environment stuff I eluded to earlier. On the following thread you can find a much improved template, that can handle up to 10 midi controllers.. See the thread for more details. I'm definitely open to suggestions about how to make things more elegant or better in the environment, its a new area of learning for me too.

 

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=152127

Popping back into this thread, my interest in getting back into Logic full time is of course influenced by the upcoming more powerful round of Apple Silicon computers and my need for a new laptop that will outclass my Mac Pro in most ways. Another way this Affects Logic Pro users is with VEP. Digital Performer can address over 700 midi tracks from a single instance of VEP in a DAW, this is compared to the possible CPU consuming "instrument tracks" for each MIDI channel in Logic, and what amounts to 16 MIDI tracks per instance of VEP from what I can tell. There's an Environment workaround for this as well, but here we go again... Anyway none of it is a deal breaker and I'm looking into Logic again, and already loving the key commands, and how decently implemented they are.

There's an Environment workaround for this as well

If anyone is looking for it, here is the link: VEP7 AU3 Template and Instructions

I have the same issue, I have a seaboard and digital piano and want to assign each to individual tracks in Logic but the seaboard needs 16 channels. Is Logic still screwed for this?

No changes.

I have the same issue, I have a seaboard and digital piano and want to assign each to individual tracks in Logic but the seaboard needs 16 channels. Is Logic still screwed for this?

You can reduce the number of channels the Seaboad uses in its settings.

Would you happen to know which channels do what on the seaboard and which one I could free up?

Can't seem to find this info anywhere.

Thanks

Would you happen to know which channels do what on the seaboard and which one I could free up?

Can't seem to find this info anywhere.

Thanks

I'm not sure your specific model, but all info for Roli stuff is here at this link

ROLI Support

Setting up MIDI input per track across DAW's

 

Logic:

 

It's a total joke.

 

Logic:

In order for this to work, each of your MIDI controllers need to be assigned a different MIDI channel.

The Channel Splitter will re-direct to the Instrument Track with the Transformer at the end will allow to re-adjust the MIDI channel if need be.

With this setup, you'll be able to MIDI record to an empty track and all MIDI controllers that you play, will get MIDI recorded.

Then on the empty track that has the recorded MIDI region, just split by MIDI channel to get each individual MIDI region and then just move the MIDI region(s) to the Instrument track in question.

 

For MPE devices, you'll have to cable to a special Environment macro to be able to MIDI Record along side the up to 16 MIDI devices.

Thanks for that info, can you explain further about the "cable to a special Environment macro" - are you meaning doing this would allow the seaboard (MPE) to use all 16 channels in Logic and still allow my digital piano to connect independently on its own channel? If so how do I configure that macro setup exactly.

Can someone help on this last part I'm stuck on here. I can change the seaboard to use channels 2-16 and I can assign my digital piano to use channel 1. In Logic I can then assign a track to midi channel 1 for the digi piano, but how do I assign a track to use channels 2-16 as it only seems to allow selecting individual channel per track.