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Disabling Logic's MIDI Echo (or MIDI Thru)


no_barcode

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Hello,

 

I find Logic's built-in MIDI monitoring/ MIDI echo/MIDI Thru to be very annoying because I don't like to turn "Local control" off on my synths. So what ends up happening is every note literally echoes. (I play a note, it plays and I can hear it on its audio channel, MIDI data is sent to Logic which then sends that same note right back to synth -- so everything is played twice) In other hosts, monitoring and arming for record are separate (even on MIDI tracks) or there are settings to disable MIDI echo system-wide or by track. But not in Logic. :(

 

Me not turning local control off on my synths is not just because I'm stubborn. Some synths have a hard time sending out CC data while simultaneously receiving that exact same data back, especially when it's high resolution filter knob data, etc. It can cause some very whacky behaviour in some synths. Other synths do not retain the local off setting so I always have to run around the room and change everything back.

 

Anyway, here's what I did to get around this: In the Environment (MIDI Instr. Layer), I added and connected in this order:

 

1. Multi Instrument ==> 2. Fader ==> 3. Instrument

 

  1. The Multi Instrument has it's ports set to off and is basically just representing my MIDI interface. (but turning the ports off stops it from sending any MIDI data to the sequencer, instead it is routed to the next thing in the list)
  2. The fader is just a text fader and serves no other purpose than its Filter setting, which I set to "Thru" (Thru is pretty much what causes the MIDI echo, I don't want Logic to send MIDI data back out unless it's playing it from a recorded sequence)
  3. Then everything is fed into an instrument which is set to "All Ports" and "All Channels"; so now I'm sending the filtered MIDI data to Logic

This works great. If anyone is having the same issue, give this a try.

 

There is a way to turn off MIDI Thru in the project settings. But it only seems to be for one channel. When I try setting it for the entire interface it has no effect (with my device, anyway)

 

Also, this method doesn't seem to work with the External Instrument plugin. I'm just guessing it's because the External Instrument plugin essentially has "its own environment". You set the MIDI interface, channels, etc in the plugin itself so it seems like it bypasses the environment settings. But if anyone can explain how to get something similar to work with the External Instrument plugin, that would be awesome!

 

**Disclaimer: Still very new to this. Just figuring it all out. If this is common knowledge or there's a better way, feel free to let me know!

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  • 1 month later...

This may help as I was working with this today and realized what could be happening on your end. When you select the interface (project settings>Midi>Instrument Without Mid Thru function), you must toggle one channel in and out of Live Mode in order for the change to be realized. I have confirmed it does work and will disable Midi Thru for one or the entire port if selected. However if you just select the interface from the dropdown and either via listening or with a midi monitor - still hear or see the notes being sent out from Logic to the interface - just toggle the record button on one of the tracks ( if it's a port) or the track with the channel you are trying to disable (if its only one channel you want to disable) and Voila! - Midi thru is disabled.

So you should be able to delete your environment solution.

 

I had the same problem ( which drove me just nuts for probably days when first learning logic ) when I would change the default display quantization ( for new midi regions) in the score editor. You have to enter record mode and re-enter record mode again for the display quantization to take affect in the score editor in real-time for that take ( otherwise it would go into effect in the next take).

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  • 3 months later...

Hi nb,

 

This is all highly unusual! MIDI Echo is a very specific feature that not many synths have. Maybe this is a matter of the terminology you're using that's making me scratch my head, but synths don't normally echo MIDI in to MIDI out. (By chance are you using Dave Smith keyboards?)

 

There may be a way to prevent all this from happening as well as make it easier to facilitate your "record MIDI but don't send it out as I'm recording" function IF you were to use the external instrument plugin. Before I go into detail about that, let me know if that's a feasible way for you to work.

 

It would be helpful to know details of your studio setup, i.e., a list of your synths, what channels they're on, how they're connected MIDI-wise (5-pin DIN or USB, and whether any of your synths are connected using MIDI Thru ports).

 

Cheers :D

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  • 2 years later...

FYI, its possible to use this trick on external instrument case; by creating a midi instrument object in the env and cabling it to the mixer object for the the channel hosting the ext inst plugin.  Then reassign the track to that instrument instead of the mixer object.  Then you will see it appear in the drop down list in the project settings that was mentioned and thru can be disabled.  I tested it and it works.  and/or you can also use the environment trick mentioned here instead of the project settings, and put a fader in between the instrument and the mixer object.  Then switch the fader on or off to enable or disable thru for that external instrument.

 

Looks like the project settings approach can only disable one external instrument thru at a time.  if you want to have more then one with thru disabled at the same time, then the environment fader approach is the way to go, you have to setup the instrument->fader->instrument patch for each external instrument you want to disable thru on.  In theory you can create an environment that has this setup for all your external devices...with switches to easily turn the fader on or off.  So ultimately that is more complete and flexible then the project settings, but does require setting up more in the environment to do it.  The project settings approach will work for a single instrument at a time.

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  • 5 years later...

I'm struggling with this same problem, but my MIDI is coming from the IAC Driver instead of an external instrument. I want to be able to record multiple different midi sources from IAC Driver Bus 1, each on its own channel, but still be able to it back to the same port and channel in came in on. When I record, the midi thru causes a loop. no_barcode's suggestion seems to output to all ports and channels, but it doesn't seem like that would work for me. no_barcode's suggestion also only shows one instrument. Can someone who really understands this show what many midi streams (separate channels from one port as described above) would look like?

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