Multiple MIDI Inputs

[Nyhthawk]

Hello to all! It's a pleasure to join your forum.

 

My situation is this:

 

Logic Pro (latest version)

2 USB M-Audio Keyboards

 

I would like to be able to assign each keyboard to its own track and digital sample instrument.

 

I haven't been able to figure out how to assign each to its own track. They both play whatever instrument tracks are selected. I don't see any option in the track parameters for choosing which MIDI keyboard to use as input. I'm hoping that Logic can do this, and that I'm just over-looking something obvious.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

[David Nahmani]

Welcome here! Do you work for Apple? (you're in their neck of the woods!)

 

Check out this thread: http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=3005

[Nyhthawk]

Yes, I work for Apple. I'm the Product Manager for Automation Technologies (AppleScript, Automator, Scripting Bridge, etc.).

 

As much as I know about automation and code writing, it's useless here

 

I'm trying to wrap my head around the Logic concepts and areas. Thank you for your reply!

 

Sal Soghoian

[David Nahmani]

Sounds like a cool job! Well don't hesitate to continue this thread if you can't make it work. And you're right, Logic is quite a different world.

[Nyhthawk]

YOUR REPLY:

 

If you want to control different plug-in instruments with different MIDI controllers (set to send on different MIDI channels), then all you have to do is:

 

• Rec-arm the different tracks assigned to the plug-in instruments.

• Set the MIDI Channel parameters of the Objects where the plug-ins are assigned correspond to the MIDI Channels the desired controller transmit on.

• Check 'Auto demix by channel when multri-track recording' in File > Song Settings > Recording.

 

In the rare cases when this still doesn't work, open your environment, go to your 'click and ports' layer, select the 'to Recording & Thru' object and uncheck 'Channelize' in its parameter box.

 

QUESTION:

 

How do you set the MIDI channel of a controller (I assume, controller = keyboard?)

 

Thanks.

[David Nahmani]

Yes, in our jargon a MIDI Controller is any device that allows you to generate MIDI events by controlling it, such as a MIDI Keyboard or MIDI drum pad, or MIDI faders for a control surface. In your case controller= MIDI keyboard.

 

So your answer is somewhere in your controller's manual: "setting the MIDI Channel". Or if you're adventurous, just try a few buttons on the keyboard's interface. Something like "Settings", or "MIDI", or "Setup".

 

In Logic you can keep a transport window open (Windows > Transport) to monitor incoming MIDI events. The first number after the little note icon is the MIDI Channel #.

[Subtonic]

Hey Sal, does your interest in Logic mean that we'll see Automator actions for it someday?

 

I love Automator and am looking forward to seeing what's new in Leopard.

[Nyhthawk]

David,

 

Your suggestions worked. I was able to connect 3 M-Audio keyboards to the computer and have each play a track. Using this method, I can create up to 16 different instruments and switch between them by changing the MIDI channel on the keyboards.

 

THere is one issue though, the bottom keyboard is a Keystation Pro 88 and I'd like to split it to be bass on the left and piano on the right. Prior to using the demix setting I was able to accomplish this by having two tracks, both assigned to channel 1, with the bass going from C-2 to C0 and the piano track going from C0 to G8, and it worked fine. WIth the demix setting on, this no longer works. I'm guessing that the resolution is to have the keyboard use two channels, 1 for the bass and 2 for the piano?

 

Thank you again for your help!

 

Sal

[Nyhthawk]

Hey Sal, does your interest in Logic mean that we'll see Automator actions for it someday?

 

I love Automator and am looking forward to seeing what's new in Leopard.

 

Thank you for your support. Automator in Leopard is really a dramatic leap forward, you'll love it.

 

Automation in music software is something I've always wanted to see implemented since I know well what it can do to make things easier to accomplish.

 

For example, wouldn't it be great if you could run an AppleScript script that automatically setup a new document in 32-bar AABA format, in swing style with a Latin bridge?

 

Or to be able to find all clips using a specific drum loop and replace them with another loop instead?

 

There's so much that could be done if music applications were scriptable. Unfortunately, only GarageBand has implemented a small amount of scripting support. I wish it had more and Logic had some -- life would be so good.

 

Perhaps if users like yourself banded together and asked for it?

 

Sal

[David Nahmani]

There's already one person (Justin) who's made a program to script some of the Logic functions: http://logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=7652

 

I can't wait to look at Automator in Leopard! To me the biggest lack is a set of triggers: when receiving an email, when the clock hits 7am, when such or such event occurs, trigger this action.

 

My wife is a software developer for a product called Automate (for Windows) that is extremely powerful, I hope one day Automator will have that kind of power.

[David Nahmani]

David,

 

Your suggestions worked. I was able to connect 3 M-Audio keyboards to the computer and have each play a track. Using this method, I can create up to 16 different instruments and switch between them by changing the MIDI channel on the keyboards.

 

THere is one issue though, the bottom keyboard is a Keystation Pro 88 and I'd like to split it to be bass on the left and piano on the right. Prior to using the demix setting I was able to accomplish this by having two tracks, both assigned to channel 1, with the bass going from C-2 to C0 and the piano track going from C0 to G8, and it worked fine. WIth the demix setting on, this no longer works. I'm guessing that the resolution is to have the keyboard use two channels, 1 for the bass and 2 for the piano?

 

Thank you again for your help!

 

Sal

 

Not sure why it wouldn't work.. in theory it should... but I guess the easy workaround is the one you described.

[Nyhthawk]

There's already one person (Justin) who's made a program to script some of the Logic functions: http://logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=7652

 

I can't wait to look at Automator in Leopard! To me the biggest lack is a set of triggers: when receiving an email, when the clock hits 7am, when such or such event occurs, trigger this action.

 

My wife is a software developer for a product called Automate (for Windows) that is extremely powerful, I hope one day Automator will have that kind of power.

 

Very interesting, I didn't know about Accelerando.

 

Regarding using AUtomator with triggers. You can do much of that right now, including disk mounting, mail, scheduling workflows to execute,etc. Visit http://automator.us for an overview, and http://automator.us/leopard for a look at what's coming up.

[fader8]

Perhaps if users like yourself banded together and asked for it?

 

Grab your torches and pitchforks people. We're headin to Cupertino!

 

 

 

Hi Sal, welcome. I love the Soundtrack Pro Applescripts that I can directly access from a Final Cut audio region. I suppose I have you to thank for that? It would be SOOO great to have that kind of functionality in Logic. Ah, but again . . . I dream . . .

[David Nahmani]

Regarding using AUtomator with triggers. You can do much of that right now, including disk mounting, mail, scheduling workflows to execute,etc. Visit http://automator.us for an overview, and http://automator.us/leopard for a look at what's coming up.

 

Thanks for the links! I didn't know you could do that already. I was looking for triggers all over the Automator GUI and couldn't find them. I'll check out the links.

[Waterboy]

What the heck .... I'll march up there with you too! But uh -- one question: will there be coffee and doughnuts?

TORCH in HAND!!!!

 

Welcome, Sal.

 

You've come to the right place for Logic Pro Help (IMHO).

 

Enjoy your stay!