PC->Midibox->Midi Keyboard, final word?

[Krogoth]

Hi all,

I've searched the forums for a consistent answer for my problem, but I can't seem to find any. What I want is to connect a MIDIbox between my PC and my standard MIDI keyboard (without a MIDI thru port).

What is the best option for this? As far as I found, I can either use an LTC module to add a Midi-Thru port to my Core module, and then use a Midi Merger to merge the MIDI OUT from the keyboard to the MIDI OUT of the MIDIbox. However I can't find anywhere to buy a MIDImerger module as a kit (I would prefer to buy modules than construct them on veroboard). I did however find a post that referred to there being a 'built-in' MIDI merger on the Core module here:

http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=476.0

I can't figure out whether this is correct or not. My other option seems to be to use the IIC MIDI module, but I could see the software becoming a tad difficult (I've never used PIC microcontrollers before).

Thoughts?

Will.

[midiboxxer]

Hi,

an welcome. First you should think about of what kind of midibox you will build. I built a cascaded midibox 64, there is the possibility to customize the firmware. TK provided this so.

After you have done this all external midi in signals will be routet to the midi out port.

Greetings

midiboxxer

[Krogoth]

I am planning on a Midibox with one Core, one AIN, one DIN and one DOUT module (to keep costs low). Therefore my configuration only has a MIDI IN and a MIDI OUT port.

[midiboxxer]

Than you can use the midibox 64 application too. But you should know, 4 buttoms are reserved for the menue navigation. So you will have 28 free programmable buttoms, 32 free programmable pots, 32 leds depended from your din module.

You have to costomize the firmware e.g.: number of pots...

But this is not very hard to do and you will find much help here.

Greetings

[Krogoth]

Yes, however, my original question still goes unanswered.

What is the easiest and cheapest way of connecting a Midibox to a PC and a Midi Keyboard, such that I can use both the Midi Keyboard and the Midibox as midi controllers?

[midiboxxer]

As discibed above. So you dont need an LTC module or an external merger. If you want to record the midimessages in detail with your pc, you can set the channel for the midibox messages and the keyboard messages different.

Hope this answers your question.

[Krogoth]

Ok, I think I solved it. I was confused by the MIDIbox64's implementation of the Snap/Relative/Parallax mode, which seems to require direct MIDI communication from the PC.

So midiboxxer, do you suggest I connect the Ports as follows?

PC MIDI OUT -> Midi Keyboard MIDI IN

Midi Keyboard MIDI OUT -> MIDIbox MIDI IN

MIDIbox MIDI OUT -> PC MIDI IN

And this will work as long as I don't try to use the Snap, Relative or Parallax modes for my potentiometers? (Seems weird that a direct PC to MIDIbox connection is required for this mode.)

[midiboxxer]

Yes, you got it. You should check if the keyboard merges the incomming data, but normally it should. The Snap, Relative or Parallax mode should work too. The midibox gets the feedback from the pc over the midi out of the keyboard. You will have a little bit latency, but that should be no problem.

Greetings