Midi channel changer

[Reff]

Hello, sorry if this q is naive, but... I simply (?) want to have three different keyboards - whose channels I can't change, they are fixed on 1 - passing through software or a box that then sends midi on three different channels, say 1, 2 and 3, so I can control, separately, three different instruments inside Native Instruments Kompakt etc. In other words, just a channel changer so 1 becomes 2 and so on. I know there are software solutions in various DAWs, but I need to play live and not be faffing around with Logic etc. I've searched and searched for both hardware and software that would do this (Mac for software) but nothing precise comes up. Can anyone help? Thank you

 

[SeaGtGruff]

You might not need to change the channels, as long as the virtual instruments' host program is able to distinguish between the different MIDI ports. In other words, channel 1 of port 1 is different than channel 1 of port 2, which in turn is different than channel 1 of port 3. If the host program (Kompakt) lets you specify which MIDI port you want it to listen to for a particular virtual instrument, then it shouldn't matter which MIDI channel the data is on.

However, if you need a MIDI box that can move events from one channel to another, MIDI Solutions has an Event Processor and Event Processor Plus that can do that. There should be other possibilities, such as the BomeBox, or some of the iConnectivity MIDI interfaces.

 

[Reff]

You might not need to change the channels, as long as the virtual instruments' host program is able to distinguish between the different MIDI ports. In other words, channel 1 of port 1 is different than channel 1 of port 2, which in turn is different than channel 1 of port 3. If the host program (Kompakt) lets you specify which MIDI port you want it to listen to for a particular virtual instrument, then it shouldn't matter which MIDI channel the data is on.

However, if you need a MIDI box that can move events from one channel to another, MIDI Solutions has an Event Processor and Event Processor Plus that can do that. There should be other possibilities, such as the BomeBox, or some of the iConnectivity MIDI interfaces.

Thanks for this coherent, useful, understandable reply. Rare!

 

[anotherscott]

There are also iOS apps that can do this, so if you happen to have an iPhone or iPad, that's another possible tool to use. But I'm curious, what are your three keyboards? A MIDI keyboard that doesn't let you select the channel is not very common, I'm surprised you ended up with three of them!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Thanks for this coherent, useful, understandable reply. Rare!

I'm hoping that wasn't sarcasm!

I'm not familiar with Kompakt, so I don't know whether it lets you select a specific MIDI input port for each virtual instrument, but DAWs let you select a specific port for each MIDI track.

However, one thing DAWs usually do which can be problematic is to default a MIDI track's input source to "all MIDI devices" and "all channels," such that the data from all active MIDI inputs are merged together. In that case it will definitely be a problem that all three keyboards are transmitting on the same channel. I suspect that this "listen to all ports and channels" default behavior is done to make it easier for beginners to set things up without having to understand about MIDI ports and MIDI channels: "Just connect your keyboard to your computer, add a MIDI track to your project, and away you go!"

But DAWs let you change the input source for each MIDI track to a specific device (or port), as well as to a specific channel. Hopefully, any virtual instrument host program that lets you control multiple virtual instruments at the same time will also let you select a given input port and/or channel for each virtual instrument.

There are also iOS apps that can do this, so if you happen to have an iPhone or iPad, that's another possible tool to use. But I'm curious, what are your three keyboards? A MIDI keyboard that doesn't let you select the channel is not very common, I'm surprised you ended up with three of them!

It's not that uncommon for inexpensive keyboards and controllers to be "locked in" on their MIDI channels. I have four Yamaha PSR-E/YPT models like that-- the various parts (Main, Dual, and Split, as well as the accompaniment parts) are transmitted on specific channels and there are no functions for assigning them to different channels.

 

[ddropski]

I'm hoping that wasn't sarcasm!

I'm not familiar with Kompakt, so I don't know whether it lets you select a specific MIDI input port for each virtual instrument, but DAWs let you select a specific port for each MIDI track.

However, one thing DAWs usually do which can be problematic is to default a MIDI track's input source to "all MIDI devices" and "all channels," such that the data from all active MIDI inputs are merged together. In that case it will definitely be a problem that all three keyboards are transmitting on the same channel. I suspect that this "listen to all ports and channels" default behavior is done to make it easier for beginners to set things up without having to understand about MIDI ports and MIDI channels: "Just connect your keyboard to your computer, add a MIDI track to your project, and away you go!"

But DAWs let you change the input source for each MIDI track to a specific device (or port), as well as to a specific channel. Hopefully, any virtual instrument host program that lets you control multiple virtual instruments at the same time will also let you select a given input port and/or channel for each virtual instrument.



It's not that uncommon for inexpensive keyboards and controllers to be "locked in" on their MIDI channels. I have four Yamaha PSR-E/YPT models like that-- the various parts (Main, Dual, and Split, as well as the accompaniment parts) are transmitted on specific channels and there are no functions for assigning them to different channels.

Hello Im hoping this post is still active.. I have a simmular I have 2 of the same KAT drum pads running in USB but my pro tools only see 1 I suspect because they are hardcoded to midi channel 10 .. when you had the issue with your keyboards were they even seen or not showing up at all? I'm not sure where to go from here ( if I run superior drummer as a standalone they both work.. any Ideas?