Controling MIDI routing, using a MIDI controller - is it possible?

[d3xd3x]

Hello,

I was browsing the forum for some time and checked the manual, but I can't seem to find an answer to my question/idea for the live setup.

What I am thinking about is, using a small midi controller, plugged into INPUT 01 of MRCC
The main MIDI keyboard - IN 02 of MRCC
A number of rack synth modules plugged into OUT 1-8 DIN out
And being able to change which synth/port the main keyboard is sending the messages to, using the small MIDI controller from INPUT 01
The 3 solutions that came to my mind are:

- Changing MRCC presets from the midi controller, and having a different routing on each one of them - this doesn't sound ideal
- Hooking up "BLOKAS MIDIHUB" between the main midi keyboard and MRCC - and change the output midi channel based on the midi note from some small midi controller plugged to the MIDIHUB as well

I would like to avoid involving a PC for this, also part 2 of the plan is to control SampleTank Reverb and Delay over midi from the same small midi controller, on the other side of the studio, a bit further from the FX themselves and MRCC itself... 

Is there any easier way of achieving this by any chance? Seems like a simple thing, but somehow I can't come up with a better solution.

Any help is much appreciated.

[Jesse Johannesen]

OK so you want to use a MIDI controller to change which MIDI device is getting the MIDI data from the Keyboard with all devices hooked up on outs 1-8. So the first thing that comes to mind is to just have each device listening on a different channel (1-8) and send the data to all of them, then change channels on the keyboard. This seems the simplest if changing channels isn't too cumbersome. (Keystep is pretty simple [SHIFT + a key] to select the channel, some gear you have to load a menu on a screen etc. not great in that case).

If that doesn't work, or if I have misunderstood, another option is to use the the Channel to Port Mod, (*I forget the name of it off the top of my head and I'm not in front of my device, but I'll see if I can circle back and edit this once I get home). This Mod will only listen to incoming MIDI on the source port from the channel number which matches the output port number, (so Port 3 only listens to MIDI on channel 3 of the source port for example), however the MIDI is always sent out on channel 1. In this scenario you would connect all devices to Output ports and set them to channel 1, then insert the Mod on each routing, then MIDI from each channel is split to the correct port based on Input MIDI channel.

If that isn't what you are going for, the last suggestion for an easy solution is to make different presets, each routing the Port 2 MIDI in to the output you wish to use, and select between them with the MIDI controller on In port 1 by sending the correct MIDI program change message to the MRCC Control Port and Channel (set this to Port 1 in and whichever channel you are sending from in the settings menu). you mentioned this not being ideal, but don't mention why. Can you expand on that for me so I understand that better?

I don't have any frame of reference as to Blokas MIDI hub, it may be possible, but I haven't used that particular device. Maybe another user can chime in?

[d3xd3x]

OK so you want to use a MIDI controller to change which MIDI device is getting the MIDI data from the Keyboard with all devices hooked up on outs 1-8. So the first thing that comes to mind is to just have each device listening on a different channel (1-8) and send the data to all of them, then change channels on the keyboard. This seems the simplest if changing channels isn't too cumbersome. (Keystep is pretty simple [SHIFT + a key] to select the channel, some gear you have to load a menu on a screen etc. not great in that case).

If that doesn't work, or if I have misunderstood, another option is to use the the Channel to Port Mod, (*I forget the name of it off the top of my head and I'm not in front of my device, but I'll see if I can circle back and edit this once I get home). This Mod will only listen to incoming MIDI on the source port from the channel number which matches the output port number, (so Port 3 only listens to MIDI on channel 3 of the source port for example), however the MIDI is always sent out on channel 1. In this scenario you would connect all devices to Output ports and set them to channel 1, then insert the Mod on each routing, then MIDI from each channel is split to the correct port based on Input MIDI channel.

If that isn't what you are going for, the last suggestion for an easy solution is to make different presets, each routing the Port 2 MIDI in to the output you wish to use, and select between them with the MIDI controller on In port 1 by sending the correct MIDI program change message to the MRCC Control Port and Channel (set this to Port 1 in and whichever channel you are sending from in the settings menu). you mentioned this not being ideal, but don't mention why. Can you expand on that for me so I understand that better?

I don't have any frame of reference as to Blokas MIDI hub, it may be possible, but I haven't used that particular device. Maybe another user can chime in?

Yes you got it totally right, the controller that I'm using as the master keyboard is a very old technics e-piano so selecting the channels is not really an easy option. 



I've got a little Minilab that would fit perfectly into this setup 



So The idea is to keep the minilab on the e-piano, and change what synth I'm sending the data to with the minilab keys (and maybe use knobs to control midi - > OSC motu mixer sends to Rev/Dly units at the back.

As for blokas midihub - > https://youtu.be/ASruOUG2HIs?t=592 this should explain the possibilities