Interfacing 2 computers

Discussion of issues related to MOTU's Sysex Editor/Librarian program.

Moderator: James Steele

Post Reply
MidiVeg
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:46 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: florida

Interfacing 2 computers

Post by MidiVeg »

I know there must be a solution for this, but so far, no luck . . . .

I have been using an old iMac running Digital Performer and Unisyn in OS 10.4. I have now mostly finished migrating to a new one running OS 10.8.

The problem is that Unisyn doesn't run in the new OS. I have hundreds if not thousands of patch edits stored in Unisyn. I need to, at least for the time being, be able to access and edit with Unisyn but have it all interfaced with the rest of the system.

I have at least one hardware synth that has to be able to send to and receive from BOTH computers.

I'm running MIDI through a MOTU micro lite, using 2 of the unit's ins and outs.

Someone at a popular retail store assured me that this would be no problem to configure, but perhaps he made a promise he was unable to keep. Can anyone perhaps suggest a way to make this work? thanks!
User avatar
cuttime
Posts: 4291
Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by cuttime »

If i understand your question, you could load a Unisyn snapshot into DP and save it in the project. I just tested this with DP 7.24 and it works, but both have to be running on the same machine at the same time. Alternatively, you could load the synths with the old machine and record a sysex or patch dump into DP and save it in the new project.

EDIT: I see that you didn't say what version of DP you were using. You may have to upgrade your old machine to 10.6.8, which is the last version on which Unisyn would run, and update DP to the same version as on your new computer.
828x MacOS 13.6.5 M1 Studio Max 1TB 64G DP11.31
MidiVeg
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:46 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: florida

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by MidiVeg »

Thanks for the reply . . . I did say that the new computer is running OS 10.8 . . . that's the problem, I CAN'T run the programs on the same machine. That's what I've been doing, but it won't work any more. I had to upgrade to a new computer because the old one isn't doing too well, not enough RAM capability, and it's gotten really really slow . . .

I DP 7.24, just installed yesterday, on the NEW computer.

As for editing the sounds on one machine and then loading via Sysex, of course, that's what I'd be doing ultimately anyway, but if I have to keep disconnecting & reconnecting cables to make it happen, I'd never get anything done....

I need to be able to do the main work on the new computer . . go to Unisyn on the old machine to choose sounds, and edit those sounds, then send them to the new machine via syses, but be able to modify the sounds and choose new ones seamlessly as I go along . . .. .
User avatar
bayswater
Posts: 11924
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:06 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Vancouver

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by bayswater »

There's a thread just below this one on whether Motu might update Unisyn which I think is about as likely as a Beatles reunion tour. I suggested using it on an old computer as a workaround. I did this running Unisyn on an Atari while running Cubase on a Mac. I don't remember exactly how I did it, but I think it was like this:

First, run the MIDI output from the Unisyn computer and the MIDI output from the Sequencer computer into MIDI Merge box, and then connect the MIDI Merge output to the input on the synth.

Second, connect the MIDI output on the synth to a MIDI splitter, and run the outputs from the splitter to the two computers' MIDI inputs.

That will only let you use Unisyn with one synth. To feed more, you'd need to use additional splitters and mergers. I got by with two splitters and a merger, and had to do some cable repatching. A more sophisticated MIDI interface would let you program fairly complex routing setups that can be saved and recalled as needed.

But I'd have to say it would make more sense, and cost less, to just bite the bullet and buy MIDI Quest. He seems to be the only developer still supporting this MIDI function, and he still updates the synth templates.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
MidiVeg
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:46 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: florida

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by MidiVeg »

Thanks for the advice, I'll read your tutorial and see if there's any way to make that happen....I'd be happy to buy MIDI Quest, if only it would let me import all of these existing patches and all those years of work creating them.... Literally, there are probably thousands of patches which are categorized and searchable.... The only way to do this is to interface the machines
User avatar
bayswater
Posts: 11924
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:06 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Vancouver

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by bayswater »

Why not email the developer. It looks like a one person operation. You might have to move all your patches to the synths with Unisyn and then dump them all to MIDI Quest, or use a simple librarian as a shuttle between the two. Hard to imagine that he's written code to convert the Unisyn format patch data, unless it just stored as native sysex data in both cases.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
User avatar
cuttime
Posts: 4291
Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by cuttime »

How about sending sysex from old computer A to new computer B over MIDI network? If both have Airports you could even do it with WiFi.
828x MacOS 13.6.5 M1 Studio Max 1TB 64G DP11.31
MidiVeg
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:46 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: florida

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by MidiVeg »

Part of the problem for me seems to be that I'm getting what are probably some good suggestions without any elaboration... what does this mean, how would I do it, and how would it accomplish what I'm looking to do? I need for the hardware synth to send and receive MIDI to both computers.


"How about sending sysex from old computer A to new computer B over MIDI network? If both have Airports you could even do it with WiFi."
User avatar
cuttime
Posts: 4291
Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by cuttime »

Hmm, I just tried it and I couldn't get Unisyn to recognize Network MIDI as a device. I thought the profile was in there. I'll futz with it some more and report back...
828x MacOS 13.6.5 M1 Studio Max 1TB 64G DP11.31
User avatar
cuttime
Posts: 4291
Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS

Re: Interfacing 2 computers

Post by cuttime »

Okay, I got this to work:

From Airport A (old computer), "Create Network" dropdown from airport icon.
From Airport B (new computer), connect to the newly created "adhoc" network.
Open Audio MIDI Setup on B, double click on Network icon. Connect to the host in the directory. There should be a green dot next to it to show you can connect. Route from Session (x) to Session (x).

In Unisyn (on A), open devices window. Double click the device. This opens a sub-window with a "Device Setting". Under MIDI device choose the dropdown "Network". Double click on the snapshot in the Unisyn document to send.

You may need to fine tune this to meet your needs, but you should be able to record from the network into DP. Hope this helps.
828x MacOS 13.6.5 M1 Studio Max 1TB 64G DP11.31
Post Reply