FASTLANE USB with both 80s analog & Mac OS X

[draughtbones]

Hello everyone,

Very glad to have been granted access to this forum.

I bet many of you will find this to be a no-brainer, but I am having some trouble.

I am using a 40 y.o. FM synth made by SIMMONS in the UK. I am a percussionist, and my "controller" is a MIDI device called a "zendrum" - this has 3 & 1/2 octaves of triggers on it - functions something like a keyboard - but also "not so". It was designed to play electroic drums mostly but I use mine melodically.

The SIMMONS SDE has MIDI IN and THRU only. Simple.

I am using a MOTU Fastlane USB with Mac OS X 10.6.8 --

My GOAL is to be able to have my master controller (zendrum) connected to the analog unit and my MAC at the same time - all the time - but to be able to override the analog unit (receiving on all channels) when I want to send a specific channel # to any one of several soft synths on the Mac. When shopping, I thought the Fastlane would be perfect because, as I believed, I could bypass the SIMMONS analog just by depressing the THRU button on the MOTU when all I wanted to hear sound from was one of the Mac apps.

So: here is my puzzle (obviously I am not getting the desired results else I wouldn't be posting )

My zendrum goes into a MIDI/power merge block device, and a MIDI cable comes OUT of this brick, and I have been routing it to the MIDI IN of the SIMMONS (analog). I have the SIMMONS set to receve on all channels (OMNI mode) - the zendrum has up to 16 user-programmable patches, each of which can TRANSMIT on a single MIDI channel. So at the zendrum, I can set patches up for various MAC applications receiving on exclusive channels - but each time the mac app receives a MIDI channel - the SIMMONS sounds also, unless I cut its volume.

FROM the THRU on the SIMMONS (there is no OUT)I am sending MIDI cable to MIDI IN A on FASTLANE; fastlane is connected to mac via USB and proper driver is installed. In the MIDI management window, FASTLANE isn't being recognized - SIMMONS makes sound but MAC stuff does not.

Is there a better way that I should be routing the signal, say, from the ZENDRUM directly INTO the FASTLANE and then use the FASTLANE out to get back to the SIMMOMS? Will the SIMMONS receive signal in this instance?

I'm pretty hard up right now. Thanks any and all advice.

Chris

[mikehalloran]

In the MIDI management window, FASTLANE isn't being recognized

Can you see it in Audio MIDI Setup?

[draughtbones]

hi Mike,
No - not visible in that area (I think that's what I was referring to but called it somethng different) so, sounds like if it isn't recognized, could be a driver issue or the analog THRU isn't bouncing the signal properly?

Also, don't know if this matters or not, but I usually DO NOT start the computer with these connections in place ... I start the computer and connect the devices, sometimes, many moments after.

I have read that with some USB devices, the recognition happens upon power-up of the host computer. Not sure about MOTU.

thanks for pondering on this.

[mikehalloran]

Assuming you have the latest drivers installed (you do, don't you?), try booting the Mac with the unit plugged in.

These can go bad. Mine lasted only a few years. I called MOTU and they ran me through some diagnostics to confirm mine wasn't working anymore. If nothing else does it, give them a call.

I recycled mine and bought an MTP-AV. Overkill for my needs but it still works.

[draughtbones]

Will do!

Thanks for the thought.

[Phil O]

One of my machines is using 10.6.8 with the latest driver from MOTU and my Fastlane works fine with that combination. Just thought that would be useful info. Good luck.