Problem with MIDI Controller/DP - RESOLVED

[mchimes]

Hoping someone can help me. While I've been doing DP audio for years, I'm just starting to dabble with the MIDI side. I got a little Akai LPK 25 MIDI controller to trigger DPs virtual instruments. I've followed all the steps in the DP 6 manual for VI tracks, but I still can't get it to work. I did the following:

1) Set up device in MIDI Setup (it is in there as an icon and responds when tested)
2) Set up VI track (PolySynth) in Sequence assigned to main output
3) Set up MIDI track with its output to PolySynth
. . . here is where I'm confused
4) On the MIDI input dropdown, the AKAI isn't there, only something called "IAC Driver" and "MIDI Keys", neither of which respond when I play the AKAI

MIDI Patch Through is checked and the MIDI track is record-enabled. What is weird is that this device works if I use Apples internal soundcard as the output (not using the outputs of my 828). The difference seems to be that there is no input selection when that is the case.

I'm sure its something simple, but I can't figure it out. What am I missing?

Thanks,
Mike

[James Steele]

Look in the "Studio" menu of DP, and near the bottom there is an item called "Multi Record." Is there a check box next to it? If so, select it again from the menu to uncheck it.

Play your controller and see if it works. Hopefully it will. When Multi-Record is off, a record enabled MIDI track will "listen in" to all connected MIDI input devices and route all of them to that MIDI track. This is often the mode that you'll have DP set to for most of your work if you work primarily by yourself in your studio.

However, if you intend to record MIDI data to different tracks from two different MIDI input devices at once you need to turn Multi Record on. For example you could have a friend playing a drum part on a pad device like a "Trigger Finger" which is routed to a MIDI track targeting a drum VI, while you play a keyboard controller, routed to a MIDI track targeting a bass synth VI. This is when the only time the drop down menu for MIDI source needs to come into play.

Now as you said, you don't see the Akai listed in the drop down menu, even though you see its icon in AMS (Audio MIDI Setup). Your controller is recognized in Apple's AMS utility automatically through the USB connection. The problem is connected USB devices that appear automatically in AMS, don't do so without a little trickery that we DP users have deviced. You need to create a "dummy device."

1) Go into AMS and manually create a new MIDI device by clicking "Add Device" at the top of the window. A new icon will appear in the AMS window called "new external device."

2) Double click the "new external device" to open it's "Properties" Window.

3) Click where it says Device Name and name it whatever you want to see appear in the drop down menu in DP. It's not necessary AFAIK to fill in the Manufacturer or Model info.

4) Uncheck the Receive channels since this is just a MIDI controller sending MIDI and not receiving it like a module would.

5) If you plan on letting DP automatically route MIDI tracks then just have only channel 1 of the Transmit channels enabled.

When you're done it should look like this:



6) Now click "Apply"

7) The final step is to connect this new device you just created, directly to the Akai LPK 25 device that appears automatically via USB. That's right... you make a loop pretty much. Connect them to each other like in the graphic shown below (forgetting of course that it shows an Oxygen 49):



Once you've done that, close AMS, and your Akai should show up in the drop down menu like this:



That should do it. Let me know if it works and I'll mark this "Resolved!"

[mchimes]

Wow! Thanks James- you da man!

Don't think I would have figured that out on my own no matter how long I tried. There was one wrinkle- when I un-check multi-record, the input dropdown is disabled. But must automatically route the controller in because it is triggering the VI. Thanks a bunch- looking forward to tinkering with this.

Mike

[James Steele]

Yeah, well actually I'm glad I looked into this because I discovered another wrinkle. At least for me in DP7.2, if you do this, for some strange reason my MIDI Control (Axiom 49) appeared as a possible "target" of a MIDI track... not just an input.

Turns out, if this is happening, you need to go back to Audio MIDI setup, double click the Controller you created (not the one created automatically via USB) to adjust the properties, and then change the number of "MIDI In" connectors for Port 1 to 0. Then you won't see your controller as a potential target of a MIDI track... just an input.

Below is a QT that illustrates what I'm talking about:

[mchimes]

Thanks again- btw- are you using the Apple app "Grab" to capture those screen shots?

Thx,
Mike

[Shooshie]

He's using Quicktime. It has a screen capture movie options since Snow Leopard.

[James Steele]

He's using Quicktime. It has a screen capture movie options since Snow Leopard.

Actually, I'm using Snapz Pro, but same basic principle.