Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Forum for the JD-Xi Keyboard.
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evilpants
Posts: 12
Joined: 17:17, 29 April 2014

Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by evilpants »

Hi everyone. I'm slowly getting back into making music after a long long time away.

Last time I used Midi there were no computers, and all I wired together were a drum machine and two synths. Also, to really date me, every piece of kit had Midi thru.

Please can I call on your experience to help me wire up the following synths:

1 JD-Xi as a controller
2 JP-08
1 XV-5080
1 MacBook Pro

I'll also be using a mixer with USB - a QX1002USB. Christmas was good to me.

I want to use the JD-Xi to control everything (I know, it's not ideal, but I am extraordinarily short of space - I've got a beautiful XP-80 boxed up under the bed, along with a perfectly working JP-8000; space is so limited, I hardly ever get the chance to play either).

So, with the JD-Xi as a controller being able to play itself plus the other 3, I also want to be able to record Midi and USB audio to the MacBook. I should mention that what got me back into this is a Maschine Mikro v2; I enjoy using the Maschine software for basic sequencing, but that may change. Right now I'm not planning to use the physical Maschine controller, although if you have advice on how to use that in this setup that would be great.

How can I wire up the midi to use the JD-Xi to control everything, while also allowing the MacBook to play back Midi notes into all the devices?

I'm sure this will be dead simple to people who have been doing this for years, but I'm convinced I'll mess it up. While waiting for some cables to arrive, I've been drawing diagrams and it looks so easy, which is making me nervous. It sounds like a recipe for Midi loops; having been reading about how to do this myself, I'm concerned at how many people still get Midi loops even today.

Thanks for any help you can give :-)

Oh gawd, I've also got an iPad with far too many music apps on it, plus a camera connection kit. Yup, I'm a guy who has no impulse control. But boy, do these synths sound fantastic on their own, so I can't wait to actually use them like they're meant to be used.
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PauloF
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Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by PauloF »

evilpants wrote:Hi everyone. I'm slowly getting back into making music after a long long time away.

Last time I used Midi there were no computers, and all I wired together were a drum machine and two synths. Also, to really date me, every piece of kit had Midi thru.

Please can I call on your experience to help me wire up the following synths:

1 JD-Xi as a controller
2 JP-08
1 XV-5080
1 MacBook Pro

I'll also be using a mixer with USB - a QX1002USB. Christmas was good to me.

I want to use the JD-Xi to control everything (I know, it's not ideal, but I am extraordinarily short of space - I've got a beautiful XP-80 boxed up under the bed, along with a perfectly working JP-8000; space is so limited, I hardly ever get the chance to play either).

So, with the JD-Xi as a controller being able to play itself plus the other 3, I also want to be able to record Midi and USB audio to the MacBook. I should mention that what got me back into this is a Maschine Mikro v2; I enjoy using the Maschine software for basic sequencing, but that may change. Right now I'm not planning to use the physical Maschine controller, although if you have advice on how to use that in this setup that would be great.

How can I wire up the midi to use the JD-Xi to control everything, while also allowing the MacBook to play back Midi notes into all the devices?

I'm sure this will be dead simple to people who have been doing this for years, but I'm convinced I'll mess it up. While waiting for some cables to arrive, I've been drawing diagrams and it looks so easy, which is making me nervous. It sounds like a recipe for Midi loops; having been reading about how to do this myself, I'm concerned at how many people still get Midi loops even today.

Thanks for any help you can give :-)

Oh gawd, I've also got an iPad with far too many music apps on it, plus a camera connection kit. Yup, I'm a guy who has no impulse control. But boy, do these synths sound fantastic on their own, so I can't wait to actually use them like they're meant to be used.
Happy New Year and Welcome to the Clan evilpants!!

I don't think the JD-Xi is the best one to be the MIDI Master here, but I would preferably use the XP-80 as the Master Controller for the other gear...besides it has a decent keyboard :-)

But assuming that is not an option for you due to the limited space, let try to give an opinion only using the Xi, the 2x JP-08s and the XV-5080...

I would connect the hardware this way:

A- MIDI

5-PIN MIDI cables:
1- JD-Xi-MIDI OUT--->MIDI IN-XV5080
2- XV5080-MIDI THRU--->MIDI IN-JP-08(01) MIDI IN
3- JP-08(01)-MIDI OUT-->MIDI IN-JP-08 (2) for extended polyphony

This allows you to control the 4 synths from the JD-Xi

USB cables:
1- JD-Xi-USB MIDI<-->MBP
3- JP-08(01)-USB MIDI<-->MBP (via a USB 2.0 HUB)
3- JP-08(02)-USB MIDI<-->MBP (via a USB 2.0 HUB)

This way you can record MIDI notes to the DAW (MPB based) and playback MIDI tracks from the DAW via the chosen MIDI/USB interface (JD-Xi)

B-AUDIO
1- JD-Xi-AUDIO OUT--->QX1002USB IN 1/2
2- XV5080-AUDIO OUT "A"--->QX1002USB IN 3/4
3- XV5080-AUDIO OUT "B"--->QX1002USB IN 5/6
4- XV5080-AUDIO OUT "C"--->QX1002USB IN 7/8
5- JP-08(01)-MIDI OUT-->QX1002USB IN 9/10

This way you can route the AUDIO from the 4 synths to the QX1002USB Mixer, and will be able to record
(2 channels at a time) to the DAW (MPB based) via Mixer Audio/USB interface

This is just an example of what could be possible to do, but other options or variants can be used, dependent on what you really up to.

I hope this helps
Cheers,
PauloF
evilpants
Posts: 12
Joined: 17:17, 29 April 2014

Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by evilpants »

PaoloF, this is amazing :-)

I never thought someone would go into so much detail and help so much!

I'm sighing wistfully while reading your recommendation to use the XP-80 as a master keyboard. Compared to these newer boards with mini-keys it's inspiring to play. It makes my fingers feel talented. Even the JP-8000 would be great. But it's not to be - I share a small flat; it has no spare bedrooms/study space, and literally the only space for my stuff is one half of a dining table - it's just how the decor and furnishings have ended up. Maybe that's good though - it stops me maxing out my credit cards on 3-tier keyboard stands and then 3 new 88-key synths to stand on them :-)

I'm incredibly grateful to you for taking the time to think it through and write it all up for me. It looks logical and clear.

Now all I've got to do is kick myself while I realise I haven't got enough Midi cables (I've got a box full of hundreds of cables, all except the very ones I need!).

PaoloF thank you so much. Once I've got all the gear together I'll post an update.

Tony
evilpants
Posts: 12
Joined: 17:17, 29 April 2014

Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by evilpants »

HI PauloF (and others of course!)

I’ve only just been able to set my system up, due to extremely poor health. Happily, I was able to work out a way of fitting my JP-8000 into the very small space I have to work with. This means the JP can now act as a controller. The keyed isn’t that great, but it’s full size (the XP-80 simply won’t fit onto the table I’m using - it’s way too big for the table!).

I’ve got everything connected as you advised - you made it painless and easy (I adapted your advice to take account of the JP-8000 - please see the attached document; if you think I could connect things better please do let me know!). Everything can play everything else via Midi. But the only things that work with the MacBook are the devices that are connected via USB hub.

I don’t have a proper DAW yet, because I just can’t get my head around how they work. So right now I’m using Maschine 2 (software) - I get on well with its pattern-based sequencing, and I honestly can’t work out if apps like Logic will even give me that. So, for now, I use Maschine. I don’t know if Maschine’s Midi setup is what is causing the problem, or if it’s me.

The JP-8000 and XV-5080 won’t play notes from Maschine. For each track, Maschine makes me choose which device to use (and therefore only offers me Boutique and JD-Xi because the JP-8000 and XV-5080 don't have USB). So when I play a track, the only devices that make a sound are the JD-Xi and the JP-08s even if (for example) track 1 is on Midi channel 2 and the JP-8000 is also on channel 2.

Can you help me to understand what’s going on here please? From your advice above, I figured that the JD-Xi would send the notes it receives from USB out through Midi, just like Midi out/thru does. Is that just something that won’t ever happen? Does each Midi device need a USB converter?

I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here. And I wish I could understand the descriptions given in modern DAW marketing - I love my patterns, I love copying, pasting, modifying bars of music - but the way DAWs read to me, I can’t do that anymore. I’m probably completely wrong, but even when I read the marketing for Logic X, I can’t see the word “sequencer” anywhere! If you google “logic pro sequencer”, the only result from Apple on the first page is a help page from an OLD version of Logic! Does this mean you can’t record steps anymore, and you have to record audio and then chop it up as needed? I hate the idea of that.

Your help so far has been fantastic. I know I’m asking a lot, but I need a hand here :-)

Thank you!
Attachments
Midi & USB connections v2.key.pdf
Diagram showing USB & Midi connections
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PauloF
Posts: 4201
Joined: 02:35, 16 January 2006
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
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Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by PauloF »

evilpants wrote:HI PauloF (and others of course!)

I’ve only just been able to set my system up, due to extremely poor health. Happily, I was able to work out a way of fitting my JP-8000 into the very small space I have to work with. This means the JP can now act as a controller. The keyed isn’t that great, but it’s full size (the XP-80 simply won’t fit onto the table I’m using - it’s way too big for the table!).

I’ve got everything connected as you advised - you made it painless and easy (I adapted your advice to take account of the JP-8000 - please see the attached document; if you think I could connect things better please do let me know!). Everything can play everything else via Midi. But the only things that work with the MacBook are the devices that are connected via USB hub.

I don’t have a proper DAW yet, because I just can’t get my head around how they work. So right now I’m using Maschine 2 (software) - I get on well with its pattern-based sequencing, and I honestly can’t work out if apps like Logic will even give me that. So, for now, I use Maschine. I don’t know if Maschine’s Midi setup is what is causing the problem, or if it’s me.

The JP-8000 and XV-5080 won’t play notes from Maschine. For each track, Maschine makes me choose which device to use (and therefore only offers me Boutique and JD-Xi because the JP-8000 and XV-5080 don't have USB). So when I play a track, the only devices that make a sound are the JD-Xi and the JP-08s even if (for example) track 1 is on Midi channel 2 and the JP-8000 is also on channel 2.

Can you help me to understand what’s going on here please? From your advice above, I figured that the JD-Xi would send the notes it receives from USB out through Midi, just like Midi out/thru does. Is that just something that won’t ever happen? Does each Midi device need a USB converter?

I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here. And I wish I could understand the descriptions given in modern DAW marketing - I love my patterns, I love copying, pasting, modifying bars of music - but the way DAWs read to me, I can’t do that anymore. I’m probably completely wrong, but even when I read the marketing for Logic X, I can’t see the word “sequencer” anywhere! If you google “logic pro sequencer”, the only result from Apple on the first page is a help page from an OLD version of Logic! Does this mean you can’t record steps anymore, and you have to record audio and then chop it up as needed? I hate the idea of that.

Your help so far has been fantastic. I know I’m asking a lot, but I need a hand here :-)

Thank you!
Hi
I need to give it a thought and at the moment I'm on a business trip answering from my iPhone on an airport lounge... :-)

Give me a couple of days and I'll answer you properly
Cheers
PauloF
Psysword
Posts: 1
Joined: 09:19, 8 April 2016

Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by Psysword »

From what I can gather here is that your audio is being routed from 0nly one source and that's the same situation that I have in my Ableton live 9 daw. If you can handle the machine daw then you can handle any daw. It's dead simple. Now getting back to your audio, I would connect only the slave jp08 to the USB port of the MacBook, and pass the rest of the audio as audio through to the slave jp08. I think that should work and you might have to make some volume adjustments individually, but that's how I've chained my 2 jp08s and jx03 and now tonight am planning to hook up my jdxi to the midi and audio chain too! Keep experimenting and reading...keeps y0u younger and fitter. Your health will improve with MIDI power!
evilpants
Posts: 12
Joined: 17:17, 29 April 2014

Re: Please help a Midi n00b wire my JD up

Post by evilpants »

Haha perfect advice!

Actually it's hard when you really feel lost - when I used to use synths in the 80s, being lost was the best thing for me, cos the experimenting led to me discovering the most amazing sound designs. I guess I've reached that age - the sort of age that led to older people in the 80s not being able to program a VCR timer, even though it was just the same as setting an alarm and reading a clock. So, being lost when I was younger was a great aid to creativity; right now, with these circumstances, being lost is just frustrating.

But you're absolutely right. I should just keep playing and experimenting. I did finally get round to labelling all my cables, and boy does that make a difference!

I do get confused about all this stuff - like, with my Midi setup, why is it that my JD-Xi drum kits stop working properly (can't change programs at all) when connected to my Maschine software?

I'm not asking for answers there - I would need to give much more information in order to get good answers. I'm just saying, I absolutely need to follow your advice and to just keep playing :-)

Thank you - and thanks for the advice re audio routing. Gonna try it.
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