I’m using the Synth in two different setups, one using MIDI Jack and the other using USB MIDI. Everytime I change between these setups I have to manually change the MIDI I/O settings for each synth and the Clock In setting because USB and Jack In appear as separate options.
What should this feature achieve?
USB and Jack MIDI should be the unified, the Synth should detect which one is being used.
Are there any workarounds?
Manually changing the settings described above.
Any links to related discussions?
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Any references to other products?
All the other synths & grooveboxes I own (Elektron, Deepmind, etc)
So instead of setting a synth slot to JACK15 or USB15 you want to set it to 15, and it should both send and receive on channel 15, on both ports? That would remove a lot of flexibility for setups where both ports are connected.
I doubt the synth can actually detect which ports are being used, simply because both might be connected, and there is no way for determining whether the output is processed anywhere.
The simplest way to preserve the current feature that you can select per synth slot which port and channel to use might be to add another 16 options that would deliberately select both ports, so that you can select JACK15, USB15, or J+U15.
That would work, sure, but personally I would prefer a “cleaner” approach: choosing just the channel on the Synth config, and a separate option in the MIDI settings to select “Jack / USB / Jack + USB”. This is the way the Elektron boxes work, for example, and I think it would be simpler than having to go through 16 + 16 + 16 options in each Synth configuration.
The MIDI clock In should be easier to detect on which input it’s coming from, at least that’s a standard option in all of the synths I’ve owned.
That may be cleaner in your opinion, but that would still remove a feature some people might actually rely on.
If you were to embrace the way the Synth is designed, you’d simply set up your gear to send on USB 14-16 and on Jack 1-3, and you only have to go through 3+3+3 options.
MIDI clock is easy to detect when it is only received on one port, but as soon as it is received on both ports, the user needs to make the call which one takes precedence, because responding to both is not a good idea.
What does your Elektron Box do when clock is present both on USB and DIN MIDI? And if you want that to behave differently, can you fix that on the Elektron box, or do you need to look elsewhere?
There are advantages and disadvantages to each design. Synth prefers simple and obvious, Elektron provides convenience, until that fails.
Can you give an example where it would be preferable to have two devices connected to the Synth using the same Midi channel, instead of having a unique Midi channel on each? I genuinely don’t see in what circumstances that might be useful, but maybe I’m missing something obvious.
I don’t understand what you mean, sorry. My use case is fairly simple: I alternate between sequencing the Synth from a Digitakt and a Oxi One. The oxi one I connect via USB because that way I can power the Synth from it, with the Digitakt I have to connect via 5-pin Midi. I guess I would have the same issue if I were to alternate between any 5-pin hardware device and a computer, for example.
Of course I can work around simply by connecting the Oxi One via 5-Pin Midi and power the Synth with a powerbank, that’s why this is just a draft wish and not a deal-breaker.
If someone sends clock from two different devices that’s pure user error and I expect the device to behave erratically, that’s not a scenario that manufacturers should consider IMO.
Again, it’s no big deal having to switch manually the source of clock, it’s just something that I’ve grown used to not having to worry because all the other devices I own do it automatically.
You use the same channel number on both ports, therefore you need to go through 16 steps when changing ports.
However, if you use channel 14 on the Jack Port, and channel 1 on the USB port you only need to go through 3 steps.
I sure hope your devices behave erratically enough for you to notice right away, otherwise you might end up with recordings that are messed up, and you‘ll face some rework.
Anyways, I prefer my devices to have explicit and specific configurations.
I think the best way to handle these things are profiles/setups, like in the Analog Four. That way you can have all system settings specific to each scenario, and switching is still just one change.