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+---- Thread: 2HP MIDI exander - confused (/showthread.php?tid=1896)
2HP MIDI exander - confused - kilgore - 11-14-2024
Hi there!
My 2hp MIDI expander arrived yesterday and I'm trying to use it to control the Arturia Microfrek, so far unsuccessfully.
So the expander is plugged into the Nerdseq and recognized. I've got Track 8 setup as a MIDI track.
I have the OUT of the expander going into the MIDI IN on the Microfreak using a TRS A->B dongle (Arturia uses TRS B).
I'm sending out from the Nerdseq on MIDI channel 1, and the Microfreak is also set to receive on channel 1.
Question 1) Do I need to connect the "SAMPLE 8" Output to the "IN" jack of the expander, or is MIDI already being sent out through the connection between the expander and the Nerdseq?
Just not sure what I'm doing wrong. Something on the Nerdseq not setup right? Something on the Microfreak? Wrong cables?
Thanks for any help!
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - XORadmin - 11-14-2024
- The SAMPLE8 output is a audio output and not related to Midi at all.
- The 2HP expander will never get recognized as there is no recognition for it. It just works.
- Do you use a stereo cable (good) or a regular patch cable (bad)?
- You can simply do a self-test with the expander by connecting the STEREO cable from the output to the input of the midi expander. Then play your sequence. In the Midi/I2C Setup screen you should see the note on and note off messages you sent as being received in the statusbar.
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - kilgore - 11-14-2024
(11-14-2024, 09:19 AM)XORadmin Wrote: - The SAMPLE8 output is a audio output and not related to Midi at all.
- The 2HP expander will never get recognized as there is no recognition for it. It just works.
- Do you use a stereo cable (good) or a regular patch cable (bad)?
- You can simply do a self-test with the expander by connecting the STEREO cable from the output to the input of the midi expander. Then play your sequence. In the Midi/I2C Setup screen you should see the note on and note off messages you sent as being received in the statusbar.
Thanks!
I'm using a stereo cable (which is quite old, I admit).
So I tried the self-test - output from the 2hp expander into its own input. I found the Midi/I2C setup screen. When I run the sequencer I don't see anything happening in that setup screen. So possibly my stereo cable is bad I guess?
Update: I tried it again with a different stereo cable, still seeing nothing on the setup screen when running the pattern. Not quite sure whats going wrong.
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - XORadmin - 11-14-2024
(11-14-2024, 09:29 AM)kilgore Wrote:(11-14-2024, 09:19 AM)XORadmin Wrote: - The SAMPLE8 output is a audio output and not related to Midi at all.
- The 2HP expander will never get recognized as there is no recognition for it. It just works.
- Do you use a stereo cable (good) or a regular patch cable (bad)?
- You can simply do a self-test with the expander by connecting the STEREO cable from the output to the input of the midi expander. Then play your sequence. In the Midi/I2C Setup screen you should see the note on and note off messages you sent as being received in the statusbar.
Thanks!
I'm using a stereo cable (which is quite old, I admit).
So I tried the self-test - output from the 2hp expander into its own input. I found the Midi/I2C setup screen. When I run the sequencer I don't see anything happening in that setup screen. So possibly my stereo cable is bad I guess?
Update: I tried it again with a different stereo cable, still seeing nothing on the setup screen when running the pattern. Not quite sure whats going wrong.
Share your sequence, maybe the issue is there.
Also be sure that you are not using the A-B cable with the loopback.
Also did you triy both outputs (the other one set to out, switch to the left).
Reconnect the ribbon cable a few times and do connect the ribbon cables only when the system is turned off!!!
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - kilgore - 11-14-2024
So I've made a bit of progress. Unplugged and replugged everything.
I tested the included adapter and used a DIN Midi cable to connect to a different synth (the Neutron) and indeed was able to play the sequence. So I know that MIDI being output by the expander.
But strangely, still can't get it to work with the Microfreak and the A->B adapter.
Also the self-test you describe above still does not show anything.
Do I understand correctly that if I run the sequence and go to the Midi/I2C setup screen that I should be seeing something there when I connect the output to the input? I suppose its possible that I have two bad stereo cables but it seems unlikely...
Attached is the project file.
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - XORadmin - 11-14-2024
(11-14-2024, 10:13 AM)kilgore Wrote: So I've made a bit of progress. Unplugged and replugged everything.
I tested the included adapter and used a DIN Midi cable to connect to a different synth (the Neutron) and indeed was able to play the sequence. So I know that MIDI being output by the expander.
But strangely, still can't get it to work with the Microfreak and the A->B adapter.
Also the self-test you describe above still does not show anything.
Do I understand correctly that if I run the sequence and go to the Midi/I2C setup screen that I should be seeing something there when I connect the output to the input? I suppose its possible that I have two bad stereo cables but it seems unlikely...
Then I assume it either being your stereo cables or the A-B Adapter.
What you can simply do, since you used already a din midi cable is to use 2 of the adapters that came with the expander instead of the stereo cable and try again.
RE: 2HP MIDI exander - confused - kilgore - 11-14-2024
(11-14-2024, 10:16 AM)XORadmin Wrote:(11-14-2024, 10:13 AM)kilgore Wrote: So I've made a bit of progress. Unplugged and replugged everything.
I tested the included adapter and used a DIN Midi cable to connect to a different synth (the Neutron) and indeed was able to play the sequence. So I know that MIDI being output by the expander.
But strangely, still can't get it to work with the Microfreak and the A->B adapter.
Also the self-test you describe above still does not show anything.
Do I understand correctly that if I run the sequence and go to the Midi/I2C setup screen that I should be seeing something there when I connect the output to the input? I suppose its possible that I have two bad stereo cables but it seems unlikely...
Then I assume it either being your stereo cables or the A-B Adapter.
What you can simply do, since you used already a din midi cable is to use 2 of the adapters that came with the expander instead of the stereo cable and try again.
Thanks! This method gave me MIDI messages in the setup screen. I do also have a stereo cable that works and sends Midi messages.
So it looks like everything on the Nerdseq side is functioning as it should. Either the dongle isn't working (brand new!) or something on the Microfreak isn't set up correctly. I will keep searching, thanks!
Finally figured it out!
Still not sure *why*, but this worked:
I was sending from Nerdseq on MIDI Channel 1, and the Microfreak was also receiving on channel 1. For some reason that didn't work. But setting the Microfreak to receive ALL channels cleared up the issue.
Thanks again XOR!