Multi-IO Expander

[2farg1]

Hi everyone! First post on this wonderful forum

I recently acquired a Nerdseq and I am very eager to get the Multi I/O expander... is there any idea of when the black panel versiont will be in stock again?

I have found a silver panel version, but the Nerdseq and expanders I have are all black. Wondering if it's worth it to wait (and would prefer to order direct from XOR Electronics). But I can't deny that I am very excited to gain all of the functionality that the Multi I/O brings to the table (have a fair amount of i2c compatible gear).

Alternatively will XOR be offering replacement panels for Multi I/O? (should I choose to buy silver for now and swap later to match everything... Not as ideal because I don't want to be wasteful in resources to just have matching aesthetics)

Thanks in advance for any info!

[XORadmin]

Hi everyone! First post on this wonderful forum

I recently acquired a Nerdseq and I am very eager to get the Multi I/O expander... is there any idea of when the black panel versiont will be in stock again?

I have found a silver panel version, but the Nerdseq and expanders I have are all black. Wondering if it's worth it to wait (and would prefer to order direct from XOR Electronics). But I can't deny that I am very excited to gain all of the functionality that the Multi I/O brings to the table (have a fair amount of i2c compatible gear).

Alternatively will XOR be offering replacement panels for Multi I/O? (should I choose to buy silver for now and swap later to match everything... Not as ideal because I don't want to be wasteful in resources to just have matching aesthetics)

Thanks in advance for any info!

Welcome!

There will be new stock in the UK soon and in my webstore and outside the UK it'll be back in march again.
I will put the frontpanels into the webshop soon.

[Carlier]

Hello Thomas,
I want to buy multi-io for my nerdseq but before I need to check with you some possibilities:
This is the routing target:
1/ Multi-io Midi usb-host -> bi-directional communication to computer
2/ multi-io Midi usb-dev -> bi-directional communication to mini usb of Intellijel Metropolix (just want to use the run/reset button on my Metropolix
3/ multi-io i2c front -> sweet sixteen mk2 16n (this sweet sixteen is already connect to my er-301 by i2c back cable dupont, so I want 8 faders for er-301 et others 8 faders to control Nerdseq)
4/ midi trs -> bi-directional communication tr-8s (Roland aira drum machine)
The idea is to start and stop/reset from anywhere, I mean from tr-8s or nerdseq or metropolix.
Do you think that’s possible?

[XORadmin]

Hello Thomas,
I want to buy multi-io for my nerdseq but before I need to check with you some possibilities:
This is the routing target:
1/ Multi-io Midi usb-host -> bi-directional communication to computer
2/ multi-io Midi usb-dev -> bi-directional communication to mini usb of Intellijel Metropolix (just want to use the run/reset button on my Metropolix
3/ multi-io i2c front -> sweet sixteen mk2 16n (this sweet sixteen is already connect to my er-301 by i2c back cable dupont, so I want 8 faders for er-301 et others 8 faders to control Nerdseq)
4/ midi trs -> bi-directional communication tr-8s (Roland aira drum machine)
The idea is to start and stop/reset from anywhere, I mean from tr-8s or nerdseq or metropolix.
Do you think that’s possible?

Heya!

1: That uses the 'usb-device' port. It is bi-directional.

2: That uses the 'usb-host'. It is bi-directional.
Not sure what the Metropolix can do with the Midi Data so I am not sure what the run/reset buttons will do with it.

3: The Sweet16 is not capable to send to 2 different 'followers' but is fixed to 1 follower address which is 0x31 in your case for the ER301. The NerdSEQ is capable and flexible to make these things possible (within the general I2C rules which is: 1 leader and 1 or multiple followers (all different address) per line). You got 2 options here:
-  connect the sweet16 to the NerdSEQ and the ER301, set the sweet16 to 'follower' mode. In that case the sweet16 is not sending its faders directly to the ER301 anymore but sends the faders to the NerdSEQ on request. And on request means that the NerdSEQ is continuosly 'polling' the Sweet16 to check if a fader changes which fills the data channel quite much. There is still room to sequence the ER301 but it is not a optimal solution.
- connect the sweet16 with one of the I2C ports and the ER301 with the other I2C port. In that case the sweet16 can stay as the leader and sends all it's faders into the NerdSEQ. And within the NerdSEQ you can decide that either all Data is merged from one to the other port which means that the er301 would receive just as the NerdSEQ all faders. The other and more flexible setting would be to only route the faders you want to to the ER301. That can be also simply done within the NerdSEQ (mappings). This is also the option I would definitely go for as it will provide enough room to use the faders fully and sequence the ER301 (and more) and involve the faders as well.

4: Yeah easy. Also bi-directional

The idea is to start and stop/reset from anywhere, I mean from tr-8s or nerdseq or metropolix.
Do you think that’s possible?

And here starts a bit the trouble and not because the NerdSEQ couldn't do it but mainly because in the Midi-World and other worlds there is 1 Leader which defines a started/stopped sequencer and it's clock (both are tied together) and the followers who will start and stop and being clocked by what the leader says. So you could only set each Midi up with one who takes over the control of start/stop and clock. You would need to change the settings of all devices if you want another device to be the leader. That is not the same thing as being bi-directional. You can with the NerdSEQ still be the clock follower but receive or send Midi Notes etc.
So one sends the start/stop (leader) and all the others receive it. In the NerdSEQ it is one simple setting in the Project and there you can decide also which ports should also receive the clock data or which port should be the one that controls the start/stop of the NerdSEQ.

If you are able to send out one Midi note on button presses on the Metropolix or TR8 then you could actually simulate the start stop buttons of the NerdSEQ and you could start the NerdSEQ seqeuencer (as leader controlling the clock of all others) through that Midi-Note (or CC). This is possible in the NerdSEQ (and many other hacks) using the mappings.

[pnortnaomi]

I just got the multi-io and the trigger 16 expanders. The trigger 16 is working great, but the multi-io is failing to be recognised by the Nerdseq? I selected the multi-io in the menu and it is getting power, but the Nerdseq is saying "multi -io not detected" on boot up. The cables are in correctly. I'm not using i2c and just want to use the usb midi device input for clock and midi. Not sure where I am going wrong. I have the latest firmware and im selecting multi-io in the menu?

[XORadmin]

I just got the multi-io and the trigger 16 expanders. The trigger 16 is working great, but the multi-io is failing to be recognised by the Nerdseq? I selected the multi-io in the menu and it is getting power, but the Nerdseq is saying "multi -io not detected" on boot up. The cables are in correctly. I'm not using i2c and just want to use the usb midi device input for clock and midi. Not sure where I am going wrong. I have the latest firmware and im selecting multi-io in the menu?

If you selected Multi-IO in the SETUP menu, then leave the menu and wait until it said 'settings saved' in the statusbar. Do a complete power off and on after that.

Else remove and insert the cables a few times (when powered off) and check again if the ribbon cable is in the correct slot + the power cable is connected well.
Did you have another of the midi expanders working well before?

[pnortnaomi]

I just got the 16 trigger and the multi-io at the same time. I didn't have any expanders before. The multi-io lights up the midi triggers and is getting power, it just doesn't send to the Nerdseq. The Trigger 16 expander works well.

Edit - The multi-io setting in the menu saves between power cycles.

[XORadmin]

I just got the 16 trigger and the multi-io at the same time. I didn't have any expanders before. The multi-io lights up the midi triggers and is getting power, it just doesn't send to the Nerdseq. The Trigger 16 expander works well.

Edit - The multi-io setting in the menu saves between power cycles.

OK...did you try the cables? Remove and insert multiple times. And be sure you didn't insert it on the 'thru' port.

[pnortnaomi]

I just got the 16 trigger and the multi-io at the same time. I didn't have any expanders before. The multi-io lights up the midi triggers and is getting power, it just doesn't send to the Nerdseq. The Trigger 16 expander works well.

Edit - The multi-io setting in the menu saves between power cycles.

OK...did you try the cables? Remove and insert multiple times. And be sure you didn't insert it on the 'thru' port.

I removed the cables a few times and it worked. The new cables are pretty tight and it took 4-5 times unplugging and replugging. Thank you so much for your help.

The drum matrix in the trigger expander is so cool and the encoder has sped up programming considerably, however I never found the Nerdseq to be slow to program.

Previously I was sending midi sync from a Expert Sleepers Fh-2 and that worked great, but now I have an extra 2 ports in it to be used elsewhere.

Before the trigger 16 expander I was triggering 4 tracks from the Nerdseq to 4 mono drums in the Assimil8or leaving only 2 more channels for the rest of system. I was using clock dividers and and a Mimetic Digitalis and a Control Forge to sequence the rest of my modules, and even though I came up with unique sequences, I wasn't able to save the projects as a whole. The trigger expander has fixed this. Thanks

[XORadmin]

I just got the 16 trigger and the multi-io at the same time. I didn't have any expanders before. The multi-io lights up the midi triggers and is getting power, it just doesn't send to the Nerdseq. The Trigger 16 expander works well.

Edit - The multi-io setting in the menu saves between power cycles.

OK...did you try the cables? Remove and insert multiple times. And be sure you didn't insert it on the 'thru' port.

I removed the cables a few times and it worked. The new cables are pretty tight and it took 4-5 times unplugging and replugging. Thank you so much for your help.

The drum matrix in the trigger expander is so cool and the encoder has sped up programming considerably, however I never found the Nerdseq to be slow to program.

Previously I was sending midi sync from a Expert Sleepers Fh-2 and that worked great, but now I have an extra 2 ports in it to be used elsewhere.

Before the trigger 16 expander I was triggering 4 tracks from the Nerdseq to 4 mono drums in the Assimil8or leaving only 2 more channels for the rest of system. I was using clock dividers and and a Mimetic Digitalis and a Control Forge to sequence the rest of my modules, and even though I came up with unique sequences, I wasn't able to save the projects as a whole. The trigger expander has fixed this. Thanks

Very nice to hear!  Yes and it can be dirtyness as well on the pins and removing and inserting a few times scratches the dust off.

And very cool that all works out as you wanted to. Just fyi, you could also sequence all the local trigger outputs from a drummatrix even without the trigger expander using the I2C/Multi Track. Not that I don't want to sell Trigger16 :-) But I think it is all fair to say...and one can't have enough outputs anyways!