Midi In to Midi Out from Midi Thru??!!?

[L'espion Noir]

i got myself a midi pad controller which i'm using to play my drum tracks the only thing is it has only the "midi out" port so that goes into the keyboard's "Midi In"
the thing(annoyance) is when i record into the computer the only way for me to hear my midi tracks is by going from the soundcard's "Midi Out" to "Midi In" in the keyboard that means i have to unplug the pad is there a way i can keep both plugged in

Do i need a midi interface eventhough the pad doesn't have a "midi in" port.

thanks

[knightfly]

Yes, the lack of a MIDI in port on your drum pad means you have no way of simply daisy-chaining all your devices. If you're tired of switching cables, the least you will need is a simple MIDI patch bay. I have a couple of simple ones by Kawaii - It's been a while since I've used them and they're buried in storage, but I think they were 4 in, 8 out. There are probably others that are that simple (inexpensive) and maybe smaller. Mine are 1 full rack space.

Try searching "midi patch" on some of the mail order sites if you don't have a local source. If that's all you're planning on doing, one of the wiz-bang computer controlled ones is 'way overkill... Steve

[L'espion Noir]

Thanks knightfly, question: by connecting the keyboard and the pad thru a midi patch bay i will still be able to access my drumkit in the keyboard from the pad right?

[knightfly]

Yes and no. A simple PB lets you choose between one input or another. If you want to play the keys drumsounds and still have the sequencer play the other keys sounds, you would need a fancier PB, one that allows MIDI merging. These are usually anywhere from $2-$400.

I have to quit for now, I'll try to get more info on this. It would help to know your future intentions, and a range of budget... Steve