Stage Piano/Atari interface problem

Smithers XKR

Smithers XKR

Well-known member
I have been serial MIDI'ing up my old studio kit today and ran across a problem.

I ran a 5 pin Din MIDI cable from the MIDI out from the SMPTE into the Atari ST 4160 that is running Cubase 3.1 Score on an Atari HDD (its actually an ST520FM upgraded to 4 meg but we will gloss over that). I ran the MIDI out from the ST into a Korg X5 that I had been using as the controller. Then the MIDI thru from the X5 into an SR16 drum box. The SR16 does not have MIDI thru so I then ran the out into a JV1080, from the Roland thru I ran it into a Midiverb 4 and the thru from that into an S2000 sampler.
It all seems to be working and syncing ok when I assign the outboard kit to different Cubase tracks and use track 10 for the SR16. Its all very tricky and sometimes I think it would be easer to stick to DAW 😆 but there you go. I haven't SMPTE to my analogue MT8X multitracker yet, going to try that tomorrow.
The only issue I have is that I wanted to use my stage piano as the controller then run that into the X5 etc. But the piano only has MIDI out. The MIDI in is a USB which obviously I can not use with the Atari.
Could I just use a 5 Pin MIDI lead from the Atari into a simple USB adaptor lead to run into the USB MIDI in port on the Stage Piano (I suspect probably not), or will I need some sort of interface/converter unit?

Thanks guys 👍
 
Smithers XKR said:
I have been serial MIDI'ing up my old studio kit today and ran across a problem.

I ran a 5 pin Din MIDI cable from the MIDI out from the SMPTE into the Atari ST 4160 that is running Cubase 3.1 Score on an Atari HDD (its actually an ST520FM upgraded to 4 meg but we will gloss over that). I ran the MIDI out from the ST into a Korg X5 that I had been using as the controller. Then the MIDI thru from the X5 into an SR16 drum box. The SR16 does not have MIDI thru so I then ran the out into a JV1080, from the Roland thru I ran it into a Midiverb 4 and the thru from that into an S2000 sampler.
It all seems to be working and syncing ok when I assign the outboard kit to different Cubase tracks and use track 10 for the SR16. Its all very tricky and sometimes I think it would be easer to stick to DAW 😆 but there you go. I haven't SMPTE to my analogue MT8X multitracker yet, going to try that tomorrow.
The only issue I have is that I wanted to use my stage piano as the controller then run that into the X5 etc. But the piano only has MIDI out. The MIDI in is a USB which obviously I can not use with the Atari.
Could I just use a 5 Pin MIDI lead from the Atari into a simple USB adaptor lead to run into the USB MIDI in port on the Stage Piano (I suspect probably not), or will I need some sort of interface/converter unit?

Thanks guys 👍
Click to expand...
Sorry probably gave too much information here. The query is about the Piano/Atari interface but can I ask if the serial connections are in the right order? It seems to be all working ok.
Thanks
 
Does the piano supply the 5V line on the USB? If not, it's doubtful that the midi/USB converter will work. Every one that I looked at had some type of circuitry to do the conversion. The Atari has two different Midi ports, neither of which supplies any voltage.

Midi Out/Thru Pinout
1 THRU Transmit data (non standard)
2 Shield Ground
3 THRU Loop return (non standard)
4 OUT Transmit data
5 OUT Loop return

Midi In Pinout
1 Non connected
2 Non connected
3 Non connected
4 IN Receive data
5 IN Loop return
 
I'm confused - does your stage piano not just go into the computer's in and then in Cubase you set that as input. Then whichever track, with it's destination highlighted, plays? My old system worked fine like this. Is your problem that you just don't have an available MIDI input to connect the keyboard to? Maybe it already has an input being used? If so, you just need a MIDI merge box.
 
The Kenton Midi Merge 4, gives you 4 merging inputs, then 2 identical outputs.
It is possible to drive 2 midi inputs from 1 midi output, just by splitting the wires.
 
rob aylestone said:
Remember MIDI splitters take one output and provide multiple outputs, but you want to combine multiple inputs, which is a merge box - a different product.
Click to expand...
Thanks Ray and Rob for the advice. As I thought, you can run a MIDI out from a single source via a splitter lead into 2 outputs, it will just replicate the data although there may be timing/clock issues.
Two different outputs into one input, the controller and the SMPTE into the MIDI in on the ST via a splitter lead will just give a load of gobbledegook data. So yeah gonna need a merge box for about 60 quid, another expense but hey ho.
Cheers for the help guys, appreciated 👍
 
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