So frustrating - my widi bud pro connection for my keytar works fine - because i bring the keytar with me as well as the widi bud - so essentially that hasn’t changed. The 88 keylab i use is a direct connection and recognized when im using that as well - but now I at the other location with the other 88 key controller a roland digital piano FP-90x
The Roland is recognized in rig manager on the midi device alias side and I have assigned the Roland pedal sustain on the control aliases side. - however - when Im in the rack space wiring diagram - it doesn’t connect when I play. I press keys nothing comes out - I dont understand how to change that
Well it seems that you didn’t define the MIDI Device Alias Names in Rig Manager. Please, click + in Rig Manger and do it. If necessary read again the Rig Mnager part of the manual.
Also take care of sending MIDI messages to plugins on other channels than channel 1, because most plugin don’t accept other channels then the channel 1. Is there a reason why you re using MIDI In channel 3 in your controller? And MIDI channel 3 out of the MIDI In block?
Except for a few corner cases, nowadays we no longer define a MIDI channel to distinguish one MIDI controller from another, we use a different MIDI port per controller to distinguish them, and we set the MIDI channel to 1 because it’s often the only one that plugins recognize.
For each different MIDI port you have to define a MIDI Device alias name in Rig Manager. Did you do it by now?
I did that part and am now at my remote location will try the second part shortly. The reason I have different channels was so I can make sure that the program changes from my onsong send to the Nord (for now until I’m permanently on GP). My Nord is channel 2, my guitarists pedal board is midi channel 1. When I comes to my GP set up I have my 88 key lab 3 on the bottom, the keytar as my second controller on the top and a minicab 3 as a remote keyboard for the other guys in the band when they play a few notes. - So I set the midi channel for the 88key at 3, the keytar at 4 and the minilab 3 at 4 too (I have it mimicking my top keyboard) - should I be giving them separate channels? what is the smartest way to do it
The idea is to have one MIDI in block per controller and work for all controllers on channel 1. In our modern MIDI routing schemes in GP we usually don’t route anymore using one single MIDI interface and different MIDI channels for each controller, but using a separate MIDI port for each controller (it can be a MIDI interface connected to a controller or an directly an USB-MIDI controller). As each controller has its own MIDI port, no need to change the MIDI channels used. OnSong can send a PC to GP that you decide to route to the Nord within GP. You don’t need to play with MIDI channels for this and it makes things much easier.
I honestly am a midiot. Not sure what all that means lol. Im not using GP for the Nord- right now that’s a separate system until I’m fully functional on GP. ON song on the Nord system - is sending program changes to channel 2. My Nord is set up as channel 2. I need to keep that until I make the move. Since lately my guitarist is not using onsong changes - are you saying I should switch the Nord back to 1 and then set up these rigs around channel 1? I need to keep the PC from onsong for the time being - but I could move them over to channel 1. As far as everything else you mentioned - I don’t get it. leave the controllers on channel 1? then how do I set up each controller in GP for playing and controls?
You have got a set of MIDI devices you will use to identify your controller (on the right side of the arrows in the first column: here a WiDi adapter for your Keytar, a Roland Digital Piano and an iPhone used for… whatever). In GP these MIDI devices or MIDI ports are be recognized and you will be able to use them as MIDI in blocks in your wiring view. e.g. You will have a MIDI in block named MIDI In (Roland Digital Piano) if your Roland digital piano is connected to you GP computer. You don’t need to change its MIDI channel for GP to recognize it and route correctly MIDI messages from it.
But imagine you build a Rackspace using this MIDI In block connected to a Synth Plugin. Once you are done, you can play on the Roland Digital Piano and you will hear the sound of the Synth Plugin (take care Plugins usually use channel 1 and sometimes don’t play anything if you use a different channel). Now you want to replace the Roland Digital Piano in your Rig by a Nord Piano (this happen, for example, when you first played at home and then go to a rehearsal studio). Once the Nord is connected another MIDI device will appear in GP, but the MIDI In block you used in your Rackspace was the one of the Roland Digital Piano and not the one of the Nord Piano. So if you play on the Nord it won’t trigger your Synth Plugin which is only supposed to be triggered by the Roland Digital Piano.
The solution is here to use Rig Manager and define MIDI device alias names, i.e. generic names you will use in place of MIDI ports in GP instead of the MIDI devices directly. For example I added a PIANO MIDI device alias name in your Rig Manager screenshot and then I assigned it to the Roland Digital Piano device. If you do so too, a MIDI In (PIANO) block will appear in GP and it is this MIDI In device representing any PIANO controller you could use in your Rig that you want to use in your Rackspaces. If you do so, the next time your Rig changes and you need to use a different PIANO controller, you simply need to enter Rig Manager and map the other PIANO controller, e.g. a Nord Piano to the PIANO MIDI device alias name. Then no more need to change anything in your Rackspace it will work seamlessly. Again no need to change the MIDI channels of your PIANO controllers, it will add more confusion as your controller are already defined and recognized by GP by their MIDI device names or better by their generic MIDI device alias names defined in Rig Manager.
If you have a look at the right column in Rig Manager you will see MIDI Control Aliases. This is NOT for defining the controller MIDI devices themselves, but only controls like a Sustain Pedal (you did this right), a Modulation Wheel, a Pad or whatever. It seems that you defined a Note On message there as a control you named Keytar. That’s probably not what you wanted to do. We usually don’t consider notes as controls and the MIDI Control Aliases should rather have understandable controls names as explained before.
this makes sense - I actually started with the Performance Rig (Keylab 88 and my keytar) - and now Brought the GP to connect to my Roland 88 through gig manager - the sustain pedal matches up and the keytar actually never changes since it goes with me and the GP set up.
Sounds like having separate midi channels for each unit is overkill then- Ill change them all back to 1 and everything should work as before correct?
Here is a question and Im not sure if this is for Rig Manager or not - in my main Keylab set up - I use the pads, the wheels and the sliders etc for song control and program change - however, I want the option to use my midi fighter twister for the same controls - and then I can bring it to other rigs without changing my performance habits. - how do I set that up?
There are cases where, “everything on a unique port with channel 1” isn’t ideal. In my case, I like to minimize cables and gear. I have equipment with no USB port. It’s convenient to plug into a MIDI Through input on another device, rather than be required to add another MIDI interface device and power. A short MIDI cable from upper to lower keyboard is nice.
Another situation: “Can I borrow your keyboard?” “Yes, but don’t change anything on it. BTW, it’s on channel 5.”
I have a Zendrum. As a drum device, it defaullts to channel 10, not 1.
Finally, I recently bought a Hammond SK1. I’m able to program it with high-trigger on one channel (I use 2) and three additional velocity curves on other channels (3-5). Why don’t I use Channel 1? Because it has no USB output, and I do the MIDI through thing.
Since Rig Manager doesn’t presently remap channels and ports, it doesn’t quite deliver on its promise. I would need to do some surgery on all of my Rackspaces, if I were to change my setup.
I had dutifully used Rig Manager before buying the SK1. I was surprised that it didn’t drop in more easily, when going from a dedicated port to a MIDI through setup. Given that my mission in life is to reduce the number of cables in my setup, I’m accepting the additional complexity in software over extra complexity in hardware.
