Hello everyone,
after searching for several weeks now it's still not clear to me whether I could reach the following two goals:
FIRST GOAL
Syncing Arturia KeyStep (already in use) with Korg SQ-1 (still missing):
1. KeyStep controls a bi-timbral synth over 5-pole MIDI output <- works fine.
2. SQ-1 controls a Korg NTS-1 over 3.5 mm MIDI, both TRS-A <- should work.
3. Keystep and SQ-1 are connected over their 3.5 mm sync ports, KeyStep as the master <- should work.
4. KeyStep and SQ-1 each sending a sequence to their respective targets over MIDI, both incl. the MIDI clock signal, deriving from the 3.5 mm sync signal for the SQ-1.
What I understood so far:
a) The KeyStep can be switched to Korg compatibilty over the control software.
b) The KeyStep allows not only syncing over the 3.5 mm port but also sending START/STOP signals (to mark the bounderies of the sequence) IF a TRS cable is used; the KeyStep also allows connection over TS cable.
c) The SQ-1 has only a TS sync input. That allows syncing only without START/STOP. So it should be necessary to start a sequence on the SQ-1 manually.
d) The KeyStep doesn't send sync signals over the 3.5 mm connection when no sequence is running (not sure about that)
Any way that the two sequences not only run in the same pace but also begin at the same time?
SECOND GOAL (in addition to the first one)
KeyStep AND SQ-1 shall control the NTS-1 AND the bi-timbral synth:
1. SQ-1 sequence A triggers the NTS-1
2. SQ-1 sequence B triggers timbre 1 of the 2nd synth
3a. KeyStep sequence triggers timbre 2 of the 2nd synth
3b. alternatively KeyStep is used for free playing timbre 2 and/or playing 'over' timbre 1
4. a MIDI MERGER (Kenton MIDI MERGE, still missing) accepts MIDI input from both the KeyStep and the SQ-1 and puts MIDI data out to both the NTS-1 and the second synth.
What I understood so far:
1. SQ-1 is able to output on 2 consecutive MIDI channels (e.g. 1+2) <- should work.
2. The bi-timbral synth is able to accepting data on 2 consecutive MIDI channels (e.g. 2+3) <- works fine
3. The MERGER will retain the channel information.
4. The MERGER is able to handle the START/STOP signals properly, i.e. making the input device the MIDI clock master which it first got a START signal from.
5. Two MIDI clock signals arrive at almost the same time (because of syncing over the 3.5 mm connection) is not an issue, because there will always be one ahead of the other, and if not, the MERGER is polling sequentially approx. every 10ms, so there will always be a 'winner'.
Same question as above +
Is there anything that speaks against doing it that way? Is there a better way?
All the best
Jörg
