IS there a basic introduction to using the MFC to control other midi devices?

Hugomack

Experienced
I'm trying to bring in a Pigtronix Infinity looper, BeatBuddy drum machine and Dave Smith Tetra synth, to be controlled all together using midi. it may be that using the MFC is too ambitious for all of this, but I'd be very grateful if anyone who's using the Pigtronix could talk me through the connections.

So far I can't get Beat Clock output from the Axe or the MFC, so any guidance on that would be helpful. I can control the Axe tempo using midi directly to the midi in on the back with the BeatBuddy, but the Axe won't pass it thru to the out. The MFC won't take BB tempo or pass it thru.

MY conclusion is to use a midi splitter to send tempo to the Pigtronix and Tetra directly, but this seems like a simple-minded workaround, suggesting that I've badly failed to understand what I'm doing here!!

It would be far better to have the MFC send tempo, preset and song changes. This would allow me to also send midi changes from the expression pedals to parameters in the Tetra as well as the Axe. This is probably midi ignorance of a high order, but I'm taking a long time to get nowhere with this, so I'd be very greatufl for some advice.

Thanks. :?
 
Hi Duke. Yep - I'd added my thoughts to that thread.... I'm now stuck on time code and not wanting to use a computer.

My best guess so far to use a midi splitter to send time code fro a drum machine to the Axe and to a midi merge 2 in 2 out splitter, which merges the midi out/thru from the Axe to merge it with the time code (as the Axe doesn't transmit time code) and send to a Tetra and Infinity looper. This would send time code and the MFC cc's to control Presets, Scenes and maybe some IAs from the MFC....

Does this sound sensible?
 
Hi Duke. Yep - I'd added my thoughts to that thread.... I'm now stuck on time code and not wanting to use a computer.

My best guess so far to use a midi splitter to send time code fro a drum machine to the Axe and to a midi merge 2 in 2 out splitter, which merges the midi out/thru from the Axe to merge it with the time code (as the Axe doesn't transmit time code) and send to a Tetra and Infinity looper. This would send time code and the MFC cc's to control Presets, Scenes and maybe some IAs from the MFC....

Does this sound sensible?

It does, but I still don't know enough about midi to know if it should work.....
 
It does, but I still don't know enough about midi to know if it should work.....

Nor me. So I'm trying to find from Matt at Fractal Support, out some basics about what the Axe II and MFC do midi-wise, as it's not clear from the manuals or Forum:

- does the ethercon connection disable the MFC's midi?

- does the Axe II's midi Out/Thru in fact not transfer received midi through from another device. For my needs, this is the time code from a drum machine, which the Axe responds to.

- does the Axe II's Midi Out contain power - for the midi splitter box I'd need to transfer time code to my other midi devices. As it seems the Axe Midi Out/Thru doesn't actually pass through what the Axe receives, this is also a vital question.

- the same questions for the MFC's midi In and Out

- plus if I use a midi connection from the MFC to the Axe, will it's Midi In and Out/Thru work.

It would be good to know if others using the MFC and Axe to control other midi devices, connect them with time code as well as cc's. The manual says the Axe doesn't transmit time code, but it should still pass through time code.... but doesn't seem to :-(
 
Just repeating what I reported on another thread: AxeII does not transmit any time code. I'm told this was disabled after firmware 6 or so as it scrambled things, which wasn't corrected in subsequent upgrades - which is a shame.

MFC doesn't operate on both midi and ethernet modalities. Using ethernet etc connection disables its midi. SO you have to run midi cables all the way into the back of the Axe, rather than short midi cables to your on-the-floor devices.

Also Axe II does indeed transmit midi power - as per the midi protocol. I'd be baffled if it didn't, but Sean Strickland at Fractal Support was emphatic that it didn't so I ordered a midi power adaptor along with my splitter and merge boxes, only to find that the boxes work perfectly well "unpowered" by the Axe. A miracle. Rejoice.
 
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