Joe, I'm so glad to reach you. Oh the anguish I've gone through on this! I just read your article. Please let me describe the situation further.
What you describe -- MIDI channelizing -- is a solution I tried to pursue, but, as you say, it depends on being able to specify MIDI channels from the devices themselves. My devices should be pretty good -- new Roland drum kit, new 88-key weighted keyboard from Casio, and a standard M-Audio MIDI controller. But I couldn't find how to set each to a different transmitting MIDI channel. (They all connect directly to my Mac Mini via USB.) Here are the exact devices:
DRUMS -- Roland TD-1(M)-KV -- https://www.roland.com/us/products/td-1kv/
KEYBOARD -- Casio Privia PX-350M -- https://www.casio-intl.com/mea/en/emi/products/px350m/
MIDI CONTROLLER -- M-Audio Keystation 49e -- https://www.guitarcenter.com/M-Audio/Keystation-49e-USB-MIDI-Controller-Keyboard.gc
Is there a way (actually reaching Roland, Casio, and M-Audio???) to find out what MIDI channel these devices transmit on? Couldn't find it in the manuals. Or is there likely some obvious way I haven't discovered to set the channel? As far as I could discover, the devices choose a channel automatically.
You address this pitfall in your article. You describe how we might have to use Environment. Please let me list two Environment solutions I've tried so far.
- (7 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itmnt-BAM6M. This guy figures out a way, using Environment, to individuate the MIDI inputs. But the tracks don't record! MIDI guys can jam together, but nothing will get recorded. After praises in the comments, people start pointing that out. Video is from a couple years ago.
- (7 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck7mF7B0YXw. Same guy two years later. He gets the separate MIDI tracks to record. I implemented this and was psyched. But guess what? If you add an audio track (I plugged in a guitar), the MIDI all stops recording. (He didn't notice this because he doesn't record audio.) The MIDI tracks are individuated, but they don't record. The audio track records, but that's all. I'm thinking this is the solution you describe at the end of your article. Hopefully I'm wrong!
On another YouTube video, I saw a "Channel Splitter" tool in Environment. The guy was teaching how to use Logic as a soundbank for Reaper. I haven't tried that tool yet, and the above videos don't mention it. Your article doesn't list that exact tool. What do you think?
Restatement of problem (in my studio) as it currently stands: I can get multiple MIDI devices to record separately simultaneously, but not multiple MIDI devices simultaneously with any AUDIO inputs. It all goes down the drain once audio is added to the jam.
Main question: 1) Is there a Logic solution? Or 2) Will I have to do a master/slave thing with Reaper, Ableton, or some other program?
(And why hasn't Logic been on this? Seems weird to not be able to record a rock band with a few MIDI inputs real easily.)
Thanks so much, again, Joe. Please help me a bit more if possible!
Frank
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