Logic Pro 9 Using Multiple MIDI Controllers

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b.jdanov

Logician
Hey guys, I'm trying to hook up an M-Audio Oxygen 49 MIDI keyboard via USB + Roland S88 MIDI into M-Audio ProjectMix via FireWire onto Logic Pro 9; I want to have each keyboard play separate instruments without layering them. Ableton recognizes each of these separately and allows me to assign different MIDI controllers as inputs to individual soft synth patches... How do I assign separate MIDI controllers as inputs to individual synths on Logic Pro 9 without having the sounds stack on top of each other?
Thank You!
 
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How do I assign separate MIDI controllers as inputs to individual synths on Logic Pro 9 without having the sounds stack on top of each other?
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1. Go to the Logic Project Settings->Recording and enable "Autodemix by midi channel ...." which will switch Logic in Multiplayer mode.
2. Set your external controllers to different midi channels (say Oxygen to ch1. and Roland to ch.2).
3. Set the midi channels of the different Software Instrument you plan to use to the correspondent external controller channel (say EVP88 to ch1 -Oxygen, and EXS to ch.2 Roland).
4. Arm the tracks (instruments) in the arrange and go.
5. If decide to record both controllers and play, just run Logic in recording. After the stop command Logic will autodemix by midi channel the newly recorded region to the correspondent instrument tracks.

Bear in mind that the Logic sequencer is limited to receive up to 16 midi channels (which is recording limitation of the Multiplayer/Live mode). The 16th channels can come from different input midi devices no problem.
Regarding live performance, there is no limitation cause you can cable each Input Port directly to the Channel Strip Instruments in the Environment via Channel Splitters etc (no recording option in this scenario).
 
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Here is a Logic forum, not (oxygen, roland). You must spend some time to read the technical manuals of your hardware devices, I'm sorry...
 
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For the Roland, this might work. On my JUNO, there's a MIDI CONTROLLER button. On that screen I can adjust the MIDI channel it transmits on. If this works, good. But you'll still have to read up on how to do it for the Oxygen too.
 
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One more trick using the Logic Environment which can save you to set the hardware channels so they can be (any). Doing that in the hardware is still recommended !
1. In Logic open the Environment window and switch to the Click & Ports layer.
2. Create two new transformers, open them and set the bottom "Operation" box labeled as "Cha" to the midi channel(s) you have set for the Software Instruments you plan to control.
Example: Name the first transformer "Roland In ch" and set its operation channel to ch.1. Name the second transformer "Oxygen In ch" and set its operation channel to ch.2.
3. Cut the "Sum" cable of the Physical Input and patch separate cables from each device IN pit to its transformer after that to the Sequencer object or the Input View Monitor.
Example: Patch a cable from the Roland Pin to the "Roland In ch" transformer after that patch a cable from the transformer to the Input View.
Do the same with the Oxygen.

Another extra can be done as well. The transformer settings can be controlled remotely via Meta events using environment faders. The idea is to create two numerical faders labeled as "Roland ch." & "Oxy. ch" for example. The small faders can be packed with its transformers into two small Macros so both small Macros can be set as a small "Float" palette. The idea is, you can set the input channels very easy during your work in the Logic arrangement. If I have time these days I can pack that in a demo song.
 
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Figured it out! Thank you guys. Also figured that even after the whole "demix by channel" thing you still have to press the record button to actually separate the patches, kind of confusing when you don't actually need to record. Thanks again peeps 😀
 
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b.jdanov said:
thing you still have to press the record button to actually separate the patches, kind of confusing when you don't actually need to record.
Click to expand...

The midi tracks "R" button behaves as a "midi thru" as well - that's the reason. Normally when you select any midi track it arms automatically.
In your "Muti Player" mode scenario you must arm the non-selected tracks manually.
Hint: You can set the Instruments (Channel Strips) you wanna play to a given Mixer Group, open the mixer "Group Settings" and thick the "Record" check box for that Group.
In this case when you select any of the instrument tracks you will auto-arm all the group tracks in one go.
 
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This was very helpful.

I found that you must arm the tracks, then hit record once. Then you are free to stop recording and operate in PLAY mode. What a crazy set of stuff to do for such a simple MIDI setup!

-Muji
 
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When I set up 2 controllers in this way (using ch1 and ch2 as suggested) I'm getting a strange behaviour (v10.4). If I have say Modern Strings on one track, and piano on the other - no problemo. But if I have any patch that has the same articulations as Modern strings on the second track then it follows the articulations. So if I setup Oboe with legato articulation on 2nd track (ch2) then go to track 1 (ch1) set it to staccato and arm the tracks to play multi-parts .... the oboe has mysteriously switch to staccato!!! Any way of stopping this ?
 
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