Hey Guys.

I’ve programmed some awesome multis on my XS Rack, and need to take it up another level.

Essentially, I’m using an Arturia KeyLab88 on MIDI Channel 1 as my main keyboard controller.

I added an Arturia KeyLab61 as my 2nd tier keyboard controller set to MIDI Channel 5.

I am NOT using Cubase, or recording anything, this is only for live performance use. Therefore, I have the Layer Parts 1-4 option checked on my General Utilities.

I am, however, extensively using the XS Editor on my MacBook Pro which requires that I also run Studio Manager to configure my MIDI ports. In the Studio Manager MIDI setup, I have the MIDI Thru checked and my KeyLab88 set as the source and Port 1 as the destination.

So the big question is: What is the best method for tying in the KeyLab61? I’ve tried running another USB cable to my laptop, and SM certainly recognizes it, but I can only have one source for the MIDI Thru option.

What has worked is plugging a 5-pin DIN MIDI cable from the KL61 MIDI Out to the KL88 MIDI In. The messages seem to find their way to the XS Rack, but I’m not sure that this is the ideal method.

Any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated!

tonygardner - 19 July 2016 01:48 PM

Hey Guys.

I’ve programmed some awesome multis on my XS Rack, and need to take it up another level.

Essentially, I’m using an Arturia KeyLab88 on MIDI Channel 1 as my main keyboard controller.

I added an Arturia KeyLab61 as my 2nd tier keyboard controller set to MIDI Channel 5.

I am NOT using Cubase, or recording anything, this is only for live performance use. Therefore, I have the Layer Parts 1-4 option checked on my General Utilities.

I am, however, extensively using the XS Editor on my MacBook Pro which requires that I also run Studio Manager to configure my MIDI ports. In the Studio Manager MIDI setup, I have the MIDI Thru checked and my KeyLab88 set as the source and Port 1 as the destination.

So the big question is: What is the best method for tying in the KeyLab61? I’ve tried running another USB cable to my laptop, and SM certainly recognizes it, but I can only have one source for the MIDI Thru option.

What has worked is plugging a 5-pin DIN MIDI cable from the KL61 MIDI Out to the KL88 MIDI In. The messages seem to find their way to the XS Rack, but I’m not sure that this is the ideal method.

Any thoughts on this topic would be appreciated!

If you plug KL61 to KL88 over 5pin MIDI, you should also trigger Rack XS if you set MIDI Thru Port on Rack XS. For details, see page 18 of Rack XS Owner’s manual. This option also should be a little bit faster (except you have a powerful computer) than other when you connect to keyboard via USB and use DAW for filtering MIDI data.

Alex