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how can i specify midi input port for a track in logic pro x?

I've been using Reaper for two years and as very satisfied with it. Sometimes I record three input controllers playing different software instruments at the same time. I also have a setup for jamming with my friends where I can go from my keyboard to my wind controller to my midi guitar (each sending from a USB port) without having to change anything on the computer. So I need the possibility to specify which midi port sends data to which software instrument track. I searched through the manual and have not found anything realted to this. In Reaper, you could directly select midi input port and channel from the track panel. It shouldn't be complicated to do since the midi configuration window shows all the midi controllers as eparate entities.

Mac mini, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), Mackie Onyx 820i Firewire Mixer

Posted on Jul 23, 2013 6:15 PM

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19 replies

Jul 24, 2013 12:28 AM in response to TechDAWg

if you have your MIDI gear set up using the Apple Audio/MIDI window, you can right-click on a MIDI track in the arrange and choose "re-assign track" from the resulting menu.

Choose your MIDI gear here. Alternatively, you can create complex MIDI routing using the Environment, and its instruments/assignments will appear in this menu too.


Hope this helps


best


jake

Jul 24, 2013 7:56 AM in response to Jason Eyre

Thanks for your reply but that doesn't seem to work. My Audio/MIDI window shows four active MIDI ports: Korg TR, Casio USB-MIDI and Midisport 2x2 (Two ports A and B) for a total of four midi ports. When I choose reassign track in the menu, all I see is two submenus and three choices:

1. Clic & Ports with only one choice Input Notes

2. Mixer with three submenus none of which show my midi gear

3. MIDI Clic

4. No Output

5. (Folder)


I also tried using the Environment even though the manual is somewhat sketchy about its use. I was able to limit input to one midi port on a software instrument track by deleting the cable connected to the Sum plug in the Physical Input Object and connecting a new cable from the MIDI port I wanted to use to the Sequencer Input Object. But when I create a second track, it also received input from the same midi port. Since you can only create one physical input object and one sequencer object. It looks to me like it's impossible to assign individual midi input ports to individual tracks. Every other DAW I've used or tried does this easily and I noticed in this forum that users have been complaining about this for years.


Forgive me if I don't always use the right terminology but I'm french speaking (from Quebec) and I'm using a french version of the software so I have to translate from the top of my head.

Jul 24, 2013 9:33 AM in response to TechDAWg

This was a matter borthering me before, and i spent quite some times to figure out how i can do it. Basically, you can use "environment" to resolve the matter. There is an object called "channel splitter" in environment which can allow you to configurate how to mix and match your midi channels with the software instruments, external midi devices, etc.


There is learning curve for using the environment, but after you get used to it, you will find it quite powerful. You can do any "many-to-many", "one-to-many", "many-to-one" midi routing setting as you can imagine by using environment.

Jul 24, 2013 9:48 AM in response to TechDAWg

Ok, if you have a single multi-timbral external instrument, do this (and replicate)


In Environment, choose new...multi-instrument.

When it appears look in the inspector on the left and choose which MIDI port it's attached to.

Click the numbers on the new multi-inst. for as many MIDI channels you wish to work with.

re-assign track as in my first reply, but now the new multi will show up in your menu.


Alternatively, you can set all of your MID gear up in the Audio/MIDI window by creating new devices and attaching them via drag out cables from their respective MIDI interfaces and they will show up the next time you re-open logic (in the re-assign menu, not the environment), like so:


User uploaded file


Hope this helps!


best


jake

Jul 24, 2013 3:01 PM in response to skijumptoes

Thanks skijumptoes. I followed your instructions and was able to play two different software instruments independantly from my two keyboards but that only solves part of the problem. When I try to record from both software instruments tracks nothing is recorded. I must say I was expecting this because when the physical inputs are connected directly to the instrument strip they don't go through the sequencer object so nothing can be recorded.


At least I'll be able to reproduce the jamming setup I had with Reaper since I don't record when jamming although I would like to be able to eventually.


The main reason I was interested in switching from Reaper to Logic Pro X was the new drummer feature. But MIDI input is such a pain in the... Logic. I'm not so sure I want to change DAW anymore.


Thanks to Jason also even if you're not really addressing my problem. I have a multi-timbral instrument (Korg TR) but I don't use its sounds. I just use the keyboard to play software instruments. I also have no MIDI interface per se. All my controllers are connected to USB ports.

Jul 24, 2013 4:55 PM in response to TechDAWg

I believe it can be resolved by midi channel routing through "channel spliter":


Assign midi channel 1 to your keyboard 1

Assign midi channel 2 to your keyboard 2

Assign midi channel 3 to your keyboard 3


Assign software instrument 1 to track 1

Assign software instrument 2 to track 2

Assign software instrument 3 to track 3


In environment "port and click" view, make sure that physical input = "sum" (this method don't use midi port for routing, but midi channel)


In environment "mixer" view, add a new "channel spliter".


Then line up midi channel 1 to track 1, midi channel 2 to track 2, and so forth in channel spliter. I believe that you can achieve what you want then. (You can also line up one midi channel to more than 1 track , or a track with muti instrument, so that you can have mutil timbre instrument)


This method has limitation because there are only 16 midi channels available for you to manipulate, instead of 16 channels for each midi port. But if you have only less than 16 keyboard to pair, this method should be fine for direct performance as well as recording.


Hope that it can help!

Jul 25, 2013 9:37 AM in response to Clarence Lee

Thanks Clarence. I followed your instructions and got the same results I had with skijumptoes method (which IMO is more straightforward) but it still doesn't record anything. And, YES, my tracks are record enabled. On page 825 of the manual on the subject of Sequencer input objects it's written:


If nothing is cabled into the sequencer input object, nothing can be recorded in Logic Pro.



And since there can be only one sequencer input object everything you throw at it comes out in one bundle so all the midi inputs are recorded. Selecting a specific MIDI channel for each track and channelizing the Sequencer input object didn't change anything. Although the Record button is set on all tracks only the selected one records the MIDI data. So I'm getting more and more frustrated with Logic.


I still hope I'm missing something but still I wonder why they make it so complicated when it's so easy to accomplish in Reaper and many other DAWs from what I've heard.

Jul 25, 2013 10:47 PM in response to TechDAWg

I will further check about that and see whether i can figure out a way to resolve your problem. However, i would first like to double confirm whether you have adjsted midi setting in your physical keyboards so that they have midi out only to the assigned channel (e.g. based on my previous example, keyboard 1 "only" sends data to midi channel 1, instead of sending data to "all" channels). It is correct that the data from all physical inputs are bundled together to the sequencer, however through the channel splitter, it seems that only data from the intended channel will reach the targeted track under recording.

Feb 16, 2015 6:50 PM in response to TechDAWg

Did a definitive answer to this ever turn up?


I have an Arturia Analog Lab keyboard connected to an iMac 5K via USB which is used to control Logic's software instruments. In addition I have an Edirol UM-880 with the latest drivers installed and to that is currently connected a Fantom 88, an aging Korg Z1, Moog Theremini. The UM-880 is also connected via USB.


Both the Arturia and the Edirol show up in Audio/Midi Utility.


Midi OUT to the Edirol works fine, all ports on all devices are available to select and I have no issue sending the required number of channels of data to the desired instrument.


My problem is input. Only the Arturia is received by Logic. I have checked all cables and routing and that the UM-880 is working fine. The Arturia can play the Fantom but the Fantom cannot play Logic. This is not helpful, I don't want to play an 88 note hammer action piano with a 49 note synth keyboard :-)


Previously this set up worked fine on a (now dead) Mac Pro running Logic Pro 9 and 10.7.5. Under OS X 10.1 and Logic Pro X updated it is not. Everything I have read details channelised solutions, which would be acceptable if I could get the UM-880 recognized at all or recommends diving into the environment which I freely admit is mystery to me and a place I would rather not go. Other articles suggest Logic should just see both USB inputs, so is there a setting somewhere I have missed? Is it really this hard?

Feb 16, 2015 7:14 PM in response to David Greenhalgh

David, you have a new Mac with Yosemite now?


Regarding the UM-880.


Have you downloaded the latest driver for the Roland yet.


http://www.roland.com/products/um-880/downloads/


Looks like it's for 10.9 but worth a try.

There's been some problems with USB deivices, Yosemite and USB 3.0 provide less power to the USB ports, does the UN-880 have an external power supply? If not, do you have a powered USB 2.0 hub, that has helped some, but not all users.

Feb 16, 2015 7:26 PM in response to TechDAWg

I was looking for the same answer. I found this video and this is definitely what you are looking for. It is in spanish but just see what the guy do and you will understand 🙂


In summary, go to File > Project Settings > Recording. On the MIDI section there is an unselected box which says "Auto demix...". Check the box and now close the window. Create your tracks (virtual instruments) and assign different MIDI channels on the inspector. Now enable the recording option for all tracks and enjoy 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ciX9CI2o4

Feb 16, 2015 7:27 PM in response to Pancenter

Thanks Pancenter.


yes, the drivers are the latest from the Roland/Edirol site. The download I haveis claimed to be 10.10 compatible.The page I It's a big rack mount unit with its own power supply so it isn't that either.


It's driving me mad and forcing me to change my workflow which isn't a good thing. There have been all sorts of frustrations migrating from the old Mac with Mountain Lion to the new one with Yosemite. Next step later today will be to try and run Logic 9 from a back up and see if that works, and then boot into 10.7 and see if that helps. That should at least tell me if it is Yosemite or Logic related.

how can i specify midi input port for a track in logic pro x?

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