Keyboard/midi/digital piano question

BradJ · 05-21-08, 10:18 AM

If I have two keyboards, both with midi-in and midi-out plugs, can I just buy a midi plug to combine the two so I can play the voices of one on the other?

bunkaroo · 05-21-08, 09:45 PM

I think you'd have to be careful with something like this to not create an infinite loop of MIDI data.

Theoretically, you could connect MIDI out from board A to MIDI in of board B and vice versa, so two cables involved. I think the key would be the boards' ability to only sound off based on input from specific channels.

I've known keyboardists who would use one keyboard to trigger both the board they're playing and an additional device at the same time (piano on one, strings on the other for example), but I've never seen someone do that from two boards.

You should check out some synth sites - people there will almost certainly have a better idea.

Again I think the key is making sure both boards don't send out MIDI data after they receive it from one. So if you are playing board A and sending data to board B, you don't want that data coming back to board A, because if board A responds to it, I would think bad things will happen with looping.

BradJ · 05-22-08, 10:06 AM

Thanks for the feedback, bunkaroo... I would only want to bridge one direction, which from the sounds of it, that may avoid what you're describing. Basically I like the voices off of one keyboard, but the "feel" of the other one, so I want to play the voices of the 1 on the keys of the other one...

bunkaroo · 05-22-08, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradJ

Thanks for the feedback, bunkaroo... I would only want to bridge one direction, which from the sounds of it, that may avoid what you're describing. Basically I like the voices off of one keyboard, but the "feel" of the other one, so I want to play the voices of the 1 on the keys of the other one...

Yeah I think that should be fine. Just have to make sure the board you're playing is sending on the same MIDI channel the other board is set to receive on.

05-21-08, 10:18 AM	#1
BradJ DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,408	Keyboard/midi/digital piano question If I have two keyboards, both with midi-in and midi-out plugs, can I just buy a midi plug to combine the two so I can play the voices of one on the other? __________________ Eagles may soar... but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

05-22-08, 10:06 AM	#3
BradJ DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,408	Thanks for the feedback, bunkaroo... I would only want to bridge one direction, which from the sounds of it, that may avoid what you're describing. Basically I like the voices off of one keyboard, but the "feel" of the other one, so I want to play the voices of the 1 on the keys of the other one... __________________ Eagles may soar... but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

05-21-08, 09:45 PM	#2
bunkaroo DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 11,867	I think you'd have to be careful with something like this to not create an infinite loop of MIDI data. Theoretically, you could connect MIDI out from board A to MIDI in of board B and vice versa, so two cables involved. I think the key would be the boards' ability to only sound off based on input from specific channels. I've known keyboardists who would use one keyboard to trigger both the board they're playing and an additional device at the same time (piano on one, strings on the other for example), but I've never seen someone do that from two boards. You should check out some synth sites - people there will almost certainly have a better idea. Again I think the key is making sure both boards don't send out MIDI data after they receive it from one. So if you are playing board A and sending data to board B, you don't want that data coming back to board A, because if board A responds to it, I would think bad things will happen with looping.