Maschine+ MIDI over USB in standalone
Hey everyone!
Is M+ capable of sending and receiving MIDI over USB when in Standalone mode and connected to a Mac via USB-B to USB-A cable? Mac's MIDI studio is recognising MIDI interface of M+. In MIDI studio I tried to route MIDI from M+ to Microfreak, both connected with ports 1, MIDI routed from M+ USB MIDI but no sound was triggered on Microfreak.
How should route then?
Or M+ can only send/receive MIDI through USB-A?
Best Answer
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Indeed, it can't.
USB B ports are typically for the client while USB A for the host.... This goes back to USB 1.0, the connectors are different exactly to stop people from plugging hosts into hosts and client into clients which can lead to device damage.
So, I reckon the M+ just disables the USB B Port when it boots into standalone mode, 90% sure. Avoid risky experiments of say using a cable with USB A on both ends.
If you want to use your computer as a MIDI Routing thingy then I guess you could use the M+ DIN MIDI In/Out but that would require an audio interface connected to the computer with sufficient DIN MIDI Ports, maybe DIN-to-USB converters can work too, not sure. Other than that you can also try one of those dedicated MIDI Routing boxes, usually between 50-100$ or a BomeBox.
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Answers
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The M+ does not act as a MIDI interface in standalone mode, because it’s the host computer. You have to put it in controller mode if you want to use it as MIDI interface.
Or maybe you want to do something different which I didn’t understand.
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What I want to do is to use my Mac as a MIDI router. Also I know I can send MIDI from M+ in standalone through USB-A ports (i.e. when Microfreak is connected directly to these ports). And now I'm wondering if I can do the same but both the M+ and Microfreak are connected to my Mac and MIDI is routed inside it. So I guess the question is still the same - can M+ send/receive MIDI through USB-B port that is used to hook it up with Mac?
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I never tried to use the B (client) port for MIDI when in standalone mode, but I wouldn’t expect it to work. You’re basically connecting two hosts (computers), which AFAIK is not possible with USB unless one of them allows to switch its role to act as client.
I don’t think the B port on the M+ can be used in standalone mode.
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Indeed, it can't.
USB B ports are typically for the client while USB A for the host.... This goes back to USB 1.0, the connectors are different exactly to stop people from plugging hosts into hosts and client into clients which can lead to device damage.
So, I reckon the M+ just disables the USB B Port when it boots into standalone mode, 90% sure. Avoid risky experiments of say using a cable with USB A on both ends.
If you want to use your computer as a MIDI Routing thingy then I guess you could use the M+ DIN MIDI In/Out but that would require an audio interface connected to the computer with sufficient DIN MIDI Ports, maybe DIN-to-USB converters can work too, not sure. Other than that you can also try one of those dedicated MIDI Routing boxes, usually between 50-100$ or a BomeBox.
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I use a keystep connected to the USB-B port all the time when I’m in standalone mode and I don’t ever have any problems. I don’t think it would work to use your laptop as an interface that the M+ is connected to while in standalone though. But I don’t see why connecting it to a regular audio interface via usb while in standalone wouldn’t work, I even think I remember seeing NI videos on how to use the M+ with an external interface. I’ll try it out this evening and report back.
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@tribepop said:
I use a keystep connected to the USB-B port all the time when I’m in standalone mode and I don’t ever have any problems.
Well, thats news... Are you sure it's the B port ? I never even seen a Micro USB to USB-B cable in my life, cant find it online neither... where did you get it from?
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Lol I’m so dumb, for some reason I got USB-A and USB-B mixed up. I was talking about using the USB-A ports with my key step for MIDI over usb. Sorry for the confusion!
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I ran into a similar issue earlier this year trying to use a Novation Launch Control XL to adjust settings on a Roland drum machine via MIDI.
You need some sort of MIDI relay software on your computer to do the type of routing you're talking about. I ended up using MIDI Patchbay and it worked great for my particular use-case. I'm sure there are others, but I found this after watching one of Loopop's YT videos.
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I'd definitely look at that, thanks a lot!
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Here's the video from loopop I was referring too. I found it super helpful as I was completely baffled as to why things weren't working as I expected. If you wanna skip to the part where he talks about the computer/usb MIDI relay stuff, that's at 8:20.
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Are you talking about the "computer as the host" part?
He is still connecting the Mikro to the computer via USB the way USB is intended, the Mikro is the Client and the computer the Host, this is not an option in M+ Standalone mode, because in this Mode M+ will always be a Host, as it is, in fact a computer. The M+ doesn't even have MIDI mode when in Standalone like the Mikro and other controllers neither.
What loopop is doing is simply avoiding using a DAW to route things, it's a "DAWless" option as he says but still requires the regular Host-Client relationship and of course a class compliant MIDI Device.
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