Using Maschine as VST host and external midi sequencing with Digitakt

Stretchyman

Stretchy Midi Setup.jpg

I'm sure someone must have a similar setup and use Maschine as a vst host with an external sequencer (be it a DT or whatever) and have come across problems getting it running without any issues.

I have what I'm sure is a midi feedback issue but with the plethora of midi options on the DT, in the Maschine preferences and the group I'm at a loss.

VST's work fine but it seems to 'misbehave' when sequencing anything external.

I could go thru' all the options I've tried but that would take up some many pages so It's best to outline what I'd like to do then someone could probably tell me how to go about it?

So….

Using an external Master keyboard (S49 MKII) I play notes and they can be recorded in the Maschine sequencer where they can be edited and played back to be recorded in the DT sequencer. By selecting thru' both sequencers can record at the same time but this is not ness' but does work.

So select the midi channel in the Maschine sequencer, choose the same midi channel on the DT and record and play back to your hearts content!

Well.. that would be nice but sometimes it works and sometimes it goes mad an most of the time there's simply nothing. Most of the time it works fine from freshly booted HW but then after a few loops it goes silent (or mad).

I've muted ALL the channels apart form the one I want to record but still nothing seems stable enough to be able to use.

I've attached an image of my setup and works perfectly wo the Maschine. The 'extra' USB midi adapter is so I can edit the Micron on the PC as the DT does pass nrpn/CC's.

Ideas please, it's driving me nuts!

Str.

6xes

quite the complex, midi routing configuration

can you just clarify… are you using the maschine+ or your PC to host

if using a PC, what is the DAW you are hosting the VST inside of

6xes

i recall there being an issue with the midi ports on the maschine controllers…. apparently it works for a time, then it will completely stop working, at least thats how i understood the issue (i have never personally tested this, but i will take the word of those who have highlighted the issue in the past)

so you may need to employ a different method of feeding midi data to the external devices

ie. maschine (via virtual midi port) —> midi hub —> external device

edit: i would also add this issue of the maschine midi-ports is a windows issue, & unlikely a mac issue…(thats what i recall from a old post)

Stretchyman

Thanks for the reply!

I've ditched the hardware and am talking about Maschine Sofware, V2 or V3, both the same essentially.

So the DAW is Maschine SW.

Hope that makes sense.

Regards from the UK.

Str.

6xes

so i dont know if you caught that last part about the 5din ports having issues… (you can search on the NI forums you will find others mentioning the issue …..& again it is if you use windows…. not so much mac's)

with the "hardware ditched" not sure what the goal is now with respect to your midi routing

Stretchyman

Sorry I don't understand your reply.

Im not using the Maschine hardware at all so theres no problem with any ports.

I really need to understand the routing inside the software

.

Stretchyman

So the INLY NI hardware Im using is the S49 MK2 as shown in my diagram. Not sure why folk have nentioned the Maschine controller? I not using that!

Ok I've understood that the input in the group is always the KK-1 keyboard and the output is KK EXT-1 which is the 5 pin din for midi out.

This definately works and can send to the global channel (1 in my case) or individual midi channels (13-16 in my setup) and the instruments correspond accordingly.

I play around 3-4 bars of 12-16 sequenced notes and then goes silent.

Is the din midi really that bad on all NI hardware?

darkwaves

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/206644#Comment_206644

You're probably hitting this issue:

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/4176/tips-how-to-solve-midi-dropouts-in-maschine-when-using-hardware-midi-devices/p1

It's not specific to physical ports

Stretchyman

OK, thanks for that, am trying it now. Enable time stamping and it still crashes. Have disabled and going ok so far.

UNBELIEVABLE it has this issue!

I've used the hardware on and off all these years and gave up trying to get it to work.

I thought it was me doing something wrong.

Thanks NI you've wasted a lot of my time and taken a load of money off me.

NOT HAPPY!

I've noticed the .REG file is for M2 and not M3, which I've just paid (more money wasted!) for.

Str.

BTW I 'DISABLED' timestamping and (fingers crossed) it's still working. 4 Channels of midi via single O/P.

Like a 'Miricle', we'll see…..

Watch this space….

Stretchyman

Well the reg entry seems to work (disabling time stamping), at least for me with my setup as shown.

I'm using the DT midi out and not the KK-EXT-1, no crashes.

I can even switch between KK EXT-1 (this is the 5 pin din o/p from S49) and the DT midi o/p and it doesnt blink.

So am I thinking this 10 year long issue has been solved with a few line of text?

Running for over 30 mins now and still no issues, moving notes changing midi o/p, no problems at all (for now)

BTW Ive even modified the .reg file for M3 and Yes it's working too.

At last a sytem that actually works!

Can someone tell me how long the .reg file has been available?

6xes

Available? probably from the time of the post made by NI's rep…

one needs to understand, in order to keep a ****** of issues that exist within NI's hardware, you will need to ask the relevant questions or test the waters to see if others, are dealing with similar issues

the post made by @Darkwaves, was the same one i came across learning of this issue, and a forum member made known that very issue a year or so back

anyway.. you seem to be up & rocking now

6xes

lol @ ai spell checker… seems "abRe45t" falls in the naughty language category LOL

PK The DJ

You're not allowed to say ******! You can say abreast though.

I went to the store today and bought some chicken ******. No, doesn't work. Chicken thighs are fine, just no parts that start with br and rhyme with tests.

Stretchyman

Well, its never worked with external midi at least on winOS. Unfingbeleivable and still cant believe it actually works. So then, 12 years for such a simplistic fix. Being an (electronic) engineer I find that absolutely unforgivable, pxss poor to say the least.

Anyway lets close it there. Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.