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I would like to send midi patch changes from my PC to the Motiff Rack XS.

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Fellow Yamaha users,
I use a midi wind controller (EWI) on the midi input to my Motiff Rack XS (MRXS). But i would also like to send midi patch changes from my PC to the MRXS by sending midi commands from a file on my PC. When I change Lyric and Notation files by pressing my touch screen to open the next song file on the PC I would like to also send a command to change the MRXS patch for the next song. I would like to automate this patch change instead of having to dial it in manually. I see that I want two devices to share the input to the midi IN of the MRXS (PC and Wind controller). Is this possible? If so, is there a splitting device that you can recommend to me that can make it happen?
Ideally I would like the following questions answered:
1) What PC batch file or Visual Basic commands would I need to send to cause a patch change (using Windows 10)?
2) What USB/midi device would I need to send this midi signal from the PC USB out?
3) Is there a splitter (a Y-jack or more sophisticated device) that can combine the output from my PC and the output from my midi wind controller to the input of the midi IN of the MRXS without conflicting?
Any help you can provide on any of these questions would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
EWIMan

 
Posted : 08/11/2016 3:26 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 0
 

I believe you can accomplish this with equipment you already own.

You can use a computer application to merge signals, and in order to automate Bank Select and Program Changes you can also send those from any DAW. You can use Cubase AI, for example.

The Motif-Rack XS is a MIDI interface for the computer, so it is able to take the MIDI signal from your EWI (EWI MIDI OUT to Rack XS MIDI IN), send it on to the computer via USB connection. You will need the Yamaha USB-MIDI driver for your computer type and operating system.

In the DAW activate a MIDI track, set the MIDI IN = Yamaha Motif-R XS-3 (port 3)
Set the MIDI OUT = Yamaha Motif-R XS-1 (port 1)

Set the Motif Rack XS to MIDI I/O = USB

Port 1 of the Rack XS's driver will trigger the tone generator of the Rack XS.
Port 3 acts as a MIDI interface for your external controller. The computer recognizes all signal on Port 3 as coming from your EWI. And all data sent from the DAW on Port 1 will trigger the Rack XS tone engine.

You can place MSB/LSB (Bank Select) commands on the Track - the Motif Rack XS and your DAW will act to merge the signal.

 
Posted : 08/11/2016 5:03 pm
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Thanks for your reply. I've looking into what you have said. But first I think I need to back up all my sounds on the MRXS before I start messing around with the unit. I use it in my band and don't want to be left without it working properly, since the manual talks about freezing up the unit and other possible corruption problems. I've read some of the manual and it talks about a data dump and a reset to manufacturers settings. A reset sounds like it might delete all my user settings. All three of my user directories (128 * 3 = 384 programs) are custom made by the person I bought the unit from. What I read in the manual made it seem like you have to dump one program at a time. This doesn.t seem like an efficient way to back up. Is there a way to back up all my directories at one time to one file that later may be reloaded to the unit, or even one directory at a time?
Thanks for the help,
Brian (EWIMan)

 
Posted : 11/11/2016 12:15 am
Posts: 0
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Topic starter
 

Bad Mister wrote:

I believe you can accomplish this with equipment you already own.

You can use a computer application to merge signals, and in order to automate Bank Select and Program Changes you can also send those from any DAW. You can use Cubase AI, for example.

The Motif-Rack XS is a MIDI interface for the computer, so it is able to take the MIDI signal from your EWI (EWI MIDI OUT to Rack XS MIDI IN), send it on to the computer via USB connection. You will need the Yamaha USB-MIDI driver for your computer type and operating system.

In the DAW activate a MIDI track, set the MIDI IN = Yamaha Motif-R XS-3 (port 3)
Set the MIDI OUT = Yamaha Motif-R XS-1 (port 1)

Set the Motif Rack XS to MIDI I/O = USB

Port 1 of the Rack XS's driver will trigger the tone generator of the Rack XS.
Port 3 acts as a MIDI interface for your external controller. The computer recognizes all signal on Port 3 as coming from your EWI. And all data sent from the DAW on Port 1 will trigger the Rack XS tone engine.

You can place MSB/LSB (Bank Select) commands on the Track - the Motif Rack XS and your DAW will act to merge the signal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Mister,
I was able to try your set-up finally with MuLab as the midi DAW software. Sorry, but it did not work. With the MRXS set to USB I cannot get a tone from the MRXS, but the tone in MuLab sounds, and I can change the patch settings on the MRXS, but not hear them (this is with my EWI set to ports 1 or 3). When I switch the MRXS to MIDI I get the MRXS tones but cannot change the patch settings with midi commands.
Any other suggestions?
I am trying to automate for live performances. I would think that other performers don't manually dial each program in between each song, or even change within a song. There must be a way to do this automatically.
Thanks for your help with this,
Brian

 
Posted : 18/03/2017 5:05 am
Bad Mister
Posts: 0
 

What is your audio interface?
I'm confused are you trying to record or just play the signal "Live"?

In order to record the Motif-Rack XS you must connect it to your audio interface. USB is MIDI only on the Rack XS - you need to connect it to your computer's audio interface. In general, the job of the audio interface is to get audio into and back out of your computer to your speakers.

MIDI is not audible. No one has ever heard MIDI, MIDI messages must be routed to an appropriate tone engine, like the Motif-Rack XS, you must connect the audio outputs of the Rack XS to where you want the sound. If you want the sound in speakers connect the outputs to speakers, if you want to record it, route the output to the computer via your audio interface. It's job is to send the audio to the computer software, and to send audio from the software to your speakers. If you just want to play "live" then use your software to split the MIDI IN into two streams:

In order for the 5-pin MIDI OUT jack on the Rack XS to be active you have to route your controller into the software (sorry I don't know MuLabs at all) but you can use Cubase if it doesn't do this. You need to define "Motif-R XS-1" Port 1 as your Input (Ewi), feed this to two MIDI TRACKS: set one to Out = "Motif-R XS-1" to trigger the Rack itself, and the other to "Motif-R XS-3" Port 3, this splits the signal to the 5-pin MIDI Out jack... to trigger whatever else you want to trigger.

The trick is to activate two tracks simultaneously, that's your splitter!

Hope that helps.

 
Posted : 18/03/2017 5:40 am
Posts: 0
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Bad Mister wrote:

I believe you can accomplish this with equipment you already own.

You can use a computer application to merge signals, and in order to automate Bank Select and Program Changes you can also send those from any DAW. You can use Cubase AI, for example.

The Motif-Rack XS is a MIDI interface for the computer, so it is able to take the MIDI signal from your EWI (EWI MIDI OUT to Rack XS MIDI IN), send it on to the computer via USB connection. You will need the Yamaha USB-MIDI driver for your computer type and operating system.

In the DAW activate a MIDI track, set the MIDI IN = Yamaha Motif-R XS-3 (port 3)
Set the MIDI OUT = Yamaha Motif-R XS-1 (port 1)

Set the Motif Rack XS to MIDI I/O = USB

Port 1 of the Rack XS's driver will trigger the tone generator of the Rack XS.
Port 3 acts as a MIDI interface for your external controller. The computer recognizes all signal on Port 3 as coming from your EWI. And all data sent from the DAW on Port 1 will trigger the Rack XS tone engine.

You can place MSB/LSB (Bank Select) commands on the Track - the Motif Rack XS and your DAW will act to merge the signal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Mister,
I was not sure if I should add this to the previous old question, so I created a new question. I was able to try your set-up finally with MuLab as the midi DAW software. Sorry, but it did not work, or I was not able to get it to work. With the MRXS set to USB I cannot get a tone from the MRXS, but the tone in MuLab sounds, and I can change the patch settings on the MRXS, but not hear them (this is with my EWI set to ports 1 or 3). When I switch the MRXS to MIDI I get the MRXS tones but cannot change the patch settings with midi commands.

Any other suggestions?

I am trying to automate for live performances. I would think that other performers don't manually dial each program in between each song, or even change within a song. There must be a way to do this automatically.

Thanks for your help with this,

Brian

 
Posted : 18/03/2017 5:25 pm
Bad Mister
Posts: 0
 

See my post above.

 
Posted : 18/03/2017 6:24 pm
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