Controlling synthesizer modules through Circuit tracks with midi keyboard as input, using a merger.

I explain how to use a keyboard to control modules through the circuit tracks as a sequencer. Hooking up the keystep and using it as a controller of modules sequences from the tracks. Midi outpu on tracks does not “echo” midi input so you don’t hear midi input unless also hooked up to midi thru. A merger combines the thru/out of the tracks so you hear a sequence as you play and then after it is played back in the sequencer.

[@Danwilsonartist]

Solved my problem by going out of the through. thanks so much

[@terrytorain5364]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! the midi situation was the reason I took the circuit track back to the store. but now I see this, I will be re buying it and the midi merger. again, thank you so much for sharing this really good info. hitting the like and subscribe button now.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

You’re welcome. I appreciate your feedback. The circuit certainly my favorite groovebox and I find it the one that I have to think the least to use!

[@strudelkopf]

wow thanks so much! I was delighted to find someone with the same problem - and your solution works great for me! Before I tried to merge the Circuit and the Keystep but then I had problems with syncing the clocks. Now I'm all set :)

[@beatstationfrankfurt]

Thank you Man you are the Best ❤❤❤ i buy the merger and follow your instructions and all is without complications running now i must learning more nice wishes and a great start 2024🎉🎉🎉🎉 2023 is gone 😢😢

[@vincenzomarino3876]

Thanks man!! It's just the problem I encountered tonight, although I wish there was a simpler way as I am now well away from any store that sells the merger & splitter.... For now I may just keep on using my external synths through the circuit.

[@leftovernoise]

Is there a way to do this and still have the circuit be the master clock, while still being able to use the arp and sequencer on the keystep? Currently thr keystep has to be the master because putting midi out from circuit to the keystep in the configuration causes a midi feedback loop

[@Chloroplastism]

You found a solution? Where are the advantages for the Circuit being master clock?

[@FerretBooler]

This video has a lot of views.. would you consider making an update on MIDI connection with the Circuit Tracks. It would probably help a lot of people (like me) Thank You!

[@pacomebommier7760]

Thank you for your work! How do you manage the « scale issue » of this set up?

[@piercemcintyre1327]

I just play around with the scales the circuit quantizes the incoming note data to its selected scale. I use chromatic a lot though so I don’t have that qauntization.

[@rovenordiales]

Question why would you need a midi splitter? The Merger box has 2 midi outputs?

[@piercemcintyre1327]

@@rovenordiales good point. I had the splitter set up though so I could potentially send out to more than two synths

[@tangbrotang]

Hey interesting video ! I wanted to get a circuit to sequence and loop live what I play on my synths. Can you send midi signal from a synth to one midi channel on circuit and loop it back to the synth? Would be nice to have an update allowing you to set one midi channel as input for all tracks and each of them would have another output channel. ( to play with a main keyboard and not circuit pads, and just switch playable tracks from circuit)

[@piercemcintyre1327]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ-pZJd6asd8gcU

[@ctambrosi]

does novation make a full midi hardware? Would love if synth 1 & 2 were able to be for external gear.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Yeah yo, the circuit tracks can be a 4 track six voice sequencer. Just turn down volume levels on the mixer page for synth 1 and 2 and it always transmits data out to the channel of your choice

[@petertodorov6033]

Thanks for the explanation, just have a short question here. So after the merger, you have another device on the chain (a splitter) that sends the signal to the Volca Keys and the Mini nova is that so?. I am a newbie in all this so I was wondering why you need this, can't you just use the two outputs of the merger - one going to the Keys and the other to the Mini nova? If that is not the case would you mind sharing how the splitter solves the issue and share as well the splitter's brand and model . I am planning pretty much a similar setup so this will be really helpful. Thanks in advance.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

The midi data that goes into the circuit goes into the sequencer, after the recording it comes out the midi out, but during recording it does not. It does go through the midi through while it is being sent into the midi in. This by combining the output and thru in a merger you can hear the sound of the module or keyboard during recording into the sequencer from the midi thru and then after recording from the midi out. The midi splitter is there just in case you want to hook up multiple modules. You can use the additional output on the merge or midi thru on keyboard and modules to accomplish that same thing. The splitter is a kit that requires soldering from meeblip meeblip.com/products/meeblip-thru5-midi-splitter-kit

[@petertodorov6033]

@@piercemcintyre1327 thanks for the detailed answer, I got a bit confused though. So would you mind if I ask for some advice? The setup I want to achieve would be using Circuit Tracks as the brain. Then, having two additional synths (e.g Volca Keys and Microfreak) controlled by a single Arturia Keystep. So the ideal situation for me would be to be able to control all the synths (the two internal of the Circuit Tracks and the two external ones) via the Keystep while being able to sequence all of them in the Circuit Tracks sequencer. Not really sure if this is achievable so any ideas on how to get it done and what kind of additional devices I might need would be highly appreciated.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

@@petertodorov6033 yes, the keystep midi out into the midi in on circuit. Then get the midi merge and two short midi cables, I got one foot cables for this. The midi out and midi thru go into the midi merge and out of the midi merge go into your synths. This the thru and the out of circuit both go into synths capturing performance and sequencer data and sending to all synths.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

If you would be interested in a private lesson over zoom let me know, 45$ for one hour and I’ll walk you through anything you have questions on

[@petertodorov6033]

@@piercemcintyre1327 thank you so much for this. Looking forward to trying it.

[@ftlbaby]

This is so awesome!!! Just started with the Tracks and I was wondering if this was possible and you have proved it is ; ) THANK YOU! Also, the Merger is now $89 direct... they have a Quadra Merge for $139. It has four inputs and two outputs so it seems like it would simplify the setup at greater expense but no soldering and simpler wiring. What do you think?

[@SDFan4Life]

Hey really appreciate this video. I've watched it at least a dozen times and I am still having an issue getting audio to play while using the keystep to control the synth of midi 3. I can play it without hearing it like you mentioned in the video. Any is why I can't hear the synth? I believe I have matched your set up except I am using 1 external synth instead of 2. Thank you!

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, I’m happy to help. The keystep needs to match the midi channel of the synth of course. It’s just going through the thru port, if connected directly with out the circuit in the middle? Try the different orientations of cables until you find out where your note messages are blocked

[@PTkortbroek]

Thanks for explaining this!

[@piercemcintyre1327]

For sure!

[@LikeCarpenter]

Sofar out the box it can control & record & play midi 1 no problem. But trying to play midi 2 from an external controller not working or recording & triggering midi 2 so I’ll keep going?

[@piercemcintyre1327]

I’m not sure. The way I understand it is midi input data goes into the sequencer midi 1,2 tracks, and it goes out the thru port. After a sequence is recorded it then goes out the midi out. So to hear the performance you need the midi thru to also communicate with the outboard synths.

[@djntu2964]

Question: how would I just simply connect the keystep to the circuit tracks for the keystep to trigger the tracks’ synch and play in real time? Do I still need the midi merger or can I just simply connect keystep out to tracks in and tracks out to keystep in? Also, the keystep has no audio out so how does audio get to the tracks?

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Yes, connect keystep to the circuit via midi with one cable and you’re good to go controlling the circuits internal synths.

[@leftovernoise]

Thank you so much

[@GrootsieTheDog]

In regards to external synths, do the pads also work with this set up? Right now, without merger, I can get it to work by changing to Thru but then the pads don’t work. I’m guessing it does because your sending both out and thru to external. Also,is there a merger with two outs? I have four external synths and I would rather not daisy chain all four synths with one out :) btw - The mc707 has an auto channel that allows one midi Chanel on the keyboard and you simply switch ch. by switching tracks + the pads are also still enabled. Really bad oversight.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Yes the pads do work. The way it works without a merger is the pads control everything but your input keyboard only works to control circuits internal synth and record midi into the midi tracks which you hear after they are recorded, in order to transmit the performance as it is being recorded the thru is merged with the midi out

[@GrootsieTheDog]

@@piercemcintyre1327 Great. Thanks! Ya, I spent waaay to long trying to get everything to work before I realized that the Tracks just cant do what I needed it to do. I see that the mergers have two outs - I'm assuming that the two ins go out to both of those outs? Im hoping to have the same set up as I do without merger i.e. two outs so that I can have two synths chained from one out and two synths chained from another (dont like to daisy chain beyond that for possible latency issues). I'm guessing this will work if i understand everything correctly about the merger.

[@GrootsieTheDog]

btw - it does work without merger IF you turn one of the outs to a thru - but then that gives you another set of issues (pads dont work, etc) - the wonderful world of MIDI! lol

[@jonathanphotographies2295]

Very smart and well explain... but with the price of the merger and the splitter you're almost at the price of an used mpc one wich dont need this tricky set up (if i'm right). What do you think ? also I'm wondering if you could have used your supernova istead of the keystep to control everything with the sames results ? It could make the setup a bit ligther

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Merger was $69, spitter was a kit at $17 from meeblip, cables another $10. I like the circuit’s workflow but so far using a keyboard as a controller is best suited with the keystep as you can easily choose different channels. The only challenge was the fact that incoming data goes into the sequencer without coming out the out which the merger solved by routing thru data in as well

[@piercemcintyre1327]

I have never tried an MPC but I understand they are powerful for sequencing and sampling as well.

[@jonathanphotographies2295]

@@piercemcintyre1327 thanks for your answer I see your point. What about using the supernova as a master midi keyboard and an instrument while it is playing on its channel. Is it possible?

[@piercemcintyre1327]

@@jonathanphotographies2295 yeah It works to record it into the sequencer and then have it play back. But using as a master I wouldn’t because then you have to turn down volume to trigger other things and switch midi channels in the menu

[@nightkondor]

hey there, nice video! I don't know if this is helpful or true( didn't test it myself) but if you go in advanced settings (the shift power thing) you can use your midi-through also as a second midi out by pushing the duplicate button to green.. Anyone who can confirm? Anyway, this doesn't mean this video isn't useful, you could probably do 3 instruments combined? Cheers!

[@vaaksvakuums]

Will this work with korg electribe 2? It doesn't have midi thru, only midi in/out, i have the same issue, electribe as main sequencer for few synths controlled by keystep, but have a bugs in that chain. Will this midi merger solve my problem the same way as for circuit? P.s. love your performance, vibe in your vid.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

not sure exactly, but I'm imagining that you need a feature that may or may not be present called "midi echo" in older sequencers, and sends the played notes through the out as they are recorded. Without a thru, you could, run the key step into a splitter, one to synth, one to the sequencer, and then the sequencer out into a merger and the one from the key step also into the merger, so played notes and sequencer notes both go into synth. Then it would work.

[@vaaksvakuums]

@@piercemcintyre1327a lot of thanks for your answer : )

[@karol_p]

Novation kinda fckd up in that respect (the need for merger). But nevertheless, their groovebox is now the centerpiece of my setup. It basically replaced the keystep pro seq, the mixer, effect units, and even has 2 extremely powerful polysynths. The merger would be great addition but the circuit does a lot already.

[@namesaretuff1718]

Hey man, I’m wondering if you don’t know you can change the midi thru to a midi out by powering down, holding shift when powering back on and pressing duplicate. I think this would’ve solved your issue also! I may be wrong.

[@piercemcintyre1327]

Thanks for mentioning that feature. However what I am doing here is capturing the thru and the out data and merging them. Midi data doesn’t echo to the out. From the input. I explain it in the video.

[@flrn84791]

This is so frustrating and infuriating that this doesn't work out of the box...

[@piercemcintyre1327]

It was annoying, but once I figured it out. I could deal with it