Using AL-88c with Synth Editors

[pachyderm]

I recently bought an AL-88c, which has been great for consolidating my MIDI gear, but I'm having one small issue with it that I can't figure out. One of the synths I'm using is a Korg R3, which has a software editor. Before I had the AL-88c, I would simply plug the R3 into my computer using a USB cable and I was able to send and receive patches.

Now that I have the R3 hooked up through the AL-88c, the process has become more complicated. In the R3 editor, I am able to choose one of the AL-88c's virtual MIDI ports for MIDI in and out signal. However, no MIDI is sent in or out of the program. I am also no longer able to send or receive patches even with only the USB cable plugged in.

The only way I can get the R3 editor to recognize the R3 again is to physically unplug the AL-88c from the computer and restart everything. I read somewhere that the AL-88c could be using up all the virtual MIDI ports needed by the R3 to communicate with its editor. Is there some way to get around this? I just want to be able to use the AL-88c and the R3 software editor simultaneously if possible.

[CopperPhil]

Two things:

- Opening a VMIDI port in the R3 editor is not enough, you have also to create virtual MIDI cables between the VMIDI port and the AL-88 (please refer to the AL-88 user manual, it is explained how to proceed).

- It is possible that the CopperLan software hook up to R3 USB MIDI port when you connect it to the computer, and since this port is exclusive, no other software can open it. If you connect the R3 to the computer through USB, open the CopperLan Manager, Edit tab, MIDI [on youcomputer], select MIDI to CopperLan or CopperLan to MIDI, you'll find the R3 MIDI port, and then you can disable the CopperLan bridge (making this port visible on the CopperLan network). Once this is done, you'll be able to open this port in the R3 editor.

[pachyderm]

Hi Phil, thanks for your help. I did create virtual MIDI cables between a virtual MIDI port and the AL-88c, but still no signal was going through. I figured out how to make it partially work, though, by patching two separate virtual cables from the R3 in and out ports within the Copperlan Manager. But after going into the Edit tab and disabling the Copperlan bridge it's not working anymore, and I can't get it to work even when I reenable the bridge. The R3 editor sees MIDI signal from the R3 but I'm not able to send or receive patches. Any ideas? Thanks again.

[pachyderm]

Okay, once I rebooted my computer I got it to work again, but only with the R3 ports enabled in the Edit tab of CopperLan manager. If I just create 2 virtual MIDI cables (one from VMIDI2 to R3 MIDI Out, and one from R3 MIDI In to VMIDI2), the R3 Editor works fine again. I am able to send and receive patches that way. But once I open Pro Tools and try to send MIDI out to VMIDI2, the R3 does not receive anything.

[pachyderm]

I figured that might be because there are no virtual MIDI cables connected to the AL-88c, but even when I patch the AL-88c to VMIDI2 (from and to MIDI ports on R3) it still doesn't work. In fact, when I first make the patch, the box says "unreachable" and shows a broken connection, but then looks fine after a second.

[CopperPhil]

It looks like the box is saturated by something, probably a lot of sysex, when you send the patch from the R3 editor.

But I am not sure to understand your setup: do you have the R3 simultaneously connected to the computer through USB and to the AL-88? through MIDI?

Anyway, can you ensure that you are using the latest version of CopperLan (1.4.3)?

[pachyderm]

Looks like I'm using the latest version of CopperLan. It says "1.4(3)" in the about section.

At first, I tried running the R3 through the AL-88c only, with no USB cable. When that didn't work, I tried the USB cable but that issues as well (only after I started using the AL-88c). Finally, I tried using MIDI cables and USB at the same time, and that gets me the closest but still has issues.

[CopperPhil]

Re-reading all the message, I am wondering if you try to open the same VMIDI port simultaneously from the R3 editor and Pro-Tools... If so, it can't work because the VMIDI port driver is exclusive, only one application can open it at a time.

But you can use for example VMIDI2<->AL88 for R3Editor and VMIDI3<->AL88 for ProTools... VMIDI2 & VMIDI3 can be connected to the same AL88 port in both direction, CopperLan do the merge/split stuff automatically.

[pachyderm]

Looks like that solved the problem. Thank you so much!