Re: Re:Logic users please help…

OS_CE Forums Octopus User exchange Logic users please help… Re: Re:Logic users please help…

#2147
gseher
Keymaster

I cracked the best part of it…
I will write up the process here to assist others as vague descriptions are not useful!

I spent about half a day on this and most of tonight.
Now I have it so that I can use the Octopus to trigger
selected Instruments through Logic but still use
my keyboard controller to play selected tracks in
Logic without Octopus treading on my turf!

The part I have not got yet, I will write up separately, which is recording the MIDI output of each instrument into Logic, from the Octopus. This is purely for monitoring purposes at this stage,
using Logic as a big MIDI router.

In all this time, Logic is stopped – ie I am not
sending a Clock to Logic and it is not syncing the
Octopus.

Anyway, for MIDI monitoring and jamming with the Octopus in Logic here is the walkthrough:

Go to the Environment and Create a new Page named
"Octopus".

In this new environment, Create a Multi Instrument
for each Octopus MIDI Port. Label the Multi Instruments "Octopus 1" & "Octopus 2".

Leave all the channel boxes unchecked (ie no icon)
and click on the Global part of the Multi Instrument.

In the Inspector column on the left, Set the MIDI Port
to the ones your Octopus is attached to, in my case
this is Port 8 and Port 16 in my 2 AMT’s.
In the Inspector, set the MIDI channel to "All".

Create a Channel Splitter object for each Multi Instrument Octopus 1 & 2.

Cable the Multi Instrument to each one. I use
a Monitor in between for debug purposes.

Each MIDI channel on the Splitter can go to any
destination you can get off the picklist (Option|Click the cable). So the Instrument must have at least an Environment Object representing it as a destination, eg an Instrument or Multi Instrument or VI.

The MIDI channel of the target instrument is irrelevant.

Make sure your Octopus is setup to transmit
data on the track/port/channel of your choice.

In my demo I am a newbie so I only have 2 instruments setup in Octopus right now but it is the same
for 32. I have a Drumstation set to Channel 10
as it’s MIDI channel in the instrument, Logic and
AudioMidiSetup. I have a Doepfer A100 set to Channel
1, likewise. Both are on their own AMT port.

But the Octopus has Channel 1 set for the Drum parts (DS) and Channel 2 set for the Bassline (A100).

Select Ch1 in the Channel Splitter and cable it
to the chosen instrument. In my case "Drumstation".

Select Ch2 in the Channel Splitter and cable it
to the chosen instrument. This time it’s "A100".

Now all your MIDI port assignments are complete.

The next step is to give Octopus its own realm
to play in.

Go to Environment|Clicks And Ports

Ensure you have a Physical Input somehow connected
to a Sequencer Output. Mine has a keyboard and
a couple of transformers in the middle, from the SUM
out to the Seq Out.

On the Physical Input, Locate the MIDI Ports your
Octopus is using. Mine uses Port 8 and Port 16
for Octopus Ports 1 & 2.

Create a Monitor Object for each Port. Label them
"Octopus 1" & "Octopus 2".

Select the Physical Input that represents your
Octopus Port 1 – in my case it’s Port 8.

Connect it to the Monitor.

Connect the output of the Monitor to cable up
to the Octopus 1 Multi Instrument you just created.

Repeat for Octopus Port 2, using the appropriate Physical Input in Logic.

Note: If you have Octopus Port 2 configured and cabled to your MIDI interface, you must cable it from the Physical Input Port you have connected, to the Octopus 2 Multi Instrument even if you do not use it, because otherwise you will get summed data sent to the SUM port of the Physical Input.

You do not need anything connected to the Channel Splitter outputs if you don’t need to yet.

Start Octopus – you should see MIDI Data coming through the Monitor(s) depending on how you have the Ports setup. You should also hear the appropriate
music being played by the appropriate instrument.

Go to the Arrange Page in Logic. Run the Octopus.
It should not trigger any instrument except the ones connected via the Environment.

Select different instruments in the Arrange tracks.
You should be able to jam along with the Octopus
as your backing or whatever without Octopus
triggering your currently selected Logic track.

Note that this setup could well work for other
gear as well, such as MPC’s and the rest.

At this point, I have only got a monitoring
setup going. It is what I need to work with the
Octopus and jam with it via my controller keyboard
together. It may well work in a "live" setting,
but remember, Octopus is not syncing and Logic
is "stopped".

I will try to get MIDI recording
of the tracks going from this configuration
and then try and see what sync Options I can
have. It may involves tweaks to the Environment.

If anyone wants to post this as an FAQ or something
for other Logic users, go ahead. I can also offer
up the Environment I put together, but it is
for Logic 6.4.3.

rachel B)