Changing Banks – Live Play

[Jim Inman]

I've studied your words carefully and appreciate your articulate thoroughness. I don't want a laptop at concert. Your thinking, then, is that I'd need a Lightning To USB Camera Adapter ($29 to swerve around Apple's narcissism) and a Mio4 ($180). Would an Android have made things easier/cheaper?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

An Android tablet would probably have been cheaper than an iPad, but I think an iPad is a better investment due to the number of high-quality apps you can get for it. I don’t know what sort of set-management apps are available for Android tablets, and even with an Android tablet you need to buy an additional cable to connect a USB-MIDI keyboard, since the tablet wouldn’t have a standard-size USB port.

 

[Jim Inman]

Thanks. One more thing I'm wondering: As I've mentioned earlier, the Roland controller can send its note and patch data to the Ketron via its MIDI DIN port. So is there any chance that the iPad could connect to the Roland's USB Type B port, adding its patch data to the note data, then sending all the children along happily to the Ketron? For a little chuckle, I'll add, "I didn't think so."

 

[SeaGtGruff]

In one of my previous replies I mentioned the possibility of using a USB hub to connect everything to the iPad, and using a second app on the iPad to merge the data from the Roland with the data from Set List Maker and send it to the Ketron. I’ll try that on my iPad and let you know how it goes.

Edit — The app I was trying to think of is called Midiflow. I haven’t tried it out yet, but it’s supposed to be able to route MIDI data between apps, as well as merge and process MIDI data from multiple sources. So if Midiflow can successfully detect two different MIDI devices which are connected to a USB hub, then it’s possible that the only other thing you need at this point is a USB hub.

 

[Jim Inman]

You probably did mention it, but having never encountered a hub, the term got lost in the mix. A hub is sounding good. Those little things sell for less than a pound of pecans.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, if it works then it should be a great solution for you. I have a MIDI keyboard controller, a keyboard I can use as a sound module, a USB hub, an iPad, an app that can send patch change messages, and the Midiflow app, so I’m hoping I can test it to see if it’s a workable solution. But the manuals for my keyboards specifically say they should not be connected to a USB hub, so I don’t know if any of them will be suitable for this.

 

[anotherscott]

USB hub should work, but get a powered one.

 

[Jim Inman]

Thanks, Scottsman person. I'll report the results if/when I try it.

 

[Jim Inman]

Why do you recommend a powered one?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I’m not certain why @anotherscott recommended that, but an unpowered hub will draw power from the iPad, and any devices connected to the hub which are drawing power from their USB connections will also draw power from the iPad through the hub.

So using an unpowered hub will make the iPad’s battery’s charge run down that much quicker, unless you have a Camera Connection Kit that has an additional USB connection for a power adapter so the iPad can be plugged in while you’re performing, and perhaps have the Roland and Ketron plugged into power adapters as well.

By the way, you will definitely need a Camera Connection Kit, because you can’t simply plug the Lightning-to-USB cable into one of the female USB ports on the USB hub; rather, you must plug the USB hub’s male USB connector into the female USB port of the Camera Connection Kit.

 

[Jim Inman]

Possibly

explains it.

 

[Jim Inman]

https://www.amazon.com/SANOXY-Cable-Converter-Keyboard-Window/dp/B0017H4EBG

Scroll down on that website and you'll see a converter just like mine apparently doing what I wish to accomplish, although it's a laptop instead of an iPad. The Ketron has it's own power, and the A-49 can be powered from a phone charger, so neither would need USB power. It seems it should be a simple case of data transfer. The website implies that the converter is for that purpose.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Yes, that last setup should work. The USB hub idea was something I'd thought might get around the need for a Camera Connection Kit, but it won't. And if you use an app like Midiflow to merge the Roland's Note data with the Set List Maker's patch changes and send the merged data to the Ketron then you don't need a USB hub. But you do definitely need a Camera Connection Kit.

 

[Jim Inman]

I gave up on it and returned the iPad. The complexities gave me bad dreams.

 

[happyrat1]

I've been carefully rereading the entire thread.

You say this is for a classroom presentation environment?

If so I question your choice of a Keytron Module and a basic Roland Dumb Controller.

If your intention is to present MIDI sequencing in a classroom environment I'd suggest something like a Casio CTK-6200 and a simple Laptop hooked up via USB.

Screwing around with modules and controllers from different manufacturers simply adds needless complexity to the arrangement.

I'm really starting to think a Casio and a PC Laptop are more your speed.

Gary

 

[Harvey Twyman]

In one of my previous replies I mentioned the possibility of using a USB hub to connect everything to the iPad, and using a second app on the iPad to merge the data from the Roland with the data from Set List Maker and send it to the Ketron. I’ll try that on my iPad and let you know how it goes.

Edit — The app I was trying to think of is called Midiflow. I haven’t tried it out yet, but it’s supposed to be able to route MIDI data between apps, as well as merge and process MIDI data from multiple sources. So if Midiflow can successfully detect two different MIDI devices which are connected to a USB hub, then it’s possible that the only other thing you need at this point is a USB hub.

I use "Bome MIDI Translator Pro" for merging MIDI messages. It isn't the easiest to use but it will do anything MIDI you need.

Unfortunately it's only available on Android or Windows. I now understand it fully but it helps if you have some programming experience.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I have one of the free Bome MIDI programs-- I think it's MIDI Translator, but definitely not the Pro version.

Bome also make a "Bome Box" that can act as a USB host for connecting USB-MIDI devices with MIDI DIN devices. It's a little more expensive than some of the other standalone MIDI USB host interfaces, but I think it also has more features than the less expensive interfaces.