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MIDI Hardware
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HI everyone,
A friend recommended this site and I am writing to both introduce myself and also probably make a total fool of myself asking some really dumb questions. As with this forum and community, I'm new to MIDI although I've had MIDI equipment for about 10 years or so already. I've just never got to using it before now, as I was doing everything on to a mixer and I plan to continue using that as the main platform for my recording. However, a while ago I started getting curious about MIDI and I connected a number of instruments together and really havent looked back. So this is what I came here to ask about, and learn more.
I would like to link a number of instruments I have via Midi to create more complex instrumentations which I want to send to a Zoom Live Track 20 mixing deck. What I want to do is create a synchronous interactive polyphonous sound configured through MIDI while also sending the individual voices of the various instruments to the Zoom 20 deck via Phone/XLR cable. In effect I want to create two kinds of networks (MIDI and conventional audio jacks) using the same instruments all of which are controlled via a central unit in the system which I will play. The sound modules I want to link up are;
1) Midi Network - Circuit One
i Mini Nova synth
ii Yamaha MOXF
iii Korg Volca Drum
iv Behringer RD9
v Beat Buddy 2
vi Line6 Guitar Helix
Circuit One : Connect MIDI Network To Zoom L20 via a final connection through 6.3mm jack or XLR.
Circuit Two : The individual voices of the seperate instruments connected via XLR/right channel phone to the Zoom L20.
i Mini Nova
ii Yamaha MOXF
iii Volca Drum
iv Behringer RD9
v Beat Buddy 2
vi Guitar via Line 6
The idea is to get two different sounds from each instrument;
a) the sound produced via the MIDI induced configuration, and
b) the sound that comes out of the instrument without the MIDI induced sound.
I want to record both these sound sources on the Zoom Livetrack 20 and get a 'band' feel to the music rather than dubbing different tracks and building the sound progressively with each dub. I also still like the "analogic" experience of creating the music mechanically through the way I play the instruments rather than just programming stuff straight into a DAW or something like that. My feeling is I will probably use the Yamaha MOXF as the central controller of the MIDI network to get the chords and tones and instrument changes into the network, alhtough I may end up using a clock to master the timing of all the instruments together.
2) Three Questions about MIDI Hardware
A) What is the best way to get a synchronous MIDI network of this nature to work? My research into MIDI suggests that long daisy-chains is not a good idea.
B) What would be the best way to set up this synchronous MIDI network? A MIDI clock(+MIDI through hub/s) or just MIDI hub/s and use the controller (say MOXF) to set the timing? Would that for sure stop any unexpected timing deviations from the other sound modules?
C) Is it possible to use the MIDI controller (MOXF or a dedicated MIDI controller) to specify what each instrument would do, for example if I want the MiniNova to create bass lines, the MOXF itself to create a symphonic sound of strings as well as other voices such as bells, and the Korg Volca to create a range of tonal rythms, while the Beat Buddy creates a basic drum kit beat while the RD9 creates more complex overlays of beats and rythms (perhaps in different time signatures). Or would it be simpler/better to just programme each of these sound modules individually to produce the sounds I would like them to?
I would appreciate any product recommendations to create this network as well.
Sorry for the long post - I hope someone will find time to look at it.
Thanks, regards and greetings
John
Posted : 29/08/2026 11:18 am