Is Midi Soft Thru (a.k.a. Midi Echo) possible on M50?

[expilatio]

Hello everybody,

I love my M50, its sounds, effects, touch screen and especially the arpeggiators and RPPR. I use it these days almost exclusively in SEQ mode, using it as MIDI Master Clock, to control some other synths and their arpeggiators.

However I have come across a problem that I am struggling to solve even though I have been reading the relevant sections in the user manual and the parameter guide!

The short question is "Can you get M50 to echo the midi commands it receives to its MIDI OUT port?"

This is in order to use my Fatar master keyboard to control other synths but going through M50 first. I can control M50 sounds by Fatar without problems but I am unable to another synth chained after M50. These synths "see" M50 as the controller but not the Fatar, which is connected to M50 MIDI IN. I hope this makes sense.

On all other synths I own, there is a setting, usually called soft thru, which combines midi commands generated by the synth, with the ones it receives through the IN port and reflects all on the OUT port.

I am very surprised not to be able to find this on M50 but I hope this is my mistake or there is a work around.

So, do you know if this is possible?

Many thanks for your help.

[Synastikki]

I believe that this is not possible since the other korg models have dedicated midi thru port which was taken off of M50 (one way of lowering the cost) so I'm quite sure there isn't any software fix for this... you could get external midi router for this purpose but I can't recommend anything because I haven't needed one... So basically you would need to have a router that could take couple of midi in and couple of midi out and these should be routable so you wouldn't have to send the same midi messages back to your M50...

[expilatio]

Thanks for your reply Synastikki.

I am afraid you may be right; even though many modules, without a MIDI THRU port (e.g. Mopho, Yamaha AN200 among those I own) manage this with a setting through the MIDI OUT port.

You are suggesting a Midi Merge box, and I think I will go for a Kenton Midi Merge 4, (which has 4 ins and 2 outs) - that is unless somebody proves us wrong with M50.

I still think it is a great synth.

[Kim Lajoie]

You might be able to avoid using a MIDI router if your other gear has thru or soft-thru and you connect your M50 last in the chain.

Depending on how long your chain is, and how busy the data is, you might be well-off getting a MIDI router anyway.

-Kim.

[expilatio]

Thanks Kim, you are right: Putting M50 last in the chain would be a work around.

However, I really like M50 running drum tracks/RPPR/arps using other synths further down in the chain.

And my chain IS really busy... So Midi Merge box it will be...

[outsider9]

I found myself in the same situation yesterday, and AFAIK, there is no Thru option with the M50.

[runeharpun]

I suggested this for a firmware update. I'm sure this can easily be done in the software.

R