Two computers and a PadKontrol on one Kronos?

[Stipes Vigilo]

A while back, someone gave me an Veriton mini computer. It's a single core atom processor with 2gb RAM (upgradeable to 3gb) running 32 bit Win7 home-premium. So I've been kicking this idea around how to utilize it in my system. The idea is to use it as a dedicated editor for the Kronos and Karma software. I have a PadKontrol also that would be used along with it.
Wondering if anyone else has done anything like this?
The Kronos will still use it's USB 'B' connector to go to my main DAW computer.
Now since the PadKontrol has an 'A' connector to go to the Kronos and the Veriton only has 'A' connectors. First I would use one of my bridged USB Belkin cables to come out of the Veriton as a transfer data between the two. (Circuited to prevent A-A USB damage). This would treat both as a computer and hopefully still allow communication back and forth between them, treating the Veriton as storage and editors only.

Now, I'm wondering if it would be better to use both 'A' connectors on the Kronos (1 for PadKontrol, 1 for Veriton) or if it is possible to direct the PadKontrol into the Veriton and if I will be able to access the Kronos with it through the Veriton. And remember all this while still hooked up to my Main Computer via the 'B' USB.

Or is it possible this will do any damage or just not work as I hope? The manual refers to this being an external storage device and while it could definitely do that, it could also do more.
ANY input here would be greatly appreciated.

[X-Trade]

You can't usefully connect A to A. There might be devices designed to connect two computers together as such but that device is a kind of bridge and will require software or drivers installed on the computers. it's not a normal setup.

The way USB works you tend to have the 'host' and the 'device'. As such, the host is in charge and the device is a peripheral that adds controls or features to the host (like a mouse or keyboard adds those interfaces to the computer).

The Kronos is special in that it is both a 'device' (from the B socket) and a 'host' (from the A sockets). The A sockets only support a limited range of devices because of the specialist software on the Kronos. So mainly class-compliant MIDI interface devices, storage devices, and a few network adaptors.

Of course it can provide power to more devices but it won't recognise them and won't know what to do with them. It may even crash in attempting to do so.

The B. socket allows you to add the Kronos as a device to your computer - provided you have installed the correct drivers on your computer, you can stream stereo audio to and from and you can also stream MIDI in both directions.


In the case of the A to A bridge interface/'cable', the cable itself is the 'device' and both computers are hosts. As this is not a typical setup as previously mentioned, special software and/or drivers would be required on both ends.

[Stipes Vigilo]

In the case of the A to A bridge interface/'cable', the cable itself is the 'device' and both computers are hosts. As this is not a typical setup as previously mentioned, special software and/or drivers would be required on both ends.

Thanks for the reply! My thinking was the Veriton would simply be running the Karma, Kronos, and PadKontrol editors and nothing else. They do all come with their drivers and the only real question was the idea of 'coming in the back way' via the 'A' connection. Your explanation seems to clarify that Kronos is limited in its 'A' connection and so I'll follow that advice.

I already have the PadKontrol going into one of the 'A' connections and the main computer hooked up to the 'B' connector.

I want to run these editors on this seperate computer though. (Mainly because the KARMA uses additional software to run even when not in use.)

Any ideas on hooking them both up? Maybe to the 'B' connection with some sort of hub or switch so I don't have to keep changing them out? Or maybe I can hook the Veriton to my tower via ethernet and access it through my tower but still keeping it off that system?

[X-Trade]

I'd recommend simply disconnecting the PK if you want to edit it. The editor doesn't do too much and I don't imagine you'd be changing the PK's settings all the time.


Alternately, you can connect the PK to the computer and route MIDI back to the Kronos (via the connection you are already using for the B socket to computer).


There are tools for tunneling MIDI over ethernet, but I've not played with them for quite a while and I'm not aware of their performance or effectiveness. YMMV.


You could also use the standard MIDI ports on the Kronos to attach another computer via a USB-MIDI interface. This isn't recommended for the editors though because the physical MIDI connection is much slower than the USB MIDI stream so some operations can take an age to complete, especially full dumps and such with the amount of data involved in Kronos patches.

[Bald Eagle]

I use a MOTU Midi Express XT to deal with my midi routing issues. When possible I use both USB and MIDI connections. Generally I use USB connected to the computer for editors and physical midi for controllers and performance data.

If you are dealing with a lot of midi devices then a hardware midi interface is the way to go. I can pretty much route anything anywhere and never have to swap a cable.

The MIDI Express is a bit pricy but there are less expensive solutions available.

[Stipes Vigilo]

Good thoughts folks!

I also have the MOTU express XT. And was hoping more to do the editors via USB because of the transfer speed difference. I also feel like I would do little editing of the PK as mentioned, but threw it in as a logical grouping with the other two. I mainly want the separate computer for the KARMA editor. Keeping the Kronos Editor on the smaller 32 bit OS would be a bonus since I ended up taking it off my 64 bit OS. Reason being, if I didn't have the Kronos on while booting up the DAW, it would hang and not start until I did. That can be annoying at times.
I have heard some say they routed the PK into the computer first though and I'm not opposed to that in any way. But would like to hear what others say are the pros and cons of connecting the PadK to each. I originally bought the MOTU to have the separate MIDI stream for DAW use, so going back to that isn't a problem either.

It occurred to me that iPad people use an editor in a similar way? Do they disconnect and reconnect for this or do they have a way they route it for this?
(The veriton does have it's own monitor/keyb/mouse. And I would basically be treating it the same as iPad people do theirs).

So the ways I'm gathering here of setting it all up are:
1. Kronos MIDI to MOTU to DAW and back. With PadKontrol in Kronos USB A and Veriton running editors via USB 'B'.
1. a.) the same except running the PADKontrol to The Veriton, and the Veriton to the Kronos USB 'B'
2. Kronos USB 'B' to DAW, PK to USB 'A', and switch out computers when needed.

Seems simple enough? Or am I still missing something? I'm still open to other suggestions too. (BTW, in my box of things I haven't used for a long time along with those Belkin bridged cabels, there is also a M-Audio USB to MIDI 1-I/O in case I ever need it again.)

[Stipes Vigilo]

The simple way is the first way.
Kronos to MOTU to DAW; PadKontrol to Kronos USB-A; Veriton to Kronos USB-B

I'm laughing because I haven't stop thinking and I found myself researching printer switches...
Since the USB-B connection basically turns Kronos into a slave first with handshaking as an input device. But the question still remains if these switches partially or completely rely on software in the computers to have the slave recognize each one (which would bring me right back to were I started, knowing Korg has no reason to make a driver for that use). Still, the simple idea of a passive switch for this application lingers...

[X-Trade]

No 'slave' will understand the idea of two different hosts, especially when it's multiplexed by a device upstream. It's a many(peripherals) to one(host) relationship.

You haven't provided any models or links but most printer and KVM type sharing switches as you describe will work by breaking the electrical connections. So as far as device and computer are concerned, it is as if you have unplugged it from one and plugged it into the other. So it will require the OS on the host to re-recognise it and once again initialise drivers, etc. Any currently running programs may not recognise the 'hot-plugged' device until the software is restarted.

[Stipes Vigilo]

Oh, I had thought of that too. That's why I'm still laughing at myself.