Using one midi controller to trigger 2 computers - help !

[lolalola]

Sounds probably stupidly unnecessary & luddite, but I need to use an Akai LPD8 to make 1 command to 2 separate laptops... one to start a track in Live on computer a, and one to play a video on computer b. Is there a midi y-splitter type cable for this, or another simple solution? Thanks!

[erikstdon]

I have a midi splitter box by yamaha. Thing is probably 20 years old and built like a tank. It turns one midi out into 8. One like it should do the trick. I'd check eBay. Just looked on eBay, search "midi thru". One just like mine is on there for $20.

[lolalola]

Ah, ok - anything usb though...? I wanted to stick with the Akai LPD8, but split its signal ...?

[miwray]

Ive never seen a USB device working with more than one computer at the same time - there do seem to be USB switches available but that will not meet your requirements.

As the LPD8 does not appear to have a traditional midi out port (a different controller (Korg PadKontrol?) might be willing to provide two outputs one via USB and one via MIDI at the same time) I expect you will have to plug the LPD8 into one computer and then find a way to echo the midi to the other computer by some means.

If both computers have network ports this might be of interest
http://www.resolume.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4632
If not you would need midi interfaces for both computers and it starts getting expensive and complex.

The simplest approach might be to buy a second LPD8 and try to press buttons on both at the same time. Providing the timing does not need to be precise this might be good enough.

Michael

[swishniak]

one could probably throw together a patch in PD or Max to convert the initial signal and send on via a midi out to the 2nd computer.

[Dragonbreath]

you would need to sync the two computers via midi (prob with a real midi cable and hence a device with midi ports on both computers)
from there you would need a way that launching the track sends a midi signal to the second computer...

should be possible but doesnt seem like theres any easy solutions

[wascal]

Probably easier to use Midi over LAN to send info to the 2nd PC?

http://www.resolume.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4632

[lolalola]

Probably easier to use Midi over LAN to send info to the 2nd PC?

http://www.resolume.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4632

That's gobbledygook to me!

[fishmonkey]

you can use something like Bome's MIDI Translator to generate the multiple MIDI messages on the first computer, and send it out to the second computer using a couple of cheap USB-MIDI devices (if you don't already have spare MIDI ports on both computers).

[lolalola]

Is there not such thing as a usb splitter y-cable? So the LPD8 can send a midi message to both computers at the same time?

[bosonHavoc]

everything is about covered
if you have two mac computers you can easily send midi over the network,

that resolume forum link for pc's looks like it may be a winner to..
thanks for that link by the way!

for a hard wire option...
are you using an audio interface?
does it have midi ports?
other wise you need to buy a midi interface for each computer
something like this will work
http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Midisport ... B00007JRBM

then you can route the midi with software or do some ableton tricks.

[fishmonkey]

Is there not such thing as a usb splitter y-cable? So the LPD8 can send a midi message to both computers at the same time?

the LPD8 isn't sending a MIDI signal, it's sending some other signals down the USB cable that are being converted to MIDI signals by a software driver on your computer...

[lolalola]

Is there not such thing as a usb splitter y-cable? So the LPD8 can send a midi message to both computers at the same time?

the LPD8 isn't sending a MIDI signal, it's sending some other signals down the USB cable that are being converted to MIDI signals by a software driver on your computer...

Ok, but would something like this not do what I want? :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-AM-Male-M-2-A ... 27baf238b1

[fishmonkey]

Is there not such thing as a usb splitter y-cable? So the LPD8 can send a midi message to both computers at the same time?

the LPD8 isn't sending a MIDI signal, it's sending some other signals down the USB cable that are being converted to MIDI signals by a software driver on your computer...

Ok, but would something like this not do what I want? :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-AM-Male-M-2-A ... 27baf238b1

no. you cannot connect a single USB device to two different machines at the same time, USB doesn't work like that.

the cable above is designed for connecting external hard drives using bus power when a single USB port doesn't provide enough power. the second leg of the 'Y' is just there to funnel extra power from a second USB port (it doesn't send data).