> Step by step

1. How to connect MIDI hardware

1 The first thing we’ll need to do to get control over all of our MIDI hardware is to connect a MIDI interface (or two!) to our computer. We’re in a home studio that’s packed with all manner of MIDI and effects. In order to wrangle them all under computer control, we’ve got a pair of ancient Emagic Unitor units.

2 The Unitor units are connected via USB. 8x8 MIDI interfaces are getting harder to come by these days, though there are some from MOTU, and recently iConnectivity released the rather spiffy mio10 10x10 interface. We’ve got a little M-Audio 02 keyboard that will allow us to control other hardware and software with knobs and keys.

3 Is that not enough? How about a Korg SQ-1 sequencer? This little guy is designed to sequence MIDI and CV-equipped hardware synths, and it makes for a nifty MIDI-to-CV converter for older analogue synths as well. Once again, this one is connected via the ever-popular USB cable. Needless to say, we’ve got a USB hub or two in play!

4 We’re using a Mac, so we go to the Audio MIDI Setup (type it into Spotlight), and get to the MIDI Studio view (Cmd-2). Here we’ll see our various MIDI interfaces and all of their ports listed. We can add devices representing our individual MIDI hardware instruments and effects, label them, and assign MIDI channels and sync options.

5 Many DAWs can detect (or will allow you to select) a MIDI controller, whereupon all its knobs and pads can be made available for assigning, and even in some cases auto-mapped to obvious targets. Our M-Audio can be assigned as a generic controller, as shown here in Bitwig Studio 2.

6 All of our MIDI ports on our various interfaces are visible from within our DAW. In Cubase Pro 9, it’s a snap to route any incoming MIDI signals or MIDI events generated by our DAW’s sequencer to our external gear. We can automate using MIDI CC controllers and even employ modern touches like MIDI Learn.