Question about changing programs to Kronos Remote app

mariohardleft99 · Post by **mariohardleft99** » Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:38 pm

Hi, all...I have the Kronos Remote app, which is connected to my Kronos via a Bluetooth wireless dongle, and the app works great, except for one challenge:

When I change programs from the Kronos, the Kronos Remote app changes accordingly.

However, when my Kronos receives a program change from elsewhere — from my external sequencer, for example — then the Kronos Remote does *not* change programs.

The Remote app only changes programs when I physically make the program change from my Kronos. Do you know what I'm doing wrong? Maybe there's something in my settings in my Kronos that's keeping it from passing along this information...although it's strange that it passes it along if I physically make the change.

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

alland · Post by **alland** » Thu Aug 02, 2018 8:57 am

Unfortunately, this seems to be the feature of Kronos - it does not echo any MIDI it receives from different MIDI sources (except standard MIDI IN->MIDI THRU feature).
Exactly the same behavior can be observed with Kronos Editor - it does not reflect any changes that KRONOS receives from other midi sources.
Several people were dreaming about "midi echo" functionality (that some synths have) but so far had to build some workarounds with midi splitters and mergers.

mariohardleft99 · Post by **mariohardleft99** » Thu Aug 02, 2018 12:47 pm

Thanks for the response!

Can you point me to the workarounds? I'm game for whatever workaround I can do to get my Remote App to change programs. Thanks!

19naia · Post by **19naia** » Thu Aug 02, 2018 1:03 pm

5 pin midi cable and USB midi/audio cable work all the same signals from Kronos, but the sending signal into kronos on 5 pin midi and then out or through on USB midi, is not going to happen. Even in on USB and out on 5 pin is not going to happen.
Not sure if multiple devices can be connected over USB but that will not make a difference without midi echo happening.

Maybe possible to find an external midi/audio interface that takes 5 pin midi and USB midi all together and works out a midi echo solution from there.
A 5 pin midi in-out-thru link of multiple devices can work and if you have an external midi/audio interface that sends and recieves USB midi to and from 5 pin midi messages, then you can have it work for you.
I saw USB to 5 pin in/out coversion cables. Where the USB is converted to standard midi. I am not sure how well that will work with Kronos remote app in the mix, but at least it takes the USB midi signal over to the 5 pin midi realm where it can send messages thru to a 3rd device in the mix. It will be a problem if you need Audio in the mix.

I don’t think i can be 100% sure this can work for you, so just do some testing or confirmation with hands on people, before you buy anything you cannot return.

alland · Post by **alland** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 6:59 am

mariohardleft99 wrote:Can you point me to the workarounds? I'm game for whatever workaround I can do to get my Remote App to change programs.

I do not have Kronos Remote and do not know if it is able to listen to any other MIDI sources than Kronos. If yes, then you could try to send both Kronos and external controller MIDI to iPad (using some multiple MIDI input iPad gear). Some MIDI routing app may help here too.

Since Kronos Remote needs to interact with Kronos both ways all external routing schemes seem pretty hairy and without experimenting is impossible to say whether they work.
Comes to mind such wiring:

External controller MIDI OUT -> MIDI Merger1 IN1
MIDI Merger1 OUT -> Kronos MIDI IN
Kronos MIDI THRU -> MIDI Merger2 IN1
Kronos MIDI OUT -> MIDI Merger2 IN2
MIDI Merger2 OUT -> iRig MIDI IN
iRig MIDI OUT -> MIDI Merger2 IN2

mariohardleft99 · Post by **mariohardleft99** » Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:58 pm

Very cool, I'll give some of these things a try. Thank you so much!