I dont have the volcas or monotrons, but I do have a KoPro, and here's my two cents:
The kaossilator should show up as a general midi device when plugged in via USB. What this means you dont have to install anything in order for it to work with Logic...
just google how to do routing in Logic, it should show up in there.
Now, I dont use a computer in my setup, only hardware, but I have very good reason to believe that you can
probably tell logic to sync its clock against an external clock.
For example, you can sync Logic to your kaossilator, or vice versa.
To add your volcas to this syncing monkeybusiness, you can try setting up your tascam interface. Just set up the midi route in Logic in such a way that the KoPro sends messages to the tascam. Once that is set up, connect the midi out of the tascam to your midi-in of the first volca, connect the sync-out to the sync-in of the second volca. Now they're synced.
If all is well, you should see the indicator LED's for your devices blinking at the same rate, and an immediately rewarding test is to change the BPM on your KoPro and see that the rate of the blinking lights changes on all devices.
Code: Select all
Kaossilator Host PC
+------+-------+-------+ +--------+-------------------------------------------+
| MIDI | MIDI | USB +------> | USB1 | |
| IN | OUT | | +--------+ IN Logic Midi Route OUT |
+------+-------+-------+ +--> | USB2 | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |
| +--------+ X | | X |
USB Audio Interface | | ... | X Logic +-----+ +--------> | Logic X |
+------+-------+-------+ | +--------+ X--------+ | | +---------X |
| MIDI | MIDI | USB +---+ | ... | X KoPro +---------+ | KoPro X |
| IN | OUT | | +--------+ X--------+ | +---------X |
+------+-+-----+-------+ | ... | X Tascam | +-----------> | Tascam X |
| +--------+ X | | Out X |
| | ... | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX |
| +--------+ |
| | USBn | |
| +--------+-------------------------------------------+
|
| Volca 1
| +----------+
+-> | MIDI IN | Volca 2
+----------+ +----------+
| Sync In | | MIDI IN |
+----------+ +----------+
| Sync Out +-----> | Sync In |
+----------+ +----------+
| Sync Out |
+----------+
Now, the monotrons are a different story, and you're going to have to have some fun googling around seeing how people get around syncing these bastards.
Also, if you want to be able to chain your volcas out to other devices, you're going to have to
look up the data sheet for the midi specification
and mod your device, or look up peoples midi mods. Essentially, you want to add a midi-thru port so that you can pass the clock pulses (coming in) back out to other devices in a chain. THIS IS USEFUL, and it sounds a lot harder than it actually is. All you'd be doing really is adding a couple of parts and a midi connector, with one wire plugged into the single data pin of the existing midi in port, and this is really just to 'copy' the input to another midi connector. It's all in the electrical schematic of the spec, which is freely available.
OK!
so, what have we learned?
we need to somehow chain these devices (including logic), where one device is sending the clock signal over midi (acting as a 'master'), and the rest of the devices are listening (acting as 'slaves'). If something isn't working, but you know the connection is for sure proper, look at the manual for the device and see if there is a setting for internal vs external clock source (there generally always is...). If you're still having issues, try to get a 'midi monitor' program on your computer so that you can visually see when stuff is going in and out on your ports. it is always a good idea to have a couple of USB-to-midi cables handy, as they allow you to connect your computer to gear which doesn't have a USB port, which is great for every type of situation.
SO!
you want to control your other gear with the touchpad on your kaossilator?! Well, you can put your KoPro into 'EXTERNAL CONTROLLER" mode, and it will send out auto-scaled notes on the currently configured channel to both the USB-midi and the DIN-midi (regular midi connector).
If you aren't in external controller mode, it gets a bit tricky...
The touchpad actually acts like three knobs (it sends midi CC data, which stands for control-change). There are three types of midi CC it sends, one for the X-axis, one for the Y-axis, and one for the Z-axis, which is the on/off of you touching the pad.
Now, you need to turn off local control on your KoPro, and then what I would do is write a python script that intercepts the midi data and converts it. Basically, you need to convert midi CC messages to Note-ON and Note-OFF messages based on where/if you're touching the pad. Also, the inverse of this needs to be done if you're trying to play the KoPro with a big fancy keyboard controller, as if it was a sound module. The KoPro WILL NOT respond to note-on's and note-off's, because the touch pad ONLY RESPONDS to messages that are usually used for knobs and the mod wheel on a synth or controller.
On a final note, I would definitely recommend you learn more about midi, as it is an extremely flexible and powerful tool/skill to have. If you ask for anything for christmas, make it this book:
Midi for the Professional by Paul Lehrman
I hope this helps. <4