The Roland MX-1 USB Ports Explained
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- čas přidán 8. 01. 2019
- In someways the Roland MX-1 is a quirky device, it is not a straight forward mixer, but then again it is not a surface controller either.
I have received a number of questions around the Roland MX-1. Here is my explanation of what the USB ports do.
The equipment mentioned above (if you can still buy it!):
Roland MX-1 (New): bit.ly/2TKtuEW (Used): themusictechguyuk.me/3sLxILa
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The Roland MX-1 USB Ports Explained - 2019-01-06 - Hudba
Great video. I've been thinking about buying an MX1 and had a few questions about compatibility with the Aira products. You answered them clearly and helpfully. Thanks!
Hi @Thomas Slattery
Thanks for the feedback. Jon
EXCELLENT ! THANKS !
Ta
Great! Thankyou. :)
No problem. Jon
For less than the price of a cup of coffee, support the channel, join the TMTG community: themusictechguyuk.me/Community
Jon
it turns out that many other devices will send audio through the aira link ports. today i tested boss ve-500 vocal effect pedal and it works. also working with Integra 7 and TD-15. ill be running Integra 7 through Spdif cable though since that's another open fader. tomorrow i will see if any of my electrons can send audio over USB to the mx-1. sp-404mkii doesnt seem to work but i might just be missing a setting (i just got sp-404 so im still unfamiliar with it)
Hi @djangofett4879
Thanks for the update on your testing. Jon
Hi TechGuyUK! Thanks for the overview of the usb inputs on the MX-1. I'm considering purchasing an MX-1 since I own a couple of Boutique modules which I use alongside an audio/midi interface in Logic Pro X. However, before splashing out on the MX-1 there a few things I need cleared up and hopefully you're the bloke for the job. In my music production I record live vocals via the interface into Logic Pro. Presently the interface is connected directly into my Mac but would it be possible to insert the interface into the MX-1? Another query, if I only have a controller keyboard for playing sounds in Logic and on my Boutiques, can I also insert that into the MX-1? Finally, how well does the MX-1 operate with Logic Pro X? Can you do a final mix for mastering using them together? All the best and, again, thank you for your informative video! Mikotron
Answers to questions as they come up.
1. The way that Roland have implemented the USB interface on the MX-1 means that it only accepts USB connections from other Roland devices and only then when Roland issue a patch to the MX-1 to support the new devices that are being issued. A non-Roland device may be recognised, but it is not likely to work correctly.
2. Is the keyboard controller USB or MIDI. If it is USB then again the likely hood is that you will have to route the commands to the DAW to re-transmit to the other devices. If MIDI then you would need to ensure the MIDI chain is correct.
3. What I think a lot of people miss is what the MX-1 was designed for, and that was live performance mixing. Roland issued guidance for integration with Ableton, and integration is built into the product. With other DAW’s and I don’t use Logic so this is what I understand, you assign the DAW’s outputs to the MX-1. This should allow you to use the faders in Logic. However, my experience was it was an utter pain and didn’t work properly.
Personally if you want a surface controller there are better controllers for less money.
Hope this helps. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my inquiries. The thing that I like about the MX-1 is the fact that I can hook up my jx-03 and jp-08. What I want is to be able to have a controller that allows me to integrate my entire set-up, save rigging up my audio interface directly into the Mac. Could you recommend a decent mixer controller that I can sync up my Boutiques and have logi pro x that isn't an MX-1? All the best, Mike
I guess the issue is how much do you want to spend? At the higher end there is something like the Mackie MCU Pro line which is an 8 fader unit that can be expanded in blocks of 8 faders. Not cheap though. You are likely to spend over £1,000 for the main unit and then about the same again for each expanding block.
At the other end you could try the Korg nanoKontrol2 at under £100. Now I use one of the controllers from this range with my KRONOS.
The problem really with surface controllers is we all develop ways of working. For some the simplest controller really works well and for others they need to assign every control in the world to the controller. My advice on this is really get yourself to a good retailer and have a look at the devices. A good retailer will set you up and leave you play with the devices. The cheapest may well be the best for your requirement.
Personally for me at the moment I am looking at the Behringer X-Touch which is about £380. Looking at the specifications of this unit, you get a lot of control surface.
In terms of the other question relating to just hooking up the JX-03 and JP-08. The MX-1 has kinda cornered the market if you are looking for USB functions. I am not aware, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, of a standalone mixer that will accept the USB output from these units.
The MX-1 provides a D/A conversion in the mixer, but at the end of the day this is what it was designed to do from day dot.
Hi Tech Guy. Thanks for the video. Do you know if it is possible to separate the outputs from a Roland TR8S into separate channels on the MX-1 while connected via USB? Example TR8S to MX-1 via USB with Kick drum to channel 1 MX-1 and remaining channels TR8S to channel 2 MX-1. Thanks.
Hi @davidsharpe6524
The short answer is NO. The Roland MX-1 is not designed to route the signals that way and now that the mixer has been discontinued I doubt we will get any further firmware updates to include this functionality.
You can route all of the Roland TR-8s outputs to the appropriate USB fader on the Roland MX-1 and that is about it. You can separate the outputs if the two units are attached to a computer though. Jon
Thank you for your help ... but if you can do a set up video for tr8s with the mixer 1 thank you
Have you subscribed? :-)
@the lost boys. I would love to do a setup video for the TR8S with the MX1. But as I do not have the TR8S and at the moment have no plans to acquire one I am slightly short of one of the key ingredients to make one. Sorry.
So @Roland_UK if you would donate a TR8S I'd be happy to make this video for this tuber. Jon
Hi tech guy thank you for explaining this again. In this video just after 5 minutes you said you can plug in any of the Aria products in the non-bus powered USB A ports, however the new Aira VT-4 unit has only phantom power so technically it will not operate in the non-bus powered USB A ports.
Thanks for pointing this out. I issued a correction.
Jon
Hello Tech Guy UK all good, I'm looking at getting the MX1 on the horizon. I've liked and subscribed.
VT-4 works fine in USB3.
Thanks for the update. Jon
Can you help please, I have a korg keyboard with usb 2 out and a ketron expander also with usb out.
Can I plug both of these keyboards into 2 of of the 4 usb ports then out through to usb 2 out on the Roland mx1 onward from Roland mx1 to my lappy and subsequent daw.
Best wishes Quentin
Hi @Quentin Morgan
Firstly the Roland MX-1 was never designed as a USB Hub and that it how I am reading your query. Roland require a driver to be installed on the computer that hosts your DAW to receive the MX-1 audio inputs. In terms of sending and receiving from Non-Roland and in fact non-AIRA devices I would describe the situation as more miss than hit.
I can’t get anything that is not in a supported Roland instrument as described in the firmware updates to work with the MX-1. All the other USB devices just refuse to pass data correctly.
Many people see instruments plugged into the 4 USB ports on the MX-1 and assuming that they are support. And in truth most are no. Jon
Thanks for this. Is it at all possible to use an iPad with the MX-1 via MIDI? Looks as if I could route audio to the MX-1 via the 1/8" port on the back, but then timing is going to be a problem. Thanks.
Have you Subscribed :-)
@Velanche Stewart. The Roland MX-1 like most of the Roland Aira and Roland Boutique range will require a driver to allow MIDI to communicate with between the MX-1 and Computer over USB.
And to be honest I have not tried using my iPAD with the MX-1 in this way as there are no drivers published by Roland to allow this to happen. So it might work or it might not work.
However, MIDI is MIDI. If you have an APP on the iPad that via the Apple Camera adapter that send basis MIDI and you connect the two using a USB to 5 Pin MIDI cable adapters or interface then you will be able to transmit and receive MIDI from the MX-1 to your iPAD and in turn the APP running on the iPAD.
I know that my basic MIDIMAN interface does work with the iPAD in the way described above. If the interface has an audio interface then this might be able to send and receive audio also.
If you connect the two devices, set one as the master clock and the other as the slave then you should be able to negate any timing issues.
I hope that this helps. Jon
Thank you, I have you try to connected to an iconnectivity interface?
Sorry you haven’t stated which iConnectivity interface you have want to connect this to?
I have an iConnectivity MIO10 interface in my studio. This is a 10 port (5 pin DIN) MIDI interface bought to connect up my legacy equipment to the computer.
Have I use the MX-1 though this interface using MIDI. The answer to that is Yes and I had no problems. But this was the 5 pin DIN interface.
I have a feeling you are talking about one of the later interfaces , even though my MIO is only 4 years old the newer units have a combination of USB and 5 pin DIN interfaces. I do not have this interface so can’t provide a response.
What I will say is that the MX-1 is not a truly class compliant device, in that you normally need to install a driver on the computer to make it work. And as iConnectivity will support class compliant devices, it probably will not work.
Thanks for the info mate! One major issue that baffles me no one else has touched on is the USB inputs not registering the midi channels in other gear! Have the mx1 plugged into an MPC live and the MPC live won’t register any of the USB channels as a midi channel!
Changed the USB cables, made the update and nada!
@Scott Osman. Thanks for the info. With the MX1 not being a class compliant device, it is a bit of a hit and miss with other manufacturers equipment. Jon
That age old chestnut of dodgy cable lol. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK yeah man, mc707 same issue!
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK two new cables and nada with the mc707!
I'm relatively new to all of this, im coming from a DJing background. And I am trying to find something that I can use to make beats with, I currently have the Roland DJ 808. Which has only drum sounds on it, and no melodies / keys / or other sounds to make a complete song from.
I was wondering, will my DJ controller connect & work well with this Mx 1?
I am also having hard time understanding what exactly is the mx 1 is for specifically? Because I was thinking on buying the Roland TR - 8s but then I stumbled upon this MX 1 controller. From my understanding, the MX 1 is pretty much used to connect multiple controllers together and be able to have hardware that allows for you to adjust the volume, filters etc. The MX 1 doesn't have sounds already on it for me to make a beat right, or does it?
The Roland MX-1 was developed as a hybrid mixer for the Roland Aira series of instruments
Hi Carlos M. Have you subscribed? :-)
Roland TR-8, TB-3, System-1, System-8. Later Roland added support for the Boutiques and a number of synths.
But in essence this is a mixer with some effects and the ability to act as a IO device for a computer.
You would be better going for an AKAI MPC or Roland GrooveBox / TR-8s and using MIDI to sync all the clocks. Maybe a bass keyboard for adding bass to you compositions. Jon
Thanks a lot! Really appreciate your videos. Just wondering if you could clear something up for me. Once you utilize one of the USB ports with a piece of aira gear, are you still able to use the other three USB channels on the mixer for additional tracks in Ableton? Have you tried this? Or do the other three usb channels get locked for exclusive use with other pieces of Roland gear? I've found a lot of conflicting documentation pertaining to this so I'm hoping someone with the actual mixer can verify for me , what is the truth. Thanks again for your time!
@Diego DeLaCruz. The Roland MX-1 acts as a USB hub with regards both MIDI and Audio for other Roland Aira, a few selected synths and boutiques. You cannot plug the USB of other manufacture’s instruments into these ports.
Remember only one of these 4 ports has limited power so it the instrument needs USB power them this will need to be provided using splitter cables. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK sure, I get that. Let me explain my question a little better. I currently own the Roland mx1 but I do not own any Roland gear that would be compatible with the USB ports on the mixer. I currently use the 4 USB channels on the mixer to control four additional tracks in Ableton live. However, I do plan on buying one of the boutique devices to utilize one of the USB ports on the mx-1. But I don't want to do that if it means I will lose the ability to use channels usb 2, usb 3, and usb 4 to control tracks/plugins in Ableton Live.
@Diego DeLaCruz. Ahh! Ok I understand the question. As far as I have been able to tell the MX-1 cannot operate in dual modes. If you have it in the mode where it is able to receive sound information from the USB port the fader’s will be looking at the USB ports. You will not be able to have some faders controlling Ableton and others the USB ports. The mode mapping is not setup that way. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK thank you so much for clarifying that! I Wish I had known this before I bought it. Kind of feel like Roland lied to me. They definitely advertise that you can use the USB ports for 1 or more pieces of compatible Roland gear and use the rest of the USB channels to run tracks in Ableton. Had I known this limitation beforehand I probably would have went with a different mixer. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun piece of gear but Roland definitely messed up with those USB ports.
@Diego DeLaCruz. No problem.
Hi, If I connect my Tr-6s via USB to the MX1 will it allow me to still use the Audio over USB of the TR-6S to get separated sound channel ?
Hi @Malibu Noir Sound Designs
I have not got a Roland TR-6S so cannot give you a definitive answer. May be one of the community members can chime in on this configuration.
However, I have been told that the Grovebox 707 will work with the MX-1. But I haven't been able to confirm this.
If @Roland_UK #Roland_UK want to loan me a 707, TR-8S and TR-6S I would be happy to undertake the tests, video them and confirm to all those of you that continually ask this type of question. Jon
Hello , do you know if the dedicated usb PC port can be used on MPC i.e. then control 18 tracks from the MPC X, one, live..?
Hi @StreetlyRecords
I’d really like to answer this with a YES. But because specific drivers have to loaded on to both the PC and MAC to allow the MX-1 to talk to those platforms, I think the answer is NO.
There is obviously a reason why all Roland products are not class compliant. It is not obvious. I suspect it is something to do with how Roland designed the presentation of the audio and midi to the computer. Once they got it working, later products possible just use a rinse and repeat process. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK thanks for the valuable input 🙏🏼
i @StreetlyRecords No problem. Jon
why does the mx-1 not appear on the windows8 pc when connected over type-b usb cable? any driver to install?
Hi @紀章kisho
For whatever reason Roland developed the firmware for many of its synthesisers and peripheral devices so that they are no class compliant. You are therefore required to load a driver onto your computer for them to be registered as an available device.
You will need to go to the Roland website type in MX1 into the drivers section and download Windows 8 drivers if they still exist on the site. Jon
Hi Music Tech Guy UK
Im trying to connect tr8s and mc707 trough usb ports, basically the thing is:
usb1 plays loud
usb2 plays quietly
usb3 plays quietly
usb4 does not play any sound...
would you have an idea what could be wrong?
Thanks
Hi @Dainius Kilaitis
The first thing that springs to mind is that the gain’s on the channels is not correctly set.
To check how the gain is set on the channel press the button for the channel (USB 1 - 4) individually. Then press the button on the left hand side of the unit. The default gain setting is 0, but you can increase this to +30 and -20 using the knob above the gain button.
If this is not the case you might consider doing a factory reset of the unit. Video showing this here: czcams.com/video/7_KV24eaT-k/video.html.
I was considering whether the issue might be in the advance mastering controls. Few people use these or know about them. But these act uniformly across all channels so not sure these would just effect a single input.
Hope that this helps. Jon
Hi, I've got a SE-02 hooked up to one of the usb ports on the MX1. Can I get the MX1 to trigger the SE-02 from its start/stop button like it does with the Aira stuff?
First thing. I have had an SE-02 on loan, but I don’t own one.
As I understand it all the Roland Boutique equipment was designed to recognise standard start stop controls when placed down stream of the MX-1.
Now I have to be slightly careful with the SE-02 because this is not a standard Boutique device, for starters it has an independent power supply! But I cannot see Roland not implementing these standard start stop controls on the device. It would be a little bonkers.
To be honest I am sure I had this hooked up to my MX-1 when I was playing with it, but can’t hand on heart say I tried this, but would be surprised if I didn’t
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK Sorry thought I'd replied to this but apparently not :) I set the SE-02 to trigger from USB and it all works perfectly. Thanks for getting back to me
Hi Do you know if there is a workaround or possible hack to Enable those USB ports to be used With anything other than the proprietary Rolland?
I’m on a personal quest to see if I can figure out someway to do this !
I’m going to Start my experimenting with different cables / adapter via usb interfaces and usb hubs.
Someone mentioned the Rolland Go mixer as something to try?.....thought that was an interesting idea
Does anyone have a go mixer that they could try this out and let us know ?
....any other possible insight would be greatly appreciated
To be honest I have powered another device from the powered USB port, but never managed to get another non-Roland instrument to talk to the MX-1. Roland only support specific instruments and the firmware needs to be updated to enable the support on both the MX-1 and other platform. Let me know how you get on?
TheMusicTechGuyUK will do
So far I turned the 6 ch (the digital ch) Into a channel that can be used for analog. I did this by buying a $10 digital to analog converter from Amazon and hooked it up through an old coaxial cable that I had lying around and it works perfect have the mixer on more stereo channel.
So far no luck on the usb channels
Hello 👋 ! Can i use the "Torcido" Aira modular fx on USB Mx1 input ?
Have you subscribed? :-)
Hi Filipe. You can of course use the audio inputs on the MX-1 for the Torcido. And to be clear I do not own a Torcido so the remainder of my comments are based on what I know about this unit.
The MX-1 does not as far as I can tell support the Torcido from a USB perspective. I therefore doubt you will be able to plug this into a USB connection and get the audio to were this way.
In terms of a clock source, the MX-1 might pass this. But again I think this is unlikely. I also think it is unlikely to pass other midi messages.
Jon
Thanks a lot for you attention ! I'll try use when arrived and come back here to comment about 👾👾👾
Great. Jon
I enjoyed my MX1 with all Aira serie connected (System8, Tr8S, TB3, VT4) but now my studio gets too big for it (3 more synths, 3 FX, guitar, Akai Force, 2 monitors and 2 PA, 1 sampler, 1 recorder)
I was thinking to buy another MX1 as a slave, or jump to a big mixer that record (but only few stereo entrances) or to a AD/DA system...
Not sure what is best...
Have you subscribed? :-)
Hi. Mmmm interesting question.
Firstly you cannot plug an MX1 into another MX1 using the USB ports. It was never designed to work that way.
Apparently you can plug 2 MX1’s into a computer and I am lead to believe by a number of the subscribers to the channel that it will work. However as I do not have two MX1’s I can’t verify.
You could also slave an MX1 to another MX1 using the Audio channels i.e. channels 1 and 2.
However, if like me you have a range of synths then my advice is get a good mixer or a good multichannel audio input device for your computer. The MX1 was never really designed to work this way. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK Hi
Finally in got a multitrack mixer QSC Touchmix 30 Pro (30 entries and 14 aux) , so everything is connected (even some are also connected as aux, so i can send back some audio for some added effects or funny crazy loops) , and very important for me, i can record up to 32 tracks in real time and latter pass it to a DAW , still separates tracks, so very handy for future work and mastering...
A happy man...
Enjoy the music
@XETAMURAI Definitelty a better choice than the MX1 route. Now what happens when the next synth arrives? Can say I have ever had that problem (NOT) lol Jon
Actually you can connect through the USB port to daisychain Mx~1 one to another. Here’s a Roland official channel video of it czcams.com/video/wAX9rK_m06s/video.html
@HardcoreeggrollUT Thanks for posting the comment and the link. So this does answer the question can you link two MX-1’s together and sync the clock on the first as the master to the other units connected. Couple of areas I am not clear on from the video though and should throw into the community:
1. I am assuming that you need to pass the audio signal for the slave to the master at unity to ensure that you do not distort the devices connected to the slave.
2. I am assuming that MIDI can pass from the master to the slave, but does it go the other way?
3. I am also assuming that only 2 channels of audio are passed through the USB as opposed to the full range.
Jon
1:25 mumblerap lmao!
Your right it is a bit of a mumble lol