What Other Devices?

[Geowonders]

Thanks for all your attention to this. I will be giving it a try. If I find the path, I'll write and illustrate the details clearly for others.

[Geowonders]

The Lightning to USB adapter arrived. I plugged my USB-TO-MIDI Converter into it with MIDI from the Roland and MIDI to the Ketron. I opened a song on Set List Maker and entered values for MSB and Program (harmonica). I can't say I expected to hear anything when I played the Roland, and, of course, I didn't. What has to happen next?

[arlo]

Did you turn on MIDI Thru in Set List Maker?

[Geowonders]

I have "Added MIDI Devices" naming them Ketron (Ch 1) and Roland (Ch 2), but I haven't found how to turn on MIDI Thru for the Roland. When I touch its keyboard, the MIDI icon on Set List Maker lights.

[Geowonders]

I found it under Audio & MIDI, at the very bottom. I now have sound. My song has MSB & Program values, but that instrument has not yet arrived. Instead, I'm getting simply the default piano. Also, I'm getting notes that I am not playing - holds, repeats, and other residue.

[arlo]

You can click the MIDI icon in the top toolbar and look at the Activity Log to troubleshoot repeated or extra notes. You can play a single note and then see if it is received by Set List Maker multiple times. That would indicate that one of the other devices also has a MIDI thru function and is creating an infinite loop, and the solution would be to turn that off on the other device.

[Geowonders]

The Ketron has only a volume slider – no other controls. I would suppose its MIDI Thru port is its only “setting.”
The Roland A-49 Owner's Manual uses the term Thru only in the Trouble Shooting section. It says:

Problem:
Duplicate notes sound

Confirmation:
Is the sound module set to Local On?
Is the software’s THRU function turned on?

Resolution:
Configure as follows.
Sound module: Local Off
Software’s THRU function: Off
For details, refer to the owner’s manual for the
equipment you are using.

In other words, Roland seems to be saying the Set List Maker's MIDI Thru will cause duplicate notes if it's ON.

But suddenly, I can't get any MIDI to the iPod. I've rebooted, turned the other units off and on, and switched MIDI Thru on and off. Nothing. The MIDI icon does not light.

[Geowonders]

After several trials, I've discovered that MIDI will not play unless these steps are followed:
1. Connect the Lightning and the USB devices. Those - the Ketron & Roland - can be off or on. It doesn't matter.
2. Power up the iPad.
3. Touch the MIDI icon in the tool bar. The MIDI Status will say MIDI Stopped.
4. Touch that stripe and it will say MIDI Running.

At that moment, the sound is working.

I see, by your suggestion, that playing 1 note makes 4 entries in the Activity Log: 2 received data and 2 sending data to all ports.

[Geowonders]

You can lay this problem aside. When I found tonight that various approaches would have sound or not have sound with no easy or obvious path, and when I saw that waking the iPad from sleep caused the MIDI to be off with no obvious way to get it back other than rebooting and/or replugging the Lightning, I contacted Apple and was granted permission to return it. Thanks for all your efforts. I just can't imagine dealing with this while the band is waiting, and the audience is wondering what's the problem.

[arlo]

I've never seen a situation where the devices need to be connected while the iPad is off, or where the MIDI stops working after the iPad sleeps. If you haven't sent it back yet, I bet there is a solution ... but it might involve a more direct network setting rather than passing all the note messages through an intermediate device.