MX4 - MIDI Audio Interface 1010music - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL MX4 1010music

MX4 User Guide

Overview

The MX4 by 1010music serves a very simple but useful purpose. It takes in a single MIDI input and repeats it in real time to four MIDI outputs, quadrupling the number of modules that can be controlled from a single MIDI source.

The MX4 is a 3 HP module. It comes with 2 black stereo minijack cables and 2 black and white MIDI adapters.

Connections Supported

The MX4 has 5 standard stereo minijacks connectors: 1 input and 4 output connectors. The cables used to connect the MX4 to external devices will vary based on the connections supported by the other device.

MIDI 5 Pin DIN to Stereo Minijack

The standard MIDI connector is the MIDI 5 Pin DIN connector. Use the black and white MIDI adapters provided with the MX4 to connect to these devices. Not all MIDI adapters are the same, so be sure to use the adapters provided or adapters that meets the Technical Specs below. You can buy more 1010music compatible MIDI adapters on our website: www.1010music.com.

Stereo Minijack to Stereo Minijack

The MIDI industry has not standardized on how to map the MIDI signal to the stereo minijack connectors. As a result, not all MIDI devices with stereo minijack connectors support connection using the provided black stereo minijack cables. The MX4 uses a minijack connection that is known to be compatible with the following:

Products Compatible with the Stereo Minijack Cables

• 1010music products
• IK Multimedia products (such as iRIG MIDI)
• Novation products (such as Launchpad Pro)
• Arturia BeatStep Pro

Products that use an alternative signal mapping for the minijack connections cannot use the included black stereo minijack cables. Instead, these products can be connected by means of a pair of MIDI adapters. Use the black and white MIDI adapters provided with the MX4 to connect to the MX4 jacks, then use the appropriate MIDI adapter to connect to the external device. The following products are known to require a MIDI adapter:

Products that Require a MIDI Adapter:

• Korg products
  • Make Noise O-Coast
  • Arturia BeatStep (not to be confused with the BeatStep Pro)
  • ADDAC System products

See the Technical Specifications below for more details about the connectors used by 1010music products.

If your device isn't listed above, how can you tell if the stereo minijack connector on your MIDI device is compatible? Compare the technical specifications below with those provided with the external device, or just try it out. Either it will work or it won't. Attempting to connect with incompatible cables should not damage devices designed in accordance with the MIDI spec.

Technical Specifications

The MIDI device industry has not standardized on a common method for mapping MIDI signals to stereo minijacks. In the absence of a standard, 1010music has chosen to use a mapping that is commonly available. The diagram to the right shows the numbering of the pins on a MIDI connector and the labels of the connection components of a stereo minijack. The MX4 and other 1010music products are compatible with cables that use the following mapping of MIDI signals between female MIDI connectors and stereo minijacks:

MIDI Signal	MIDI Connector	Stereo Minijack
Current Source	Pin 4	Tip
Current Sink	Pin 5	Ring
Shield	Pin 2	Sleeve

Check the documentation for your other MIDI devices to determine if they use the same mapping or if adapters are needed. If they use the same mapping, then the devices can be connected directly to the MX4 with a standard stereo minijack cable like the black cables provided.

If you find that the other devices do not use the same mapping, you can use a pair of MIDI adapters to connect the devices. Use the black and white MIDI adapters provided to connect to the MX4, and connect that to the appropriate MIDI adapter for the external device. You could also use this spec to make or buy a cable that converts the signal to the mapping needed.

You can learn more about the state of the industry for MIDI stereo minijack connectors at cdm.link/2015/08/used-stereo-minijack-cables-midi/.

Learn More

Find how-to videos, user manuals and more information about 1010music products on our website at www.1010music.com.

If you still have questions, you can contact us at www.1010music.com/contact-us.