MIDI Thru Not Working - Is my Configuration Wrong?

Quad Cortex
1

Hi there! I’m posting on this subforum because I’m honestly not sure whether I’m configuring the QC wrong, or if this is a genuine issue. So I’ve posted in both this one and the Support forum.

I have my QC hooked up to my computer, where I use Logic Pro X, via USB. I also have it hooked up via MIDI Out to my Boss SL-2 pedal. Long story short, it’s able to receive MIDI Clock from Logic Pro X or send MIDI Clock to the Boss SL-2, but I can’t get it to transmit the MIDI Clock all the way from Logic to the Boss SL-2.

The following configurations work:

  • Send MIDI Clock = Off: QC receives MIDI clock from Logic, LED light turns Blue
  • MIDI Thru = Off and Send MIDI Clock = DIN: QC sends MIDI clock to Boss SL-2, LED light turns Red

I would assume that turning MIDI Thru to On would allow the QC to transmit the MIDI Clock from Logic to the Boss SL-2, but that hasn’t worked at all - instead the light continues flashing Red.

Am I doing anything wrong here, or is this an actual technical issue?

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the THRU functionality on the QC is extremely confusing- it is not a true Merge; it appears the QC needs to be first or last in the midi chain if several devices are feeding each other.
I’ll see if I can find some more info, I know I’ve seen several work-around scenarios posted by other users.

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Yes, please keep me posted :folded_hands: This issue’s killing me at the moment

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That’s how it’s always been with MIDI ever since it was designed back in the 80s: either your device is setup for pass-through, or it receives MIDI and sends it. MIDI Merge is something most devices don’t do, and you need a specific device for (ie a MIDI Merge box). Else you need a MIDI splitter box if you want to distribute MIDI Clock to several devices.
That’s one of the shortcomings of the MIDI 1.0 norm that are supposed to be solved in MIDI 2.0…which has been “coming this year” for over 30 years now !

I feel your pain, I’ve been struggling with that kind of problems in guitar rigs for 25 years or so, but it’s not NDSP’s fault per se, they’re just implementing the MIDI specifications. Which are quite antiquated at this point (norm was established in 1982 and last revised in 1996, apart from adding polyphonic expression in 2018), but well…

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