TRS MIDI THRU: Your Computer's MIDI, Out Through the Controller
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Firmware 9.8 adds TRS MIDI THRU. Switch it on and the MIDI your computer sends over USB leaves through the controller's TRS output as well.
Two streams, one TRS port
Until now the only thing leaving the TRS output was the controller's own signal: turn a knob, its CC goes out. MIDI coming from the computer could not use that port at all.
Now both go out together. The notes your DAW sends and the CC from the knob under your hand travel down the same cable to the gear at the other end.
Tick it in Global Variables to turn it on. It is off by default.
When both are busy, the forwarded stream goes first
TRS runs at a fixed speed. While the computer is sending a lot, the two streams have to share it, and that is when the knobs and keys give way.
A CC from a knob can afford to be late: the next value replaces it a moment later. A Note Off from a sequencer cannot — drop that one and a note keeps sounding with nothing to stop it. So the forwarded stream wins.
At ordinary playing volumes neither stream gives way. You only see it when something is firing everything at once.
How it came about
A customer asked whether it was possible. The answer at the time was "not today" — and then it turned out there was no good reason why not. So we built it.
While he was testing it he pointed out a few more things, and those became the rest of 9.8.
Two CCs on one encoder
An encoder with a push switch now sends one CC when you turn it and a different one when you press and turn. The two remember their values separately, so moving one does not drag the other along.
It works in 14-bit too, and the second CC can go out on its own MIDI channel — one knob reaching two different instruments.
Settings apply when you save them
TRS, TRS MIDI THRU, MIDI IN and LED off now take effect the moment you press save. They used to need a power cycle first, which made them look broken: you ticked the box and nothing happened.
The updater tells you what it is about to change
The update tool changed as well. Press Auto Update and you see the changes between the firmware on your device and the one about to be installed — before anything is written. If the update resets your settings, it says so there too. Then you decide whether to continue.
How to update
- Download the latest ParksTool Uploader from the releases page.
- Run it, connect your device over USB, and press Auto Update.
Coming from 9.7 or earlier, this update resets the configuration stored on the device. Save it first in the web configurator with File → Save to File, and load it back afterwards with File → Load from File.
TRS MIDI THRU works on every model with a TRS output. The 1ES2K is the one exception — it has no TRS jack.
Something you wish the controller did? This one started as a question. Ask us.