So, you start to have a big bunch of synths, sequencers or drum machines (or any other stuff that understands MIDI) on stage or in the studio, and you have to plug them together… The best solution is to have what we call a MIDI Thru Box. You can use a commercial one (like the MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru or Kenton MIDI Thru 5) or you can make your own.
Building your own is not so complex. It doesn't use a lot of components, and you can extend it as much as you want.
I find the original schematic on Marc BAREILLE's website : http://m.bareille.free.fr/midithrubox/midithrubox.htm
I am really grateful to him for sharing this.
Because I always use 6n138 as octocouplers for my MIDI compatible arduino project, I use it here, but you can find other references with matching resistors on Marc's website.
Building your own is not so complex. It doesn't use a lot of components, and you can extend it as much as you want.
I find the original schematic on Marc BAREILLE's website : http://m.bareille.free.fr/midithrubox/midithrubox.htm
I am really grateful to him for sharing this.
Because I always use 6n138 as octocouplers for my MIDI compatible arduino project, I use it here, but you can find other references with matching resistors on Marc's website.
Component List
1× 100nF capacitor1× 1N4148 diode
14× 220Ω resistor
1× 270Ω resistor
1× 6N138 optocoupler
1× 74HC14 Hex Inverter with Schmitt-trigger inputs
5× MIDI DIN female (1x in & 4x out)
1× 330Ω resistor (change value to match with the LED, 330Ω to 1kΩ should be fine)
1× LED
This is an active MIDI Thru Box (compared to Midi Solution Quadra Thru who doesn't need to be powered to work). I think I prefer the active solution. This is personal taste, but in my experience on stage, these are more stables. Thus, it will needs to work with 5V clean power. I plug mine to the 5V of an eurorack power bus.
You can add more output if you want, just by adding other 74HC14 and a bunch of resistors. In my version I use 2 because I wanted to have 8 output : 3 DIN-5 and 5 TRS. Just make the one that fits your needs. Don't forget to prototype first.
You can add more output if you want, just by adding other 74HC14 and a bunch of resistors. In my version I use 2 because I wanted to have 8 output : 3 DIN-5 and 5 TRS. Just make the one that fits your needs. Don't forget to prototype first.
