MIDI Restarter Lets You Start/Stop Your MIDI Slave, Independent Of Your MIDI Master

midi-restarterAudiowerkstatt bhas introduced MIDI Restarter – a new MIDI controller that lets you start or stop your hardware MIDI-slave, independent of your MIDI-master, but alway in perfect sync.

MIDI Restarter offers 3 modes of operation:

  1. At the beginning of the next bar, a MIDI-stop-message and immediately after that a MIDI-start-message is sent. In this mode, a standing sequencer is restarted and a running sequencer is “pushed” into the correct timing. This mode does not work with all MIDI-devices as some devices require a short break between MIDI-stop- and MIDI-start-message. For these devices, the second mode can be selected.
  2. A short time before the next bar starts (one MIDI-clock-message=1/24 quarter-note), a MIDI-stop-message is sent and then at the next bar a MIDI-start-message is sent. In this mode, a standing sequencer is restarted and a running sequencer is – after a very short break – “pushed” to the correct timing. This mode corresponds to the first and is intended for MIDI-devices that require a short break between MIDI-start- and MIDI-stop-message.
  3. If the sequencer is running, a MIDI-stop-message is sent at the next bar and if the sequencer is standing, a MIDI-start-message is sent at the next bar. In this mode, a standing sequencer is restarted and running sequencer is stopped at the next bar.

You can also set whether only the newly created MIDI-clock and the MMC commands (start, stop, continue) are sent or the midi-data, received at the MIDI-in, will be mixed with that.

MIDI Restarter is available now for 139,00 Euro at the Audiowerkstatt site.

10 thoughts on “MIDI Restarter Lets You Start/Stop Your MIDI Slave, Independent Of Your MIDI Master

    1. All those pins on the sides, top and bottom pcb are the “case”. Its a great idea but a really nice and sturdy case would be better for sure! Also its expensive for what it does. 😉

    1. I’ve been working on some Arduino+MIDI stuff at the moment anyway, so I went and wrote this up for the Sparkfun Shield I’m working with:

      http://www.brendanclarke.com/wp/2014/04/20/arduino-based-midi-suspender/

      Button D2: Enable MIDI sync
      Button D3: Disable MIDI sync
      Button D4: Reset slave device

      LED Stat 2 flashes on quarter notes and Stat 1 lights up when sync is disabled. Enable/Disable are timed to bring the slave back in on 16th notes. ie if you push D3, then D4, then D2 the slave device will start again from 0 on the master’s next 16th note. I’ve got a video I’ll throw up there later. Tested with my MPC1000 and Sonic Potions LXR.

      Have fun!

  1. This seems useful but very expensive for what it is, especially without a case! Mutable instruments MIDI pal has similar features for a fraction of the price + a load of other cool stuff too. Shame if it was more reasonably priced this would be a no brainer for me.

  2. hi everybody,

    first of all: thanks for your interest – it´s great to see, that there are people who like the idea of what the midi-restarter does.

    and thanks for all the feedback – that helps to improve stuff like that.

    and i would like to say something about some things that were said:
    1. yes – that is a case 🙂
    only the pcb in the middle is used as an electronic circuit. or in other words: you can touch it whereever you want – 100% no chance to produce a short-circuit. same with cables – even something like “3,5-mini-jack” won´t be able to come close to the circuits.

    2. with that “it´s expensive”-comments all of you are quite right. this tool is not cheap. but does that make it “too expensive”?

    first of all: please stay fair! if you say, that a product sold for 129euro costs “a fraction of the price” of the midi-restarter that is sold for 139euro, something is really strange.

    but as i said: audiowerkstatt products are expensive – and they will always be.
    all the tools and instruments that will come are not for the big market. every industrial-producing and calculating company would have to sell a too high quantity and according to that, not do it. audiowerkstatt is handmade – that makes the products expensive – but you can at least get them somewhere.

    and all the parts, used for the midi-restarter (and for all other audiowerkstatt-products) are high quality parts:
    the 3 pcb are standart industrial quality, the 4 buttons are from “marquardt”, the din-connectors from “hirschmann”, power-jack is from “bkl”, the uc is an “atmel”, the optocopler is from “fairchild”, the leds “kingsbright”, etc…
    we don´t get that for 25$ – who does?

    3. but it is possible to do something like that for about 25$, if you use some cheaper parts – and do it yourself.
    and i can only encourage you to do so (that´s how i started myself)!
    try the arduino-code from Brendan Clarke just posted before. or use the search-engine – there are solutions available, which do the same (and often much more). i think e.g. thorsten klose had one at midibox – ucapps.de and his stuff is always great.

    4. funny question, but the buttons are marquardt, series 6425 and in europe you can get them almost everywhere (e.g. conrad, reichelt, bürklin, segor, rs). if you don´t find them in your country, ask marquardt – they help to find a dealer.
    http://www.marquardt-shop.com/en/products/switches/tact-and-key-switches/6425.html

    thanks for reading.

    best wishes
    olaf @ audiowerkstatt

  3. ” with that “it´s expensive”-comments all of you are quite right. this tool is not cheap. but does that make it “too expensive”?”

    I’ll just say this, you can have a handmade product at premium price, but unless the consumer PERCEIVES the value, they will not buy it. A lot of people have stated concern that there is not case for this device. You, the maker may understand that this isn’t an issue, but the average consumer doesn’t understand this. Plus, consumers are accustomed to products looking more “finished”. This device looks raw and home made, which in most consumers mind’s equals cheap.

    Also, there a lot of people that will not value cool buttons or the fact that these are handmade. I don’t know how many people will want the cool boutique device that performs a task that other, less expensive things can do. An expensive handmade synthesizers, sure. But a MIDI stop/start button? I don’t know.

    I’m not saying this thing isn’t useful, cool, or very well made. I’m just pointing out the battle you’re already fighting in order to sell these things.

    1. hi Mahhhk,

      thanks for your comment – i understand. and it´s obvious, that a metal case would be more attraktive for a whole bunch of people. and it was calculated: for those really small series it was unpayable and for being payable, the quantity would have to be too big for something like the midi-restarter. that´s what i meant above with “handmade vs industrial production”.

      and because it is hard for the consumer to perceive the value, because he doesn´t know something like the quality of the used parts, i did that post. perhaps it was a mistake, because for you it seemed, as if i would fight a battle for selling, but i won´t. i don´t need that, because very small series also means, that there is no big stock that has to be sold. if the restarter won´t be sold, it won´t be produced anymore. but i hope, this needn´t come.

      best wishes
      olaf @ audiowerkstatt

Leave a Reply to olaf - audiowerkstatt Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *