Question about MIDI on MK2

[wmuser]

Hey everyone, I'm a current owner of the MK1, and I recently noticed that the MK2 has MIDI. That's great. I'm looking to purchase a few units, but I had a few questions I couldn't find answers to.

- Do both ports receive MIDI or is just USB B for power and USB A for MIDI? Can both MIDI and power be sent on one line?

- Can I fully automate movements/fades on the MK2 with MIDI CCs, or is that still just sort of programmed in presets and triggered as on/off with a simple MIDI note?

- I remember reading that there was a difference in the American ADJ branded MK1 units and the European Wolfmix units. Is that the case here with MK2? What are the differences, if so?

- Does MK2 allow MIDI control over smoke, etc? If not, when can we expect this sort of thing to materialize?

Thanks in advance.

[willm]

Hello!

Thanks for your post. I will answer each point below:

- The MK2 can receive MIDI input over the USB A port only. USB B port is just for power as mentioned.

- MIDI can currently be used in 3 ways- preset triggering, group dimmers, and MIDI clock (tempo sync). See there following link for more guidance on MIDI in the Wolfmix: https://wolfmix.com/support-content#midi_control

- The only difference between the ADJ WMX1 and the Wolfmix W1 is the fact that the ADJ version ships with 1 universe unlocked, whereas the Wolfmix W1 ships with 2 universes unlocked. The price point is of course slightly different to reflect this, but other than they are identical.

- The MK2 does not currently allow MIDI control for Smoke or other Flash FX buttons. We currently do not have a timeline for implementing this, but it is something we have seen requested before- so it will be considered going forward.

Kind regards,
Will

[wmuser]

Thanks for the confirmation. So in theory, one could attempt to sync a color wash or chase effect by sending clock data while triggering a preset at an exact moment in time? Has anyone here attempted this sort of thing or have examples of their setup online?

Also, if I connect the MK2 to my hardware sequencer via USB, it should just recognize it without additional drivers, correct?

[Beatsmith8]

The developers have repeatedly been asked for better midi implementation - which surely is possible given the relative simplicity of midi - yet nearly 10 months later they are still "thinking about it". This is a great light controller, but only permitted presets to be midi controlled is kind of ridiculous.

[wmuser]

Honest question - was anything promised outside of what it currently has? I asked whether it was possible to sync a color wash or program a chase effect via preset because this is what we have available to us now, and from my perspective, a crippled WM1 still beats most other options outside of bringing a separate computer rig.

I'm not saying the disappointment isn't justified (I would argue it 100% is) but if I learned anything from the Akai MPC saga (which is *7* whole ass years in the making), it's to work with what's available now, and not any potentially promised feature. For me, ten months isn't a long time to wait when actively booking and playing out., mostly because I seemed to be doing fine without the feature this entire time.

I have zero idea how easy it may or may not be to implement the features being requested, so I won't weigh in on that, but I do get the feeling that A) it's not as easy as it seems and B) berating a team of ~5 people might not speed up the process.

That said, if anyone wants to sell me their MK2, I'd be willing to entertain the idea for the right price.

[wmuser]

Is the MK2 class compliant? I managed to get my hands on a MK2 for the night, but it's not being recognized by my sequencer via USB.

[wmuser]

Well, I really hate to say this, but after having spent some time with a MK2 unit, I'm just not able to recommend it. It wasn't recognized by either of my two sequencers, and the limited MIDI implementation just doesn't justify the additional cost. Furthermore, the separate USB ports for power/MIDI really takes away from the portability of the unit and should have been a single USB-C with physical MIDI din ports built-in. The need for a USB/MIDI dongle adds to the overall cost, and there comes a point where I have to ask myself why I'm not just using software. Additionally, it looks like the included manual(s) had no mention of MIDI functionality, whatsoever.

I really want to love this, but I'll have to hold out for the inevitable MK3.

[leesinthemix]

Is the MK2 class compliant? I managed to get my hands on a MK2 for the night, but it's not being recognized by my sequencer via USB.

No, it isn't.

[leesinthemix]

Well, I really hate to say this, but after having spent some time with a MK2 unit, I'm just not able to recommend it. It wasn't recognized by either of my two sequencers, and the limited MIDI implementation just doesn't justify the additional cost. Furthermore, the separate USB ports for power/MIDI really takes away from the portability of the unit and should have been a single USB-C with physical MIDI din ports built-in. The need for a USB/MIDI dongle adds to the overall cost, and there comes a point where I have to ask myself why I'm not just using software. Additionally, it looks like the included manual(s) had no mention of MIDI functionality, whatsoever.

I really want to love this, but I'll have to hold out for the inevitable MK3.

Yep, physical din MIDI is EXACTLY what the community asked for and they ignored us, probably because they chose a cheaper method of implementation or one they didn't rely on a modification of the existing PCB.

They slapped something else on and charge £100 more than the Mk1 version.

[wmuser]

Well, I really hate to say this, but after having spent some time with a MK2 unit, I'm just not able to recommend it. It wasn't recognized by either of my two sequencers, and the limited MIDI implementation just doesn't justify the additional cost. Furthermore, the separate USB ports for power/MIDI really takes away from the portability of the unit and should have been a single USB-C with physical MIDI din ports built-in. The need for a USB/MIDI dongle adds to the overall cost, and there comes a point where I have to ask myself why I'm not just using software. Additionally, it looks like the included manual(s) had no mention of MIDI functionality, whatsoever.

I really want to love this, but I'll have to hold out for the inevitable MK3.

Yep, physical din MIDI is EXACTLY what the community asked for and they ignored us, probably because they chose a cheaper method of implementation or one they didn't rely on a modification of the existing PCB.

They slapped something else on and charge £100 more than the Mk1 version.

I can absolutely sympathize with MK2 users at this point. I initially thought people were overreacting, but I totally get the frustration now. There were so many head-scratching decisions made when it came to how and what to implement. Wolfmix really is leaving money on the table without a proper firmware update/hardware refresh.

I assume no one has officially addressed the reasoning behind the changes?