Using Strymon Nixie with Morningstar Controllers

Owned by James Toh
Last updated: Oct 25, 2023
4 min read

Overview

When Nixie to communicate with the devices, it sends SysEx messages to a MIDI Interface via USB, which then forwards it to the Strymon devices. The Strymon devices will then send some SysEx messages back to Nixie via the MIDI Interface.

It is possible for Strymon Nixie to communicate with your Strymon Timeline, BigSky etc using the Morningstar MC6MKII, MC8 and MC6 PRO (these units have a MIDI IN and OUT port), instead of using a dedicated MIDI Interface.

Settings on the MC6MKII / MC8

In your controller, MIDI Thru needs to be turned off while Cross MIDI Thru needs to turn on. This allows MIDI to flow from the MIDI IN port out to the USB device port, and from the USB Device port out to the MIDI OUT port.

Cross MIDI Thru

This function needs to be turned ON because this function allows your certain MIDI messages to be transmitted from USB MIDI to DIN MIDI, and vice versa.

MIDI Thru

This function needs to be turned OFF because when the Strymon devices sends data back to the controllers, the data should not be transmitted back to the MIDI OUT port. If this is turned on, the messages will travel in an infinite loop between the controller and the Strymon devices.

Settings on the MC6 PRO

Messages from the USB Device port needs to flow through to the DIN5 MIDI OUT port, and from the DIN5 MIDI IN port through to the USB Device port.

Your MIDI Controller’s MIDI Channel needs to be on an independent MIDI channel i.e. different from the MIDI Channels on your Strymon devices.

Please remember to exit Editor Mode when trying to connect to the Strymon device and Nixie

Settings on the Strymon devices

Please make sure that your Strymon devices are updated to the latest firmware when using Nixie. It is possible to use the Morningstar controllers to do the update (That’s what we used).

  • Set MIDI PA and MIDI CT in the GLOBLS menu of your pedal(s) to ON.

  • Set MIDI TH to MERGE

  • Set MIDI ST in the GLOBLS menu of your pedal to OFF.

  • If you are connecting more than 1 Strymon pedal to Nixie at once, make sure to set each pedal to its own MIDI Channel (MIDI CH in GLOBLS).

The Strymon MIDI Channels should be different from the Morningstar Controller as well.

More information can be found here: https://www.strymon.net/faq/strymon-nixie-installation/

Connecting the devices

The Morningstar Controllers should be connected to the computer via USB. The MIDI OUT from the controller should be connected to the MIDI IN on the Strymon device, and the MIDI OUT on the Strymon device should be connected back to the Morningstar MIDI IN.

Using Nixie

When you launch Strymon Nixie, clicking on the “View MIDI Adaptors” button will bring out a window to show what MIDI Interfaces are available. If you have the Morningstar Controller connected, it should appear on this list.

After which, you can click on Detect Hardware

The Strymon hardware should then appear in Nixie.