Orange Squeeze
Orange Squeeze

Orange Squeeze

£80.00

4:1 Midi Merge

Out of stock

ORANGE SQUEEZE is a 4-to-1 MIDI merger… MIDI data from the 4 inputs is combined into a single MIDI output.

The merge processing is carried out in firmware, so MIDI messages which arrive on different inputs at the same time are correctly queued and sent out in an orderly way. A typical use might be to allow multiple MIDI controllers to be used with a single synth or module, but there are many possible applications and an ORANGE SQUEEZE is a great addition to your MIDI gear box.

ORANGE SQUEEZE imposes minimal filtering on the input, which opens up some creative possibilities for craziness (like what happens if you merge notes from two different sequences on the same MIDI channel? what if you merge information from two pitch bend controls? etc.)

However, with great power comes great responsibility! it is up to you to make sure that you configure your sending devices appropriately so you don’t end up with unwanted MIDI mayhem. In particular, make sure you keep all your MIDI data on different channels if you don’t want it to clash.

There are a couple of things that ORANGE SQUEEZE does need to enforce, however:

  • MIDI clock ticks can only be received on the MAIN input. Clock input on inputs A, B and C is ignored, although you can still send other real-time messages (e.g. transport)
  • SYSEX messages must have exclusive use of the output, so messages from other inputs must wait until the SYSEX transfer completes.

ORANGE SQUEEZE has the following features:

  • Four optically isolated 5-pin DIN MIDI inputs; MAIN, A, B and C and a single 5-pin MIDI output (All inputs function the same, except for clock messages and firmware updates, which must use MAIN)
  • Red activity LEDs for each input, and blue LED for output, show when MIDI data is being passed.
  • Yellow status LED warns if any MIDI data is lost due to excessive data (see below)
  • Red power LED and 2.1mm barrel socket (accepts 9-12V DC with positive or negative tip, e.g. standard guitar pedal supply)
  • All cable entry from front panel allows mounting in a studio panel/flight case foam etc.
  • Firmware is updateable over MIDI
  • Laser cut acrylic case with laser etched acrylic face plate
  • Size approx 17.6cm x 5.5cm x 2.7cm
  • Approx weight 171g
  • FULLY ASSEMBLED and tested

NOTE – MIDI has a fairly limited maximum data rate (32kbps). Since all the data from four MIDI input is merged into a single MIDI output, which has the same maximum data rate, it is possible to receive more data at the inputs than can be sent at the output. ORANGE SQUEEZE will queue up data to a point, but sustained high data rates could result in loss of some messages. ORANGE SQUEEZE will warn you of this by lighting the yellow status LED (It should be pretty unlikely for this to happen in practice)

Designed and hand assembled in Brighton, UK

Documentation

Orange Squeeze is a MIDI merge device with four MIDI inputs and one MIDI output

Broadly speaking, the MIDI present at the output is the combinations of all the MIDI received at the inputs.

MIDI Inputs

Orange Squeeze has one “master” input and three “slave” inputs (labelled A, B, C). Generally speaking, these inputs all work in the same way, however there are a couple of ways in which the “master” input operates slightly differently to the “slave” inputs. These will be described below.

Before we go further, please be aware that MIDI is a fairly low-bandwidth connection and has a top limit of 31,250 bits (or a little over 3000 bytes) per second. The output has the same capacity as each of the inputs, so if all four inputs are running at full speed there would be many time times more data coming into the Orange Squeeze than can be sent on to the output, so some data will be lost.

Since most MIDI messages are 2-3 bytes in size this means that we have a top limit something like 1000 – 1500 messages per second. This may sound like a lot, but if you are merging four streams of MIDI that include a lot of CC’s, NRPNs and so on, it is possible that you might reach that limit before you realize.

Orange Squeeze can buffer data that is waiting to be sent, so short periods of “maxing out” might be OK, but do keep in mind there is a maximum volume of data that can be handled!

Input Filtering

Orange Squeeze imposes minimal filtering on the input, which opens up some creative possibilities for craziness (like what happens if you merge notes from two different sequences on the same MIDI channel? what if you merge information from two pitch bend controls? etc.)

However with great power comes great responsibility! it is up to you to make sure that you configure your sending devices appropriately so you don’t end up with unwanted MIDI mayhem. In particular, make sure you keep all your MIDI data on different channels if you don’t want it to clash.

There are a couple of things that Orange Squeeze does need to enforce, however

  • Only one MIDI clock can be present on the output
  • A sysex message must have exclusive use of the output (cannot be mixed with other messages)

These points are described in the next sections

Realtime Messages

Orange Squeeze has special handling for the following MIDI real-time messages:

  • Clock Tick
  • Transport Messages (Start/Stop/Continue)
  • Active Sensing
  • Reset

Orange Squeeze will only accept MIDI clock tick messages through the Main input. Clock tick messages from any of the inputs A, B, C are ignored. This ensures that only one clock is present on the output and allows low latency handling of clock messages. Make sure that you connect your master clock source to the Main input!

Any other real-time message can be received through any of the four inputs, however messages that are received via the Main input have special low-latency handling where they can jump straight to the front of the transmit queue and be transmitted at the output with the minimum delay possible.

Real-time messages received via the Main input are not blocked by Sysex data transmission.

Note that although clock messages (i.e. BPM sync) are blocked from inputs A, B and C, transport messages (Start/Stop/Continue) still pass through, so you can control the playback from any input.

System Exclusive Messages

Orange Squeeze has special handling for System Exclusive (SysEx) messages

These messages can be large but cannot be merged with any other type of MIDI message (with the exception of real-time messages) This means that while a SysEx message is being received from one of the inputs, no other inputs can be serviced and any data that comes into them must back up and wait for the SysEx to finish.

The one exception to this rule is real-time messages that come in through the Main input. These can be sent immediately, even when a SysEx is being passed from an input A, B, C

LED Indications

There are fur red LEDs, one for each MIDI input.

  • These LEDs blink in response to MIDI input activity
  • If the LED is lit solidly this and the yellow status LED is on, this indicates that the input buffer is oveflowing due to too much MIDI data at that input.
  • When the device is first switched on, each input LED gives a single blink. This indicates that the input is working, and that slave inputs are communicating successfully with the master. If there is no blink at power on, this might indicate a problem with the input.

The BLUE led blinks when there is output activity. The brightness of the LED indicates the level of activity. When the LED is lit solidly, this indicates that backlogging is occurring at the output. This may result in backlogging at one or more inputs that might cause data to be dropped (indicated by the yellow LED)

The YELLOW LED indicates that a data overflow is occurring. This may indicate that one or more of the inputs is receiving more MIDI data than can be serviced by the master, or that that total combined MIDI data throughput is more than can be transmitted on the output.

If you see the yellow LED lighting, you need to reduce the amount of MIDI you are trying to merge via the Orange Squeeze!

Source code

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