One skull is great, but what if you'd like to have several skulls singing or talking to each other? Here's how:

The Short Version

• Configure each skull for a different MIDI channel
• Hook up all the skulls to your MIDI port using a MIDI Thru box
• Set each control track so that it sends data on the channel that corresponds to the desired skull

Configure Skull MIDI Channels

The skulls (and Midify Your Skull boards) are shipped on omni mode, which means they will respond to all MIDI channels. When you're running more than one and you want to control them separately, you need to set each one to a different channel.

The Midify Your Skull electronics are based around a Midify board, so most of the configuration commands for Midify will work on the skulls to (here's a complete set of Midify configuration options if you want to play around).

To configure a skull for MIDI channel 1, follow these steps:

• Connect a MIDI keyboard to the skull (only one at a time). Make sure you can control the skull with the keyboard.
• Hold down the C, C#, D, D# and E keys that are one octave below Middle C (MIDI notes 48-52). As long as these 5 keys are held down simultaneously, the skull is in config mode. Any additional keys you press will change corresponding configuration settings.
• Press Middle C (MIDI note 60). This changes the skull from omni mode to Channel 1.
• Release the 5 configuration mode keys.

The skull should now respond only to MIDI data on channel 1.

Here is a complete list of note configuration keys you can use while in config mode (starting one below middle C and going up the keyboard):

• B (Note 59): Omni Mode (factory default)
• C (Note 60): MIDI Channel 1
• C# (Note 61): MIDI Channel 2
• D (Note 62): MIDI Channel 3
• D# (Note 63): MIDI Channel 4
• E (Note 64): MIDI Channel 5
• F (Note 65): MIDI Channel 6
• F# (Note 66): MIDI Channel 7
• G (Note 67): MIDI Channel 8
• G# (Note 68): MIDI Channel 9
• A (Note 69): MIDI Channel 10
• A# (Note 70): MIDI Channel 11
• B (Note 71): MIDI Channel 12
• C (Note 72): MIDI Channel 13
• C# (Note 73): MIDI Channel 14
• D (Note 74): MIDI Channel 15
• D# (Note 75): MIDI Channel 16

Consult this handy map for a visual representation.

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, here are some configuration command files you can load into your sequencing software and play into the skull.

Once you've configured the MIDI channel for your first skull, disconnect it and repeat the above steps for each skull, assigning each one a different channel.

Connect All the Skulls Using a Thru Box
Since you probably only have one MIDI Out port on your computer, you will need a MIDI splitter, also known as a MIDI Thru box, to hook up more than one skull. Connect your MIDI adapter to the input of the box and each skull to a different output.

Not sure where to get a box? Here are a couple of recommendations:

• 4 Channel MIDI Thru box
• 8 Channel MIDI Thru box

Set Each Control Track to Output On a Different MIDI Channel
The exact details of this step will depend on which sequencing software you have, but if you are using Reaper then do this for each control track:

• Click the "IO" button
• Drop down the second box under "MIDI Hardware Output". (It probably says "Send to original channels", but it may already be set to a single channel)
• Select the channel you want this track to send data to. For example, if this track controls the eyes on skull #2, then select "Send to channel 2".
• Close the box by clicking on the red "X" in the upper-right corner.
• Repeate these steps for each additional tracks

Additional Tips:

• If you haven't ordered your skulls yet, make sure you pay attention to the gender of the MIDI connector you need to order to work with your MIDI Thru box.
• If you are trying to create sequences and all of the skulls are responding to your keyboard commands, click the drop-down box next to the meter and select MIDI Input > Map input to channel > (the channel of the skull you are trying to control).