JL Cooper MSB Plus Programmable MIDI Patchbay Processor
Last Update 05-26-2025
JL Cooper was one
of the first makers of MIDI retrofits and accessories, and they're
still a major builder of control, automation, synchronization, and
interface products. The company is named after founder Jim
Cooper who had worked as chief engineer with Oberheim, teaming
with Tom to design the famous SEM module and the polyphonic four-voice/eight-voice/OB-X/OB-Xa
synthesizers that launched an industry. Jim developed modifications
on the side for Oberheim and Emu products, where the demand
increased enough to become a full time business as JL Cooper.
The MSB Plus was released shortly after the dawn of MIDI; while long
out of production, it is still a vital component in my studio and
stage system. The buttons do become intermittent with age and I had
to recap at least one of them, but they have been rock solid. The
lithium battery for patch memory backup is past its due date and
should be replaced. The MSB is a 1U rackmount programmable
MIDI patchbay (64 user patches, responds to MIDI program change)
with eight inputs and outputs, where any input can be assigned to an
output. MIDI commands such as CC, real time, program change, pitch
bend, sysex, etc can be filtered at the output (some early
commercial MIDI products or 3rd party retrofits could malfunction on
certain MIDI commands). The "REV 2" version added two processors on
which any MIDI input can have processing such as channel bump and
note transposition, and can function as a rudimentary master
controller where program change commands can be configured for each
output in each user patch. Either of these two processors assigned
to any output, or their outputs can be merged and assigned to any
output. All the programming is done from the front panel, whose
interface takes some getting used to. There are only the LEDs for
displaying configuration settings, no LCD display. The user manual
is still available from the JL Cooper website. The Rev 2 upgrade was
available for older units.
An alternate "16/20" model with sixteen inputs and twenty outputs
was produced.
Other features are a PANIC button, which sends a rapid barrage of
MIDI note-off messages on every channel in case something is stuck
making sound. A rear panel footswitch can be used to enable the
PANIC function or advance programs on the MSB. User patches can be
saved and restored using sysex patch dump. JL Cooper made a remote
control application for computers (no DAW plugin), but it hasn't
been updated in years and it currently only works on Windows 7,8,10
(no other versions). The user manual does have a section on MIDI
control messages for remote control of the MSB.
As you might imagine, the MSB is a powerful device with
sophisticated uses. I bought my first one in 1989 while on a
business trip, and that was when my MIDI studio was born. I outgrew
the 16 MIDI channels as I added more gear so I bought the 2nd MSB
from a musician friend to add another set of 16 MIDI channels.
When I built my stage MIDI system, I
acquired a third MSB for that. I get a lot of uses out of the MSB
devices.
The one feature I wish it had is a MIDI channel filter; I have some
MIDI gear that are stuck in omni mode (responds to EVERY MIDI
channel), and a channel filter would give the ability to filter all
but a selected channel to solve the "omni problem". I haven't
seen a similar product with the same feature set in today's market,
and there are musicians who yearn for a MIDI patchbay that doesn't
require a computer to operate. There are modern non-rackmount
tabletop MIDI patchbays that can be controlled from a DAW over USB -
fine for the studio, but I don't want to drag a computer and a loose
non-rackmount tabletop interface along for stage use. Even in my
studio, I don't always turn on my computer while jamming on my gear.
Plus the standalone MSB will never go obsolete like computer
operating systems and applications do.
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