# How does the E1 identify a device? **URL:** \ **Category:** General discussion\ **Created:** [June 7, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.electra.one/t/how-does-the-e1-identify-a-device/2995 "2024-06-07T16:47:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VtruV](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.electra.one/vtruv/32/3108_2.png) [@VtruV](https://forum.electra.one/u/VtruV)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.electra.one/t/how-does-the-e1-identify-a-device/2995/1 "2024-06-07T16:47:57Z")
The doc says… “A Device represents a musical instrument connected to one of Electra’s hardware ports and listening on a particular MIDI channel. You will not be able to communicate with your instrument unless you register it as a device. A Device effectively tells Electra One what instrument is connected to a particular MIDI port and channel. If you have two Waldorf Microwaves connected to your Electra One, you will need to set up two devices and configure them accordingly.” Which makes sense but how and where in the preset editor do you identify a device? E1 shows the device connected to the USB host, but where in the editor is this managed? I see “generic midi” in the editor but not my device. Should it be identified here as it is on the E1? What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![VtruV](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.electra.one/vtruv/32/3108_2.png) [@VtruV](https://forum.electra.one/u/VtruV)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.electra.one/t/how-does-the-e1-identify-a-device/2995/2 "2024-06-07T17:50:29Z")
I’ll share a bit more about where I’m hung up. What is the hiarchy for a preset? Example: The Digitakt II has 16 tracks. Each track is assigned to a channel. However if the device itself is assigned to channel 10, doesn’t this take away the ability to assign a channel to a track? Use case: I want Vol Control and a mute button for each track. I can do it for every track but 10 since that is taken. Which brings me back to the question… How does the E1 identify a device? Does it have to be assigned to one of the two ports and to one of the 16 channels? ---
**Author:** ![martin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.electra.one/martin/32/145_2.png) [@martin](https://forum.electra.one/u/martin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 5:04am UTC](https://forum.electra.one/t/how-does-the-e1-identify-a-device/2995/3 "2024-06-08T05:04:37Z")
In E1 speak, the device is a anything that listens on a port / channel. A hardware module / synth / sequencer that uses more channels will require multiple E1 devices to be used. eg. for digitakt you might need a device for the master as well as for individual tracks. The “generic midi” is the default name used for the devices. You can configure and rename it to whatever you need. eg. master, track 1, track 2, … By default, E1 sends MIDI messages to **all** interfaces. that means that if you configure a device to port 1, channel 4, changing a parameter will send the messages to MIDI IO 1, MIDI USB device 1 port, and if connected to the MIDI USB host 1 port. ---
**Author:** ![VtruV](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.electra.one/vtruv/32/3108_2.png) [@VtruV](https://forum.electra.one/u/VtruV)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2024, 10:52am UTC](https://forum.electra.one/t/how-does-the-e1-identify-a-device/2995/4 "2024-06-08T10:52:03Z")
Thank you for that explanation. That makes perfect sense. Most of the functions that I look to use are applicable to all device tracks, so making use of the auto channel function to consume one E1 channel is worth it. Especially when I can do the same for additional devices within the same preset.