MIDI Setup Question
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > MIDI Setup Question
Posted on Apr 07, 2010 04:48 pm
Indellable
Music Afficionado
Member Since: Aug 12, 2008
I have never used MIDI before and have finally heard that "it is the coolest thing ever" enough times to consider giving it a shot. The good news is I already have:
- A MOTU 8i/8o express XT interface
- More than enough MIDI cables
- Digital Perfomer (which I understand is a great MIDI sequencer)
- Korg Triton, Yamaha Motif, MPC1000 and a Kork MS2000R all of which can run MIDI
My basic question is this:
When wiring everything - do I need ins/outs off all all 4 components listed above running to the ins and outs of the MOTU XT? Or do I just need to run Outs?
I have enough wire to drive me crazy so I dont want to add any more than I need but I also dont want to run wires only to have to go back after the fact and do it again.
I'm sure your next question is - what do you want to use it for? I wish I had a great answer but with no prior expereince with MIDI, I dont. Therfore, any general insight would be appreciated, i.e. Use the Motif as the master with in/out cables and slave the rest with just outs, etc. I also noticed that the synths have a "Thru" option, should I be using that? That would obviously help with wires dangling everywhere.
Oh and in case it makes a difference I do not have space for a dedicated MIDI keyboard controller at the moment.
Thanks for any help.
[ Back to Top ]
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Apr 07, 2010 08:48 pm Holy spumoni that's a powerful midi interface!
I've only used midi control from my Yamaha DGX-505 workstation via USB so I'm not going to be able to make any recommendations as far as MOTU is concerned. I will say that MIDI is the bee's knees though as far as flexibility.
If it were me and I was just getting started with MIDI I probably wouldn't fool around with all those in's and outs on the MOTU; wouldn't even use it. Pick up an A/B USB cable (like a printer cable) to connect the Korg to your PC. You should be able to find a USB driver for your Korg Triton. Once the driver is installed you might have to set the Triton to PC mode or something similar on the Korg itself...then select the midi controller as a HUI device from your DAW. In Pro Tools I have to select the midi device via HUI setup...maybe Digital Performer is similar?
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Apr 08, 2010 10:59 am I like to think of the midi system as this:
the keyboard on your motif is a controller: it turns key strikes into midi data (which note, how long to play it, how hard to play it, etc)
This data gets sent to your motif brain, which creates the note / volume / etc that you sent from the controller, then sends out the actual audio you can hear.
So for this situation, you're going to bypass the motif brain, and use the PC as a brain instead. So, you connect a MIDI cable from your motif MIDI out, over to a MIDI input on your interface (probably the MOTU).
Now, you have to tell DP to listen on a track for the MIDI input channel. You can put a VSTi (or DXi) instrument on that track, and your keystrokes now will be playing the instrument in your PC.
If your latency is low, you can listen to the sounds in real time, or, if the latency is high, you can listen to the motif sounds, while recording the MIDI data in the track, then play the track back later with whatever sound / instrument / etc you want. Like try it with violin, then try with synthesizer, then with brass, etc.
You can record these keystrokes, so you can play them back later, edit them to perfection, build layer upon layer, etc. This is one of the areas where MIDI is useful.
Also, MIDI control lets you put in new sounds / instruments / samples into your productions. For instance, I bought Garritan Personal Orchestra a few years ago. This lets me load up multitudes of instruments in a classical vein, and play back each one via MIDI data. (not just one at a time, whole productions).
I can use the MIDI keyboard to record the MIDI data, or, I can use the Piano Roll to 'mouse' the MIDI data into the track. Both have their purpose and usefulness, depending on what type of character / feel you want in your project.
You can also buy large suites of sounds / samples, like the kontakt stuff, or stylus, etc. Some of these are more synthesizer based, or soft-synth, as is common to call them. There's also classical type stuff, like the East-west Quantum stuff. There's lots of sounds out there, and a lot of them are free, so you can play and experiment to your heart's content.
As a note, I have a Roland Juno-D for my midi / synth stuff, and it works quite well for playing back soft synths / instruments from my PC. I just turn down the Juno volume, and turn up the PC volume. Works a treat.
IndellableMusic AfficionadoMember
Since: Aug 12, 2008
Apr 08, 2010 11:21 am All great info - thanks!
