MIDI Programming

[pyro]

Anyone here know anything about MIDI programming?

 

I have not a clue and need somewhere to start.

 

I'm using Acid 4 and need to control the volume of my MIDI tracks but can onmly apply envelopes to audio tracks. I know this is a super big subject but I think volume would be a good start!

[Ian Cashman]

are you controlling external devices then??

if youre just using acid why do you need midi??

im confused about what youre asking m8...

[Agent]

This site might help you

Here

 

 

[pyro]

Can't figure out Cubase yet and waiting to try Reason. Have a Yamaha PSR Midi keyboard but can't "play into" my computer. Might be something to do with me not having a proper soundcard yet.

 

Thinking of getting an Oxygen8 midi controller soon but opinions would be welcome. Would love to get a synth but not got the money at the moment! I'd like to use a midi keyboard running through my soft synths to keep me going.

 

With regards to what I'm doing at the moment - I'm either using MIDI files or drawing the notes in by hand ( )

. If you've used Acid you know it's easy to stick in a volume envelope over the track. Unfortunately you have to programme the midi to do that.

 

I really need to get strated in MIDI so any advice at all is welcomed.

[Blink]

OK, before you look at getting a midi controller, you gotta look at the sound card you are using...here comes the technical bit....does it have ASIO drivers?

 

When you play a soft(ware) synth, there is a delay between when you press a key, and when it sounds (there is on all synths, but on soft synths, there is the time it takes for the PC to synthsize the sound, then send it to the soundcard, and then the soundcard to output noise). This is called LATENCY, which is the buzzword with all soft synths. If you want to be able to play the soft synth in real time, you really need a latency of below 10ms (milliseconds). ASIO drivers will give you this. normal sound card drivers could take up to 50 milliseconds (drop something off your desk, and see how long it takes to go "thunk" imagine trying to play anything with there being that much delay between when you hit the key, and you hear the sound).

 

Latency isn't really an issue if you are using a midi-controller to play other outboard (hardware) equipment. I have a midi set-up, where my synth also plays my sampler, but until I get a decent soundcard, I can't use it to play any of my soft synths

 

So you could spend £100 on a midi-controller, only to find the latency crap for controlling your soft synth. If you have a keyboard with a midi out, you can use that to power your soft synths, you just got to figure out how to get the midi in to your machine.

 

You got a midi adapter for your sound card (about £15), gives you a joystick in and a midi in/out, and do you have the midi drivers installed for your card (MPU 401 drivers). i think all modern soundcards support midi to a degree, so it is a problem with your set-up.

 

Have a waffled on enough yet?

[Blink]

Oh, and attached here

here

 

Is a post, which has an attachment of a Reason tune I am working on if you are interested

 

Edited March 24, 2003 by Blink

[pyro]

I'm just going on the motherboard onboard sound at the moment. However when I've run auto-detect settings it seems to accept it as have an ASIO driver. Because I don't have a full soundcard with the manual, and my midi keyboard has no instructions I can't set up the midi routings at the moment. I'm totally lost.

 

I can get the computer to play the keyboard but it won't detect the MIDI out in order for me to record.

 

MIDI. Is it worth it??!!!!!

 

 

[Blink]

Firstly, have you checked the Midi In set up in your software (normally there is an option to select the Midi In port as well as the Midi Out POrt)

 

OK, MIDI has 16 channels (if you want more than 16 channels, you need an additional midiport!!). You need to check that the MIDI out from your keyboard is set to the same as the MIDI In your software is using.

 

If you are using multi-timbral software (ie anything that can be more than 1 instrument at a time), you need to make sure that the midi out CH is the same as the midi in CH of the sound you are using.

 

As an example, if you have a basic piece with drums, bass & lead synth. The drums would be on Ch 10 (they don't have to be, but that is the protocol from General Midi), the bass on Ch 1 and the Lead on Ch 2.

 

To play any sound you would then change the midi out setting on your keyboard to whichever sound you wanted to play.

 

However, in Cubase and Reason (the only software I have used with Midi), you set up a "Global" midi channel, which your keyboard sends data out on, and then the software itself routes it to whichever destination you have set up. (In Reason, you have the little black circle on the left hand side of the sequencer screen, by the names, which represents your midi input). So check your set-up.

 

Will try to remember to look around more this evening when I am sat in front of Reason, see if I can find any more ideas.

 

If you can get your computer to play your synth sounds, one way of trying to testing that you are sending as well as receiving MIDI is to turn off the "Local" on your synth (that is what it is called on mine anyway). Basically, your synth will have an option to tell it to NOT play the sounds direct from the keyboard, but only what it is told by MIDI. (This will mean that if your synth isn't midi'ed up, you don't get any sound out of it) Then set it up so you computer will play sounds on your synth (this shows that midi data is being sent), then try playing your keyboard. The theory being that your keyboard sends the notes to your computer, which then sends them back to the synth, telling it to play. If this does [censored] (ie your synth plays the notes you are playing), then you know that MIDI data is being sent and received, so it is an issue within the software you are trying to use as to why the software doesn't play sounds as directed by your keyboard.

 

I'm still not sure how well I have explained any of that, so if you want to chat, I am normally on MSN between about 7 & 9pm blinkeden@hotmail.com