Midi Connections

[Sorrano]

In the old days I had a pretty good midi setup, but things have changed with computers as well as software and I've been trying to re-establish a workable midi setup. What I have is a digital keyboard, a midi sound box, and a computer with a midi adapter. The keyboard and the sound box both have in, out, and through ports. The USB adapter (sold by Cakewalk) only has in and out ports. The goal is to connect the keyboard to the sound box so that I can send the data to the sound box, then record via software on the computer what the sound box is producing. Hope that makes sense. Can anyone advise me on this?

Thanks!

[Chris]

What do you mean by "sound box"? Is it a box that has the MIDI samples you want to use? In other words, you want to play on the keyboard and use the sound from the sound box?

[Sorrano]

What do you mean by "sound box"? Is it a box that has the MIDI samples you want to use? In other words, you want to play on the keyboard and use the sound from the sound box?

Yes, that is correct. It is a Roland Sound Expansion module and I've used it to sequence orchestral parts in an orchestral composition in times past. It's quite old, but unless Midi has changed it should still function.

At one point I had

Piano Out to Computer In
Computer Out to Piano In
Piano Through to Roland In

Either I do not have that set up like I think I do or that is just not working.

[susanwen]

This doesn't answer your question, but i think it will be of interest to you. There is a software program coming out (soon?) that looks like it will write the music you compose on your keyboard. There's info at kck.st/VdLz9t

I don't know anything more about it.
- Susan

[Preston]

The best thing to do would probably be to ask on a midi forum or the forum for the sequencer you use or will use.

It would seem to me that you would plug the piano and the Roland synth into the computer - both plugged in with midi connectors (on the piano run the midi from the midi out and on the synth run the midi from the midi in). Then in a sequencer select your piano as a midi input and your Roland synth as the sound output. But you would have to have your Roland synth connected to your speakers so that you could hear the sounds.

Also, what is the model number of your synth? And, I really do recommend getting a sequencer and asking them about it unless someone really knows here. My experience is just my midi controller and sound card - I have no experience with boxes, etc.

[Preston]

Here are the two ways I have thought, though am not entirely sure. For all of these you will have to have your synth connected to speakers.

1. For recording:
Keyboard midi out -> computer and sequencer, Synth midi in -> computer and sequencer -> synth to speakers - in sequencer set the appropriate routing

2. For general use no recording:
keyboard midi out -> synth midi in -> synth to speakers

[Preston]

Also, sound won't work over midi cables - only midi. So you cannot record the synth sounds by using a midi cable. You would have to use the audio outputs on the synth and get them into your sequencer somehow.

The recording I was talking about was just recording the midi data and then sending it to your synth - but not recording your synth, just recording the midi data.

[Sorrano]

Thanks, Preston! The Roland is an M-GS64. It's quite dated, but I think still works fine. The way I had that set up with Logic (the sequencing program) is that the piano and the software communicated but the Roland (via the through port) connected to the piano. The Roland is connected to my stereo, via a physical mixer; the output audio hasn't changed at all so I know there is nothing wrong there. But I noted yesterday that the out and in lights on the midi adapter do not light up when I am attempting to send data, so there is a problem right there. It maybe that I need to set the keyboard into a midi send mode; I will have to do some research there. Previously, I did not have to do that with the Yamaha I was using (it has been replaced). There is one other thing that might be a factor, and that is I am using midi gender bender cables on the midi adapter so that I can extend the cables. It does not reach the keyboard and the computer, so that might be an issue right there.