Use midi to add a voice to a keyboard
- Thread starter Gene92
- Start date
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
There are a number of steps involved.
1 Connect keyboard to computer via midi interface.
2 Download and install an audio application such as Cubase or Reaper. I'm not familiar with what's currently available and what they are capable of. There are some free ones. Some don't deal with midi. However, I use Reaper and it deals very well with midi. There is a free trial and it is a small download.
3 Download and install a flute or woodwind vsti (virtual instrument).
Here is a flute:
Download Free Flute plug-in: IxoxFlute by Ixox
Here are a range of orchestral instruments including woodwind:
DSK Overture - DSK Music : DSK Music
4 Create a track in Reaper (or whatever), load up the virtual instrument, select the interface as the input device and you should be off and running.
1 Connect keyboard to computer via midi interface.
2 Download and install an audio application such as Cubase or Reaper. I'm not familiar with what's currently available and what they are capable of. There are some free ones. Some don't deal with midi. However, I use Reaper and it deals very well with midi. There is a free trial and it is a small download.
3 Download and install a flute or woodwind vsti (virtual instrument).
Here is a flute:
Download Free Flute plug-in: IxoxFlute by Ixox
Here are a range of orchestral instruments including woodwind:
DSK Overture - DSK Music : DSK Music
4 Create a track in Reaper (or whatever), load up the virtual instrument, select the interface as the input device and you should be off and running.
rob aylestone
Moderator
An expensive way to do it, if you don't already have the software. Most software with VSTi style instruments works fine, and there are standalone bits of software from garritan, and others that can run in standalone mode - but they're not cheap. Probably cheaper until you really know what you want is to buy a secondhand module or synth on ebay - last week a rack mount Triton went for two hundred quid which is good value. Old Roland 1080s have nice flute and woodwind voices (and many others) and go for sensible money.
gecko zzed
Grumpy Mod
As it happens, the VSTs I linked are free, and there is a free trial of Reaper. It is more complicated than expensive, because of the learning curve associated with each component. Getting a keyboard with the right kind of voices is probably a damn sight easier than having to learn the intricacies of virtual instruments.
SeaGtGruff
Member
As an alternative to using a DAW, any non-standalone VSTi can be turned into a standalone VSTi using SAVIhost. But a DAW would definitely provide far more power and flexibility.
The simplest method IMHO is to buy e.g. Garritan's GPO4 (personal Orchestra version 4).
It comes with a sample library of all common orchestral instruments, but also including e.g. a harpsichord and church organ.
Included is the sample player ARIA in three versions, the first is stand alone which means you load it, set the MIDI input to your keyboard, set the output to your audio card, load the 'instrument' you want to play into a slot, and play. It responds to velocity as note on attack, mod wheel for volume.
The other two versions of ARIA are a single audio stereo pair output VSTi version and a multiple (16 stereo) channel VSTi.
If you want Jazz instruments try JABB3, or for a marching band try CoMB2 all from Garritan at various prices.
Then there's Instant Orchestra, Classical Organs and Harps as well as World Instruments.
Just try garritan.com.
You'll need to learn a bit about MIDI to get the best from them.
And ... almost forgot, the latest ARIA also has a conventional reverb and a convolution reverb built right into it.
It comes with a sample library of all common orchestral instruments, but also including e.g. a harpsichord and church organ.
Included is the sample player ARIA in three versions, the first is stand alone which means you load it, set the MIDI input to your keyboard, set the output to your audio card, load the 'instrument' you want to play into a slot, and play. It responds to velocity as note on attack, mod wheel for volume.
The other two versions of ARIA are a single audio stereo pair output VSTi version and a multiple (16 stereo) channel VSTi.
If you want Jazz instruments try JABB3, or for a marching band try CoMB2 all from Garritan at various prices.
Then there's Instant Orchestra, Classical Organs and Harps as well as World Instruments.
Just try garritan.com.
You'll need to learn a bit about MIDI to get the best from them.
And ... almost forgot, the latest ARIA also has a conventional reverb and a convolution reverb built right into it.