Newbie Question: Softsynth

[Stevo7]

I don't really know much about MIDI but I have acouple of soft synths on my computer and when I play with them I don't have any sound coming out of my speakers. Each program has a place that says "MIDI out", and I have a "MIDI out" port on my TASCAM-122 USB interface. Do I need to get a wire to connect the "MIDI out" to my speakers so that I can hear the softsynths? Or am I way off?

Thanks for the help.

[fraserhutch]

Do you have a sound card? You should not need the midi out from the softsynth, only the midi in. The output of the soft synth needs to be directed to your sound card.

So, looks like this:

midi controller::midi_out -> softsynth::midi_in
soft_synth::audio_out -> soundcard::input.

hth

[Stevo7]

I have a sound card but I don't think I have a MIDI controller. The program I have is like a piano but you can play it using your computer keyboard. But when I do that there is no sound coming out of the speakers. I don't know what I should do now.

[fraserhutch]

Originally Posted by Stevo7

I have a sound card but I don't think I have a MIDI controller. The program I have is like a piano but you can play it using your computer keyboard. But when I do that there is no sound coming out of the speakers. I don't know what I should do now.

Then that program is a midi controller.

Can you verify that the soft synth is actually reciving midi input?
I'ts midi in channel must be the same as the midi out channel of the little program you indicate.

Finally, is the soft synth set to output to your soudn card?