Midi setup question

[famous beagle]

Ok, here's the deal. I'm fairly new to MIDI. I mean, I've used a controller to input music into a score program and to play sounds from my Vintage Keys module, but when it comes to a full-blown MIDI recording setup, I'm pretty new.

So, I have a few questions:


1) Can the sound patches of a soft synth be used with anything other than a software-based sequencer? In other words, can I use them with my Yamaha QY70 sequencer and then in turn with my Yamaha AW16G?

2) Is it possible to write a sequence on my QY70 and then transfer that sequence to Cakewalk?


Basically, I like the freedom of being able to compose away from my setup with my QY70. (Obviously, most of the sounds aren't terribly usable, so I need other sound modules. The only one I currently have is the Vintage Keys module.) But, I'd like to make use of my Cakewalk program if I could incorporate it. Up to this point, I've never used Cakewalk for any sequencing. So is there a way to incorporate my QY70, Cakewalk, maybe some soft synths, and my AW16G into one big happy family?

Thanks for any help.

[altitude909]

1. No. Patches are always specific to the synth (software or otherwise). There are a few exceptions but are all in hardware synths. You can use some hardware patches with their corresponding software versions (FM7 will take any DX patch) but those are few and far between

2. Yes. You just need to slave the hardware sequencer to the software sequencer via midi clock and then just record the midi tracks.

The qy and cakewalk are very similar funtionally so there is overlap but I used to take my old QY10 on the road as a scratch pad and then dump the midi into cubase to add better sounding synths. You can also send midi from the QY to any softsynth or hardsynth so you do have some flexibilty if you want to go computerless

[famous beagle]

Thanks a lot for your response, but I'm still a little confused about something.

It seems to me that your answer to #1 and the paragraph at the bottom are conflicting. I'm sure I'm misunderstanding something and the fault is mine, but I'll try to phrase the question better.


Basically, I like the sequencer in my QY70, but obviously I need better sounds. I have the Vintage Keys, which I like, but I need other natural sounds (like piano, strings, etc.). If I buy some soft synths, like ... I don't even know ... I'm pretty clueless on the soft synth scene .. maybe like this:
http://www.emu.com/products/category...ubcategory=527
are these even soft synths? See how confused I am? lol

If I buy a soft synth, will I be able to use its sounds with the sequences on my QY70 and then slave the QY70 with my AW16G as the master?

Is this making any sense?

thanks again.

[altitude909]

Sorry,
should have been a little clearer. The sounds on the QY are fixed so you cannot replace them in the box with anything. However, you can use your softsynths and computer like a hardware synth (just send midi to the correct port). This does have its drawbacks though since you will be leaving the digital realm