midi help needed

[eddie21leeds]

hello to all this is my first post...

ok so ive been getting in to pc music production for a while and rolled out some half decent stuff with fruityloops (i actually started doing a proper cubase course at college but it lost me!) i am happy using fruityloops but i have come across my first problem and so am looking for help. basically i need to know how to play back midi files... ive changed the port number via LSD to 0 - matching all of the midi ones to no avail... ive enabled midi output... what am i missing?? thanks in advance for you patience with a n00b!!!

[blazingstrings]

A listing of gear and software you use would be helpful......

[eddie21leeds]

ok... sorry. i am running fruityloops 5 on a standard pc / standard soundcard no special hardware or anything, when i import a midi file there is no sound. thanks!!

[solaris1982]

MIDI in and of itself is soundless...for lack of a better term, it's basically a string of code that tells a computer what to do. You have to have something on the track for the MIDI to play (a sampler for example).

Are there any virtual instruments on the track you're running the MIDI to?

[eddie21leeds]

im afraid im a bit of a beginner - do i need to somehow route it through the "mixing desk"? i have put the fruity LSD on to channel one and its flashing as if there is somthing there and i've changed the port to 0 to coorespond... does that make sense? i saw it on a tutorial on youtube but mine didnt work... thanks again.

[blazingstrings]

First are you using a keyboard to control this all or what?

Second it shouldn't be that hard if your just trying to play notes in.

Third No you really shouldn't need a mixer to use FL.....

Fourth you should be able to just drag and drop the MIDI File into a track with a softsynth on it and have it play back.......

You may wish to get a book on MIDI and Softsynths.

[eddie21leeds]

it's just my P.C. no keyboard or anything - i'm using ready made midi files. do you have to do anything to your soundcard? i was thinking this may be the problem?

[blazingstrings]

No you shouldn't..... Since the sounds are coming from you software the built in MIDI ports shouldn't have any bearing on it at all. Do you have your built in sound setup in FL?

[eddie21leeds]

i'm not sure.... ?