Using USB controller to control midi analog synths.

flyagaricus

New member
Ok - total newbie question here:

I have a couple USB midi keyboards (no 5-pin MIDI jacks) and I would like to buy my first analog hardware synths and be able to play it using one of my controllers. I don't want to have to buy a new midi keyboard that has 5-pin MIDI. I've heard this can be done but the people at my local music stores don't seem to be much help. So here I am. I've heard it can be done either through software or through a USB/Midi host. I have no need to control the synth remotely or live, so I'll always have a PC nearby.

I'm wondering what people here thing would be the best approach, even if it means buying a new keyboard.

Thanks
 
It works fine if you just set the DAW to send whatever comes in to your new analogue external device. I'm never that keen on doing this because windows has a habit of doing housekeeping stuff that suddenly stops things working, but my MacBook does it mostly fine.
 
It works fine if you just set the DAW to send whatever comes in to your new analogue external device. I'm never that keen on doing this because windows has a habit of doing housekeeping stuff that suddenly stops things working, but my MacBook does it mostly fine.

I'm unclear un how the analog synth would connect...Just through USB, like a new MIDI device? What about if I had a synth with no USB, or what about if I had multiple, adn I wanted to use just the one keyboard to play all of them?
 
I am not that familiar with the USB to MIDI, but since it works off the same standard, I assume you set each sound module up with a channel. Set your keyboard up to output to that channel, then it should play that module.

An example of this is IK's Miroslav Philharmonik. I can set up 16 parts in one plugin. Sequence a part on one track other than where the plug in, set the output for that sequence to say channel 1, set the plugin to channel one, and that track will play just channel 1, then I set another set of instruments in the plugin, set output to 2, set plugin receive to 2, then the next track plays just those instruments.

So channels are the standard MIDI way of giving each sound module its own receive channel, up to 16 in the old standard. That allows you to set up to 16 as many sound modules and call them by selecting their channel from the master keyboard to play that sound module.

It really isn't that comlex, I am probably just not explaining it very well since I have been working with MIDI for over 30 years. But that is how this technology works.
 
I have a couple USB midi keyboards (no 5-pin MIDI jacks) and I would like to buy my first analog hardware synths and be able to play it using one of my controllers. I don't want to have to buy a new midi keyboard that has 5-pin MIDI.

Keyboards can have midi out over 5pin, or via a USB interface, or both.
Likewise synths can accept midi over 5 pin or via some built in USB interface.

If your current keyboards all use a USB interface then, as far as I know, you'd need to hook them up to a computer which has midi output port (audio interface?) then have some software pass the midi data through.
That gives you 5 pin output that you can rig up to your synths, and then you can record their analog audio output back to the computer, but with a cost - Processing delay.
No idea what kind of delay we're talking about - It's not something I do.

Synths which have USB interface would be different, of course, but the same would still apply for actually capturing/processing midi input from your keyboards.
 
In fairness - USB gives you far, far more connectivity. I've a Kontakt master keyboard - but it can access my computer - little screens show all the available sounds etc - but the basic functions of any controller keyboard are simply to get notes in and MIDI, via DIN connectors does this perfectly well. I have an 8x8 MIDI in/out device and this connects via USB to the computer. I connect all my old synths, modules and keyboards to it - and in Cubase I just select which of the 8 MIDI outs sends to each device. I can also receive MIDI from any of them if I want. I rarely need to use external synths now, as all my favourites are now in the computer as VSTi instruments - but it's still connected, just in case.
 
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