Connection Question

RbFaV

New member
Hi,

So I'm a drummer who used to mess around many years ago with home recording (electronica type stuff) before everything was USB and connections were nice and simple midi ins and outs and so on. Ahhh, good times, the late 90s!

Having left all that, moved on, dropped music, had kids, I've started to feel the itch again and am getting back into things.

Number one - DAW. Cakewalk is a free DAW now? Wow. Heady days. That saved me some headaches. Unreal times.

So, my question. I'm trying to hook up my small batch of gear and really it seems clunky the way I'm looking at doing it so wanted to check if I'm missing some new-fangled, simple fix.

My gear, cobbled together from here and there:

Akai MPK mini
Benringer Xenyx Q502 USB
Modal Electronics Craft Synth 2
Carlsbro electronic drum kit
Cheapo Mic

Windows laptop with 1 USB C port (2 in reality, but the charger needs to go into one).

So, what I want is to use the Akai to control everything, essentially.

Back in the day, I'd take the midi out of my controller keyboard to the in of my synth (sadly departed), midi thru to my drum machine (also sadly departed) then on to my midi interface with my PC. Audio out of the synth to mixer channel 1, audio out of the drum machine to mixer channel 2, mixer out to line input of the PC. Happy days. Simple times.

Back to today - it's all USB and confusing for an old man! Here's my plan; is it terrible and I should bin the gear and take up pipe smoking instead? Or is it more or less OK and I can try and make some "choonz" as I believe today's young folks say?

Akai - only has USB out.
Craft Synth - USB out (for midi and power) and traditional midi out and in (out acts as a soft thru).
Behringer - USB out to take audio into the laptop.

My plan is to plug a powered USB hub into the laptop. Then take a USB to midi in/out cable from the craft synth to the USB hub. Plug the Akai into the USB hub, plug the Behringer into the USB hub. take the audio out of the Craft Synth into the Behringer.

I am aiming to:

Use the Akai to control Cakewalk, then sending midi from Cakewalk to the Craft Synth to control it.

Use the Behringer to take the audio from the Craft Synth into Cakewalk.

Plug a mic into the Behringer so my 4 year old can record some fart noises into Cakewalk.

I suppose what I'm asking is - will this work OK? Is there a neater solution (a cheap, neater solution, kids are expensive and it's only a matter of time before my wife realises there's a 'hidden' purchases section of eBay). Am I missing something stupid that makes this not feasible?

Thanks in advance.

Ah, electronic drum kit can be forgotten about - I'll be hooking it up on its own to the laptop to lay down some "mad beatz" thru midi (its onboard sounds are god awful).

Things were easier when I just turned up with my acoustic drum kit and hit things whilst the guitarist and bassist did their thing.

Cheers!

Rich
 
Hi Rich and welcome. You are on the right lines (in fact you can do little else with the gear you have!), you need a USB powered hub,
There are two problems I see looming? Firstly, 'Audio Interfaces generally don't like working through hubs! However, WTGR the 502 is not a 'proper' interface, it is a small, very basic mixer with a pretty naff USB 16 bit converter 'tacked on'! However, THAT could be your savour, the mixer should appear in the software as "USB CODEC" might actually say "Microphone" as well and you will probably have to use Windows drivers and that could lead to high latency, pretty disastrous for drums I bet? But, can't hurt to try and ASIO4ALL might help.

Another problem could be the hub. You need a C type plug to go into the PC but all the kit will be standard 'A' types and USB 2.0. Make sure you get the right hub.

Dave.
 
That's great - thanks for the advice. I'll be using a dongle with USB C to A on it - another layer of complexity! hub should turn up today so we'll see how we go!
Thanks again for your time.
 
That's great - thanks for the advice. I'll be using a dongle with USB C to A on it - another layer of complexity! hub should turn up today so we'll see how we go!
Thanks again for your time.

Great, I said the mixer was "a bit naff" and compared to a $100 interface it is, however it should be good enough to get you going. Once sorted maybe we can discuss what sort of AI you can slide past 'er indoors!

Pays to take some thinking time and maybe save some cash because there are considerations like how many discrete inputs you might want. For sure you want MIDI ports!

Dave.
 
So, everything you said was spot on - which is both good and bad! I've had a play around this evening and there's a couple of issues.

Taking the Behringer straight into the laptop (Craft Synth into the Behringer) works fine and dandy - nice audio signal in Cakewalk. Unfortunately, once I plug the mixer into the USB hub, then the hub into the laptop - no dice. No sound, although now I can use the midi out of the Craft Synth, and the Akai no problem.

So I guess it's an interface I'll be looking at.

Input wise, I suppose ideally a couple of audio ins would be ideal; my kids are starting to get interested by the flashing lights so it'd be cool to be able to play synth and vocals at the same time.

Also, if the interface is going to go directly into the laptop USB, I'm going to need some midi ports in there too. I suppose ideally a couple of ins and outs would be great to allow flexibility. Any suggestions?

I notice you're from Northampton - I spent many a good night in the Roadmender (way) back in the day!

Cheers again, advice is much appreciated

Rich
 
Hang on Rich! If the 502 does not work as an AI on the hub then it is likely no others* will, do you really have just two USB ports on that laptop? I was going to ask if perhaps it had an express card slot but if it is new enough to be USB C then it won't.

Hmm, complicated. Normally you could just get an AI with MIDI ports (do anyway) and so have AI in one C port, power in tother but all your other MIDI kit is USB! FORK! You can get USB to DIN converters but then things get expensive not to say complex, lots of dangly stuff....IDEALLY you want an AI with a built in USB hub and there are a few around. Akai made a 4 input jobbie so equipped, MIDI I/O to boot but I am not sure it is still current.

*My Native Instruments DOES work on 'a' hub but then it works on just about any bloody thing! That is not to say though that it will work on YOUR particular hub. Are you still in UK? Gimme ten...

Yes, the KA6 works fine into a 7 port hub I have had for years tied to a clunky W7 desktop that basically runs my printer in my living room. Normally I don't have the hub powered but the KA6 would not have it until I hunted up the 5V 1A supply. Then all cool, a track of my son's plays nicely from Samplitude and the demo of Pianoteq played (one finger on laptop keys!) without a glitch with 4.4mS latency, i.e. buggerall, once I had set it up for an ASIO device.

So, if you can run to a KA6 and you ARE in UK you could get one and try it instanta and if it does not work, send it back under the Distance Trading Regulations (you might lose the postage) If you do get a KA6, hang onto the mixer as that can feed lines 3/4 and give you a 3rd mic and a mix of the line inputs.

Hope this all makes sense and helps?



Dave.
 
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Yeah, just the two USB C ports on the laptop - one of which is used for the charger. Could always record audio in one port, connect everything else to the other port and only record audio when the laptop's fully charged, ha!

That might actually work as a solution as most of the time I'll be messing around with midi.

Can't quite stretch to a KA6, but the KA1 might be achievable. I really like the look of the Novation audiohub, but seems to be discontinued and unavailable.

I suppose ideally, I'd want a combined midi + audio interface and USB hub. That's not too much to ask, right? ;)

Decisions, decisions.

Thanks a lot for your advice with this.
 
Yeah, just the two USB C ports on the laptop - one of which is used for the charger. Could always record audio in one port, connect everything else to the other port and only record audio when the laptop's fully charged, ha!

That might actually work as a solution as most of the time I'll be messing around with midi.

Can't quite stretch to a KA6, but the KA1 might be achievable. I really like the look of the Novation audiohub, but seems to be discontinued and unavailable.

I suppose ideally, I'd want a combined midi + audio interface and USB hub. That's not too much to ask, right? ;)

Decisions, decisions.

Thanks a lot for your advice with this.

There is still I think the Akai EIE? An interesting interface, 4 discrete channels, VU meters and a 4 port USB hub. Never really seemed to take off? Might be worth a look on Ebay?
I have seen a very few other interfaces with at least one USB A port but I think they were very upmarket.

What is your budget limit? I know the KA6 Mkll is nudging £200. I had a Behringer UMC204HD for a while and found it very good, clean mic pres with enough gain for a '57 on speech. I did not have time to investigate the MIDI side but great many must have been sold by now and I have heard nothing dire.

You might JUST find an NI KA6 Mk1 under £100 but unlikley. IF you do be assured it will almost certainly be in good working order...BSH comstruction.

Dave.
 
Right, managed to pick myself up an Akai EIE Pro, should be here later this week. Looks like a great bit of kit, had a couple of drinks last night so was easier to go over my self-imposed reserve!

Expect a post on here about how I get it to work!

Thanks again for your help, Dave - much appreciated.
 
Right, managed to pick myself up an Akai EIE Pro, should be here later this week. Looks like a great bit of kit, had a couple of drinks last night so was easier to go over my self-imposed reserve!

Expect a post on here about how I get it to work!

Thanks again for your help, Dave - much appreciated.

Oh ***t! That's torn it! I have read a review of the EIE and it 'seemed' ok but as I said up front, they never seemed to take off.

They appeared in print years ago debuted at a winter NAAM and because misical son was into the retro VU meter look I tried to get some information from Akai. Things such as a basic specification and a user manual. They were not forthcoming with either. "Okay, early days" I thought and tried again in the Spring. Still no dice. Then I read a glowing report about the NI KA6 so I got one of those and promptly forgot about the EIE.

I shall indeed be very interested in the unit's performance, if I saw one in a Cash Generator shop a decent bit under a ton I would get it.

Dave.
 
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