Anvil Studio and Keyrig 64 No choice of note duration.

[abrogard]

I have this new (to me) keyrig 64 and I'm trying to use it with Anvil Studio which seems to be about the easiest to understand and use of the freeware recording packages I've found.

Anvil sees the keyrig and takes input from it. But only of one duration. The piano roll is divided into bars with sixteen divisions. I guess single notes down to eighth notes.

So what's happening by that measure is I'm getting single note input only. I can't make a longer note or a shorter note. The pitch is fine.

My fault, need to configure something?

Or the keyrig is no good?

Or Anvil?

Or this is the way MIDI input is supposed to work (surely not!) ?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Generally speaking a DAW might have two different ways of recording data directly from a keyboard.

One way is to simply record the incoming MIDI data to the track and capture each Note On and Note Off event as it occurs, such that each note's duration is exactly as you played it.

The other way has to do when using the keyboard to enter data into the piano roll editor or (if the DAW has one) the notation/score editor. In this mode you normally have to select the duration of each note-- i.e., quarter note, eighth note, half note, etc. This also applies when entering notes into the piano roll editor or notation editor with a mouse or computer keyboard. You can always edit the notes' durations-- and, if necessary, correct their pitches-- after they've been entered; otherwise you just need to be sure to select the desired duration before you enter each note.

Each way has its advantages and disadvantages.

The disadvantage of the first method (directly recording the incoming data) is that the events might not line up nicely with the beats of each measure; but the advantage is that you get an exact recording of your performance (warts and all). You can then make any corrections or adjustments using the piano roll or notation editor.

The disadvantage of the second method (piano roll or notation editor) is that it can be a real hassle to have to pre-select the notes' durations, or edit them after the fact, not to mention having to insert rests where desired; but the advantage is that the notes are sure to be lined up nicely with the beats.

EDIT: I do have the free version of Anvil Studio, but I haven't used it a great deal. I can try to help you with specific questions related to it.

 

[abrogard]

I know. I experienced the one effect with Anvil and the other with LMMS.

I prefer the lmms way if only i can find a way to easily make corrections. i input to musescore. maybe there. i think i'd find correcting note length (duration) as arduous as inputting every note by hand in the first place, might as well not use the keyboard.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I think you should be able to "just record" a MIDI track in Anvil Studio. I'll try it in Anvil Studio later and see. Most DAWs let you use either method.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Following are some very brief notes to help you get started with Anvil Studio.

Click File | New Song to start a new recording project. On my Anvil Studio installation I get a default of one track, "Track 1," which is an Instrument (MIDI) track. It's automatically turned on and enabled for recording (red check). You can add more tracks if you need them. I'm not going to worry about the song or track setup, such as Tempo, MIDI channel, etc.; you can set those however you wish, as well as the various options under "Preferences."

Click View | Synthesizers, MIDI + Audio Devices to verify that your MIDI keyboard controller is listed in the "Enabled MIDI In devices" box and that it has a check mark beside it.

Choose your preferred view:
View | Mixer
View | Composer (Staff Editor)
View | Piano Roll Editor
etc.

Click on the "Rec" button above the track. You'll probably get a popup asking "Do you want to turn on the metronome before recording?"

After you respond to the prompt about the metronome you should see the counter in the upper right corner start counting (and if you're using the metronome, you should hear it).

Start playing on your MIDI keyboard controller. You won't see anything being added to the track yet, but don't worry.

When you're done, click on the "Rec" button again to stop recording. The notes that you played on your MIDI keyboard controller should now be visible in the track. You can view the track in either the Piano Roll Editor or Staff Editor and make whatever adjustments are needed.

I hope that helps you get started.