Digital Recording Question.

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NLAlston

NLAlston

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I have been recording music from my MIDI Music Sequencer into my computer via the 'line-in' inputs on my Creative Labs 64D sound card. I believe that (as far as soundcards go) mine borders on shamefullness - if not beneath it. But it is the one that came with my computer, two years ago. I guess it would be very understandable that I haven't been at all satisfied with the its offering. After speaking with a couple of people, on a better soundcard, the concensus was on the SoundBlaster Live Platinum. I have just finished reading a few threads regarding this particular card, and the info was a little daunting ~ mainly because I desperately need another card, and the Live Platinum would be the absolute most that I could spring for. But I would like for someone to shed some light on the following situation:

As stated above, I have been 'lining' my music into my system through the inputs, but I have also been told that the Live Platinum would afford me the opportunity to do the same thing - but in a much better, and cleaner fashion - through its MIDI ports on the LiveDrive panel. I am a little confused, here, because of hearing that MIDI does not transport musical notes - just the note information (1's and 0's). With this being the case, it doesn't seem possible that I could transfer my creations into my system (w/Cakewalk Pro Audio 9) to lay audio tracks against. I would really appreciate any information in this matter.

NLA
 
Hello from a Bear

I have the Platinum LiveDrive, and just bought CakePro9 also. I am extremely new to this digi-recording world so I can't answer the MIDI questions from a musical point of view, but from a Computer view.

I will start by telling you what I think of the card. Please bear in mind that I am no where near the level that the people that may jump into this thread, but I will tell you where I am at in this venture. So far, with the exception of the "mixer" that comes with the card, I absolutely love the Line drive. I am researching midi right now and there is a MIDI in and OUT on the line drive, an spdif, IF, for a mini disc and what I have been using is the LINE2/MIC2. I have just been laying acoustic guitar tracks, and leads. With the MIC2 there is a pot that you can switch off and use the LINE2. I have recorded one of my acoustics with an SM57, and it sounds (for a monitor I have a small stereo/cd player) exactly as it does while I am playing when I play it back from cake walk. To me, it sound great. I have also been using my Digitech RP5 guitar processor with the acoustic/electric for chorus/reverb/compressor, once again it sounds great...to me. I am far from professional, just an old guitar junkie who also happens to be into computers and finally got around to combining the two talents. Like I said though, I am researching MIDI instruments and have not purchased one yet, but I assume that the MIDI inputs will work as well as the audio inputs. I have been told that I would outgrow the card, but from hanging out here I find that people are running numerous cards and I have not heard anything bad about the MIDI aspect of the card. I do know that some of the higher priced cards have no MIDI at all, but have more 1/4" inputs along with more xlr's for the MICs. I use an adapter for my MIC2 input and it works and records very well. The sound card also has more 1/8" inputs in the back of the card as well. I haven't need to use them yet though.

So, bottom line coming from a "newbie" begginer type, and the fact that I think the "mixer/source selector" interface sucks, (LOL, I learned how to use it efficiently HERE on the BBS!!!!) I like the soundcard and it is really easy to use.

Now, as far as Digital anything goes, digital is basically ones and zero's. Computers "think" in Binary, 1=yes, and 0=no, to keep it simple. That is why sometimes computers crash, because it can't figure out what you asked it to do, and it didn't know if it was a one or a zero and just says.......later-booom, crash. And then you are rebooting. I have used alot of operating systems and I am using Windows 2000. It is extremely stable. I have one at work that is a dual processor, with 500 megs of ram, and I have sometimes 15 to 20 hard core programs running and it just asks for more. I work with networking and it is a powerful management tool, blows away NT4, and any home OS, 98,95,ME.

So.....I know that there are analog keyboards, and somewhere along the line, there is a processor on board or that it connects to that "translates" the analog into digital. That is as far as my knowledge of midi goes. I am sure that one of the "digi-gods" will jump in here and fill in some of the blanks. I hope that this was helpfull. Later.
 
forgot to mention.....

I started a thread in Keyboards/sound modules, I believe it reads "keyboards-midi-drumtracks?" and the BBS crew is trying desperately to "educate a pathetic woodland creature" like myself :) about the world of keyboards. I think from reading your thread though that you already might know alot about keyboards. If you do, add a comment to that thread, any input would be great. Good Luck!!
 
THE BEAR,

Thanx much for your reply. It was very nice of you to share as you did. Contrary to what you may think about any expertise, on my part, with the keyboard - what I actually know is very little. I have a cheapie ($130) Casio electronic keyboard that I know how to effect a few chords on, but the little that I know of my Yamaha QY700 MIDI music sequencer (an excellent piece of equipment) is what allows me to create some very nice sounding pieces of work. My equipment is on the limited side:

1) Gateway performance 400 computer
2) 128 Megs/Ram
3) 13 Gig hard drive
4) CWPA9 recording software
5) 12X Teac VeloCD drive
6) NEC DV-5700A drive
7) Creative Labs 64D sound card
8) WinME O/S
9) Digitech "Vocalist" Harmonizer
10) Behringer 8-channel mixer

but, then again, I am not aiming at trying to put something of a professional grade on the market. What I do is mainly for my own listening pleasure, and to present to family & friends. However, I am somewhat discriminating - so I would indeed like a better sound card. Being that the SoundBlaster Live Platinum hovers around what I would be able to spend, it appears to be the card of choice. I know that there are better cards out there, but I believe that one could spend $700 on a card - and later find that there are costlier cards out there which would run the other one asunder.
Just like yourself, I am in the learning stage of this game. I have had my sequencer over two years, now, but have not buckled myself down into learning the MIDI aspect of the machine. My involvement with it has been within creating music in much the same way that I did with a Port-a-Studio that I used to own.
I have been hearing a great deal about this "Win 2000" operating system, and I am seriously thinking about getting it as soon as I can afford it. My computer seems to be very "crash prone" since I married it to WinME.

So, eventually I will get around to upgrading more and more of my system. But, initially, I will jump on that "Live Platinum" card. I think that it may be just what I need.

'Been nice chatting with you, and maybe we will cross paths again. Much luck to you in your endeavors - and take care.

NLA
 
I have been 'lining' my music into my system through the inputs, but I have also been told that the Live Platinum would afford me the opportunity to do the same thing - but in a much better, and cleaner fashion - through its MIDI ports on the LiveDrive panel. I am a little confused, here, because of hearing that MIDI does not transport musical notes - just the note information (1's and 0's). With this being the case, it doesn't seem possible that I could transfer my creations into my system (w/Cakewalk Pro Audio 9) to lay audio tracks against. I would really appreciate any information in this matter.
Click to expand...

What you can do through the MIDI ports is send your MIDI data into the computer (by playing a MIDI keyboard, or sending the output of a sequencer like your
QY700) and send it out (to your QY700, or any other device that is capable of responding to MIDI messages). The device that ultimately is receiving the messages is what will make the sound. It can be the SB Live's MIDI synth, or the QY700, or anything else that plays notes or sounds in response to MIDI messages.

You can do something like this: take a sequence made on the QY700, set up your computer's MIDI sequencing software to slave to the QY700, set up the QY700 to transmit MIDI clock messages and to send each track of the sequence on a separate MIDI channel, set up corresponding tracks on the computer sequencer app to record off the appropriate MIDI channels, hit record on the computer, then play on the QY700.. and your sequence is recorded. No audio, just the MIDI note on messages and everything else in your QY700's sequence.

Then you can reverse the process and let the QY700 just be a tone module, and send the MIDI outs of each track to the appropriate channels that will trigger the right instrument patches on the QY700. Or you can play the sequence from the Sound Blaster's internal synth. The fact that this synth can be loaded up with all kinds of great sounds using Sound Fonts is my favorite feature of the SB Live. Or you can send the MIDI messasges to any other sound module that you might have.

If this all sounds mysterious and hard to grasp, grab yourself one of the many good MIDI books and work through it. It's a bit complicated understanding how to make it all work, but once you do, it's a fabulous tool for recording and composing. (Besides triggering sounds you can change patches in MIDI-capable guitar effects units and often automate their parameters too... and you can synchronize to tape machines and VCRs with the right synch converters... and innumerable other applications.)

Here's one good place to start on MIDI basics:

http://www.midi-it.com/midi101.html

-AlChuck
 
ummmm...

Hey Alchuck...I sure am glad that you are into music and electronic gear and not like.....explosives, or gunz or something, LOL , you would be one dangerous dude!!! I will investigate the MIDI 101 site. Thanx, Later.
 
Or you can play the sequence from the Sound Blaster's internal synth. The fact that this synth can be loaded up with all kinds of great sounds using Sound Fonts is my favorite feature of the SB Live

Hey AlChuck,

I have to echo the sentiments of 'TheBear', in that I am sooooooooo happy that your expertise doesn't flow in the negative vein. I am still a little in a fog over this MIDI matter, though, and will indeed check that site out. But, regarding the above portion of your reply, are you saying that - with the SoundBlaster Live Platinum's Soundfonts feature - there would a way for me to record my sounds into CWPA9 via the MIDI ports anyway? I am really hoping that this is the case. And if this is the case, I will buy that card with the quickness.

NLA
 
soundfonts....hmmmmmmm

I am sure when I do get around to picking up a keyboard and messing around with midi that this question would arise......soundfonts......okay, I too am intersted in this bizarre application that was provided (vienna soundfonts version 2.3) by SB with the platinum card...........I was going to hold off on soundfonts for another thread, and a keyboard, with a lot less bread in my pockets....but while we are here.....................I will "listen" in and enlighten my mind a bit......:)
 
NLAlston,

You cannot record your sounds via MIDI at all, period, the end. You could record your sounds as audio, turn them into Sound Fonts, and load them up in your S'Blaster. Then you have a MIDI instrument whose sound source was made from your sounds. But if your sounds are already available to you via MIDI, what's the point?

An example of one way to work is:

Sequence all parts that can be sequenced in MIDI -- synths, drum machines, whatever;

Record as audio those things that are not MIDI instruments -- your voice, guitar, flutes, trumpets, krumhorms, whatever.

When you're ready to mix, if you're going to mix down to stereo on the computer, record the audio created by the MIDI parts into audio tracks.

-AlChuck
 
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