drum machine/midi cables

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paresh

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Hi - I'm not new but this is a basic question:

I just want to connect a drum machine to my interface with midi cables, to free up an analog input. I don't plan to edit any of the midi functions. I've always just used the RCA cables. Are the midi cables enough to transmit the sound the same as RCA, with no other complications?

Secondly anyone know a source for short (12-18 inch) midi cables? Thank you!
 
MIDI cables don't transmit audio at all. They transmit MIDI, which is just instructions....
 
Concur - MIDI will control the drum machine, but you still need the audio cables - sorry!
 
Thanks, you saved me some money. I vaguely remembered something about that but I never got past page 2 in midi books!
 
paresh said:
Thanks, you saved me some money. I vaguely remembered something about that but I never got past page 2 in midi books!
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If you have a suite like ezdrummer or addictive drums you can do what you're describing.
As the chaps say, midi is just data, but you can use it to trigger a suite like that and still save yourself 2 line ins, or whatever.

Of course, it'll sound different to your drum machine but who knows...it may sound better, plus you'll have full control over the sound of the kit (individual instruments) after recording.
 
Cool idea but I want to be able to use the drums w o the computer on.
 
paresh said:
Cool idea but I want to be able to use the drums w o the computer on.
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Get a mixer. Of course, if saving money on a pair of 12-18" MIDI cables is a huge win, a mixer probably isn't in the budget.
 
It's a new focusrite interface & a very old Roland DR 5 drum machine. Interesting idea about spdif - I've never really understood what that is - just a matter of having the correct cables?? At any rate the drum machine doesn't have spdif jacks.
The focusrite interface includes a software mixer where you can save settings to an internal flash drive - that's how you can actually use the interface as a simple stand alone mixer. I did have Mackie mixer but it was starting to malfunction & I wanted to simplify. Thanks for input.
 
Looking on the website, it's clearly a headphone out, along with the analogue left and right on RCA phono connectors, digital inputs on RCA and TOSLINK.
 
What bit depth? The first time I hooked up my Lexicon MPX-1 I neglected to change the bit depth to 20-bit from 24-bit from the soundcard and locked up the unit. Had to call Lexicon to get the factory reset instructions to unlock it.
 
paresh said:
..... Thanks for input.
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Audio, Midi or S/PDIF?

whee.webp
 
bLUiVORY said:
Audio, Midi or S/PDIF?

View attachment 91323
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Heh! What do you want to free up another input for? You could just make a simple, passive, resistive "mixer". At line levels there is no noise penalty to speak of and of course, zero distortion!

Other than that the only other solution is the A to D converter.

Dave.
 
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