Help connecting MIDI controller, MIDI module and interface?

[scooter79]

At work I have a generic MIDI controller connected to a Presonus Firestudio and running Cubase LE4. This works great for recording audio and VST's, however I also want to record and playback general MIDI without having to resort to using the PC soundcard.

The controller has a MIDI out. The Edirol SD-20 has a MIDI in and USB connection. The Presonus has both MIDI in/out and connected to the computer via firewire.

Ok, so what I'm asking is how do I connect it all together so I can use general MIDI BUT still be able to use the controller to play built in VST's?

 

[Toddskins]

How have you been using your MIDI controller if it's not hooked up via MIDI ?

I'll wait on that one. Meanwhile,....

Just hook up your SD-20 to your computer using the USB ports/cable. Connect your MIDI controller to the SD-20 with a MIDI cable (from controller's OUT to SD-20's IN).

In your Windows Control Panel, go to Sound, Speech and Audio devices. Click on the Audio tab. At the bottom is MIDI devices. Select your SD-20 from the dropdown list. It should be there when you installed the Edirol and its driver.

Next, in Cubase you'll need to go to its Setup menu (I don't know what it's called in Cubase), and for MIDI you need to let Cubase know now that you are using the SD-20 for MIDI.

Lastly, when you create a new track in Cubase you'll want to make it a MIDI track (you should know enough about selecting the various options at this point - i.e. for audio you have various options, and for MIDI you should now have the Edirol listed).

When you play the MIDI controller, Cubase or some icon in the Windows taskbar should be reflecting the incoming data from MIDI. That let's you know that things are working properly.

Now when you play the MIDI controller, you'll be sending MIDI data to Cubase, and if you have VST's open, you should be able to hear those sounds, too, but to my knowledge VST's require MIDI in order to control them so (back to my original question)?

 

[scooter79]

Toddskins, thanks for the reply.

At the moment the the midi controller is connected to the midi in on the Presonus Firestudio. This means I can record VST's I have loaded such a Korg Legacy pluggins, ezdrummer etc. But because the controller and the Presonus does not have built in sounds I have to use the computers built in sound card to playback a MIDI file.

Add to this I also have the problem of not being able to convert a MIDI file to audio without some sort of sound module in the chain.

Would it be possible to just connect the Edirol SD-20 via a USB and keep the controller plugged into the midi in on the Presonus OR do I have to have the midi out of the controller connected to the midi in on the Presonus?

 

[Toddskins]

Ok, so now what you are asking is if you can use the Edirol's built-in sounds, without resorting to using it as the link in the MIDI chain, and I think the answer to that is "Yes and No". Only because you still have to let Cubase talk to the Edirol's programming somehow, and the means to do that is via MIDI. But from what you are asking now, it's just a simple add-in.

You'll leave your setup as it has been for the past several months, and by adding the Edirol to your computer, you give yourself new options of sounds to play back.

Now telling Cubase to use the sounds on the Edirol SD-20 will take a bit of programming, I think. Not too difficult, but let's say you want to use the Edirol Hammond B3 organ sound for the MIDI notes you have recorded earlier using your MIDI controller....okay, well that particular MIDI track which has notes in it, will play whatever MIDI program Cubase is told to use. Presently, it's default is the GM sounds from your computer's sound card. But you want to change that, as you should.

So in the OUTPUT of the track, you will select the Edirol and probably a patch #, to bring up the right sound in the Edirol when playback starts. Furthermore, you need to have your Audio Out from the Edirol hooked up to your sound system so you can hear the notes as they play.

Example on the Cubase Track: OUT: Edirol #47 (where 47 might be the number of the Hammond Organ sound).

Something like that, I think.


NOTE: You still need to let Cubase know about the Edirol's existence, or else you will not have the option to select it from the MIDI Track OUTPUT.

The neat thing about MIDI, is that you can change the notes, durations, fix errors in your playing, everything, before recording the actual audio track. And the way you do that (record the Audio) is by setting up another Track, right next to the MIDI track usually, except that this track is now Audio. It will record "IN" the sounds coming out of the Edirol. Which brings up a new complication of having to take the Audio OUT from the Edirol and plugging it into an Audio Input on your Firestudio.

Lastly, to do that last paragraph.... you will PLAY the song in Cubase. As the time marker is moving along, it plays the MIDI notes in the MIDI track, and you hear the sounds from your Edirol. To record those sounds, you will hit "Play" as just described, while simultaneously recording on the new AUDIO track to capture the sounds coming out of the Edirol. So playing and recording in the Cubase song are going on at the same time.

 

[scooter79]

Thanks again. I think you've answered my question. Most of what I've done up until now has been pure audio recording and added VST plugins. However I've started working with midi as I'm doing arrangements to be used for live duo gigs.

One way to overcome the problem of converting midi to audio is an online converter. However The quality insn't to my liking. Also I still need the computer sound card to play back midi but I'd like to be able to delete the sound card driver completely.

Previously when I had my setup at home I got my midi sounds and playback from a casio keyboard with midi in and out. My setup at work is a little different. I know it's not really that difficult to set up properly but I just couldn't get my head around it.