How do I set up my MIDI gear?

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Sweetnighter

Sweetnighter

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I have a sequencer, a synthesizer/midi controller, and a drum machine. How do I connect the cables for all of this?
 
Via MIDI cables. You need a MIDI interface really to connect it to your computer, if you have one of those you need to connect them up using standard MIDI cables. Plug the Output and Input of your Synth into the input and Output of your interface. Depending on how good your interface is you could either now hook up the rest of your equipment into other connections on the interface or have to use MIDI THRU on your synth to connect the rest. Let us know what interface you have and we can supply an answer :)
 
I have an Emu0404 card... but no problem, I got it hooked up alright... but now I have a different question. I have a sequenced program on my synth (a korg ms2000b) and I want it to play in sync with a drum pattern I have on my drum machine (alesis sr-16). How do I do that? I already have a cable running from the out of the synth to the in of the drum machine.
 
You need to pick one master clock, probably the sequencer.

Then, put both the SR-16 and the MS2000 in external clock mode (my MS2000 can auto-detect an external clock, but I think I had to put it in that mode) and you should be all sync-ed up.

To expand on what Tifstorey said, use the midi thru on the MS2000 to connect to the SR-16 midi in. That's assuming you've already connected the MS2000 to your computer interface...

The outs don't matter for this week -- let's get this going and next week we'll move on.
 
if i want to use the ms2000 sequencer, how would i do that?
 
Your MS2000 does send a midi clock, and hooking up the midi out of the unit to the midi in of your SR-16 with it set to external clock mode will result in 2 sync-ed machines, but it will be something that, in my humble opinion, one would tire of quite quickly.

Better to get the whole shooting match going while you're at it.
 
I don't understand the MIDI thing at all. I guess I have an idea about the MIDI in and out. What is the purpose of the MIDI thru, and how does it work??
 
Lets say, you have a keyboard connected to your computer. If you have a sound module which you want to use in sync with the keyboard, you would use the MIDI THRU to connect the sound module to the keyboard. Its all basically just circuits, if you look at it that way its a lot simpler.
 
ssscientist said:
Your MS2000 does send a midi clock, and hooking up the midi out of the unit to the midi in of your SR-16 with it set to external clock mode will result in 2 sync-ed machines, but it will be something that, in my humble opinion, one would tire of quite quickly.

Better to get the whole shooting match going while you're at it.
Click to expand...

Alright, I've done this. So then how do I get a drum pattern to lock in with a sequenced pattern on the MS?
 
Sweetnighter said:
Alright, I've done this. So then how do I get a drum pattern to lock in with a sequenced pattern on the MS?
Click to expand...
If what you've done is what I suggested and connected the sequencer midi out to the MS2000 midi in and the SR16 to the midi thru of the MS, then both the MS2000 and the SR16 should be in external clock mode and the sequencer will be supplying the master clock. Just pick a tempo and hit start on the sequencer.

If what you've done is what you were angling for in the first place and just hooked the MS2000 to the SR16 to trigger a simple sequence you need to turn the 'keyboard' button on the left side of the unit on and press one of the 16 keys which will start the MS2000's internal sequencer.
 
JUSTTIGHT said:
I don't understand the MIDI thing at all. I guess I have an idea about the MIDI in and out. What is the purpose of the MIDI thru, and how does it work??
Click to expand...
Here are two good articles about midi basics.

Part one and part two.

These articles start with the assumption that you are already musically oriented, so they wouldn't be of interest to the man on the street. But for us musicians/recordists they make good sense...
 
ssscientist said:
If what you've done is what I suggested and connected the sequencer midi out to the MS2000 midi in and the SR16 to the midi thru of the MS, then both the MS2000 and the SR16 should be in external clock mode and the sequencer will be supplying the master clock. Just pick a tempo and hit start on the sequencer.

If what you've done is what you were angling for in the first place and just hooked the MS2000 to the SR16 to trigger a simple sequence you need to turn the 'keyboard' button on the left side of the unit on and press one of the 16 keys which will start the MS2000's internal sequencer.
Click to expand...

Okay, well all thats easy enough. In either case, both the synth and the drum have to be sequenced from the same place, right? So if I have a drum sequenced saved in the SR, and I have another sequenced programmed into the MS, then I have to transfer the sequence from the SR to the MS or transfer both sequences to my computer, correct?
 
Both machines have sequencers inside already - each of a different kind.

You don't need to transfer anything to anything to get this going. Just push play on the computer sequencer and you will be using it as a master clock only. You can get to triggering both the synth and the drum machine at your leisure.
 
Sweetnighter said:
In either case, both the synth and the drum have to be sequenced from the same place, right?
Click to expand...
I just reread your post and realized that you are confusing two very distinct terms - 'sequenced' and 'clocked'.

They do not need to be 'sequenced' from the same place, but they do need to be 'clocked' from the same place. Try it and let me know how you do.
 
alright, well apparently their clocked, but they don't seem to play in time together... (and yes, i want them clocked, not sequneced, thank you)

the MS is set to "clock:internal:" and the SR is set to "clockin: yes" so the MS should be running the show, but idk whats going on.
 
Be sure the time signatures are the same and so are the bar lengths. Either one of these can make it appear that two machines are out of sync.

Maybe this will help. It's a freeware/shareware utility called Midi Ox and if you hook up both the MS2000 and the SR16 one at a time to your computer and run this program it will show you exactly what each one is putting out. It's possible that the MS2K is putting out a start command that the SR16 understands, but not continuing to provide a clock to lock the two together.

Here's the link to Midi Ox
 
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