Keyboard question?

[dogooder]

I just bought another Alesis QS8 cheap. Couple of keys out, cosmetically bad, otherwise it all works. I need the display for another one I have and the volume faders etc for the other one I have. My question is, can I make a desktop synth module out of it and just control it with another midi keyboard and just store the keys from this one. They are the easiest things to work on. You cannot find the volume fader anywhere. I know, I have tried. I had to take mine apart and clean it and put back together and they aren't meant for that. Lasted about a year. I would think, therefore I am, if I could think, it doesn't need the keys and would still work through midi controlled by another keyboard?

 

[ecc83]

Had a good look and cannot find a picture of any MIDI DIN ports? If it has them then yes, you csn run it as a "sound module" from a controller or indeed from a computer (mac?) via an interface or possibly directly over USB?

The kbd also appears to have digital output, a S/PDIF D/A converter is peanuts. There is an extensive review of the synth in Sound on Sound but this clot forgot to copy the link! You will find it easily enough though.

Dave.

 

[dogooder]

Had a good look and cannot find a picture of any MIDI DIN ports? If it has them then yes, you csn run it as a "sound module" from a controller or indeed from a computer (mac?) via an interface or possibly directly over USB?

The kbd also appears to have digital output, a S/PDIF D/A converter is peanuts. There is an extensive review of the synth in Sound on Sound but this clot forgot to copy the link! You will find it easily enough though.

Dave.

It has a digital S/PDIF in and out and midi in and out, no usb ports, too old. I wonder if the mod wheels will work without the keyboard? It is going to be awhile until I get to it.

 

[ecc83]

It has a digital S/PDIF in and out and midi in and out, no usb ports, too old. I wonder if the mod wheels will work without the keyboard? It is going to be awhile until I get to it.

The mod/pitch bend wheels on my son's Evolution controller work on a synth in a DAW so AFAICS if the controller sends the right commands?...

Dave.

 

[noah330]

You can 100% control it with another keyboard. MIDI Out on the new control to MIDI In on the QS8. You may have to turn local control off, which should be in a global menu.

I had a QS8 years ago, and a few keys went out. IIRC, it's a Fatar key bed and can be repaired. It could just be a couple of springs.

IIRC, there is a rack version, the QSR. Some features may be missing, as I can't remember the differences between the 6,7,8, and the rack.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

Had a good look and cannot find a picture of any MIDI DIN ports

I searched, and found a picture showing Din midi in-out-thru.
Looks like using an external keyboard will fly.

 

[dogooder]

You can 100% control it with another keyboard. MIDI Out on the new control to MIDI In on the QS8. You may have to turn local control off, which should be in a global menu.

I had a QS8 years ago, and a few keys went out. IIRC, it's a Fatar key bed and can be repaired. It could just be a couple of springs.

IIRC, there is a rack version, the QSR. Some features may be missing, as I can't remember the differences between the 6,7,8, and the rack.

I have pulled and cleaned a few Fatar actions. Time consuming but easy.

 

[Eclipse4449]

Greeting Everyone. I have a couple of Old Yamaha keyboards and a few new keyboard controllers 25, 49, 61 keys. I am seeing devices that sit on or is nearby keyboards that contain music that person probably created. When the keyboard players are playing music they reach to these devices and it begins playing ambient or complementing chord progressions etc.. I see this in a Live environment and when a Synth guy is playing multiple keyboards to play his song. What type of device is this? They do not have keys just buttons some have controls, dials and sliders

 

[rob aylestone]

I use streamdecks sometimes to control cubase or qlab, which works. You can also map MIDI CC messages to buttons - I have a master keyboard controller and can even use the drum pads on it to fire off cubase - it's just programming so a but fiddly to set up, but it works fine.

 

[Eclipse4449]

OMG, ok I Have the Arturia Keylab 61 MK3 it has those 12 pads, so i can just use the "mapping software: and drag a dare I say "composition" of multiple vst tracks to a single pad and call that music to play through (I use Reaper) that is incredibly good news! So to bat this out of the park, that would be capable of playing an intro to a song by touching a pad and I could leave that keyboard until I play lead part on the keys provided the intro music duration is long enough

 

[DM60]

@Eclipse4449 - you are asking very good question. Here is the problem, with a DAW and MIDI channels, CC mapping, etc. there are so many options. I won't go intop detail here because it gets very complex, quick. Not hard once you know it, but complex. For example, you can set each keyboard to a MIDI channel and gassing those channels to each track and that gives you the VST (this can also be done with hardware). You can have on each track, mappings for arps, drum loops, etc. Then assign automation, you get the idea.

This is where certain software really works well. Like I use Ableton, it is focused on Live performance and I can do this sort of thing pretty easy. Reaper can do so many things, I am not expert with Reaper, but I know those guys are really good software developers, and they have an API that is so open and flexible.

I would just start with simple, map a track and a MIDI channel to a keyboard. Then another keyboard to another channel. I would use the Arturia as the main controller and the others as we will say, Bass and Lead. kind of get the hang of it. Once you get an idea of how it works, then you can map VSTs to turn on and off, create loop jumps, but it really is down to how deep you want to take it. If you get stuck, go to Reaper, tell everyone what you are trying to do and I am 99.9% sure you will get an answer, or where to find the answer.

Let the fun begin!

 

[Eclipse4449]

Thank you Guys!!!

 

[rob aylestone]

I've had a Steinber CC121 remote for cubase for years - theres a fader, some buttons, some knobs tape transport LEDs etc - but if you look in cubase, it's just a MIDI device that maps all the controls via MIDI - appears really clever, but almost any MIDI device could be made to do the same thing. We actually use in the theatre show I am currently doing, MIDI to connect the sound to the Lighting, and then the lighting talks to ridiculous things like the LED butterfly wings the dancers are wearing. When the sound op presses a button that makes a 'zing' noise, eventually it also gets routed wirelessly to make all 8 butterfly wings fizzle in a dedicated colour. Making this work will involve sound, lights, electrics, the assistant stage managers and the cast all interlinked. The lighting control just waits for an incoming MIDI note - and does it's thing ONLY when that note on arrives. Well - to be honest this is the plan we are working with. Next week will show us if it actually works and is reliable. We don't have a plan B at the moment.

 

[Papanate]

It has a digital S/PDIF in and out and midi in and out, no usb ports, too old. I wonder if the mod wheels will work without the keyboard? It is going to be awhile until I get to it.

You can get a Midi To USB adapter which will work.