Looking for info on using D4 w/PC

[TVCasualty]

Hi all-

I'm new to the electronic music world, and I have some basic questions I'd like to get answers for, so I can begin to move in a forward direction.

First - I recently picked up a D4 from a friend who never used it for MIDI, only with triggers. I don't have a kit with which to trigger the module, nor do I have the room. The viable alternative is to use a MIDI interface with my Windows machine, but I have no clue where to start!

Does this kind of software even exist?
Can I get an eval copy somewhere?
What cables do I need to get?
Where can I get a good tutorial on using the D4 w/Windows?

I truly appreciate any and all suggestions that are offered. I'm stuck in a small town with no one to give me "in-person" help.

Thanks,
Russ

 

[MOFO Pro]

I'd first start by downloading a manual from the Alesis site, there's critical info there.

Then download a demo copy of Cakewalk or Sonar (probably one of the easier sequencer program around) and experiment with that for a while.

You'll need two midi cables for two-way communication, plus a midi interface for your PC (most SBs sound cards have MIDI I/O)

You'll probably want to do a web search on MIDI to fill in that piece of the puzzle.

Now you can dig your hands into it, and come back with more specific questions about situations that you've encountered.

It would be impossible to answer your question as broadly as it is asked. There are whole books written on each piece of this inquirery.

Good luck, and let us know when you run into your first brickwall!!

Steve

 

[TVCasualty]

Gracias

Thanks, MOFO -

Now that you've begun to break it down for me, I see that the questions were a bit broad. I'll take your advice, and start from there. Hopefully, it'll be a while before I encounter a brick wall, but rest assured, I'll be looking for you when I do.

Gracias,

 

[MOFO Pro]

Oh there are plenty of brick walls out there, be sure to look for the marks that I left when I ran into them!!

Tip 1: A MIDI channel and MIDI controller number are two different beasts. The channel number is the path, the controller number is the event (Which device (path) do you want to do what (event)?).