MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Idiot!

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Mikah

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Hi guys,

Well the title says it all: I'm a total idiot when it comes to all things MIDI. I'm the kinda guy that can play pretty good (so I'm told) but just can't get my head around the technical side of things). I'd be very grateful if some kind soul could spare a few minutes to help me out as I am in total confusion! In the past I have only ever recorded audio from my S88 but now think it's time to get to grips with MIDI.

My gear is:

Roland Fantom S88 Music Workstation
Novation SL MKII Keyboard Controller
Behringer Xenyx 1202FX Mixer
Tascam US-144 MKII Audio Interface
(Some sort of microphone coming shortly when I've figured out what to use)

I have had the S88 and the Tascam audio interface a while now, so the SL MKII and Behringer Mixer are new additions to my setup.

I want to use the 2 keyboards separately and independently (I don't want one controlling the other). The S88 is my hardware synth and I want to use the Novation as a software synth and to control my DAW with knobs and sliders etc.

My dilemma is that I simply don't know how to hook up all this gear together! Please, please, please could someone just explain (real simple) how I connect everything up. Like I said, previously, I have only used the S88 through the audio interface to record audio. I've been living in the "dark ages" far too long and really need to start learning how to use the MIDI side of things.

If someone could just explain what cables plug in where and link everything together I would be eternally thankful. I apologize for being such a dumbo but my head just goes blank and I can't figure out what plugs in where!

Kind regards,
Mikah

(I'm band new to the forum)
 
Any takers please? I know it sounds daft but I know how to play/operate the hardware but I just don't know what connections to make between them all. If someone could please put me out of my misery I'd be eternally grateful!
 
The controlling unit is the one where the MIDI instructions (the .mid file) reside.

Back in the days of the HW that I used, this data was sent to (and from, for recording a MIDI file from a live performance) a MIDI distribution box via serial cable; now it's USB.

From there MIDI pairs of cables connect the distribution box to the MIDI playback hardware, each pair on a separate instrument line. My SC-88, also from Roland called them A and B.
 
If you want to record the sounds that something makes, use audio cables.
If you want to use something to trigger sounds or control things in your computer, use a midi cable.

Simple as that :)

Your tascam has midi i/o and audio i/o so the mixer isn't really needed.

novation to tascam = midi
roland to tascam = line (jack cable)
 
Any takers please? I know it sounds daft but I know how to play/operate the hardware but I just don't know what connections to make between them all. If someone could please put me out of my misery I'd be eternally grateful!
if you don't want one keyboard controlling the other the what's the point?

In case you don't know, BTW, you don't record MIDI. There's no audio to record.
 
In case you don't know, BTW, you don't record MIDI. There's no audio to record.

Wellllll.... I know the point you're trying to make, but technically, you can record midi. When I play piano/kybrds, I record teh midi data so I can edit out the flubs. I then play the midi file back through my kybrd and record the audio.

As Lt Bob said, there is no audio with midi, it's just data. You need to record a sound source driven by the midi data. That sound source might be in your computer as a VSTi or your keyboard/synth/HW module.

Don't worry, I hate midi, too.
 
Wellllll.... I know the point you're trying to make, but technically, you can record midi. When I play piano/kybrds, I record teh midi data so I can edit out the flubs. I then play the midi file back through my kybrd and record the audio.

As Lt Bob said, there is no audio with midi, it's just data. You need to record a sound source driven by the midi data. That sound source might be in your computer as a VSTi or your keyboard/synth/HW module.

Don't worry, I hate midi, too.
well yes, but based on the OP's wording and the fact that he's not even sure how to hook up cables, it seems unlikely to me that he's wanting to record MIDI data.

But anything's possible I guess.
 
It's gonna be tough to use the Roland as a keyboard controller and the Novation as both DAW control surface and sound module with only one pair of MIDI sockets. I'd get a USB MIDI box such as an M-Audio MidiSport 4x4 and use MIDI-OX freeware for MIDI routing.
 
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