anybody help me figure out how to do some midi stuff ? this is my first try so ..i have a ensonique sq 80 and wut im hoping to do is to use the sounds in it in my digitech gsp 21.. i have the midi cables hooked up but i think its just too complex for me to understand first time. if one o you guys could tell me which buttons to push to get any of the ensonique sounds to my digitech i think i will be able to go from there. and i thank ya for takin the time ....
midi sounds from synth to guitar processor...
- Thread starter rokkin
- Start date
AlChuck
Well-known member
The way you ask your question is a little unclear. Let me see if I get this straight -- you want to use the sounds in your Ensoniq keyboard "in" your guitar processor?
If you mean you just want to send the audio output of the keyboard through the processor -- as if the keyboard was your guitar -- it's simple, you just plug the audio output into the processor input as if it were a guitar and play it. MIDI has absolutely nothing to do with it. Oh, wait, that's not quite true. You could use some of the controls on the keyboard (mod wheel, patch change buttons, sliders, whatever) to control the processor settings via MIDI.
Or are you thinking that because the guitar processor has a MIDI port, you can send sounds from the keyboard into through a MIDI cable somehow -- maybe you expect to be able to play the sounds using a guitar as a controller?
You can't do that. First of all, a MIDI interface only sends and recieves MIDI information, not digitized audio. It's purely information about what notes to play, for how long, how hard to hit them, that sort of thing. A MIDI-capable device recieving these messages responds to them by playing the notes as instructed. There are also other MIDI messages that include things like a clock signal, program changes, and various other controls that can be used to modify parameters (as I described above about controlling the processor's setting via MIDI). That's the kind of MIDI messages the typical MIDI-equipped guitar process can respond to. But it won't play any notes in response to note-on messages.
If you mean you just want to send the audio output of the keyboard through the processor -- as if the keyboard was your guitar -- it's simple, you just plug the audio output into the processor input as if it were a guitar and play it. MIDI has absolutely nothing to do with it. Oh, wait, that's not quite true. You could use some of the controls on the keyboard (mod wheel, patch change buttons, sliders, whatever) to control the processor settings via MIDI.
Or are you thinking that because the guitar processor has a MIDI port, you can send sounds from the keyboard into through a MIDI cable somehow -- maybe you expect to be able to play the sounds using a guitar as a controller?
You can't do that. First of all, a MIDI interface only sends and recieves MIDI information, not digitized audio. It's purely information about what notes to play, for how long, how hard to hit them, that sort of thing. A MIDI-capable device recieving these messages responds to them by playing the notes as instructed. There are also other MIDI messages that include things like a clock signal, program changes, and various other controls that can be used to modify parameters (as I described above about controlling the processor's setting via MIDI). That's the kind of MIDI messages the typical MIDI-equipped guitar process can respond to. But it won't play any notes in response to note-on messages.
well yes actually i was hoping to get the preprommed sounds from the synth into my guitar processor. the guitar processor has 64 'user programmable' programs so i was hoping i could 'dump? ' from the synt to the processor. if this is not possible ..then my only option is to buy a midi adapter pickup or some such? im just not happy with the sounds in the digitech and would like to buile my effects and sounds handbag with digital as much as possible . im beginning to wish i had pursached analogue rather than digital because im not having much success. i just want all hte best guitar sounds at my fingertips...i gotta buy a roland effects analogue or somethin ?
oh and thank ya much for takin the time to help me
oh and thank ya much for takin the time to help me
AlChuck
Well-known member
Nope, you can't do that. That would require magic. The 64 user-progammable programs are a group of effects parameters -- reverb type, delay time, number of delays, feedback, etc. That is, you can set up an effect that has all the settings on it tweaked to your liking, save it, and have it available in the future just by loading that program. But it is not a MIDI sound module and has nothing in it to respond to MIDI note messages.
A MIDI adapter pickup for the guitar would also do you no good without the hardware to take the signals from the pickup and convert them to MIDI messages. Something like the Roland GR-33 would be required.
It sounds like you are confusing effects with instruments. Effects are just processes that get applied to an instrument signal that alter it in some desirable way -- adding distortion, or delays or chorusing to thicken the sound, that sort of thing. Whether the effects processor is analog or digital is not really relevant to the thing you seem to want to do. A MIDI synthesizer has sounds -- created electronically in some fashion like manipulating basic pitched waveforms. These sounds can be further manipulated by passing them through effects just like a guitar's sound is, but the sounds themselves are not effects.
So there is nothing you can do with MIDI between the keyboard and the effects box except to send it MIDI messages it can respond to -- things like changing the patch from #29 to #47, or changing the chorus depth parameter, or something like that. In other words, you can use MIDI to automate the effects processing.
Does that make any sense?
If you don't like the sound of the Roland effects box, well, maybe there's another that you would like better. Or maybe yu justyt need to explore the various parameters that you can change on the box and find better sounds. Are you simply picking the pre-programmed effects patches? All the effects should have several things that you can adjust. Play around with them.
Another thing is, don't expect a box with "all the best guitar sounds at my fingertips" to be a substitute for being able to play. No matter how good the guitar is or the amp and effects chain, if you cannot play very well it will sound like you cannot play very well. No magic there either, just practice practice practice.
A MIDI adapter pickup for the guitar would also do you no good without the hardware to take the signals from the pickup and convert them to MIDI messages. Something like the Roland GR-33 would be required.
It sounds like you are confusing effects with instruments. Effects are just processes that get applied to an instrument signal that alter it in some desirable way -- adding distortion, or delays or chorusing to thicken the sound, that sort of thing. Whether the effects processor is analog or digital is not really relevant to the thing you seem to want to do. A MIDI synthesizer has sounds -- created electronically in some fashion like manipulating basic pitched waveforms. These sounds can be further manipulated by passing them through effects just like a guitar's sound is, but the sounds themselves are not effects.
So there is nothing you can do with MIDI between the keyboard and the effects box except to send it MIDI messages it can respond to -- things like changing the patch from #29 to #47, or changing the chorus depth parameter, or something like that. In other words, you can use MIDI to automate the effects processing.
Does that make any sense?
If you don't like the sound of the Roland effects box, well, maybe there's another that you would like better. Or maybe yu justyt need to explore the various parameters that you can change on the box and find better sounds. Are you simply picking the pre-programmed effects patches? All the effects should have several things that you can adjust. Play around with them.
Another thing is, don't expect a box with "all the best guitar sounds at my fingertips" to be a substitute for being able to play. No matter how good the guitar is or the amp and effects chain, if you cannot play very well it will sound like you cannot play very well. No magic there either, just practice practice practice.
i thank ya for clearing up my misunderstanding. looks like i'll be tradin or sellin my synth for a new processor. yes indeed i have changed all the settings on all the programs but i just cant find a nice fat sound with strong sustain without distortion...and my playin ? yeah im good thank ya ...can play guitar really good..just dunno nothin bout the electronics...i have sonar with all the effects and the digitech..and i can get lots o good sounds..but i want somethin that gives good sustain with no distortion...is there a good digital program effect ? or must i buy hardware? and its really nice to find a place where people know stuff and share it thank ya .