Problems hearing MIDI in headphones in Cakewalk 2004

[smoovet]

Greetings all...I recently purchased Cakewalk Home Studio 2004 and an Aardvark Direct Pro 24/96 and am having trouble hearing any MIDI tracks through my headphones (digital audio is fine, though). I have configured the MIDI Devices and set the DirectPro as both the Input and the Output. I have also checked the Patch Bay in the Direct Pro 24/96 Console app and believe I have that set correctly, as well (monitor output to headphone L/R). I don't yet have a pair of studio monitors, which is why I'm trying to do this through the headphones. I'm really new at this, so I'm sure I'm missing something really obvious. I'd appreciate any info/advice you guys can throw my way. Thanks.

 

[AlChuck]

The Aardvark Direct Pro has a MIDI interface, but nothing to respond to MIDI messages with sounds. What you have configured is to send the MIDI messages to the Aardvarks MIDI Out Port, and I'm betting there's nothing hanging off of it.

Many people don't know what MIDI really is -- they think there are sounds in the MIDI data, but it's purely performance information -- what notes are hit, how hard, when, how long the note sounds... you need something to respond to these messages with the actual music. The choices are: an external MIDI synth/sampler/drum machine via the MIDI Out port and a MIDI cable, or a software synth that runs as an application on the computer and routes its output to the Aardvark's audio data stream.

You have to rig up a DXi softsynth and assign the MIDI output of each MIDI track to a channel of the DXi.

 

[smoovet]

Ahh, I see. Thx for the explanation on MIDI. Much appreciated!