Recording MIDI As Audio By Miking Your Speakers: Good Idea??

[Mike Freze]

Hi Again! Need advice on one more thing.

I have an electric keyboard I use for recording as well as a digital drum box )external hardware device).

I know I can record my keyboard with my midi cables and send it through my midi interface to record a midi track in my project. Sometimes I have done this along with my audio tracks with other instruments and vocals.

Is there an advantage to recording the keyboard in real time to an audio track instead of midi so everything in my project has audio tracks to work with from the start?

I am thinking of micing my midi instruments (keyboard and drum machine) by sending the signal out to my amp and then micing the amp speaker. Of course, this makes the midi recording audio right off the bat. But can you get a richer, fuller, liver, more realistic sound with more depth in terms of tonal quality and frequency ranges by doing it this way? I have good quality speakers with a good quality amp. I can't see where recording a midi instrument as a midi track (binary codes only) and then attempting to add effects, EQs, etc. later on that is synthesized can possibly compare in sound quality to the real deal with a good amp, speakers, and a good microphone. Am I right? Some people have said that there is no comparison because computerized sounds (VST instruments, software synths) can never quite duplicate that live, expensive equipment to record with.

Advice anyone?

Mike Freze

 

[mjbphotos]

Why wouldn't you send the AUDIO signal to your interface and into your DAW? Why add amp and mic to the signal chain unless you want the amplified sound recorded?

 

[gecko zzed]

Why ask?

Just do it if you like the sound.

 

[benherron.rrr]

Did you know you can bounce down the midi instrument to an audio file?
I think it depends on what you are trying to achive, Sending a keyboard into an amp and then micing. would probably be more lossful opposed to taking a jack to jack from the output of your hardwear into an input on your interface. It also depends on the quality of your hardwear. I use a piano vst on my tracks opposed to the module on my digital piano for the simple reason that the samples in the vst sound 1000000 times better than the ones on my digital piano. If you are talking about an anologue synth, then I would use the line out. as anologue circuitry provides that "anologue" feel that you just cant achive from a soft synth. so you would most likly achive a better result. The same goes for the drum machine. To be honest in this case I could see micing the amp ending with worse quality than you could achive by either using virtual instruments or cirtainly using DI. unless the amp add a specfic contribution to the sound you are attempting to achive.

 

[dintymoore]

Most people do not "do it" the way I do: I keep everything MIDI until the final master. I've tried recording MIDI to audio and although it theoretically should work and there are numerous advantages I still hear something I don't like.

I have all my audio tracks come out of my computer, mix with the MIDI tracks and go back into the computer as S/PDIF. I record the S/PDIF coming back in and that's my stereo master.

The only time I don't do this is with my synth Les Paul type tracks, which I play live through a tube amp and record with a mic. That's because the tube amp is the sound, not the MIDI module.

 

[gecko zzed]

Most people do not "do it" the way I do: I keep everything MIDI until the final master.

I used to do it that way with my ISIS sound card. I don't do it that way now because (unlike the ISIS) the Presonus only does mono monitoring of inputs (which is where the Roland midi stuff goes). So I'm not getting any stereo picture of the midi arrangements. I now record each midi track as audio, then mix everything.

However, I'm also using the Roland less than I used to, making greater use of VSTi and real instruments.

 

[grimtraveller]

Is there an advantage to recording the keyboard in real time to an audio track instead of midi so everything in my project has audio tracks to work with from the start?

The only person in the universe that can know that for your stuff is you.
That said, I've never recorded MIDI as just that. I always record the VSTi in real time with a real sound as audio. It's the way I work, but most of the instruments in any song will be real. Then if I want some colouring/flavouring and I don't know anyone that plays said instrument, I'll do it myself. Although in theory MIDI is a great idea, I couldn't be bothered with all that because right from the kick off, I want to hear the 'instrument' to give me a sense early on of how things sound. {Oh yeah, and because I use standalones ! }
Although I tend to go DI with VSTis, I don't think going through an amp is a ridiculous idea at all. Maybe it's just me, but amps can add a certain tonal character to an instrument. For example, if I was doing some harmonica, I might push that through an amp for a particular sound. Or if I want that electric rock violin sound I might do likewise. Yeah, there are loads of settings to tweak within any programme but it's by no means a foregone concllusion that they will be right for the job. But like everyone has said, experiment. At the end of the day, regardless of what I tell you, the only way you'll know what an orange tastes like is to eat one.