Step by Step to recording a song from a hardware synth into a DAW

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Canobliss

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I have a digi 002 into Protools Le. I borrowed my friends Roland RS-5 synth and got it up an running with the steps below. I just want to make sure that these steps will be more or less unviersal for other outboard devices. I want to record the midi first so it can be edited and then record the audio.

1) Connect Midi out of Synth into Midi in of interface (002 in my case) and midi out of interface into In of synth
2) Enable midi thru in DAW sequencer
3) Add the new midi device into your DAW midi setup (this is really just for labelling purposes right?)
4) Make sure the new midi device is enabled under Midi input devices
5) Make desired changes to Midi input filter
6) Turn Local control off on Synth
7) Set various pathces to different channels (1-16 for each port)
8) Create and setup midi tracks for each channel used (receiving and sending on same channel)
9) Setup a stereo aux track to monitor sound without recording it
10) Record performance settings of the synth at the beginning of the song using a dump function
11) Record midi for each track
12) Edit midi
13) Record whole song onto one stereo track or record each patch to its own track

Please fill in anything I missed. Are there any other sync issues involved such as clock or midi clock.

Thanks
 
Canobliss said:
13) Record whole song onto one stereo track or record each patch to its own track
Are there any other sync issues involved such as clock or midi clock
Why record the audio from the synth? Because it's borrowed? My advice would be to save up and buy your own so you can have a PT/midi sync setup and use the 16 tracks you're allowed by PTLE for audio.

You will find that PT is happiest being the master clock, so set any external sequencer you will decide to use to slave/ext mode.

Other than that, you've got it covered. Congratulations!
 
ssscientist said:
Why record the audio from the synth? Because it's borrowed? My advice would be to save up and buy your own so you can have a PT/midi sync setup and use the 16 tracks you're allowed by PTLE for audio.

You will find that PT is happiest being the master clock, so set any external sequencer you will decide to use to slave/ext mode.

Other than that, you've got it covered. Congratulations!

Thanks for the help.
I just borrowed the synth to learn midi im not actually recording with it.
I would have to sync the master clock via the digital connections right?
Its 32 tracks for LE.
 
No, not 32 tracks. 32 VOICES. That means if you configure 16 tracks in stereo --- as most of the studios that I work in do --- then that's your lot.

And no, you sync PT with any synth or sequencer using the midi ports and good ol' midi clock. The digital connections (SPDIF or AES/EBU) won't do you any good in this context because they don't carry usable syncronization info.

Here's a link to a good article on midi continuous controllers, including midi clock - LINK
 
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