USB/MIDI and analog outs. Why? Best way to hook devices up?

[cbip]

A little confused on the why and how for connecting devices to an audio interface and computer. Maybe someone can explain the best way or how to hook up my gear.
Here is the gear
Yamaha electronic drums, DTX562K. USB/MIDI and left and right TRS outs.
Yamaha electronic keyboard with USB/MIDI and 1 TRS stereo out.
Presonus Audiobox 22VSL interface with 2 MIC/Instrument inputs, USB/MIDI, left and right TRS outs and MIDI IN and OUT.
(I also have a Line 6 UX1 which I do not have hooked up anymore, I just replaced it with the Presonus so 2 people could play instruments at the same time into my DAW. The UX1 only has a single instument and MIC input.)
Dell desktop with plenty of USB inputs, both 2.0 and 3.0
KRK Rokit 8 monitors
DAW is Studio One Artist or Reaper. Just learning, think I will stick with Studio One, I have only used Guitar Tracks Pro and ACID in the past. Steep learning curve! Getting all the signals into the DAW, onto the tracks and out to my monitors is frustrating. Seems like every time I want to record something I spend all my time trying to figure out why I am not getting sound or seeing a signal. Maybe there is a way to save a preset but I have not got that far.

Right now I have the USB/MIDI from both the drums and keyboard connected to the computer. I have the left (mono) out from the drums connected to one of the the Audiobox's instrument inputs. I have a guitar or MIC that I connect to the other MIC/Instrument input on the Audiobox.

So guess my questions are:
1. Why do I need to use TRS outputs from the drums and keyboard when everything can just travel on the USB?MIDI out? Yes I know I would be relying on software in the DAW to provide the voice, but isn't that what Addictive Drums/EZdrummer and all the virtual plug ins I can run in my DAW are for?

2. If I use only the USB/MIDI for the drums and keyboard(no TRS) will I be able to record those devices with the plug ins and while playing monitor the sound created by the plug in? Otherwise I am just sending MIDI data and I won't have a clue what the heck its sounds like.
I realize that I will record the guitar and MIC as an analog input so I guess maybe it comes down to, do I use the built in sounds of the drums and keyboard and not use a plug in.

Sorry if this is simple stuff, stupid questions or whatever. I think I have just been reading, watching videos and trying to figure this stuff out that now I have just got myself confused and in a fog.

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

Cbip

 

[DM60]

A little confused on the why and how for connecting devices to an audio interface and computer. Maybe someone can explain the best way or how to hook up my gear.
Here is the gear
Yamaha electronic drums, DTX562K. USB/MIDI and left and right TRS outs.
Yamaha electronic keyboard with USB/MIDI and 1 TRS stereo out.
Presonus Audiobox 22VSL interface with 2 MIC/Instrument inputs, USB/MIDI, left and right TRS outs and MIDI IN and OUT.
(I also have a Line 6 UX1 which I do not have hooked up anymore, I just replaced it with the Presonus so 2 people could play instruments at the same time into my DAW. The UX1 only has a single instument and MIC input.)
Dell desktop with plenty of USB inputs, both 2.0 and 3.0
KRK Rokit 8 monitors
DAW is Studio One Artist or Reaper. Just learning, think I will stick with Studio One, I have only used Guitar Tracks Pro and ACID in the past. Steep learning curve! Getting all the signals into the DAW, onto the tracks and out to my monitors is frustrating. Seems like every time I want to record something I spend all my time trying to figure out why I am not getting sound or seeing a signal. Maybe there is a way to save a preset but I have not got that far.

Right now I have the USB/MIDI from both the drums and keyboard connected to the computer. I have the left (mono) out from the drums connected to one of the the Audiobox's instrument inputs. I have a guitar or MIC that I connect to the other MIC/Instrument input on the Audiobox.

So guess my questions are:
1. Why do I need to use TRS outputs from the drums and keyboard when everything can just travel on the USB?MIDI out? Yes I know I would be relying on software in the DAW to provide the voice, but isn't that what Addictive Drums/EZdrummer and all the virtual plug ins I can run in my DAW are for?

2. If I use only the USB/MIDI for the drums and keyboard(no TRS) will I be able to record those devices with the plug ins and while playing monitor the sound created by the plug in? Otherwise I am just sending MIDI data and I won't have a clue what the heck its sounds like.
I realize that I will record the guitar and MIC as an analog input so I guess maybe it comes down to, do I use the built in sounds of the drums and keyboard and not use a plug in.

Sorry if this is simple stuff, stupid questions or whatever. I think I have just been reading, watching videos and trying to figure this stuff out that now I have just got myself confused and in a fog.

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

Cbip

If you don't use the voices from your gear, you do not need to use the gear's output to the analog interface. Depending on how the interface works, you could just use all channels open and it will receive the signal from the MIDI gear.

If you are recording two pieces of MIDI gear at the same time, then you will need to set the MIDI channel for each track. EX. Track one: drums on channel 16, keyboard on channel 1. I don't think you will have that issue, but just in case.

Analog hookups are just so you can hear the voices on the machines. You could record the MIDI in the DAW, get it the way you want it (edit), then send back to the MIDI machine (say keyboard) and record back to the DAW using analog. That is more complex than most people do, but it is a possibility.

Does this help?

 

[mjbphotos]

I just looked up your Yammie drums, and see that the MIDI output/input is through USB, I assume the keyboard is the same way (as you don't give a model number) - not unusual these days when dealing with consumer-level music gear. this means the only way to get the MIDI signals to your DAW is by plugging the USB direct from the drums or keys to your computer - most DAWs will only let you select one MIDI input device at a time, I think, so you would only be able to record one of these at a time.
You can monitor your input one of two ways: 1) put a plug-in VSTi on the MIDI track, enable track monitoring, and then use your presonus (headphones or monitors) to hear the audio - note there could be some latency if you don't get things set up well. 2) plug headphones directly into the headphone jack of hte drum controller or keyboard and monitor its built-in sound while recording the MIDI.
Of course you could, at the same time as recording MIDI, record the audio output of the drums or keys plugged into your Presonus - this would give you the monitoring option through your Presonus and allow you to use either or both the instument audio and MIDI track when you start mixing/producing.

 

[cbip]

Thanks guys.

I have been messing around with my gear and the DAW and am starting to get the hang of some things. Its still overwhelming but I am getting there. I think most of my connection issues are worked out so at least I can record the drums, keyboard and guitar. Really the hardest thing seems to be adding a track in the DAW and then getting the correct source settings onto it. Just using the built in loops etc is child's play. If you can cut and paste or drag and drop you can make music that way which isn't really making music, I guess its really composing it. Still fun though but so much easier than recording real instruments.
Thanks for the help.

cbip

 

[ashcat_lt]

most DAWs will only let you select one MIDI input device at a time, I think, so you would only be able to record one of these at a time.

Every DAW I've ever used would take all of the MIDI devices your computer can handle and record them all at the same (even to the same track!) without batting an eye. You can usually only have one ASIO audio device active at a time, but that's a different issue. Windows (at least XP) gets weird if you try to connect more than like 10 MIDI devices at once, and can kind of get weird about "remembering" MIDI devices which are no longer connected, so it's best to pick one of your physical USB holes for each device and don't swap them around once you get them working. Then it's a matter of RTFM for your DAW

 

[gecko zzed]

1. Why do I need to use TRS outputs from the drums and keyboard when everything can just travel on the USB?MIDI out? Yes I know I would be relying on software in the DAW to provide the voice, but isn't that what Addictive Drums/EZdrummer and all the virtual plug ins I can run in my DAW are for?

If you use the midi outputs of drums and keyboard to drive virtual instruments (e.g. addictive drums), then you don't need the TRS (audio outputs) of those devices.

2. If I use only the USB/MIDI for the drums and keyboard(no TRS) will I be able to record those devices with the plug ins and while playing monitor the sound created by the plug in? Otherwise I am just sending MIDI data and I won't have a clue what the heck its sounds like.

Yes. Connect keyboard to PC via USB. Load Reaper. Create new track. Select USB device as input. Load a VSTi onto the track via fx button. Arm track for recording. Press monitoring button on the track. Play keyboard. You will hear VSTi playing. Hit record, Reaper will record your midi as ytou play. When you stop, go back to begining and hit pay, you will hear your recorded midi playing the VSTi.

I realize that I will record the guitar and MIC as an analog input so I guess maybe it comes down to, do I use the built in sounds of the drums and keyboard and not use a plug in.

You can record the midi of drums and keyboard first, and get them to play VSTi.

You can then record voice and guitar using a mike afterwards.

Or, once you have recorded the midi, you can route this back to the keyboard, say, by selecting USB device as the output. The midi will play your keyboard. Using the TRS leads into the interface, you can then record the keyboard's own voices.

 

[cbip]

If you use the midi outputs of drums and keyboard to drive virtual instruments (e.g. addictive drums), then you don't need the TRS (audio outputs) of those devices.



Yes. Connect keyboard to PC via USB. Load Reaper. Create new track. Select USB device as input. Load a VSTi onto the track via fx button. Arm track for recording. Press monitoring button on the track. Play keyboard. You will hear VSTi playing. Hit record, Reaper will record your midi as ytou play. When you stop, go back to begining and hit pay, you will hear your recorded midi playing the VSTi.



You can record the midi of drums and keyboard first, and get them to play VSTi.

You can then record voice and guitar using a mike afterwards.

Or, once you have recorded the midi, you can route this back to the keyboard, say, by selecting USB device as the output. The midi will play your keyboard. Using the TRS leads into the interface, you can then record the keyboard's own voices.

Thanks, that helps a bunch. Just understanding what to do, how to do it and what the result will be doing it that way really helps.