Where to stick my cables???(No rude replies please!!!)

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Juliebomboolie

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Just found this amazing forum today...thank goodness, 'cause I am going slightly ga ga.
Ok, having read some of the threads involving midi and they seem pretty specific to the users own home set up, so I shall explain my problem in a very specific way and hope someone can walk me through it. :o fingers crossed.

My gear.
I have a computer with Sonar/Sonic Foundry installed. (I was a previous Cakewalk 7 'user' so know a wee bit about the workings of my progs). I have a M Music Delta 1010 card, a Mackie 1406 desk, a really cheap home stereo amp and reasonable Energy speakers. I use a Korg X5 which I try(and fail) to run as slave to a Korg Z1, which is on the blink I think.(arpeggiator works when it feels like it!!!)
I have a couple of decent mic's and a couple of guitars.
So...
How do I set all these things up so that I can record midi/audio?

I initially had them up this way...Mackie main L/R out to amp(aux) ins, soundcard external outs (1 thru 8) to Mackie stereo track channels in's. Z1 midi in/out to soundcard out/in, Z1 midi thru to X5 midi in.
There must be something I have/haven't done to the synths internal set-up because when I play the drums from the X5 (chn 10)via the Z1, the Z1 plays it's own sounds as well as the X5's...is this all sounding too complex !?!?!?! :eek:
Should the Mackie be connected to the amp via the sound card, or is it ok?
Also when I tried recording a vox track, (SM58 mic plugged into the desk pre-amp channel) the levels are painfully low.
I don't mind excluding the Z1 for now and only working with one synth. Nor have I got a problem with excluding the Mackie and just plugging mic's and guitars directly into the external in's of the sound card. (I actually tried this last night but then couldn't hear the midi being recorded, nor the playback of the midi.

I am not good and just picking up the manual and learning this way..I'm a hands-on kinda gal.
I hope that someone can help me learn this.

Cheers
 
I'll let others help with the mixer setup, but hopefully I can give some advice on the MIDI aspect.

The MIDI THRU on the Z1 is basically a mirror of what is presented to your Z1 on its MIDI IN. As such, if your computer is sending out MIDI event data (drums stuff on CH10), then this data is going to both the Z1's sound module and passed on down the chain to the X5. Apparently, the X5 is set up properly to do what you want (make drum sounds), while the Z1 is also responding to these MIDI instructions. It sounds like the Z1 has a voice assigned to CH10. Dig down into its menus (perhaps 'Global' or 'Utility' if such exists) and unassign any voice on CH10. The Z1 is six part multi-timbral, so there is no real reason to double up voice assignments between the Z1 and X5 (since there are 16 channels to play with).

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the synth advice. Very cool 8-}
The Z1 does seem to play the sound that is selected on it...any sound. Will try and check if there is an instrument dedicated to chn 10. Was wondering, does the Omni being checked effect this at all?
I am having a hard time getting the old grey matter around all of this...
ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE MUSIC boo hoo

Cheers Mate
 
First uncheck 'omni'. And leave it off. Omni mode means the sounds inside your Z1 play every sound sent to it regardless of midi channel - and you want to get a bunch of different sounds going.

Second, there is an item in the utility page of the Z1 that says 'local' or 'local control'. Set this to 'off'. This will break the connection between the keyboard and the sounds inside your Z1. Then run a midi cable out of the Z1's thru to the midi in of the X5. When you set up the multi patches in each synth, make sure there is only one keyboard slot set to a midi channel - unless you want to layer one sound from each keyboard. The 'drums on channel 10' stuff is a General Midi thing, and with the amount of money you've invested you probably want to move beyond the 'Band in a Box'/Karaoke type of thing. You can put drums on any midi channel - they all send and receive the same data.

Now to the Mackie mixer. Since you have it set up to monitor what's coming out of the computer you have to be careful not to set up a feedback loop when recording new tracks. Mackies have insert points on the channels which can be used in this kind of situation. Insert a guitar cord to the second click, then into the in of your soundcard. You will be able to set the level of your mic with the preamp gain and none of the mic signal will interfere with the monitoring you have set up.

You do not need to plug the Mackie into the soundcard if you just need to record one or two tracks at a time. You may get into using the four bus capability of the Mackie later on, but for now as you say you just want to make music. And don't we all!

Welcome to the board!
 
ssscientist said:
Then run a midi cable out of the Z1's thru to the midi in of the X5. When you set up the multi patches in each synth, make sure there is only one keyboard slot set to a midi channel - unless you want to layer one sound from each keyboard.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help. I was fine until we got to the multi patches. I realise the little I do know...feels like I am learning a new and scarey language. Am I right in thinking I want the Z1 set to multi mode and that this is where I set the slots to a midi channel? :confused: Alot of the time in the past, I have copped out by recording the synths real time in audio. I used to have some boffin type friends who lived near by and basically set the gear up for me. But I moved and am left with all these challenges. But I am off to me studio area to get my head around it...or try to.


"Now to the Mackie mixer. Since you have it set up to monitor what's coming out of the computer you have to be careful not to set up a feedback loop when recording new tracks. Mackies have insert points on the channels which can be used in this kind of situation. Insert a guitar cord to the second click, then into the in of your soundcard. You will be able to set the level of your mic with the preamp gain and none of the mic signal will interfere with the monitoring you have set up".
I understand this part a little more, though I don't know why the levels are so poor...I plug in the 'instrument' I want to record into the soundcard and I can't hear it through the amp. I have upped the levels for the sound card and it is recording so low I have to up the db's on Sonar 4 or 5 times, just to get a wave displayed on the track.

Maybe I could un-plug everything and start from scratch?

Your wisdom and patience is much appreciated :D
 
Both of your keyboards are Korgs, and both use the same terminology for multi-timbral patches. Multi-timbral is a term for one synth that plays several sounds at a time, each on its own midi channel. For example, channel one would be a piano sound, channel two a string sound, channel three a drum kit and so on. You are on the right track with putting the Z1 in multi mode - just play around with it until you do something right, then save it to the internal memory. And you did turn your 'local control' off, yes?

You now have the Mackie mixer set up to monitor the sound information stored in Sonar/Sonic Foundry. What you need to do to get a decent level recorded from your microphone is called 'preamping'. Plug the microphone into the first channel of the Mackie. Then look around the back of the board where you will find a 1/4" jack. That is the 'insert point' for channel one on the Mackie, but we're going to use it as a 'direct out' instead. Plug a regular guitar cord all the way into the insert jack. This will interrupt the signal to the mains and we'll be left with just what's coming into channel one carried by the guitar cord. If your soundcard does not have 1/4" inputs, go to Radio Shack and get a 1/4" to Cannon Connector adaptor. It will cost about $20 and is something you'll want to have around anyway. Then plug the guitar cord into the soundcard, set the preamp level by raising the knob at the top of the channel, and you sould have gain that will be enough to cause mild if not severe distortion at the soundcard. Reduce gain to taste, and you should be all set with this part of the operation.
 
Where oh where has my Juliebomboolie gone?

Oh where oh where could she be?
 
I'm here!!

Busy trying to sort out my cables and trying the suggestions you made.
I can now record audio taking the out from the desk and plugging into the sound card...Great advice...thanks.

So over the weekend I am going to attempt to re-set the korgs so that I can finally get some basic drum tracks down.
I have to record a demo for some local guys as they need to learn my songs for an up coming gig.
Plus I am connected to a local music publisher so he needs tunes too.

Will keep ya posted as to my progress...or not as the case may be.

Peace

Jules :D
 
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