Members Champloo Posted August 16, 2016 Members Share Posted August 16, 2016 FL Studio 11 as main sequencer, on Windows 7 with an i7 Quad Core 4.0ghz PC Hardware Synths: Moog Slim Phatty..... JP 8080..... Volca FM..... Prophet 08Software Synths : Lush 101..... Sylenth..... Ivory Keys II I want a keyboard controller (49 keys & 16-part MIDI capable for triggering hardware AND software) where I could just quickly & easily set it to MIDI Channel 1, trigger the Moog Phatty & record a sequence into Piano Roll. Have this pattern on loop. Then, quickly change the controller to maybe, MIDI Channel 10 & trigger the Ivory Keys soft synth & record it to Piano Roll, while the Moog Phatty pattern is still playing in the back. (I want to be able to change current MIDI channels on the controller without having to menu dive just to go from 1a to 2a, etc.Maybe something where I just highlight the MIDI channel & turn a jog wheel like on an MPC 1000) Idea of how I'd have my MIDI channels set up: -The MIDI device (USB keyboard or interface) would be set to Port 1 in FL Studio.(hardware)-Moog Phatty set to Port 1 Ch.1-JP 8080 set to Port 1 Ch. 2-Volca FM set to Port 1 Ch. 3-Prophet 08 patch #1 set to Port 1 Ch. 4-Prophet 08 patch #2 set to Port 1 Ch. 5(software)-Lush 101 patch #1 set to Port 1 Ch. 6-Lush 101 patch #2 set to Port 1 Ch. 7-Lush 101 patch #3 set to Port 1 Ch. 8-Sylenth patch set to Port 1 Ch.9-Ivory Keys patch set to Port 1 Ch. 10 I was planning on building my songs up in the form of many patterns, made up of only MIDI. Then trigger them all in Song Mode and have their audio multitracked into Reaper, using a Mackie Onyx. What keyboard controller and/or combination of keyboard & USB MIDI Interface will let me do this? Would I need something like a 5x5 MOTU Micro Lite USB MIDI Interface? Or maybe a USB MIDI Keyboard Controller connected to something like a 1x4 Quadra MIDI Thru box? Any and ALL HELP is greatly appreciated & wanted! Thank you!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moogerfooger Posted August 16, 2016 Members Share Posted August 16, 2016 wont selecting the track in FL studio transmit the midi channel assigned to that track? make sure midi thru is on in FL and turn "local off" on all the hardware synths. that way no matter what key bed you play FL studio will rout to the current track's midi channel, thats the way i do it in logic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 16, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2016 As far as I can tell, the keys will only play whatever current track I have selected, yes. But my biggest question is for a USB MIDI Keyboard like the MPK249, that has both USB & 5-pin MIDI ports. The USB MIDI Channels of the MPK249 are USB A1-16 and B1-16... and then you have your common 1-16 for the 5-pin MIDI I/O ports on the back. So, will I be limited to either one or the other (USB vs physical MIDI connection)... OR... could I simultaneously have access to all 32 USB channels AND the 1-16 physical MIDI port channels....for a basic total of 48 MIDI channels, assuming I was connected both by USB and power supply? I wanna be able to just set a saved template in FL Studio, with all necessary MIDI Ports & channels for both soft synths & hardware coming through the physical MIDI port, and just get to work and not have to menu dive and click a load of buttons everytime I want to play something different. Also, will I have to change current MIDI channels on the keyboard controller back and forth everytime I wanna switch tracks in FL Studio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 17, 2016 Members Share Posted August 17, 2016 I'm not familiar with FL Studio but I use an M-Audio Axiom 61 which allows simultaneous use of USB and 5-pin DIN outputs. I use multi timbre software synths such as Omnisphere and Sample tank as plug-ins in Reaper. I have a powered USB hub and a PreSonus AudioBox interface that connects to the USB hub and has 5-pin DIN in as well. Both the USB and DIN outputs of the Axiom 61 appear as separate MIDI input devices on in Reaper. I can load different software synths on individual tracks in Reaper and assign an individual MIDI input device or all MIDI input devices to each track. MIDI channel selection is very easy on the Axiom keyboard and the keyboard also has four Zones that can be assigned to individual MIDI channels. This makes for exceptionally easy selection between whatever channels are assigned to the Zones and multiple Zones can be selected at the same time. Can you use your current sound sources as plug-ins in Reaper ? Are you using a Mac ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 17, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2016 I downloaded the Axiom 49 gen 2. manual & about MIDI channel changing it says: "Channel (Chan): When this button is pressed it illuminates and the LCD screen shows the current Global MIDI Channel number (for example, "G.CHAN 1." Pressing either of the Patch buttons ("Up" arrow or "Down" arrow) will change the Channel number." So that takes like 2 seconds, right? If so, that's perfect. Could I use a MIDI Quadra Thru (1-in x 4-out) box that uses just MIDI connections from the Axiom to my modules, instead of getting a separate USB device like a MOTU Micro Lite 5x5? links at the bottom for both.. So my modules would be on separate MIDI channels, setup on corresponding MIDI Out plugin channels in FL Studio & to play a certain one, I'd just take 2 seconds and set the Axiom to the corresponding MIDI channel for whichever I'm wanting to play, right? And as far as the soft synths go, they would be receiving connection from the USB connection and I'd just play them the same way by selecting their tracks? I'm on Windows 7 & I actually don't have Reaper as of yet, but it is in my future plans to use to multitrack all audio from my audio interface. Simple and low-cost DAW Here are links for the MIDI boxes Quadra Thru - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MIDIthru4/ MOTU Micro Lite - http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/microlite Thanks for all help! :) I'm glad you mentioned the Axiom, it sounds exactly what I'm looking for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 And as far as the soft synths go, they would be receiving connection from the USB connection and I'd just play them the same way by selecting their tracks? If I am understanding you correctly, yes. The USB carries MIDI to the computer... you just need to make sure the keyboard controller is assigned to the right MIDI channel and that the DAW track is assigned to the same MIDI channel so they're communicating, and you should be fine. As far as using a MIDI Thru box instead of a MIDI interface, I'd really recommend the later rather than the former. You might be able to get the MIDI Thru box to do what you want, but it's going to be a bit of a kludge in terms of MIDI channel assignments, connections, etc. The great thing about a dedicated MIDI interface is that you can assign each module to its own separate MIDI output, making selecting between them much easier, and limiting the amount of changes you need to make on the controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 17, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2016 did some more research and found the the Quadra Thru can't be powered by my devices anyways, so it looks like the MOTU Interface is what I'll be using. Question about that though, since the MOTU would show up as a USB device and the Axiom 49 would show up as a separate one, would they work together (ie would i set them to the same FL Studio Port or different ports, MOTU=1, Axiom=2, etc.)... onelife mentions this about his setup a little bit in his last post. I don't understand when using 2 separate devices, would I still connect the MIDI In & Outs of the Axiom 49 to a MIDI In & Out port of the MOTU? You guys are helping get to the finish line & I appreciate it very much. my brain is nearly scrambled from all the reading and searching i've done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 17, 2016 Members Share Posted August 17, 2016 In my setup, the Axiom USB port shows up as one MIDI device with its own name and the MIDI port of the Axiom shows up as the MIDI port on the AudioBox. Both ports of the Axiom send out the same MIDI data but the data can be seperated by using different channels on the receiving device or DAW channel. The Axiom can transmit data on multiple MIDI channels at the same time using the Zones feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 17, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2016 so... Axiom MIDI In -> MOTU Micro MIDI Out 1 Axiom MIDI Out -> MOTU Micro MIDI In 1 Axiom USB -> Computer Then channels are setup on DAW tracks and Axiom Global to communicate, etc and can be separated by different channels like you said. I'm wondering though, since all the modules & Axiom would be connected to the MOTU Micro 5x5 USB Interface, would I even need to connect the Axiom's USB?....could I just go MIDI I/O from it to the MOTU? Thinking this could cut down on jitter/latency issues...? Or in order for what I've laid out above to work, I'd NEED physical MIDI connect to the MOTU and as well Axiom's USB? I think I understand it now. Just trying to figure out as much as I can before buying the interface & keyboard, etc. Kinda hard to do without it in front of you and never having real experience with MIDI before. My buddy that will be working with me has even less of a clue about this than I do lol Also, I'll look into Zones in the manual a bit closer, it was going right over my head last night. As long as I get an interface and a keyboard that works in conjunction, that's great for right now. Again... THANK you guys for all the help, seriously Best "customer" support ever haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 18, 2016 Members Share Posted August 18, 2016 I think you would be fine using just the DIN ports on the Axiom. One way of thinking about Zones is as a way of splitting the keybord. You can assingn a range of keys for each Zone and assign them to a specific MIDI channel. It's useful if you want a bass sound in the lower range and a pinao in the upper range (for example). I use Zones mainly for different MIDI channels using the full range of the keyboard for each one. I set Zone 1 to channel 1, Zone 2 to channel 2 etc... so switching MIDI channels is as simple as pressing the Zone buttons. I first found this forum about fifteen years ago when I started recording on a Yamaha AW4416. The unit had a noisy fan so I looked online to see if it was a common issue and found that Phil Okeefe had identified the problem and presented step by step instructions on how to remedy it so I signed up. Thanks again Phil for the fix. I recorded a lot of material on that machine over the years and still have it in a custom road case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 18, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2016 i have one last little question. you've answered everything else. I've noticed a lot of USB MIDI keyboards have both MIDI In & Out... why would these have MIDI In? Like what would be the reasoning behind hooking up, for example... the Axiom's MIDI In and MIDI Out to a MIDI In & Out Port on the MOTU MIDI interface? Would it be to link some of the control knobs and link them to the other modules, etc. (filter, resonance,etc.) ? I'm not concerned with doing that, I just want notes to be played tbh... so could I get away with just connecting the Axiom's MIDI Out to the MOTU Port 1 MIDI In and leave the MOTU Port 1 MIDI Out empty? about the zones... i now see what you mean. like you have a 61 key controller (5 octaves) for example, you could have 3 channels/patches taking up an octave a piece and the 4th channel could take up the last 2 octaves. and your last post is crazy to think about. 15 years ago i was still in elementary and now you guys have 65k posts between the 2 of you. that's awesome! I've been apart of a couple threads on this site and I get help that is both informative and helpful! people are quick to jump on you nowadays and this place is like a breath of fresh air and I appreciate that and I know others do to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 18, 2016 Members Share Posted August 18, 2016 i have one last little question. you've answered everything else. I've noticed a lot of USB MIDI keyboards have both MIDI In & Out... why would these have MIDI In? Like what would be the reasoning behind hooking up, for example... the Axiom's MIDI In and MIDI Out to a MIDI In & Out Port on the MOTU MIDI interface? ... and your last post is crazy to think about. 15 years ago i was still in elementary and now you guys have 65k posts between the 2 of you. that's awesome! The Axiom has more controls than just the keyboard. The sliders, knobs and pads can all be assigned to different MIDI functions and channels. These settings can be saved to and loaded from a computer. The MIDI IN on the Axiom allows the settings to be loaded from the computer. The Axiom keyboards come with Enigma software which includes an editor for the settings. Another use for the MIDI IN ony many devices is ROM upgrades. (you probably have more hair than Phil and I combined) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 18, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 18, 2016 Alright I gotcha. I'm gonna start looking around on eBay or something for a clean condition Axiom 61 of some sort. Do you recommend the newest generation of Axiom's or the older? Or maybe a well kept Axiom Pro? Stability, key playability, etc. I just watched a tutorial on youtube of the Axiom Pro 61 where the guy mapped MIDI Channel change to the F2 & F3 buttons under the LCD screen (F2=go down a channel... F3=go up a channel) So whenever you wanna switch channels, instead of going into the menu each time, you just press the F2 or F3 button. Can't get any easier than that And it's got the 4-Zone feature you mentioned, also. (lol judging by Phil's avatar you may be right. but hair loss runs in my family on both sides, so I never stood a chance either haha) gear > hair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 19, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 19, 2016 I just found this while researching FL Studio's settings for MIDI...) https://www.image-line.com/support/F...tings_midi.htm While only one MIDI Output interface can be used with FL Studio at a time, you can daisy-chain multiple MIDI devices to the Output interface, see the note below. That sucks... I wanted to avoid daisy-chaining, since we'd have 4-5 different modules (loads of latency / stuck notes..... BUT... I wonder if the Axiom could still be used by going MIDI In & Out to Port 5 MIDI In & Out on the MOTU Micro Interface, to play all the other modules on the other MOTU ports? Just let the MOTU be the only connected interface. Also, I wonder if the transport controls, etc. from the Axiom could still be linked to FL Studio (start, stop, record...) I could swear that I've seen studio setups with people using like an Akai MPD pad controller (for drums) and a type of USB Keyboard like an MPK..... that would be 2 USB MIDI Output Interfaces at the same time...so what am I missing now? What in the world... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 19, 2016 Members Share Posted August 19, 2016 ... I wonder if the Axiom could still be used by going MIDI In & Out to Port 5 MIDI In & Out on the MOTU Micro Interface, to play all the other modules on the other MOTU ports? Just let the MOTU be the only connected interface. ... I could swear that I've seen studio setups with people using like an Akai MPD pad controller (for drums) and a type of USB Keyboard like an MPK..... that would be 2 USB MIDI Output Interfaces at the same time...so what am I missing now? What in the world... Your MOTU Micro Lite 5x5 is a single USB MIDI interface but it is functionally equivalent to five interfaces. I believe you can use the DIN ports on the Axiom to connect to the Micro Lite and use software to selectively route the MIDI data to the other ports and to the other synth modules. I can't say for sure however because I don't use Windows and I don't have experience with FL Studio. Have you tried Reaper yet ? What are the advantages to using FL Studio over Reaper ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted August 19, 2016 Members Share Posted August 19, 2016 you might find this useful http://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-using-multiple-midi-controllers-in-fl-studio-9--audio-6688 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Champloo Posted August 19, 2016 Author Members Share Posted August 19, 2016 Been on FL Studio for a while now. Never messed with MIDI that much. But, the thing that I love about it is the browser, because I'm particular about the drums & percussion and I can use the 4 arrows on the pc keyboard to quickly get in and out of many different folders very fast and also preview them using the arrow buttons. I used to use MPC's to sample and make songs with, but it was so slow to search and preview sounds and hard to edit with a small screen + os crashes I've actually not got around to testing Reaper yet, but read that it was great for audio recording. I planned to MIDI sequence everything in FL Studio, then once the song was finished using MIDI (in piano roll & song mode), hit play in FL Studio and multitrack audio record my hardware mixer inputs all at once into something like Reaper. Here is a diagram I made, showing best I could of the setup involving the MOTU and Axiom. lol... man... i think i'm just gonna stop bugging you and just buy the keyboard and motu on a whim, get them home, connect them and just see what happens... maybe a miracle will happen ill look for good deals, try 'em out.... worst comes to worst, i'll just sell them or make do haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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