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Workstation MIDI nightmare question!


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Alright, I play keys and key bass (currently with a Korg Cx-3) in a modern rock/pop band (think The Fray, DMB, with a touch of The Killers and Coldplay)

 

 

Current setup is

 

1) CX-3 organ bass patch for the Bass run thru a Tech21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI. (thinkin' about adding a Tech21 VT Bass Ampeg modeler, but that's beside the point)

 

2) Yamana S03 for pianos, EPs, w/e

 

3) Korg R3 for synths

 

 

I am looking to upgrade to a workstation. I want this workstation to be able to...

 

1) sample my CX-3 bass patch so i still have that sound without having to bring it along (i'm assuming this wil be time consuming, but worth it)

 

2) sample bass patches i have on my computer (same as above i assume....)

 

3) have the ability to output said bass samples or its own bass patches as a SEPERATE audio output (for FOH mixing purposes as well as my own effects chains) - i'm thinking they can do this, as most have several outs.

 

4) Split keyboards (i know they can do this) but here's the catch - i want those bass patches/samples to be controlled via a MIDI controller, while still having the FULL RANGE of the keybed on teh worksation availible for pianos, string splits etc. Obviously, the pianos and other programs in the split can't be triggered by the MIDI controller, i want it seperate.

 

please, any info regarding the ability of the motif ES, XS, ROland Fantom X and G, or the Korg Triton or Ms is greatly appreciated.

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Just about any of the modern workstations with sampling can do that. I have done similar things with my M3.

 

 

4) Split keyboards (i know they can do this) but here's the catch - i want those bass patches/samples to be controlled via a MIDI controller, while still having the FULL RANGE of the keybed on teh worksation availible for pianos, string splits etc. Obviously, the pianos and other programs in the split can't be triggered by the MIDI controller, i want it seperate.

 

please, any info regarding the ability of the motif ES, XS, ROland Fantom X and G, or the Korg Triton or Ms is greatly appreciated.

 

---------

 

that's the big one though, and i'm not sure if any can do this - calling guitar centers/musicians friend is of no help, they don't know what i'm asking.

 

thanks for the info so far! at least i know i can sample my CX-3 and computer samples onto the workstation ( i assumed as much, just wanted to be sure)

 

the big thing is the split controlling the samples via a MIDI controller while still being able to use the workstation keybed for its internal sounds with multiple splits

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4) Split keyboards (i know they can do this) but here's the catch - i want those
bass patches/samples to be controlled via a MIDI controller, while still having the FULL RANGE of the keybed on teh worksation availible for pianos, string splits etc.
Obviously, the pianos and other programs in the split can't be triggered by the MIDI controller, i want it seperate.


please, any info regarding the ability of the motif ES, XS, ROland Fantom X and G, or the Korg Triton or Ms is greatly appreciated.


---------


that's the big one though, and i'm not sure if any can do this - calling guitar centers/musicians friend is of no help, they don't know what i'm asking.


thanks for the info so far! at least i know i can sample my CX-3 and computer samples onto the workstation ( i assumed as much, just wanted to be sure)


the big thing is the split controlling the samples via a MIDI controller while still being able to use the workstation keybed for its internal sounds with multiple splits

 

 

You can do that on most any workstation. Most either have an option to select whether one of the patches on your multi responds to midi control, or to keyboard control, or which midi channel it responds to, and simply set the midi controller to transmit on that channel.

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The Motif can do this, but only in the Sequencer mode. There are 64 Songs available and further 64 in Pattern mode. The Motif ES doesn't store the Songs in its memory, so you have to load them every time you turn the keyboard on. It functions, but to me it is a more than strange limitation on a workstation these days.

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The Motif can do this, but only in the Sequencer mode. There are 64 Songs available and further 64 in Pattern mode. The Motif ES doesn't store the Songs in its memory, so you have to load them every time you turn the keyboard on. It functions, but to me it is a more than strange limitation on a workstation these days.

 

 

so with an Motif XS, i wouldn't have ot manually load the song sets to do this?

 

really, i don't need tons of splits - it would be nice to have 16+ sounds to choose from ina mixing-type settting, but what i really need is the ability to have the samples or bass patch controlled via MIDI, and everything else wither split on the workstation keybed, or maybe other midi contorllers - previous posters seemt o confirm that that is possible on every major workstation's last 2 product lines.

 

if i'm reading what your saying, the only way to have the MIDI / workstation splits is in Sequencer mode? how live-playing friendly is that mode?

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The XS holds its songs in memory. You don't need to load them every time you turn the keyboard on.

I don't own a XS but I guess there is not much difference between playing in sequencer mode against multitimbral modes on other keyboards.

How live-friendly?

As I said. I simply don't like the fact that on a yamaha keyboard you need to use a song or even a pattern mode to be able to make a multitimbral setup with more than 4 sounds at once (yamahas performance mode).

If you don't need many setups it will be ok. I use more than 100 setups for my live playing, and a Motif XS would be a nightmare for me. On a Korg M3 or any Kurzweil model, the Combination/Setup mode is the Mode for playing live, doing splits, controlling external gear. Everything is done in one mode. On a Motif XS you have to use performance, song, pattern and even master mode to achieve what other workstations do in one single and simple mode.

It all depends how complex your setups are and how many of them you need.

If you need just a few setups, there will bi no problem to do that in the song mode on a XS.

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Man... I'm asking the same questions with the Motif. All I wanted to do was see if I can create multitimbral setups with another midi controller on two separate channels... and after literally DAYS of reading through the manual AND forums... I just found out you have to use pattern mode or song mode to do this.

 

In addition... you can't even be just in Song mode... you have to create ANOTHER patch in Master mode so that you can enable more than one midi channel (as you can only use one active channel in a time supposedly in song mode... master mode alleviates this somehow).

 

I'm still considering a Motif ES for live... but my last few questions is just wondering if I can disable/enable midi control of controllers for each voice in Song mode in Master modee... like sustain and pitchbend... etc.

 

I'm so used to Korg and Roland that Yamaha seems like C++ right now.

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bump for justice (and another annoying question lol)

 

So with the Fantoms or M3, if i have my bass patch or bass samples being played on a split controlled by an external MIDI controller, can i switch the other splits (i.e. pianos, strings, w/e) at will?

 

it would be a major drag if i had to make a special "set" with the bass being controlled like that for every other combination of splits i could want. i need to do fast switches while keeping the bass as a constant (sometimes the bass patch would change, but it would almost always be split and contorlled via a MIDI controller.

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