MIDI Newb question

[go go gergie]

So I'm currently in the process of changing my live rig. I play in a reggae band, so I typically use a double rig, primarily using a clonewheel and piano for my bubble. I'm switching from a Roland Vk-7 to a Nord Electro 3 for all my organ sounds + plus use it for my clav, rhodes, etc etc. Only issue with the Nord is I am unable to split it so I can play both organ and piano at the same time. So I am looking for a smaller 49-key board to use primarily for my piano "chop" as well as for synths.

I'm currently looking into the possibiliy of a piano module (Alesis NanoPiano...) as well as the Moog Slim Phatty for my Synth leads.

I have absolutely no experience with MIDI- Is it possible to run both Modules to the same controller? And how can I switch between the two Modules in a live setting? Is there some sort of footswitch I could use in order to switch between the different modules?

Help is greatly appreciated on this one.....

Also any feedback on a good sounding piano module, and reliable MIDI controller would be great. Thanks!

[Mecedes]

Connect the midi in from the nord to the midi out on the phatty. Then if you have any sound/synth modules connect the midi out from the phatty to the midi-thru of your sound/synth module

[mididoc]

Dude - if you are going to give advice, get it right.

 

Use THRU to pass an input on to the next device. So in this instance go from the OUT on the Nord to the IN on the Moog, then from the THRU on the Moog to the IN on another module.

[mididoc]

The best way to switch between sound modules from one controller is to have the modules respond to different MIDI channels, then switch your transmit channel on the controller to whichever module you would like to be controlling.

 

For instance: Controller set to MIDI transmit on channel 1 to first module set to receive on Ch. 1, if you set module 2 to receive on Ch. 2 it will not sound UNTIL you switch the controller transmit channel to Ch. 2, then the first module will remain silent.

 

I don't know of a footswitch that can help here, but perhaps someone else can chime in with knowledge of such a piece.

[Mecedes]

sorry

[psionic11]

Basics: controllers (masters) and slaves (racks, etc). Best is to have controllers that can play/transmit on multiple MIDI channels.

 

Also, as MIDIdoc pointed out, you'll want to use multiple MIDI channels to controll all the devices.

 

Last pointer:

 

MIDI IN == instrument listen to whatever in Incoming

MIDI OUT == instrument (controller) tell everyone else what it's doing

MIDI THRU == passive, just passes whatever comes to MIDI IN back on through unchanged out again

 

Important note: if you play a master keyboard, what you play will NOT get sent out via the MIDI THRU, only through MIDI OUT!!!

 

So, given these basics, you have about enough to decide to hook everything up. You're gonna have to post more specific details --- what hardware you have, what musical goals you want to achieve -- in order to get more specific and practical help from here, right?

 

For example, specific requirement like "I want to play piano sounds from keyboard X, while all other synth sounds I want to play from keyboard Y, all while retaining the ability to change sets, which keeps acousitc grand on the 88keys but changes/splits synth sounds on the 61 key conbtroller...