engineer questions

[DJ TL]

basically i've got a nice new synth on the way to me, a virus indigo

and a roland jv1080

basically I've never set up a studio and although I can use one i've not got the knowledge how to set them up!

I'm going to need to purchase a mini mixing desk aren't I?

Can anyone go through how I can connect it up to my PC to use either with Logic or Reason (reason prefrebly)

cheers

[Sen]

I haven't installed 2.0 yet, but Reason can't control other synths I don't believe...so you'd need to use logic.

Yes you need to get a mixing desk...plus a MIDI interface.

What you need to do is this:

MIDI interface connected to computer
MIDI in/outs of synth to in/outs of interface

Audio outs to audio ins of mixer

Audio outs of mixer to audio ins of soundcard

[DJ TL]

But I thought you could just connected like this

SYNTH - MIXING DESK - PC

the mixing desk I was going to buy says it can connect synthesisers to mixing desk to pc

what does the midi interface do?

i take it that the midi interface would connect every instrument, whilst the mixing desk controlled the properties/mix down (volume sends etc. which went back through the interface to PC

i.e.

PC
|
|
INTERFACE - SYNTH
|_ SAMPLER
|_____ MIXING DESK

kinda like that? where the mixing desk controlled the properties of the synth/sampler ?

[bionicbooty]

Originally posted by DJ TL
But I thought you could just connected like this

SYNTH - MIXING DESK - PC

the mixing desk I was going to buy says it can connect synthesisers to mixing desk to pc

what does the midi interface do?

The MIDI interface tells the instrument when to play the notes. For example, the computer tells the MIDI interface that the instrument connected to port 1 should play a middle C for a quarter note. Then the MIDI interface processes this information, and spits it out data information thru a MIDI cable on it's "output 1". The MIDI cable from output 1 tells whichever synth it is plugged into to play the note. When the synth plays the note, the audio signal (the sound) comes out of the sythn's audio outputs. This audio signal goes either into an inputin your mixing console or directly into your computer's sound card.

i take it that the midi interface would connect every instrument, whilst the mixing desk controlled the properties/mix down (volume sends etc. which went back through the interface to PC

i.e.

PC
|
|
INTERFACE - SYNTH
|_ SAMPLER
|_____ MIXING DESK

kinda like that? where the mixing desk controlled the properties of the synth/sampler ?

Yep. If you only have two inputs to your PC's sound card, you absolutely need to go through your mixing console if you have two or more sythns. If you have more than two inputs to your sound card, you may not need a mixing console. The mixing console controls the volumes and can eq the sound once the synth spits it out - it does not control any data such as which patch to play.

Good luck.

[DJ TL]

many thanks people!

[DJ TL]

can I just double check i need a midi interface?

is that definite?

Cause my keyboardis connected in via midi on the soundcard ? no midi interface

I thought i would be able to go midi-thru then to other devices?

[Dj^Silk]

im sure reasons digital sampler can control keys on a midi controller sen?

correct me if im wrong

but yeh ud be best of with logic

[tnt]

"can I just double check i need a midi interface?

is that definite?

Cause my keyboardis connected in via midi on the soundcard ? no midi interface

I thought i would be able to go midi-thru then to other devices? "

You can get away with using your soundcard's midi interface but you probably realise that it only has one midi input/ouput. You can add more synths/samplers in a single chain (one after the other) and connect their audio outputs to the mixing desk. If you use this method you'll be restricted to maximum of 16 midi channels regardless of the number of synths you have.

Or you could buy a dedicated midi interface that has multiple midi inputs and outputs. Some midi interfaces look like stand alone sound cards that plug inside your PC. They tend to be more reliable than a soundcards midi port.