How do I get started with MIDI?

something like this

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MIDISPORT1x1-main.html

Most new MIDI devices these days are USB if they are designed for computer work (edirol keyboards etc)

If you have older kit with this style of MIDI interface:

http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/fsys/cableconnect/04sound_game/06midi_din-box-l.jpg

Or even the newer small type.

You need an interface such as on a USB soundcard like an Edirol UA-20

http://www.roland.co.jp/DTMP/comparison/image/conector/UA-20.jpg

Or just a plain MIDI to USB convertor like Jim linked up top.

Okay so I still need to set myself up. I have the computer, the keyboard, some leads but I understand I need a controller or preferably an outboard soundcard? Is this true? What do people recommend?

- external Midi/audio soundcard, M-Audio. He said it would cost me in the region of over £200, which to be fair is very expensive for me.

- internal soundcard with midi ports etc. About £130 - still expensive and perhaps a little impractical.

- MIDI controller USB keyboard. £90, so affordable but may limit me in certain ways (I wasn't so clear on this. He was trying to explain me latency issues and stuff but my friend was pestering me to leave the shop by then). He said so long as I'm not trying to play along with an audio file on the keyboard then it's unlikely I'd have a problem.

I want to get the right thing, but I don't want to spend hundreds of pounds only to find I didn't need to. Can anyone help me here?

my soundcard and the one i recommend for anyone starting out for its price and value is the maudio audophile 2496. it's 100 USD, not sure what it sells for inthe UK, but generally the best cheapest one you're likely to find.

i have a new m-audio ozone. and a powerbook with osx. i attached them together, with usb! i installed the software, and...it appears to work

http://static.flickr.com/72/194563151_5873851f63.jpg?v=0

it connects succesfully! it makes sounds! all is well, apparently

i reboot the powerbook. it still works!
i reboot the powerbook, and remove all cables while turned off. it still works!

i reboot the powerbook, and turn on and off the ozone, and....it doesnt work.

if i turn off the ozone, when i try again later, i see this

http://static.flickr.com/73/194563149_536a77bb84.jpg?v=0

and it never comes back!

i also get this curious message,

http://static.flickr.com/78/194563147_3530b8388d.jpg?v=0

until i power off the ozone. any ideas?

if you can keep it workin' forget about this other stuff.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MAudioOzone-focus.html

first, induce the failure state...

then open the terminal (applications > utilities > terminal)

into the terminal type: kextstat | grep USBA

if you see AppleUSBAudio.kext, or something like that, it means that the class compliant driver has been loaded instead of the m-audio.

so, um, if i'm right....post again.

braggin time: I got a Casio DG-20 on the way! (Didn't know about the Flight of the Chonchords thing until recently)

http://www.rockinboston.com/images/casiodg20.jpg

Anyway, cool feature is that each string can be set to play on its own midi channel. I was thinking about using this with soft synths (haha I know) to put an arpeggiator on a few strings. I have messed around with writing a soft synth in PD (essentially max/msp) but honestly, it wasn't that exciting other than employing balinese style constant beading between two fm synths and only being able to play notes in the (balinese) pentatonic scale (as picked out by fouriering metalphones).

So uh, I want a way to control a bunch of cheese soft synths on OS X. I think some of the routing/rerouting can be done using MidiPipe http://homepage.mac.com/nicowald/SubtleSoft/ and anything complex is a breeze with pd.

Should I just use GarageBand for the synths (ew)? Is there a software arp built into some soft synth shit or should I just try to dig up someone's max or pd patch for that?

Also this is awesome: http://nastynets.com/?p=471

do you actually have any clue on what kind of sound you want to make or are you just trying to be a marginally less worthless version of post-9/11 autechre/braindance/forced exposure bullshit filler act?

bcz I would like to appreciate your ideas and subscribe to your newsletter but AFAICT you have neither

you should use that to control soft samplers dog you could be the next ian crause

U mad

I was merely asking how do I shot soft synth for osx

some soft synths are their own instruments, and some are only plug-ins. I think you need any application that can handle au/vsat/etc plug-ins. Does garage band? Use Abelton lite?

VST is kind of a pain in the ass on OSX because of the wang.

i'm a performer user so I'm all about AU anyway.

http://destroyfx.smartelectronix.com/audiounits.html

^ list of AU hosting apps

Got a controller. ... now what. Picked up a M-audio O2 used, now trying to fiddle with it talking to some random software. I just want to start by running this thing thru a vst or something.

First thing, what DAW are you using?

that's the trick, innit. I'm kinda trying to find a cheap thing that I can run on the work laptop. I don't need the studio/mastering package, just the musicmaking one. windows version of garageband sorta thing, I think.

Cheap? How about free? Download Reaper and get some free synth VSTs. http://bedroomproducersblog.com/2011/08/22/bpb-freeware-studio-best-free-subtractiveva-polyphonic-synthesizer-vstau-plugins/

Awesome, that looks like a good start

Seconding Reaper + free VST plugins. I've been very pleased with what I've been making lately with that approach -- this tune, for example.

I've been getting a lot of mileage from the TAL-Noisemaker and the Synth1 from Owen's list above. Togu Audio Line, who made the Noisemaker, have a bunch of other great free plugins as well. Also check out the free synths and drum machines from DSK.

Whoops, here's the tune.

Cool, grabbing reaper.

I really like the VSTs they have here:

http://www.tweakbench.com/triforce

if you like that, you should check out basic64, my favorite free chipsound vst. plogue chipsounds is way beyond it in terms of richness/sound quality, but it costs money and isn't as tweakable (it emulates & samples lots of specific chips, so you can't modify the waveforms at will etc.).

Hmm

I need a new midi controller - preferably something that'll help with particularly Reason, so a keyboard and some assignable knobs and other bling if poss. Can anyone recommend something under £120?

I got a nice Nord keyboard a couple months ago and was wondering what I need to get to use it as a midi controller other than a midi to usb cable. I'd like to create my own sounds and then use them as live instrumentation esp for percussion sounds. Do I need Recycle/Reason or is there any freeware that would do the trick? Is there anywhere in particular to get good drum plugins (if that's the right term)? As you can see I have no clue.

Could you get more specific about use them for live instrumentation? Is your Nord keyboard going to be onstage? Or something else? A computer?

Well it's more that I'd like to use it to record, but I want to play live along with whatever I'm recording. I have some M-Audio thing that I could use to hook it up to my keyboard amp so I think I'm set there.

Well

Nord keyboards are best used as sound sources. You can use the MIDI out on the Nord to control, say, a piano on Garageband. You can also play beats on it, once you figure out how a percussion bank is mapped to MIDI.

But if you're looking for a proper "MIDI CONTROLLER" that can start tracks and so forth, the Nord won't work for you.

My advice re: drum plugins, I like Goldbaby's stuff, it's fairly inexpensive for what you get, and they sound amazing

Awesome thanks. So I can do all this with garage band?

In all honesty I think you should work on producing some tracks with whatever DAW you're gonna be using (i.e. Garageband) using their internal sound sets before moving into making your own percussion sounds. It'll save you a lot of frustration

Also, if you can afford a Nord synth, you can afford Logic

Aight I'll look into logic. Thanks again