Midi setup help

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:20 pm

Hi all,

Could anyone help me out to setup a very simple layout? I've read the Parameter Guide (Pdf) and, for the life out of me, I can't make these things work together.

Keyboard= Korg M50
Laptop: Macbook (it has an Audio In input, either a dynamic mic, a keyboard, etc.)
DAW: Garageband
M50 Editor and USB Midi driver installed and working.

1) How do I need to setup the M50? I guess that local must be Off and I have to Write the Global settings.

2) How do I manage to record a sequence into the DAW, the M50 sounds, either GM and / or the Internal patches and combis?

3) Aside the USB cable from the M50 to the laptop, do I need to plug in a 1/4" (say Mono, L/R output on the M50) and plug it in on the Audio In on the Mac?

4) Right now, I'm only on Headphones: should I plug them in the Laptop or in the M50?

5) I want the Clock to be the one on the DAW (Garageband): I've setup the, either External Midi Clock and / or USB Midi Clock but no fruit.

6) How do I need to setup the M50's Plug In editor on the DAW? (Garageband)

Bottom line, I want to accomplish 2 things:

a) Use the Daw's sequencer, recording the M50's sounds on the DAW as Midi data. (not Audio)

b) Being able to load a SMF from whatever, save it on my Hard Disk and play it on the laptop with the M50's GM patches.

Thank you for all the help you can provide on this matter.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:21 pm

Someone on other forum told me that Garageband is very limited in the fashion that doesn't have Midi Out capabilities.

I've found an app called MidiO, and from their readme file

midiO (version 1.2)
Introduction

MidiO is a small Audio Unit that can be used to drive MIDI based devices with the notes from a software instrument track within GarageBand. In its current form, it is not intended to be a general purpose, full functionality MIDI interface. What it does do is send the MIDI notes and other messages from a software instrument track to some other MIDI enabled program or device. It does not support the direct export of a MIDI track to a file.

Installation

If you want midiO available to every GarageBand user, copy midiO.component to:

/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

Otherwise, copy midiO.component to your user library:

/Users/<user>/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:59 pm

Whilst it doesn't have built in MIDI Out functionality, the plug-in editor will give you MIDI out capability for the M50. That is to be preferred ideally unless for some reason your plug-in editor doesn't work

both the plug-in editor and the utility you mention appear as plugins which kind of wrap a MIDI-Out driver system inside.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:01 pm

X-Trade wrote:Whilst it doesn't have built in MIDI Out functionality, the plug-in editor will give you MIDI out capability for the M50. That is to be preferred ideally unless for some reason your plug-in editor doesn't work

both the plug-in editor and the utility you mention appear as plugins which kind of wrap a MIDI-Out driver system inside.

Thanks.

I can see (on Garageband) the MidiO and the M50 Editor but I'm lost on how to set it up for my requirements.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:54 pm

Anyone?

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:40 pm

BUMP.

jacke · Post by **jacke** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:56 pm

More than anything I would suggest you familiarize yourself with your gear and computer-based recording. Most of the questions in your original post ("do I need to plug in a 1/4" (say Mono, L/R output on the M50) and plug it in on the Audio In on the Mac?") are almost painfully obvious, and that you need to ask might make you come off as a spoony/skippy.

Regarding the plug-in/editor, I didn't see a way to do track/instrument-specific MIDI changes in Garageband, but for just recording the MIDI into Garageband, just make a new virtual instrument track and select the plug-in as generator.

Here's my setup: M50 connected with USB to computer; M50 connected with 2x 1/4" TRS to my Firewire audio interface (M-Audio FW Solo). In Garageband I make a new audio track and select the Firewire audio ins, monitoring on. I didn't find any need to change local on/off as when I switch to a GB virtual instrument the real audio track is automatically disarmed from recording, ie. no sound goes through to the speakers.

Going to try out midiO later and see what it does.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:17 pm

jacke wrote:
Regarding the plug-in/editor, I didn't see a way to do track/instrument-specific MIDI changes in Garageband, but for just recording the MIDI into Garageband, just make a new virtual instrument track and select the plug-in as generator.

That's what I'm doing and all I can hear thru the headphones connected to my Mac are the instruments on Garageband modules, not the ones from the M50. If I connect the headphone into the M50, I'm able to listen to the M50 sounds but when I click to start the recording on Garageband, the Metronome does not come out the Headphones connected to the M50.

Recording Audio I had no problems, MIDI is another story.

Years ago I used to record MIDI from my X5D to a desktop PC using Cakewalk and, until 1 year ago, I did the same with a Kurzweil module (using the Korg CX-3 as a controller) into SONAR but, with the M50-Macbook-Garageband I'm lost.

StudioMan · Post by **StudioMan** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:09 pm

Just use the click in your DAW!

If your recording, why would you want to use the click in the M50 anyways?

Mike

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:23 pm

StudioMan wrote:Just use the click in your DAW!

If your recording, why would you want to use the click in the M50 anyways?

Mike

I WANT to use the click on the DAW and I think, I never mentioned using the click on the M50.

kanthos · Post by **kanthos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:41 pm

What you're probably not doing is telling GarageBand to send the input from your audio interface to the output. I don't use GarageBand, so I can't be specific, but I've had this working in Cubase before with my TR.

Depending on the monitoring capabilities of your audio interface and of GarageBand, there might be a way to monitor the input to your audio interface (i.e. the M50's output) and combine that with GarageBand's master output.

Failing that, you can set up an audio track that's getting input from your audio interface and is turned up loud enough on GarageBand's mixer; that would combine it with everything else going on in GarageBand.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:58 pm

Ok, these are the steps right now:

a) M50 plugged in via USB to the Macbook.(driver recognized)
b) 1/4" plug from the LEft/Mono out on the M50 to the Audio In on the Macbook.
c) Opened a new file on Garageband/Create new software track
d) Choose the M50 Plug In editor as a sound generator.
e) Choose a sound

What parameters should I setup on:

1) Midi Pug In Editor? (MIDI, GLOBAL)
2) The same on the M50

I can see the keyboard on the Editor hitting the key as I hit them on the M50 but NO sound, just the click from the DAW. Also, I hit record on the daw and played anything on the M50. I can see MIDI data being recorded but no sound either recording/play.

Thanks for any help.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:02 pm

kanthos wrote:What you're probably not doing is telling GarageBand to send the input from your audio interface to the output.

I don't have an Audio interface right now, just using the built in Audio chip on the Macbook. I have an 1/8" Audio out (headphone, speakers) and 1/8" Audio In, which I can setup to Mic (Internal) or Audio.

I don't have this problem (no Audio) using any soft synths on my system via Garageband.

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:39 pm

you need to:
a) make sure you have created an audio track for it (real instrument track)
b) make sure that you have set monitoring for that track to on

for b:
open the track's inspector window (apple + I), and there should be options for input source and for monitoring. you don't need feedback protection unless you are recording something with a mic or possibly a guitar if you are using a loud sound system for your output.
here you can also apply extra effects to the track (under details at the bottom), or select a track preset to get some effects. normally you won't need this because there are plenty of effects set for programs on the M50, but obviously you might want to set up some compression or limiting.

edit:
by the way, you should try recording in stereo. you can get a good stereo splitter cable - the macbook's inputs are in stereo), most easy to find is one with a pair of red and a white RCA phono jacks, and then get two RCA-to-jack adaptors. you may even have one as they come free with most home theatre and PC speakers, as well as with some cheaper studio monitors. they have the stereo (TRS) mini jack on the other end.
alternatively you can actually get stereo jack cables (most ones that are in stereo will be colour coded like the RCA ones, and should have a stereo TRS (three contact bands - tip, ring, and sleeve) jack on the other end, either a mini jack or most commonly a 1/4in jack, where you will again probably have one lying around or buy a 1/4 to 3.5mm (ensure it is stereo TRS as before) adaptor.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:41 pm

X-Trade wrote:you need to:
a) make sure you have created an audio track for it (real instrument track)
b) make sure that you have set monitoring for that track to on

for b:
open the track's inspector window (apple + I), and there should be options for input source and for monitoring. you don't need feedback protection unless you are recording something with a mic or possibly a guitar if you are using a loud sound system for your output.
here you can also apply extra effects to the track (under details at the bottom), or select a track preset to get some effects. normally you won't need this because there are plenty of effects set for programs on the M50, but obviously you might want to set up some compression or limiting.

I've created Audio tracks and recorded in realtime onto Garageband, no problems.(can't quantize or edit events though)

The thing is MIDI, I can't hear any sound through MIDI and the Audio cable pugged in. I see on the Mac Audio settings that there's signal coming in from the M50 but no sound.
Thank you.