Korg Forums

Hi, I'm getting back into hardware after a long time away using ableton and soft synths. I have an emx-1, which is a cool bit of a kit, and a novation nova which I want to sync, and then have the emx sequence the nova. I have other bits of kit ( incl xoxbox), but wanna keep it to the emx and nova to start with. Also will bring a midi keyboard into the equation. I will probably then record directly into ableton. To save time swearing and head scratching, help with regard to this set-up would be appreciated. Ta

Anybody out there... I know this has probably been covered a lot before, but it's a long time since my Atari 1040 and akai 950 days

I'm not clear on exactly what you mean but..... Midi !

I mean midi cables to and from where on each unit, which audio cables ditto. Then what I need to dial in on the emx, so that it's synth part will play the external synth ( nova ), which will be synced in time and then sequenced on the emx.

Option 1:

Plug a MIDI cable between your EMX's out and your Nova's input.
Set the Nova to receive external clock
Set your Nova to the MIDI channel your EMX is transmitting on. (Whatever synth part 5 is, easy to figure out by experimenting or looking it up.)
Plug the audi output of the EMX and the audio output of your Nova into a mixer, and the mixer into your computer.
You should now be able to sequence your Nova from the EMX with perfect sync of the nova's effects, etc.


Option 2:
Do everything above, except instead of going into a mixer, plug your Nova's left audio channel into the external input of your EMX. You can now process the Nova's audio through the EMX effects, etc. Run the EMX's outputs into your computer.

Option 3:
Do the basics, but also plug a MIDI keyboard into the EMX. You'll have to change channels to address specific synth parts - including the EMX synth part you've given up to control the Nova.

Option 4:
Give up and do it all with the EMX. Record your jams into Ableton for more processing and mastering. Later, rediscover your love of softsynths and hatred of MIDI cables and external power supplies and early 2000's-era virtual analog engines, sell gear on eBay, regret your sale and re-buy everything in an endless loop of software to hardware.

Thanks a lot for that useful info.
With regard option 4. Lol. Im sure that after putting together a little hardware set up ill yearn for the day when someone invents an " in the box " ( I think that'll catch on ) set-up, that doesn't involve reams of cables and routing. Then after that and that and...