MIDI

[privateerm]

So I picked up this used keyboard (CTK-541) at a second hand store for $25 and noticed that it had midi in/out on the back. A few years ago a friend had given me a midi cable. I plugged it into my computer and started playing tinkering.....

What good is a midi interface? For the life of me I can't figure out what it is good for.

If I play midi files on my computer and send them to mpu-401, I hear horrid synth sounds coming from the keyboard.

If I load MuseScore I only can push one key at a time to record on the sheet music.

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What I was hoping I could find is some software to do piano instruction using the midi interface. Is there such a thing?

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[djrbk]

I'm not sure what you mean by "instruction". Are you looking to teach a class through youtube or something?

A midi interface will allow you to record in real/recorded/overlapped time onto a computer. Nowadays that is nothing special that a USB cannot do, although you can chain-link your midi into hardware/effects with ease versus not really having a sane option with USB if you're going the hardware route. (software though is super easy)

Decent software to use for a controller:
Orion Platinum (install VSTs to save time with production/piano use)
Reason 4.0 (or are they u p to 5.0? Whatever is most recent)
Ableton Live.

I guess Cubase could work, but i wouldn't recommend someone try to learn Cubase unless I hated them and/or thought that they were a musical/technical/COMPLETELY OCD prodigy. And even then what you could accomplish in 8 hours in Cubase could be done in 30 minutes over Reason patched into Ableton.

I should also add that these will give you like 50 different tools to modify the frequencies/effects of the sound you emit, so maybe that is overcomplicated for what your needs are and you'd be fine with something like Garage Band. Ableton live is probably your best bet though if you want to do some fun things like play piano or whatever over pre-existing tracks // "dummy" tracks that are just like a simple drum beat.

[privateerm]

QUOTE (djrbk @ Apr 28 2011, 12:16 AM) I'm not sure what you mean by "instruction". Are you looking to teach a class through youtube or something?

No, I would like to learn. I took 7 years of my parents money when I was a kid in piano lessons. The lessons were useful in learning how to read music(I play the bagpipes quite proficiently these days using that knowledge) but I left the piano in favor of a more warlike instrument.

- I have lost any knowledge of what chords are, ie. bagpipes
- I can only play in the key of ...um... "bagpipe" ( http://www.themacleods.net/qanda/skmqa019.htm ) and would like to do some re-learning.

[Shizoku]

As far as interfaces go you can't go wrong with m-audio. Most if not all will come with a LE program of something like Ableton or Cubase, which is just a light edition to get you hooked on the program.

If it's in your area there is a Long and Mcquade in NB, they'd be able to set you up with something that would fit your needs.

[Heyoka]

You can also get a M-audio Pro-tools kit. If you really want to do some awesome @#(!.

[privateerm]

QUOTE (Shizoku @ Apr 28 2011, 01:05 AM) If it's in your area there is a Long and Mcquade in NB, they'd be able to set you up with something that would fit your needs.

For sure. There is one in every city here. I'll have to stop in sometime.

[Bard]

I know one of the main reasons *I* want to use MIDI is because Lord of the Rings: Online has an abc notation system for playing instruments (like the bagpipes) in-game but some of the notation gets rather complicated and can be easily fixed by simply playing the notes on the keyboard into a MIDI program on your comp and transferring it to .abc via another (free) program.

Not having to type out @#(! like this to get the drones right would be nice.

Code: Select all

X:1
T:Lord Lovat's Lament
L:1/4
Q:1/4=90
K:C
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[djrbk]

To bumpdate this thread.. Get it working PrivateerM?

I got recruited into a band. This results in me harbouring like 2x more cool music gear in my basement and a band of 7 other cutthroat jackasses with switchblades to protect them. It also results in me getting an electronic drum kit to play around with which is AWESOME. Now it plugs into computers via midi too.. I just need to get my external sound card up and running which realistically won't happen until September...... But still...

[fuzz_windows]

QUOTE (Bard @ Apr 28 2011, 03:46 AM) I know one of the main reasons *I* want to use MIDI is because Lord of the Rings: Online has an abc notation system for playing instruments (like the bagpipes) in-game but some of the notation gets rather complicated and can be easily fixed by simply playing the notes on the keyboard into a MIDI program on your comp and transferring it to .abc via another (free) program.

Not having to type out @#(! like this to get the drones right would be nice.

True that, I was working on putting "Free Bird" in abc format mostly just to see if I could. Got pretty far if I remember right but I don't have 7 friends in game wanting to sit around playing music lol.

[DonKarnage]

Have you tried Anvil Studio? It's free