Midi Tutorial Part 3: Setting up a hardware synth with a software sequencer (hardware sequencer)

Note: The following article is a general outline to introduce readers to the general concepts and methods behind setting up midi. The specific details of how to setup a midi keyboard with your computer will vary depending upon the hardware and software that you use.

Setting up a hardware synth with a software sequencer (hardware sequencer)
1. You will need to setup a midi/usb interface the same was as you did for the keyboard. Refer to the keyboard setup .:Here:. if you don’t know how to do that.

2. Next, depending on the synth that your using you will need to setup the midi configuration for your synth. If your synth is a sound module then there is nothing you need to do. Your hardware synth by default will be set to receive midi data on channel 1. Usually it is best to leave your hardware synth to midi channel 1 and then change the midi channels for your soft synths in your soft sequencer.

3. Module setup: this is fairly straightforward. You need to setup up your synth to receive midi data from your computer and software sequencer. You want to connect a midi out from your usb interface and run a line going to midi in on your hardware synth. Next go into your software sequencer go back to the midi setup screen we talked about earlier. Then for the midi out configuration set the midi out to go to the midi out port that your synth is hooked up to. Now go to the section of your sequencer where you load your vsti synths. In this same section you should see some sort of module or option for midi out. Load this module and set its midi channel to correspond to the same channel that your synth is on. If you have a midi keyboard set it to the same channel as well. Now when you play your keyboard, or write notes into pattern editor/piano roll for the midi out module your hardware synth will play notes. The same thing can be done on a synth with a keyboard as well, but you will be unable to record midi from your synth’s keyboard yet. (NOTE: audio data is not transferred through the midi cable. Remember data travels only in 1 direction through a midi cable, and midi only sends not on off data in order to hear the sounds playing u need to run the audio from your synth to either speakers, a mixer, or into your computer through its audio in)


4. Keyboard synth setup: Do all of the same you did for your sound module setup, except this time we need to setup a midi in setup so you can record midi notes you play on your synth keyboard into your soft sequencer. This process is very similar to setting up a midi keyboard. You need to run a midi cable running from the midi out of your keyboard synth to the midi in on your midi interface. Now you need to go to the midi setup screen in your sequencer again. Now here in lies the problem. Most software sequencers are setup to accept only 1 set of midi in data. That means you can only have 1 keyboard to send midi in data and record midi in data for your computer. This means if you have multiple keyboards you must choose which one you want to use as a midi controller. Some sequencers do allow for an auxiliary midi input device. This was usually designed to allow for control interfaces or midi knob/slider boxes. These are usually not global devices and must be loaded (loaded like any other synth or module in your sequencer) and then routed to control a particular synth. You will need to read the particular info your sequencer on how each sequencer handles (if at all) auxiliary midi devices.

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