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  #1  
Old 08-24-2017, 06:25 PM
N'dgame N'dgame is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 2
Default Recording with vintage equipment -Please Help-

Hello!

I am a musician, but I am new to Pro Tools and MIDI controllers. I was recently given a ton of vintage equipment and am trying to figure out a setup that will let me record a few demos. I updated my signature but I'll explain my current equipment here:

Dell Inspiron 17 500 series
Windows 10
Pro Tools 11
Sure SRH 240a (just headphones)
---This is my base of operations, I don't fully understand my equipment so I alternate between two separate setups for vocals and instruments.

Focusrite Forte
sE Electronics X1 condenser mic
a pop filter
---I use this setup for vocals. Each piece is relatively new. The Forte requires phantom power to record, but that's no challenge. The next set is where I am confused

Vintage synths Drum Machines

Roland JV 90 Roland MT 32
Ensoniq sq80 Alesis HR 16
Ensoniq EPS

And a Midiman usb midisport 2x2
---This is where I am stuck. The most I have accomplished is getting Pro Tools to recognize the JV-90 and record the notes I play as MIDI, but it ends there. If my headphones are installed to the JV-90, I can hear it play the music from the synth but I never hear it from my laptop- even when I can see the sound levels moving on the MIDI track. What's worse is, after tinkering around, I lost what little progress I made and now can't even record the MIDI.

So please disregard the vocal setup and my failed synth setup and imagine we're starting at square one.
Fresh Pro tools, vintage synths with a usb midiman, and 2 interesting drum machines.
How do I arrange all of this^ so that I can begin recording music? I don't need to use everything, or even use it all at once, I am just desperate to start. If I can manage to record sounds from one synth (the JV90 is my go to) and use a drum machine for percussion that would be ideal.

I am positive this is not as impossible as it feels but, as a musician, I am frustrated because the method is more complex than what I am used to.
I don't understand MIDI but I can learn it with some practice. For now, I just need a setup (synths, Rx/Tx, inputs/outputs, drum machines, etc) that will let me finally record.

Any help is appreciated!
I can and will learn, i just want to get started.
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Setup:
Dell Inspiron 17 500 series
Windows 10
Pro Tools 11
Sure SRH 240A

(for vocals)
Forte Focusrite
sE Electonics X1 condenser mic

Midiman USB midisport 2x2
Roland JV-90

Roland MT 32
Alesis hr 16
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  #2  
Old 08-24-2017, 06:54 PM
Darryl Ramm Darryl Ramm is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 19,510
Default Recording with vintage equipment -Please Help-

This is the wrong venue to be asking for general getting started help like this. There are many excellent tutorials on how to work with Pro Tools and MIDI and outboard synths etc. on YouTube or paid commercial training sites, or in books (starting with "Pro Tools 101"). You will not make progress stumbling around and trying to sort this out and asking questions as you go, you need to start with a tutorial or training course and go from there.

If you have specific questions then describe exactly what you are doing, ideally exactly what instructions/tutorial you are following, and what does not work as expected and then folks here can help you.

---

MIDI is just digital data about things like key presses, it contains *no* sound. You could be playing a MIDI grand piano or MIDI kazoo, MIDI does not know or care.

If you want to record the sound of these devices you need to record that to an audio track using the line level (or maybe DI but that is a longer story) outputs of those devices into an audio interface. You might record the MIDI data do you can edit that and play back through your synths (while tweaking patches etc.) to later record that audio. You can also perform that MIDI->audio conversion inside the computer using a VI (virtual instrument) plugin.

All this is basic concept stuff covered in many tutorials/lessons/books but now you hopefully have a few more keywords to start looking up.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Last edited by Darryl Ramm; 08-24-2017 at 07:04 PM.
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  #3  
Old 08-24-2017, 11:43 PM
N'dgame N'dgame is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 2
Default Re: Recording with vintage equipment -Please Help-

Thank you!

I had not heard of Pro Tools 101 but it is certainly a start. My primary goal is to establish a setup where I can basically play at the synth and tap at my drum machine, until I have a recording of what I'm hearing in my head. If there are any specific tutorials/resources you know that can assist me, I would welcome them!
__________________
Setup:
Dell Inspiron 17 500 series
Windows 10
Pro Tools 11
Sure SRH 240A

(for vocals)
Forte Focusrite
sE Electonics X1 condenser mic

Midiman USB midisport 2x2
Roland JV-90

Roland MT 32
Alesis hr 16
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  #4  
Old 08-25-2017, 05:16 AM
musicman691 musicman691 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The Sopranos State (NJ)
Posts: 19,136
Default Re: Recording with vintage equipment -Please Help-

Quote:
Originally Posted by N'dgame View Post
Thank you!

I had not heard of Pro Tools 101 but it is certainly a start. My primary goal is to establish a setup where I can basically play at the synth and tap at my drum machine, until I have a recording of what I'm hearing in my head. If there are any specific tutorials/resources you know that can assist me, I would welcome them!
The PT101 courseware book is one of those gems out there that will take a newbie through the steps to get started recording with PT. One of the assumptions it makes is that the reader knows computer operations and that's something with PT you really should be up on and not just computer basics either. I don't know if the book has been update over the years but the info is still good. Barnes & Noble or Amazon should have it. Also make Google and YouTube your friends in your education.

There are also books out there on MIDI if you want to really dig into that part. Important to understand about MIDI is it's not sound but digital messages like note ons, volume, pitch bend, etc. So what you see in meter moves in PT for a MIDI or instrument track is not sound.
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  #5  
Old 08-25-2017, 10:19 AM
YYR123's Avatar
YYR123 YYR123 is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Austin TX
Posts: 13,737
Default Re: Recording with vintage equipment -Please Help-

Quote:
Originally Posted by N'dgame View Post
If there are any specific tutorials/resources you know that can assist me, I would welcome them!
You tube brother.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=youtube%2C+reco...+drum+machines


and/or

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=youtube%2C+sett...d%2C+pro+tools
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HDX - PT12.5.1 - HD I/O 16x8x8
Win10-Pro (v1709)- 6 Core i7-6850k - ASUS X99 Deluxe ii
D-Command Main Unit - 'Ole Blue


http://www.sknoteaudio.com/ plugins rock and are affordable.
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