PT 9 and Virtual Instruments

[Baumtracks]

I am trying to find out what I need(as far as cables) to use the virtual instruments with PT 9 and the new mbox pro. Thanks!

[gdugan]

You need a MIDI controller and some MIDI cables.

[Emcha_audio]

Cables? Virtual Instruments are loaded through PT either in a instrument track or through the RTAS if you have them wrapped.

[Baumtracks]

I can't get my keyboard to work with the virtual instruments.

[nst7]

What kind of keyboard do you have? Does it have just midi, or usb also?

If possible, use usb from a keyboard controller to your Mac, rather than dealing with the midi of the interface (you can hook up to a usb hub, if you need to).

Then you go into audio midi setup on the Mac, and scan for the device. Then it finds it, and you'll be able to play anything in Protools, or Garageband, or standalone instruments, or whatever.

[Baumtracks]

Thank you. No Usb. I have two keyboards with midi. There doesn't seem to be a midi port on the mbox pro. How do I make the connection?

[nst7]

If you got the new Mbox Pro, it came with a breakout cable that includes the midi jacks (along with word clock and spidf digital jacks). You would hook up the cable to the Mbox Pro and plug your keyboard into the midi inputs of that cable.

Alternatively, you can buy any number of midi to usb interfaces from a dealer, such as this one:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Uno

Or if you need more than one midi input, for a couple of keyboards, something like this one:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MIDISport2AE

Using one of these would still probably be more convenient, but you could try going through the mbox and see how it goes.

[Baumtracks]

Thank you!

[Baumtracks]

I picked up the m audio midi to usb adaptor. I can't get the keyboard to work with it. Not sure what to do. This is my first experience with midi. Thanks for the info.

[nst7]

On your Mac, go to Applications>Utilities>Audio Midi setup. Choose the "midi" tab. Hit "rescan devices". It will now recognize your keyboard.

Now you can play any instrument on your computer, whether in Garageband, Protools, or standalone modes of instruments.

In Protools, when you have more than one Instrument track, you click on the track to highlight it (usually at the bottom near the track name, in the Mixer Window). Your controller will play whichever track is highlighted.