Mbox + iBook, would like to hear click...

[julyen]

Hi everyone,

I'm relatively new to Mac (I could not resist to OS X [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ). Right now, I have an iBook and I just got a Mbox. I used to do my music with a PC (Win98) + Digi001. With my old setup, I was able to hear the click through my sound card (standard Sound Blaster).

I tried to find some info about this and MIDI in general under OS X, in this forum and elsewhere, but I'm a bit confused. Is there a simple way for me to hear a MIDI track or even only the click without any more hardware (I want to keep this system as easy to move around as possible)?

I thought there was a way to route MIDI through Quicktime (and my dealer also told me it was possible), but I really can't see how I would do this.

Thanks in advance! As I mentionned, I didn't see any answer I could understand about this issue. If there is one I would appreciate if you could direct me to it.

J

[Drive d]

Until you start working in 6.1 you need a Midi device and some form of midi audio, either software or hardware connected and you have to set up a "midi click" from your midi menu. and route your midi from your midi track to an aux in on your mixer. Sounds like alot of stuff and it is. But if you wait till 6.1, there will be a menu item that you select and the click will start. So, in your manual it explains how to get a click going or you can just wait for the upgrade to 6.1 Hope this helps....
D-

[Sam Amato]

Here's how you use Quicktime for your click track:
1. Quit Pro Tools.
2. Open your current OMS Studio Setup.
3. Double click on the Quicktime box.
4. Select "Use Rock Drum Kit". You must also enable Quicktime. I don't have it in front of me right now and don't remember exactly what you have to check to do this but it should be easy to figure out.
5. Save your OMS setup then quit OMS.
6. Open Pro Tools.
7. Go to "MIDI > Input Devices" and select Quicktime.
8. Go to "MIDI > Click Options".
9. Select Quicktime, channel 10 as your output.
10. Select "During Play and Record".

When you press play you should now hear the click coming from computer's built-in speakers. You can route it to an input on your Mbox or a mixer or whatever using the headphone jack on the computer.

Under "MIDI > Click Options",the notes you enter for the "accented" and "unaccented" notes will determined what sound is used for your click.

Unless I'm forgetting a step that should do it. If not, let me know.

[SoundWrangler]

You're using PT LE 6.01, right?
1. Create a mono Aux In track.
2. Instantiate the "Click" plug-in on any of its insert slots (& choose your preferred click sound in the Click plug-in's window).
3. Enable the (metronome) click in the Transport.

[julyen]

Thanks Drive d, your advice did help! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I looked around and found this small program called SimpleSynth at http://pete.yandell.com/software/ . It can act as a MIDI synth while it is running and it uses Apple Core audio system. So I just open it while ProTools LE is running and use it for the click, which is good enough for now.

However there does not seem to be any drum channel available (sorry if I don't use the right terminology). So now I wonder, if I want to program MIDI drum and hear it while I play, maybe I must find a more complex program than SimpleSynth?

Can't wait to see 6.1 (especially with Reason!)...

Thanks again!

J

[julyen]

Sam Amato: unfortunately I am using PT 6.0.1 in OS X. I don't think what you describe can work with this setup? I'm relatively new to Mac so maybe I'm mistaken. By the way I added a signature to my account to describe my setup!

SoundWrangler: thanks for the advice I'll take a look tonight when I'm home (right now I'm supposed to be working [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ). I saw some people talking about this plug-in, but I didn't see it in the "AudioSuite" menu. Is there a special installation to do for this? I see all other plug-ins such as D-Verb, flanger, etc. (maybe 20-30 of them). I'll try it tonight as you described.

Any more ideas for midi-drum in OS X?

Thanks again to everyone!

J

[SoundWrangler]

The Click plug-in ONLY appears in the pop-up selector for Insert plug-ins on tracks (not in the AudioSuite menu). I'm sure you'll find it simple, once you pop it open tonight - good luck!

[Sam Amato]

Sorry, I guess I should have read your post more carefully (you did say you were using OSX).

[julyen]

Thanks everyone for all the good advice, the clic plug-in works like a charm!

For the drums, the little SimpleSynth program I mentionned earlier does the job well for the time being. I realized that when selecting channel 10 for my MIDI track, channel 1 stayed selected as well and this sound was louder so I was not hearing the drum. Is this normal? In my "old" Pro Tools 5 system on Windows, when I selected a different channel it just changed, without keeping the previous one too.

Anyway, everything works for now [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Thanks again!

J