Xpand! on piano roll?

[kemikalgeneral]

Hi!

I come from a Cubase background which I don't have anymore and was looking in to Protools.

I downloaded Protools First before committing to a new DAW and... it doesn't seem very intuitive.

For starters, all I want to be able to do is create a melody with the piano roll, but there's no audio. I've looked around and have found that if I don't have a midi keyboard I can use the virtual midi keyboard, but after following the instructions, it still doesn't work. The level bars are jumping around, but there's no playback.

Some places advise that after creating an instrument track, I can load up the Xpand!2 synth machine and place the notes, either by pasting them onscreen, or using the virtual midi keyboard... doesn't work.

Others advise that I'd need to paste the notes in to a midi track and link that out into an instrument track loaded with Xpand!2... doesn't work.

I'm willing to accept that it's used by lots of people, so all I can gather is that I must be doing something wrong.

So, does anyone know how I can use Xpand!2 without an external midi keyboard?

Thanks.

[albee1952]

Here are my thoughts on your issues:
1-re Pro Tools not being intuitive; its actually one of the most intuitive DAW's out there, but you are saddled with all your CuBase "habits". This is not a slag on CuBase, its more about any new DAW is complicated by your knowledge of any previous DAW. Give it some time and I bet you change your mind
2-Pro Tools First.........its pretty lame and very limited. If you are really committing to a new DAW, then you really should be using the full version(you don't need Ultimate, but the limits of PTF are going to frustrate you...a lot)
3-Midi; you are going to want/need some kind of midi controller if you want to use VI's(Virtual Instruments) for any serious music making. You can use the SMART tool or the Pencil tool to drop notes on the piano roll, but that won't cut it for chords and such(and if you have any keyboard abilities, then you should get a keyboard).
4-I recommend getting the regular version(instead of First) and joining Groove3 as they have the best tutorials available(my opinion)

[kemikalgeneral]

Hi, thanks for the reply, but I don't agree.

I don't think it's about 'habits' as I picked up Cubase fairly quickly just by clicking around, and it worked very well. I can't even make a sound with PTF!

I don't mind it being limited for now, I'm just testing the water to see if it's any good before I commit to purchasing/subscribing to it.

I previously had a midi keyboard which got a bit beat up over the years and got thrown away. I don't mind getting a new one if needs be, but I never needed one with Cubase as I could just paste the notes into the piano roll (which admittedly could be a bit cumbersome with lots of harmonies, but I mostly produce EDM so it's not a deal-breaker by any means).

But niceties aside... do you know how to use Xpand!2 without a midi keyboard?

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by kemikalgeneral

But niceties aside... do you know how to use Xpand!2 without a midi keyboard?

In Pro Tools, an instrument track is a marriage between an aux track and a midi track. While audio can be passed into and out of the track, it only records midi. The midi routing is handled in the instrument view section of the track. If you put Xpand2 in the top plugin slot on the instrument track, the midi routing *should* automatically be assigned between the track and Xpand2.

Xpand2 can host up to 4 instruments. These can be triggered independently depending on the node address assigned. You can see the node numbers 1-4 to the left of the selector mens in Xpand2. These can be clicked on and changed to whatever you want. When instantiating Xpand2, the default node assigned to the track is 1.

Select the instrument(s) you want to trigger and put them on node 1. Viewing the piano roll in the instrument track, you should be able to click on the vertical key strip at the very left edge of the piano roll and trigger sounds. If not, make sure your audio routing is good.

Put the track in notes view and use the pencil tool to draw notes where you want them. Playback to hear what you’ve done.

[albee1952]

Good info from James, and here's some more:
1-By default, an INSTRUMENT track view is set to CLIPS, so you need to change that to NOTES. Then, you can drop notes on the piano roll.
2-You can disagree with my comment about habits all you want. But, I can tell you that A-I picked up Pro Tools very quickly(having zero previous DAW experience), and B-if I sit on a CuBase system, I can't figure out how to record a single track.
3-where are the midi notes you want to paste coming from?
4-I still recommend some kind of midi controller. The fact that EDM is your focus is great because it means a smaller unit with maybe 25 keys and some pads would cover your needs well, without breaking your wallet. Opinions vary, but I would avoid the M-Audio stuff and look at Akai and maybe Novation. Or, depending on what 3rd party VI plugins you might want, choose hardware that adds function(like how the NI controllers work with their plugin suite)
5-at the end of the day, if PT is not the right DAW for you, go back to CuBase and don't feel bad about the choice at all. The beauty of all the options is that you can choose the DAW that suits your specific wants and needs. The only reason I stay with PT is because it suits my wants and needs(but I come from a long pro-audio background).

Lots of tutorial videos on youtube for getting started with Pro Tools, so do take advantage of that before you give up on it