Effects on MIDI

[ewash]

I want to place some built-in effects like DVerb on my MIDI devices in a PT Sequencing session. I create a new MIDI track, but I see no place to add any effects or inserts like I see when you create an Audio track.
What are the steps I should take to get effects on my MIDI tracks (both when recording and during playback)?
Someone told me to use Aux input. I don't understand how to do this? I'm pretty new to all of this, so go slooooowwww...
Thanks.

[jackruston]

Hi ewash
The thing that I used to find difficult when I first got into recording etc is that midi is just a stream of numbers. Your midi regions in pt are just spitting those numbers back out via your interface to your synths. The synths then play back what you originally played, provided they are turned on and set to the correct patch etc. In order to hear all that, you need the audio connections of the synth (s) to be monitored. The way to do this is to bring them in to pt on an auxiliary input channel. The reason you would use this type of channel is that a normal audio channel will not be heard unless it is recording during playback. So here's how to do it. Create a new track, and select stereo aux input. (you want stereo as I imagine your midi device is stereo). Connect the audio outs to an input pair on your interface. Select that pair in the input options for your newly created aux. You will now hear whatever the synth does. So now over to your main question about the effects. An aux channel can have effects applied to it, so you can simply go ahead and do that. However, say you want to have more than one synth track and different effects on each. As they are all coming in through the one aux, they will all have the reverb or whatever. So if your synth has multiple output pairs, you could have a number of either stereo or mono auxiliary inputs, and route the synth outputs accordingly. You'd need to edit the setup in the synth to send the patches to the outputs you want. You can then apply effects to different aux's depending on which instrument is coming in. Thats one way, but here's what I'd do. As you complete a midi part, solo it, and record it into pt on a normal audio track with your synth input pair selected. You can then just treat this as an audio region. Do them one by one, when you're happy with the midi. You'll need to solo the destination audio track aswell, and you'll need to mute your 'working' aux input, or the parts will sound doubled as they record in. This wont affect the recording but you may get an overload. Another advantage of this is that you can put the synths in local control on mode and just play audio parts in if you wish, without bothering with midi at all. If you have a number of synths, you may want to use a small mixer to 'submix' the synths before they come into pt. Otherwise you may use up a load of inputs. I hope this is helpful and that I havent explained things you already know.
Jack

[ewash]

I thought the advantage of using Sequencing in PT is to allow you to, say, change the MIDI piano part to an organ sound later on when you are mixing down and realize organ sounds better than piano.
If I convert the MIDI track to an audio track I lose that flexibility, right?
So the question still remains the same, I think?
I create a MIDI track, because I want to sequence. Is it possible to still "sequence" the track if you are using the Aux track you talked about?
Sorry I'm so thick on this subject. I am having a hard time understanding the method.

[jackruston]

Hi
Yes you're right in that once you record as audio you will not be able to change the sound without rerecording. However using the aux track to bring in the synth outputs will let you do that.

Lets simplify the example....

You have 1 midi track outputting midi channel 1

You have 1 synth receiving on channel 1 (maybe a stereo piano)

You have a connection between your L and R synth outputs and your pt interface. Lets say you have used channel pair 7 and 8 for these.

You have a stereo auxiliary input, which you have created to monitor this channel pair and thus the piano sound coming from the synth. You need to set this tracks input to the interface inputs 7 and 8.

Now, when you record enable the midi track, you play, the midi data goes into pro tools, out to the synth on channel 1, and the synth plays. The sound comes into pro tools as audio on 7 and 8, and is sent to your aux. The aux allows you to hear the synth alongside anything else in the session.

If you have recorded this midi performance, it can be edited and played back. The data will go back to the synth on channel 1, the synth will play, and you will hear that via the aux. Think of the aux as an open ear to the synth.

If you want to alter the sound itself, just change the patch that is assigned to channel 1 on the synth.

This means that for your piano track you will have 2 tracks in pt. One midi track sending data, and one stereo aux input monitoring the returning audio.

You can apply effects to this aux track.

Things get more difficult however when you have a multitimbral synth. If you have 16 parts coming from 1 synth, ie 16 midi tracks, and 1 stereo aux input monitoring all the 16 midi parts, you will apply reverb to everything if you stick it on the aux track. There are some ways around this.

1. Use alternative an alternative synth output, for those parts you want to add reverb to. You should make sure that the synth is sending the relevant parts to that output, and connect it to a different input on the pro tools interface. Set up a second aux, and assign the input. Put the reverb on that aux. You now have 2 aux tracks, one monitoring the dry synth parts, and the other, the parts with reverb.

2. Apply FX on the synth instead using the built in fx. These are not always great, but Korg, Roland etc etc ususally have quite good and flexible effects sections.

I hope this helps. It can be very confusing at first. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Jack

[Kev]

Bring your midi track back from the sound module in to a aux and put a plug on that.

Still I do prefer printing a track as audio as the midi module could go faulty get stolen or a Soft Synth can go missing. You will still have the recorded track.

You can still change the track and re-print. So many ways to get there.

[ewash]

Thanks guys! This has been very helpful!

I'm sure I'll need more assistance soon. It's nice to have you folks to call on!

I final question on this subject...
In bigger "real" studios, what is the protocol for recording midi tracks? Do they convert it to audio then mix down or do they leave it as MIDI until final mix?
And...Is PT a good choice for my sequencing (since I will do a lot of it) or should I use another piece of sequencing software and interface to PT?
Thanks again.

[jackruston]

Hi Ewash
Most people who use midi tend to print to audio once their main editing is done. There are a number of reasons. In no particular order

1. It is easier to apply effects.
2. Midi is unreliable and can glitch or have timing issues.
3. You may want to remix later, and not have the same synths to hand.
4. People prefer to see a waveform. It is a very organic aspect of mixing, when you can see the waves and anticipate how they will sound.
5. There are certain processes that you can not apply until you are printed as audio...reverse, normalise etc.

If you want to do mainly midi sequencing, pro tools is a very clumsy option. In some ways it's simplicity is an advantage, but in others it is a bit lacking. Logic would be the pro choice for midi. If you are using a tdm system, you can take advantage of your pro tools hardware, while using logic as the front end. However beware,
1. Logics ability to edit midi very easily can be a track killer. Feel is often ruined when you fix things, rather than seek a better performance.
2. The audio side of logic I have always found rather frustrating, in the same way as pt midi. Others may disagree.

Jack