Can I use an old synth to control Reason Adapted?

[guitarfolk]

I have an old Roland HS-60 keyboard connected to my MacBook with a little Midisport 1x1. I'm using an MBox 1. Reason Adapted doesn't seem to recognize the keyboard. Can I make it work somehow, or do I need to buy a newer controller?

Thanks.
Burt

[filosofem]

Hi Burt

I might be able to help, but this depends on what specifically you are trying to achieve. Are you wanting to control Reason Parameters with your Roland HS-60 or just simply using the Keyboard to trigger Samples ReWired to Pro Tools? If it's the former, I apologize for wasting your time.

One obvious observation thou, MacBook, this is Intel-based, what version of Reason Adapted are you using, as far as I understand you'll need 3.0.5.







filosofem

[guitarfolk]

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to Midi, and for now I'm just trying to get the keyboard to trigger the Reason samples. And yes, I'm using Reason Adapted version 3.0.5.

Burt

[filosofem]

Should be pretty straight forward, Burt. Have you installed the Driver for the MIDI Sport Interface? Setup Audio MIDI Setup application (I'm not a Mac user, so I don't know much about this)? Turned Local off on the Keyboard? Checked MIDI Thru, in Pro Tools, under Options. What version of Pro Tools are you using? What about the Preferences in Reason?





filosofem

[accession]

G,day Burt,

HS-60? The "domestic" Juno-106 with built-in loudspeakers? If so, it was my first analogue.

The keys do trigger MIDI notes.

The problem is there is no varying velocity (ie. every note will play at the same volume).

And this fixed velocity value is set to 64 (on a scale of 0-127) meaning that many instruments being triggered may appear quiet and dull as they're never being triggered at the full volume/velocity.

If you're simply triggering samples, then there'd be a way to route MIDI through to a sampler module within Reason. Sorry, I don't use Reason to offer a step-by-step guide.

If you're also hoping to control paramaters with the synth's sliders, then that's a no-go as they don't send CCs (continuous controller) info via MIDI.

[accession]

Sorry mate, just realised you're on a Mac...

...have you created a "HS-60" labeled device in the Audio MIDI Setup application and hooked it up using virtual cables to the icon representing your MIDI interface?

[filosofem]

...have you created a "HS-60" labeled device in the Audio MIDI Setup application and hooked it up using virtual cables to the icon representing your MIDI interface?

I just had to search an old post of yours, accession, to retrieve that info., not being a Mac man myself, such an alien platform. Virtual cables and Icons, I don't know.

And this fixed velocity value is set to 64 (on a scale of 0-127) meaning that many instruments being triggered may appear quiet and dull as they're never being triggered at the full volume/velocity.

Compensation for such a limitation at a fundamental level is easily overcome thou and given unlimited time restraints, Velocity editing with in Pro Tools is a quick work around.

Accession, I know this is frowned upon, but it is sort of following the same vain, have you done much work with the function MIDI Event List?






filosofem

[accession]

I just had to search an old post of yours, accession, to retrieve that info., not being a Mac man myself, such an alien platform. Virtual cables and Icons, I don't know.

Haha... no probs. A picture tells a thousand words:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-...oMIDISetup.jpg
This is my current set-up, having just added a PCR-M30 due to my synths being out of easy reach in my new house/studio/layout. It's kinda minimalist now, having been able to let myself go of a few more bits and pieces a couple of years back.

Anyway, you can now see the "icons" and "virtual cables". The Digi002, Edirol, and AMT8 icons are semi-shaded simply 'cause they're not connected to the laptop at the moment.

When you install a MIDI interface, it'll appear on the page, and then you "add device" to represent the various MIDI pieces in your studio. You can click/drag the arrows to create the virtual MIDI leads. When you click on each device icon, you can name it, add a picture, and choose the manufacturer/model from dropdown menus that then enable Pro Tools to instantly locate the respective midnam document (if present in the patch name folder).

The application works well, coming from OMS (in OS 9) which many loathed (due to lack of development), but I got the hang of.

I would like to see patch name editing within Pro Tools. Why not? It accesses the files, why can't one click the name of each patch and rename it? Seems a no-brainer?!!!

[QUOTE]

Accession, I know this is frowned upon, but it is sort of following the same vain, have you done much work with the function MIDI Event List?

Frowned upon? I assume you mean asking questions within another person's thread? Hey, I'm all for it. It's a discussion and in the spirit of learning. This forum is the first I've seen people shout "rude" when it happens. I'm cool with it. Trust the thread starter is too.

re: MIDI Event List. I remember when it was first added to PT and it was a godsend for finding stray bits and pieces (controllers etc) that found their way into a MIDI track.

Mind you, that wouldn't be such an issue if:
1) Pro Tools could automatically add the controllers that have been used to the track view options.
2) Pro Tools allowed one to edit the names of the "generic controllers" in the track view controller list.

I used it the other day to help out someone who couldn't work out how to assign patches to a MIDI file for export (and I used the Event List to see what was going on).

Other than that, I rarely touch it.

How do you use it? And was it you that posed a suggestion to do with it for Digi a while back?

Phil

[guitarfolk]

Thanks for all the advice. You've helped me get closer, but I'm still not there.

Should be pretty straight forward, Burt. Have you installed the Driver for the MIDI Sport Interface? Setup Audio MIDI Setup application (I'm not a Mac user, so I don't know much about this)? Turned Local off on the Keyboard? Checked MIDI Thru, in Pro Tools, under Options. What version of Pro Tools are you using? What about the Preferences in Reason?

Yes, I've installed the Midisport driver. I don't see a way to turn "local" off on the keyboard. After reading the suggestions here I realized I had to drag the connections between the keyboard and the Midisport in the Audio Midi Setup. Now that I've done that, I can at least select the keyboard in Reason's preferences. Still can't hear anything when playing or recording though. (I'm trying to use the Reason NN19 Sampler or the Subtractor. Is that what I should be using?)

I'm using PT 7.1.1 on an Intel MacBook.

Thanks again for all the help.
Burt

[filosofem]

Burt

Try this setup, it works for me, it might work for you.

Pro Tools Mix Window

Create one Mono and one Stereo Instrument track and a Stereo Master Fader
Name these tracks and Option click the Instrument tracks Faders
Insert Reason in the first mono Instrument, selecting Reason as a Multi-Mono Channel Plug-In (Mono).

Reason's Flipped Rack (Tab) for PC.

Edit>Select All Devices
Edit>Disconnect Devices

Click and Drag from the first Subtractor's Audio Output socket to Reason's Hardware Interface Input Channel One
Click and Drag from the NN-19's Audio Left Output socket to Reason's Hardware Interface Input Channel Three
Click and Drag from the NN-19's Audio Right Output socket to Reason's Hardware Interface Input Channel Four

Pro Tools Mix Window

Assign ReWire to Mix L
View>Mix Window>Instrument
Select the MIDI Output selector and assign the first Subtractor Channel ..

Insert Reason as a Multi-Channel Plug-In (Stereo) and assign ReWire to Channels Three and Four
Select the MIDI Output selector and assign the NN-19 to Channel ..

Hold Shift and record arm both Instrument tracks
If you don't want to play both tracks simultaneously, just record arm one track.
Enable Input Only Monitoring Option+K

Reason

Select the Samples from the Sample Browser Window for the first Subtractor and the NN-19.



Happy Tooling!








filosofem