#1809772 - 09/13/07 09:50 AM
Playing keyboard live along with midi
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jmatzen
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Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 3
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Two problems....I'm a newbie to using an electronic keyboard...and I'm an old dog trying to learn new tricks. After having a Roland XP-50 keyboard collecting dust I am finally getting the nerve to actually use it. My quest is to find some book(s) or video or whatever, that clearly shows me how to use a midi file that is on my laptop which is connected to the XP-50. The manual for the XP-50 seems to assume that I have one heck of a background in using midi. My goal is to have the midi file on the laptop send all the parameters to select the correct patches not only for what the file plays but to also set the patch that I wish to use to play along live so that I don't have to set anything manually at the gig. Please excuse me if I have not used the correct terms. No doubt this is a trivial task for most of you...but as for me, I'm lost.
Help is greatly appreciated.
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#1809804 - 09/13/07 10:33 AM
Re: Playing keyboard live along with midi
[Re: jmatzen]
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Griffinator
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Registered: 03/28/02
Posts: 10002
Loc: Lynchburg, VA, USA
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Yikes. I doubt seriously that this board will handle both incoming MIDI data and user input simultaneously.
Of course, I'm not an expert on the matter, nor am I that familiar with the XP-50.
I suggest bouncing this one off the guys in the Keyboard Corner.
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#1810806 - 09/14/07 11:56 PM
Re: Playing keyboard live along with midi
[Re: jmatzen]
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paully
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Registered: 05/25/04
Posts: 1068
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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Your question is two-fold. Let's deal with getting sounds recorded first. Your Roland has the ability to play 16 different instruments at once via midi. If you are going to play along with midi tracks that you've already created, you need to set the Roland so that it is not sending midi data to the computer during performance.. just receiving data. Then you have to make sure each midi track for a particular Roland destination instrument has the correct midi channel number to trigger that instrument.
For example, say you want to record a bass part using mc(midi channel) 1. First, you have to assign a bass instrument to mc 1 in the Roland. Then choose a blank midi track in your DAW pragram and name it 'bass'. Also set that track to mc 1. With the Roland's 'midi send' enabled (so that it can send midi data to the computer for recording), you record your bass track. You should hear the bass. It's like a loop. As long as the Roland instrument and it's midi track are both set to 1, bass is all you'll hear. For the next instrument, repeat the whole process using a new track and a different midi channel. Your Roland can play 16 channels at once(with note count limitations/polyphony). Most basic DAW programs are only capable of 16 basic channels. Doing it this way avoids using the Roland's sequencer.. which is good. Once you have all your tracks recorded, save it as a song which can be recalled in real time.
The actual process of saving the instruments and their settings to the computer for recall is called a 'program dump'. That requires a seperate track, either in the music song or in it's own discreet song. Your Roland manual should tell you how to 'dump' programs to the computer, and how to 'load' them back when needed. Instruments can usually be dumped and recalled individually or all at once (bulk dump). Saving and reloading 16 instruments worth of settings only takes a second or two. To reload, just play the track (no midi channel needed for this.. it's automatic), and the Roland will do the rest. IOW to dump, you have to tell the Roland to 'dump' to a track that is recording. Read the manual. Program settings can be recorded the same way as music tracks, except that the Roland is doing the playing.. not you  . To reload, just play the track. When you're done loading the Roland, mute the program track (if it's included in a song) so that it won't re-reload as the song is playing. In practice, reloading sounds requires that you 'solo' the track that the program info in on. That'll automatically mute all the performance tracks. When done, turn off the solo and mute the track. You don't need it anymore.
Like Griff, I'm not familiar with that model, so this is only a
fairly generic outline of how to get settings and notes into and out of the computer.
Unfortunately the Roland only has the ability to play a fixed number of notes at one time(128?). This includes what you're playing in real time and whatever's on the midi tracks. Don't make song tracks too dense, or some notes won't play. A bass, piano and a drum set (and mabee a kazoo or two) should be no problem for it.
Hope I didn't confuse things. If so, check back in. I need beer now. Later.
Best, Paul
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WUDAYAKNOW.. For the first time in my life, I'm wrong again!!
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#1813392 - 09/20/07 10:31 AM
Re: Playing keyboard live along with midi
[Re: paully]
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jmatzen
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Registered: 09/13/07
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Thanks for the info. It'll take a bit for me to understand it all, but this gives me, what seems to be, a pretty good place to start. I also posted my request on the keyboard forum but have received no replies. Again, thank you for responding to this ol'farts question.
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#1965469 - 07/02/08 12:33 PM
Re: Playing keyboard live along with midi
[Re: jmatzen]
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bennardo
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Registered: 11/21/06
Posts: 53
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As a keyboardist I have NEVER played MIDI live. I usually split my single keyboard into left and right halves so I can play piano on the verses and strings on the chorus (or brass on the chorus and organ on the verse). I keep each setting in the keyboard's memory then punch it up live. Furthermore, you'll look and sound totally AMAZING becuase everyone thinks you're playing 2 parts at once.
But, no live MIDI.
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