Going from a 1 board setup to 2

[Kevin Sage]

Warning: Noob tech question

 

I currently am running a single board setup. Korg Kronos X88, which for the most part, covers all the bases. I also have a more portable "rig" - Mainstage/61 key midi controller that I have for travel/fly gigs. I am aware of the risk of having a 1 board setup and want to integrate the controller into regular rotation with my Kronos as my main board. At home it's either one or the other. I'll run L/R out of the Kronos into my powered studio monitors. For the Mainstage rig, I have a Steinberg UR44 Audio interface with main outs going to my powered pair of studio monitors. I am unsure of how to get both rigs running through the audio interface together. I can't get the Kronos to produce sound through the audio interface for some reason. Is there a different way I should be routing my L/R from Kronos? Midi, etc? Any advice from anyone using a Controller AND a Synth together would be much appreciated. I've got a small rack mixer I could integrate if I need to, but haven't used it before. Trying to keep things somewhat simple, although that may be an oxymoron when introducing a 2 board setup.

 

Thank you for any help. I know there are some folks on here who have a lot of experience and some very complex multiple board rigs.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Kevin, I assume you're running your Kronos L/R into the audio inputs of the Steinberg right now? I have the Steinberg UR22mkII, and that has an "Input/DAW Mix" knob that allows audio to pass through the interface to the audio outputs without running through the computer first. I don't see that knob on pictures of the UR44, which makes me think that you'd have to pass the Kronos audio through channel strips in Mainstage for the interface to output it. Since that could mean latency and audio degradation, that doesn't seem ideal, especially for a high-end digital board like the Kronos.

 

So, using a mixer to combine the outputs of your Steinberg and the Kronos into a single stereo mix to output to your monitors may be the simplest option, if you can't rely on going direct through the PA (I'm assuming this is for a gigging-with-a-band setup, rather than solo performance).

 

If you want to try running the Kronos audio through Mainstage, I'd suggest creating a stereo audio track at the concert level, so your patch changes for the MIDI controller don't affect your Kronos audio.

 

But maybe someone on the forum who actually owns a Kronos knows some trick about how it can route audio that will be simpler still! Keep us posted.

[ajstan]

I believe that a Radial Key Largo will do what you want. Plug the Kronos into Channel 1. Set the Key Largo USB switch to "Live" mode. Plug your Mac into the USB port. Plug your MIDI controller into the MIDI port. You now have XLR outs to FOH (no DI box needed) and 1/4" outs to your monitors, each with independent level control. It looks straightforward but I haven't used this specific configuration, so maybe someone who has can confirm or correct.

 

Here are links to the product page and the manual:

 

Radial Key Largo Info Page

Key Largo Manual

[SteveUK]

I don't have a Kronos but imagine it works like many other boards. You could connect the laptop to the Kronos via USB and use that as the audio interface. The laptop audio would combine with the Kronos sound engine at the main outs of the Kronos. Not sure if there is a physical knob to control usb audio level but there will be somewhere in the mixer section.

[SteveUK]

You could connect the midi controller either via USB into the Kronos (as it serves as a host) or via midi if it doesnt have USB

[SamuelBLupowitz]

You could connect the laptop to the Kronos via USB and use that as the audio interface.

There's the answer. Wasn't sure if that was possible, but of course it is. Simple, elegant, powerful.

 

[Kevin Sage]

Thank you for your responses! I'm going to try the USB methodology first as it sounds the simplest. Thanks again for the insights