Specific MIDI questions/problems

[midiquest]

Originally Posted by MatsonMusicBox

I have no idea of your proice range or other needs, but you can start here: Audio Interfaces | Sweetwater.com

I usually just play the sounds on the keyboard and monitor that while I'm recording MIDI - then I'm not going thru computer at all for the sound.

Thank dude, i wanted to really just look at what sort of interface you were suggesting. Could you please suggest one as a sample to i could have a better idea about what sort of interface you were talking about.

Appreciate your help

[Metaltyme]

I'd personally recommend the Edirol FA-101 [10 in, 10 out]. It's got the MIDI ins and outs plus a good amount of inputs and outputs for auxillary use. Up to 192 kHz sample rate too, if you ever need that. It's got two decent preamps built in as well. I've had it for a year or so, and I have no complaints at all, and it's built "like a tank." I believe its list price is around $500, but the average street price is around $300. I got mine for $249 from either zzounds or musician's friend...I don't remember...I love it though. It looks pretty snazzy as well.

[richiebee]

Originally Posted by midiquest

OK, i think i get your point now!
Sorry, i'd read about the usb MIDI interfaces being quite good/acceptable in terms of latency..sorry about sounding like a d*ckhead, but are you sure the usb midi interfaces out there (like the one i linked in the last post) will have a delayed response? I'm using a year old laptop, with a reasonbly new sound card

EDIT: i say that because i didn't come across anything like that in the reading i did, only people with older sound cards seemed to have the problem.

MIDI and audio are separate. MIDI doesn't create noticable latency. Audio does. Buying a MIDI cable will do nothing for your latency because that's not where the delay is coming from.

If you want to give it a try with your built in sound card, do it... it costs nothing. I think you'll come to the same conclusion as me, but hey, you have nothing to lose by trying it. Come to think of it, you can even try it without buying any equipment. Just open your sequencer, get a piano roll up, and play one of the keys (probably with the mouse). See if there's any delay in hearing the note. If its noticable AT ALL, you can bet that its way too high to make live playing a possibility.

My vote for an audio interface on a budget goes to the Focusrite Saffire LE. It has a built in MIDI interface. It is firewire though which might be a problem if your laptop is older.

[midiquest]

Originally Posted by richiebee

MIDI and audio are separate. MIDI doesn't create noticable latency. Audio does. Buying a MIDI cable will do nothing for your latency because that's not where the delay is coming from.

If you want to give it a try with your built in sound card, do it... it costs nothing. I think you'll come to the same conclusion as me, but hey, you have nothing to lose by trying it. Come to think of it, you can even try it without buying any equipment. Just open your sequencer, get a piano roll up, and play one of the keys (probably with the mouse). See if there's any delay in hearing the note. If its noticable AT ALL, you can bet that its way too high to make live playing a possibility.

My vote for an audio interface on a budget goes to the Focusrite Saffire LE. It has a built in MIDI interface. It is firewire though which might be a problem if your laptop is older.

Thanks for that post richiebee,

I tried what you told me, opened up fruity loops, loaded a vst onto a channel and played it on the laptop keyboard, and didn't find any noticeable latency.

For now, my goal would be to get practicing down while using the vsts on the software, and to learn how the whole thing functions. Do you think that a MIDI interface would work OK to just play around with (using the output from the external laptop speakers i've got)

My laptop's relatively new, bought it exactly a year ago.

Please let me know your views.
Thanks

[richiebee]

Okay, well you have your answer. £15 isn't a lot of money, so why not go ahead and get the USB/MIDI thing, and start having fun. When the time comes and you want to get an audio interface (whether that be for improving the quality of audio going to the PA system or something else), it might still be advantagous to get one with MIDI connections and then you can offload the USB/MIDI thing. Not that it would be a bad thing to keep them separate, but if you only need one connection rather than two, why wouldn't you?

I've never heard of the brand name of that USB/MIDI thing, but it seems to have good reviews. I doubt there's really much to go wrong in them - I'm sure they either work or they don't.

[midiquest]

Originally Posted by richiebee

Okay, well you have your answer. £15 isn't a lot of money, so why not go ahead and get the USB/MIDI thing, and start having fun. When the time comes and you want to get an audio interface (whether that be for improving the quality of audio going to the PA system or something else), it might still be advantagous to get one with MIDI connections and then you can offload the USB/MIDI thing. Not that it would be a bad thing to keep them separate, but if you only need one connection rather than two, why wouldn't you?

I've never heard of the brand name of that USB/MIDI thing, but it seems to have good reviews. I doubt there's really much to go wrong in them - I'm sure they either work or they don't.

Sounds like a good idea, really appreciate a lot for the help..I'll be ordering the interface today.

[tacman7]

Originally Posted by midiquest

are you sure the usb midi interfaces out there (like the one i linked in the last post) will have a delayed response? I'm using a year old laptop, with a reasonbly new sound card

There's no delay in getting your midi signal into your computer. The delay is now your computer has to emulate a synth and create the sound, depending on how old this computer is, that could be a problem. Even if it can create the sound the audio latency of a consumer soundcard will probably be a problem. If you had an external sound module or keyboard synth you could use an old computer and just do midi.

[brandondrury]

Could you point me to some audio interfaces with MIDI please?

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