Keytar and MIDI noob... I need help.

Freebase Dali · 04-19-2011, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lateralus

Hi guys. So I'm just about to purchase a keytar with MIDI plug-in to use in my band. I play piano/guitar/bass blah blah but basically I am completely new to electronic music production and MIDI scares the **** out of me because I don't understand it!

Basically, I understand that the keytar is a MIDI controller so it doesn't actually make any sound on its own. I need to connect it to some kind of sound module to actually get sound to come out. So what do I connect it to? A laptop/ computer? Do I need to purchase a synthesiser to connect it to? Or can I just download software onto my computer? Or is there some other gadget I can use? Help!

Also, once I've got the setup and got the keytar connected to some sort of sound module, what would a live set-up be like? How would you connect a keytar and MIDI sound module to a PA system? Would you just connect the keytar to the computer/sound system/synth and then run a specialised cable from the computer/sound system/synth to the PA system?

Please help, and please try to explain your answer as simply as possible as I am a totally noob to all this electronic music production stuff!

Cheers.

To keep it as simple as possible, MIDI is just a way for a device to send triggering data to another device. Like you said, the controller isn't the source of the sounds you're trying to trigger. You need some kind of synthesizer or sound source.

You can do it in different ways. If you have a standalone hardware synthesizer with a MIDI input, you can simply connect your keytar's MIDI out, with a standard MIDI cable, to the MIDI input on your synthesizer (provided it has one), and then plug the main audio outputs from the synthesizer into the PA system using standard TRS audio cables. Barring any particular need to "turn on" any MIDI functionality on the synthesizer itself, you should be good to go.

If you don't have a hardware synthesizer, you can use a computer (laptop will probably be best for live application), and trigger a software synthesizer via your MIDI controller. Since laptops don't really come with a MIDI port by default, you'll probably need to get a MIDI-to-USB interface. (something like this: $7.67 - USB to MIDI Cable with 16 MIDI Input/Output Channels (1.8-Meter) - USB Gadgets)

Software synths are prolific, and you can even get some good ones for free. (You can actually get pretty much all of them for free... PM me for details)
Once you have a software synth that you want to use, loaded up, and your MIDI controller is plugged into the computer via the MIDI interface, you can simply plug your computers audio out(s) to the PA system using standard TRS audio cables (you might need a TRS 1/8th inch to plug into your audio output on the computer), and you should be good to go.

P.S. You can use a sampler in place of a synthesizer if you want. Basically, anything that can produce the sound you want, and can be controlled via MIDI, is what you're aiming for.

So in recap, you need:

- MIDI controller (Which you have)
- MIDI cable (uber cheap)
- SYNTHESIZER/SAMPLER (either hardware or software)
- LAPTOP (if using software synth/sampler)
- MIDI-to-USB interface (if using laptop)
- STANDARD AUDIO CABLES
- plus whatever amplification/PA system you'll be using at the show