Subject:MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Posted by: pi1983

Date:3/18/2010 1:27:16 PM

Hey all,

I have Sony Acid 7.0 and I'm using a MIDI to USB cable. I am able to record my Casio Privia keyboard just fine. While recording I can switch effects on my keyboard and that audio will record as it sounds into Acid as MIDI. Beautiful!

My problem comes when I hook my Roland V-Kit up. I did some research and discovered that I needed to change my MIIDI Output to "DLS Soft Synth 10" in Acid to use the drums. This worked, however the drums apparently do not work the same way as the keyboard. I am not able to get the actual sound of my drums into Acid (like I did with my keyboard).

I (kind of) understand that MIDI is just data, not audio. The MIDI leaves the drums, goes into Acid, then back to the drums where it goes through the audio engine, then back to Acid.

My questions are:

1) Why does Acid record the sound of my keyboard, but not the sound of my drums?

2) How can I get Acid to record my V-Kit like it's recording my keyboard (so I can get the actual sound of my drums, not the Acid Soft Synth sound)?

I'm hoping it's just a simple setting. I've been scouring the net but can't find anything more than how far I've already come.

Thank you very much for your time and help!

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: pi1983

Date:3/19/2010 9:05:25 AM

Do I need to get something like FXpansion - BFD2?

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: pi1983

Date:3/22/2010 2:34:58 PM

Nobody has any clue or ideas?

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: raskiefilm

Date:3/23/2010 8:01:00 AM

I would be interested in any suggestions/answers as well. I also have a Roland V-Kit brain on my Harts Dynamic set.

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/23/2010 2:32:47 PM

Are you routing the audio output of your drum brain into your computer and thence onto Acid? As I understand it you're routing the MIDI from your V Drums into Acid and from Acid back out to your V Drums. Why - do you want to record the MIDI performance and also trigger drum sound libraries and/or the internal sounds of the V Drums? If your quest is to record your drum sounds you have to route the drum brain audio output to Acid.

Jack

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: pi1983

Date:3/23/2010 8:28:49 PM

I'm not running the audio into my computer. As of yet I do not have an interface. I am simply using a MIDI to USB cable.

To record the sound of my drums I have an old Boss 4-track that has worked great in the past. Thing is, I want the sound of my drums and the control of MIDI. I want to have the tuning of my V-Kit and have the ability to tweak individual hits like I can tweak the individual notes from my keyboard with MIDI.

From what I gather, I am not able to get that combination with the setup I currently have. Is that correct?

Thanks!

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/24/2010 2:50:25 PM

You never said you were recording to a different device than the computer you have Acid on. That's a different thing than the way most people work with Acid (or any other recording program). If you had said that right off you'd have gotten an answer quicker.

The answer is easy:
Create a MIDI track in Acid. Set the output of that to the port your V-Drums are connected to. Also check that the input of that MIDI track is set to your V Drums port (you should also at this time check the preferences to see that your MIDI ports are assigned as they should be). Click the Record Arm button on the MIDI track. Hit Record in the Acid transport and play away on your V Drums. Hit stop. Assuming everything goes okay when you hit play you should get sounds from your V Drum brain.

Really, you'd be better off getting an audio interface (and please, not an onboard sound card or a Soundblaster card - they're trash) and using the same computer you have Acid on to record.

Jack

PS: I tried this in Acid 6 but 7 should work the same way.

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: pi1983

Date:3/24/2010 7:20:44 PM

Hey Jack,

I said I USED to use the Boss 4-track :) What I am trying to do is STOP using the 4-track and JUST use the computer with Acid. No more stupid 4-track! Hehe...

I'll check my port settings as you've advised, and I'll also look into purchasing an interface (not a sound card).

Thanks for working on this and helping me out. You're the man.

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: pi1983

Date:3/24/2010 9:06:24 PM

OK, I am able to record the MIDI data into Acid, but there's no sound what-so-ever, it's just the data.

I read on another forum that it is impossible for audio to travel through a MIDI cable. That would mean my drum brain can transmit the data, but not the sound.

Am I missing something?

(God, I hate/love MIDI)

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:3/25/2010 5:39:19 AM

By George, I think he's got it!
As I said in a previous post MIDI and audio are separate things. You need to route them separately into the computer or, in your case, a standalone recorder. You said things worked okay with your keyboard (Casio Privia digital piano). The reason was because your keyboard has it's own sound system (amp & speakers) so when you recorded the MIDI into Acid and played it back you got sounds - they were actually coming from your keyboard and not Acid, which was only sending out digital data, not analog sound. Conversely, this is why things don't work with your V Drums - they need to be plugged into an amplifier and speakers (or headphones) for you to hear any sound. The drum brain doesn't have these on it's own, but you knew that, right?

Jack

Subject:RE: MIDI and the Roland V-Kit

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:3/25/2010 12:53:48 PM

More than "...your keyboard has it's own sound system (amp & speakers) ", the keybaord has the actual sound-generating mechanism.

The MIDI is just a serial list of what (in this case) drum to hit, when, and how loud. Having uploaded that information to the computer via MIDI, you have not yet told the computer what to do with the list.

You need to assign sound -generating mechanism (a soft-synth, a link to a soundcard synthesiser, or an external MIDI port possibly even back to your keyboard !) to be able to turn those MIDI instructions back into sounds.

geoff