How do I Attach an External Onboard Sequencer to Reason

[ulrichburke]

Dear Anyone.

Bear with this, I'm being as concise as I can. I've got an IBM comp. 1GIG Ram, Asus Asrock mobo, M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard.

I've got a notation package, Voyetra Music Maestro, which creates MIDI files. At the moment, it outputs the MIDI instructions to the General MIDI sounds that come with Windows, because I don't know how to make Reason 4 find it! I know it's possible to import the MIDI files into Reason after creating them, but it would be a LOT quicker if I could stick notes in and hear the Reason sounds straight off.

I also have MIDI Yoke, which is a virtual connection cable program. You send the output through MIDI Yoke, INTO the sound making device. The sounds are then triggered!

Problem is, I can't make Reason find MIDI Yoke. Which might not be a problem - the help files hint heavily that it's possible to make Reason 'find' an onboard sequencer program without needing any other 'connection' software. Thing is, I can't find any explicit instructions as to how to make Reason 4 DO it.

In Music Maestro, my external notator/sequencer, I have the following output options:-

Microsoft GM Wavetable SW Synth (that's the built-in one I'm using at present)
MIDI Yoke outputs 1 thru 8
MPU-401
MIDI Mapper
Delta AP MIDI

How (step-by-step if possible PLEASE - this thing's got a learning curve like an ant climbing Mount Everest as it is!) do I make Reason 4 recognise/find the output from the Music Maestro sequencer? It's not picking up on the MIDI Yoke outputs for some reason but, like I said, the help files hint heavily at it being possible without anything like MIDI Yoke.

Yours hopefully

ulrichburke

[avaris]

Hate to break it to ya dude, but unless the program you use has rewire you are prob shite outta luck.

It looks like there might be some way to get midi yoke to work with parts of Reason:
http://www.bome.com/midi/keyboard/help/rsn3_tut.php

BUT it's gonna take some mighty googling to figure exactly how to get it to work in the way you want it to.

Reason 4's midi is not atrocious and is perfectly fine for making quick edits to existing tracks. Maybe give it an honest 2-3 weeks and see if you can adapt to Reason's midi a bit better. Working in one program for a song is usually gonna MUCH faster than working in multiple programs.

Good luck!

[anosou]

I doubt I'm helping here but this might be of use since it's a similar idea to use an external sequencer and it's PC specific which might be good since I'm on OS X:

http://www.renoise.com/board/index.php?showtopic=15683

If anyone wants to try a similar thing on Mac OS X but are afraid to ask, it's very easy. OS X has a built-in midi routing system in Audio/MIDI settings in the applications/tools (these might have different names, I'm on a Swedish system).

Here you can drag and drop virtual MIDI-cables in a visual interface, making it easy to connect various software and devices.

[tweek]

If anyone wants to try a similar thing on Mac OS X but are afraid to ask, it's very easy. OS X has a built-in midi routing system in Audio/MIDI settings in the applications/tools (these might have different names, I'm on a Swedish system).

It's under Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup

Who loves you, baby?

[anosou]

It's under Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup

Who loves you, baby?

is it you? :o

And yeah, that's the one. Gotta love you english speaking bastards out there <3

[ulrichburke]

But I need (oh, NO!! They groan.) a bit of help working out the final virtual circuit (god I'm thick!)

Right.

I now have my onboard sequencer attached to Reason via MIDI Yoke. The Advanced MIDI Device is saying 'In from MIDI YOKE 1'. When I bung a bunch of random notes into Music Maestro (the sequencer!) the little lights flash rhythmically in the Advanced MIDI device and on the Mixer panel. I have chosen a simple (hopefully!) instrument, an NN-19 Bright Piano.

I get lots of pretty lights, no noise. I import a MIDI file directly into Reason, choose the same instrument, do not change any soundcard or any other settings, THEN I get noise.

Which makes me think - correct me if I'm wrong, you're the experts - the incoming signals are hitting the Advanced MIDI device, but NOT the piano (the NN-19). Thing is, on the back of the NN-19 there aren't really any input channels. The Advanced MIDI Device doesn't have any wires you can pull out of it to join it to the NN-19. It seems to be joined to the mixer by some kind of magic, there aren't any wires going out from its back to the mixer because there aren't any virtual jackplug sockets there. (that's not very helpful. There's things on the back of the NN-19 labelled Gate, Cutoff, MOD wheel, Pitch wheel and you can pull virtual cables from them, but I've tried connecting everything to everything else and no joy.)

So. The signals are hitting the mixer - that's a first for me - YAAAY!! How do I get them FROM the mixer TO the instrument, then the output FROM the instrument TO the sound-out so it hits my soundcard (and from there to the loudspeakers!) And - scary stuff, this! - if I had a whole BUNCH of instruments going on, how would I get the right MIDI signals to the right instruments (but if I can get ONE instrument going, it would be a HUGE, Rosetta Stone-sized advance!)

Thanks again for getting me this far - it's a huge advance in itself.

Yours hopefully

ulrichburke

[ulrichburke]

Dear Everyone!

I've got ONE instrument going for the first time in my life!! Haven't tried for more than one simultaneously yet but rest assured - if I come across any probs., you lot will be the first to know (site moderators worldwide start sobbing desperately into their beer!)

Thanks - you lot rock. Wish my music did....!!

Yours respectfully

ulrichburke.

[tweek]

is it you? :o

Who else would it be :)?