Trouble With Techno

[Sir_NutS]

my stuff is all software too baby! though it's not that great

Midi controllers... I wish I had one. They are really helpful, I have an old yamaha keyboard (has no midi output) and I can come up with lots of nice stuff on it that I can't by clicking with a mouse on Reason's sequencer. Besides, its just much more fun.

If you're starting and you have the possibilities to acquire a midi keyboard and a software such as fruity loops, reason or cubase, don't hesitate and do it!

[Legion Kreinak]

my stuff is all software too baby! though it's not that great

Midi controllers... I wish I had one. They are really helpful, I have an old yamaha keyboard (has no midi output) and I can come up with lots of nice stuff on it that I can't by clicking with a mouse on Reason's sequencer. Besides, its just much more fun.

If you're starting and you have the possibilities to acquire a midi keyboard and a software such as fruity loops, reason or cubase, don't hesitate and do it!

So basically, rather than selecting the varied pitches for an instrument on FruityLoops, with a MIDI controller, I can just play up and down the scale on the keys and hear what sounds best a lot quicker than clicking constantly, right?

Well, can I also make it input that melody/beat I make on the piano in the song? Like when you select a pattern to play in FL, you normally click the little keys for each measure and fill in where you want the beat. Can I, instead of clicking with the mouse, strike a key as it passes that point and have it input that note automatically?

Not sure if I'm getting my point across, although what I'm asking is pretty simple.

[zircon]

What you're asking is this;

"Can I record MIDI in FL?"

The answer is a definitive yes. This is a very, VERY basic feature of music making programs.

[Legion Kreinak]

What you're asking is this;

"Can I record MIDI in FL?"

The answer is a definitive yes. This is a very, VERY basic feature of music making programs.

Well, that's good to know. Why are they called MIDIs though? Most MIDIs I've heard don't sound as good as MP3s, and the songs I put together (and others have put together) in FL sound like normal music. A lot of MIDI stuff (like what you download from www.vgmusic.com) sounds different, you know?

[Yoozer]

Well, that's good to know. Why are they called MIDIs though?

MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface

MIDI File = set of instructions

General MIDI = standard set of 128 sounds.

MIDI signals = you play a note on a controller, the controller tells the computer "boss, he just hit E#3", the computer tells the software synthesizer "go on, play an E#3". The software synthesizer tells the soundcard "I'm in ur buffer sending u bitz", and the soundcard poops out a voltage. This goes in your amplifier, through the speaker, and then reaches your ears.

The part from "boss, he just hit E#3" is entirely thanks to the MIDI protocol. The fact that it goes to your soundcard's GM synthesizer (yes, it's actually a little synthesizer in there) or a software synthesizer with an incredible piano sound that'd make Shostakovich splurt his pants - well, the software doesn't care about that.

Most MIDIs I've heard don't sound as good as MP3s

MIDI's don't "sound". If you want to blame anything, blame your cheap soundcard and its implementation of the General MIDI (GM) standard. THAT is what makes "MIDI sounds like crap".

Basically, the GM standard defines that there are 128 instruments. It's a list of presets. Preset 001 is always a piano. Preset 50 are strings, and Preset 128 should be some sound effect - don't know which and can't be assed to look it up. The GM standard says "well, the idea is that you get a rough outline of how something sounds, so you don't have to make a godawful expensive synthesizer, just make sure it sounds adequate, and follow the right numbers - e.g. so that a piano should resemble a piano etc., and you're good with us".

The people who made your soundcard thought "hm, so they said 'resemble' - let's see how far we can stretch this and save money on precious processors and memory!"

A MIDI file may contain notes - like a sheet of musical score. When you play the MIDI file, Windows instructs your soundcard to play the notes that are on the sheet and chooses a piano.

MIDI does not care how something sounds. It only says "play a middle C" or something, and then your soundcard has to listen.

MIDI is to Audio as a sheet with score is to tape. Tape tells you how it sounds when it was recorded, but not how you play it. MIDI tells you what you should play but does not care what you play it back on.

If you let a 5-year old play the Moonlight Sonata on a completely out of tune piano, do you also blame Beethoven?

[The Vagrance]

The difference between MIDI's and mp3's has NOTHING to do with actual sound quality. A MIDI is the foundation, MIDI files only have a set amount of samples (I think its 127) that are universal to everything that can do MIDI. The difference is, you can take little MIDI notes, and instead of it playing the low quality MIDI samples, it'll play whatever noise/sound your soft synth/sampler is supposed to put out. Mp3 files have to do with .wav file compression.

[Yoozer]

MIDI files only have a set amount of samples (I think its 127)

No, that's the GM standard, and it's 128 (depends if you start counting at 000 though).

that are universal to everything that can do MIDI.

No again; the very first synthesizers with MIDI were definitely a bunch of years before the General MIDI standard came. The DX7 and Jupiter 6 both have MIDI - but they don't have those 128 sounds.

[The Vagrance]

Thanks for correcting me, although I doubt he'd know the difference.

[Legion Kreinak]

Well, that's good to know. Why are they called MIDIs though?

MIDI = Musical Instrument Digital Interface

MIDI File = set of instructions

General MIDI = standard set of 128 sounds.

MIDI signals = you play a note on a controller, the controller tells the computer "boss, he just hit E#3", the computer tells the software synthesizer "go on, play an E#3". The software synthesizer tells the soundcard "I'm in ur buffer sending u bitz", and the soundcard poops out a voltage. This goes in your amplifier, through the speaker, and then reaches your ears.

The part from "boss, he just hit E#3" is entirely thanks to the MIDI protocol. The fact that it goes to your soundcard's GM synthesizer (yes, it's actually a little synthesizer in there) or a software synthesizer with an incredible piano sound that'd make Shostakovich splurt his pants - well, the software doesn't care about that.

Most MIDIs I've heard don't sound as good as MP3s

MIDI's don't "sound". If you want to blame anything, blame your cheap soundcard and its implementation of the General MIDI (GM) standard. THAT is what makes "MIDI sounds like crap".

Basically, the GM standard defines that there are 128 instruments. It's a list of presets. Preset 001 is always a piano. Preset 50 are strings, and Preset 128 should be some sound effect - don't know which and can't be assed to look it up. The GM standard says "well, the idea is that you get a rough outline of how something sounds, so you don't have to make a godawful expensive synthesizer, just make sure it sounds adequate, and follow the right numbers - e.g. so that a piano should resemble a piano etc., and you're good with us".

The people who made your soundcard thought "hm, so they said 'resemble' - let's see how far we can stretch this and save money on precious processors and memory!"

A MIDI file may contain notes - like a sheet of musical score. When you play the MIDI file, Windows instructs your soundcard to play the notes that are on the sheet and chooses a piano.

MIDI does not care how something sounds. It only says "play a middle C" or something, and then your soundcard has to listen.

MIDI is to Audio as a sheet with score is to tape. Tape tells you how it sounds when it was recorded, but not how you play it. MIDI tells you what you should play but does not care what you play it back on.

If you let a 5-year old play the Moonlight Sonata on a completely out of tune piano, do you also blame Beethoven?

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

All good info in there, though. Thanks for clearing a lot of stuff up.

I'm looking to get a MIDI controller soon. I think I want something with 88-keys, so I have all the octaves at my disposal. I know some allow you to use knobs or sliders to change the octaves for something with less keys (for example, 44 keys but can switch something so you go across the whole range anyway). Something like that. I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

[Yoozer]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

[Legion Kreinak]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that. Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see. I'm not tech savvy enough to throw numbers and specs at you, but it's one of the top choices of gaming nerds and audiophiles (think www.overclock.net and forums like those), so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

How does this MIDI controller look?

http://www.audiomidi.com/Keystation-88es-P5790.aspx

[The Vagrance]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that. Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see. I'm not tech savvy enough to throw numbers and specs at you, but it's one of the top choices of gaming nerds and audiophiles (think www.overclock.net and forums like those), so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

How does this MIDI controller look?

http://www.audiomidi.com/Keystation-88es-P5790.aspx

Overclock =/= audiophiles. True audiophiles are geezers probably as old as your father (I know my father's one, he worked in studio's since his college days, and he's over 50 now). I'm more than willing to bet this "X-fi" shit is just a little bit of creative EQing, which truth be told should NEVER be used by a producer. As far as MIDI controllers go, just go to a guitar center or Sam Ash or whatever music store you have near you, and try them all out. Its advisable to not look at price when shopping for audio gear becaus ein most cases you will get what you pay for. I've played with that particular MIDI controller and it seemed fine (I have a very similar one, the Oxygen 49, its basically the same but it has 49 keys and sliders and knobs for me to mess with) but I advise you try it out for yourself.

[Legion Kreinak]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that. Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see. I'm not tech savvy enough to throw numbers and specs at you, but it's one of the top choices of gaming nerds and audiophiles (think www.overclock.net and forums like those), so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

How does this MIDI controller look?

http://www.audiomidi.com/Keystation-88es-P5790.aspx

Overclock =/= audiophiles. True audiophiles are geezers probably as old as your father (I know my father's one, he worked in studio's since his college days, and he's over 50 now). I'm more than willing to bet this "X-fi" shit is just a little bit of creative EQing, which truth be told should NEVER be used by a producer. As far as MIDI controllers go, just go to a guitar center or Sam Ash or whatever music store you have near you, and try them all out. Its advisable to not look at price when shopping for audio gear becaus ein most cases you will get what you pay for. I've played with that particular MIDI controller and it seemed fine (I have a very similar one, the Oxygen 49, its basically the same but it has 49 keys and sliders and knobs for me to mess with) but I advise you try it out for yourself.

But don't you need them hooked up to a PC to try them out? Or you just mean hit the keys and see how that feels?

I definitely will stop at a store just to mess around, though. And I know you tend to get what you pay for. That's why I was asking - a lot of the 88-key models are over $300 on there, like ones that say "Pro Audio" or somesuch. I wanted to know what that model that I linked to was lacking, since it's only $200.

[The Vagrance]

I mean just play with them and see which one feels better, there will be no actual sound difference between them whatsoever, but se ehow they feel, how sturdy they are, etc.. The reason that one is so cheap is because all it has are keys, whereas most others (like mine) have controllable knobs and sliders to what you can control things in your sequencer with.

[Legion Kreinak]

I mean just play with them and see which one feels better, there will be no actual sound difference between them whatsoever, but se ehow they feel, how sturdy they are, etc.. The reason that one is so cheap is because all it has are keys, whereas most others (like mine) have controllable knobs and sliders to what you can control things in your sequencer with.

Could you throw some examples at me as to the benefits of knobs and sliders? I mean, I know it gives you more options, but what kind've options, exactly? What can you program the knobs and sliders to do?

[The Vagrance]

An example would be to tie a knob to the filter cutoff of your VSTi, that way whenever you turn the knob the cutoff goes along with it, so instead of turning on-screen knobs you're turning real knobs. It helps a little for the creative process if you're a hands-on kinda person. Its also a great deal of hel pif you're doing a live show or something.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that. Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see. I'm not tech savvy enough to throw numbers and specs at you, but it's one of the top choices of gaming nerds and audiophiles (think www.overclock.net and forums like those), so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

That product claims to do something which is, straight up, not possible. It fakes it with creative EQ and perhaps aural excitation, but the claims they are making about it are flat out not possible.

I think it's safe to say that it's crap.

Perhaps, from a listener/consumer standpoint, it's not all bad, but as a producer, it's completely useless, and introduces bias to how you monitor your mixes. You should never monitor your work on an "enhanced" system, you should monitor on as flat and transparent a system as possible.

[Legion Kreinak]

Hey, X-Fis are NOT crappy.

Any soundcard that needs a diagram like this thing below to show how awesome it is is most definitely crappy or has its marketing team on IV shrooms.

Besides, it shows CD and MP3 audio - guess people don't play MIDIs anymore or equate their presence on a Geocities webpage with "crap" anyway, so they don't care for the sound .

But seriously - no, I don't see any SoundCanvas thingies getting built in there. No benefits for existing users and it adds to the price without having any advantages.

I would think a full 88-key model would be ideal if I wanted to be able to go through all octaves without having to switch in the middle. Am I right in thinkng that, or am I missing something?

You're right in thinking that, but!

88-key controllers usually have piano-style keys - e.g solid ones, with weight, and sometimes something called "hammer action", and sometimes something called "graded hammer action".

The weight means you'll need more strength to put the key down to the bottom (this differs per model). The hammer action means that when you do this, it "feels" more like playing a real piano because the hammer on a grand or upright gives a slight kickback to the key - when it hits the string. "Graded" means that higher keys are lighter and lower keys are heavier. All depends on the budget you're willing to spend on a controller, and if you personally even like the action on a piano. Some are heavy, some are light-weight; all a matter of preference.

Also, I'd want something velocity sensitive, this way the sounds would change in volume depending on how hard I struck the keys. Is a weighted-action keyboard what I'd want, or do synth actions still have a velocity sensor with them?

Velocity sensitivity is almost universal in keyboards, except maybe those with the mini-keys.

I noticed, when I send something to piano roll in FL, I can't get it to hold a note. Now, I'm guessing when I use a MIDI Controller, if I hold a key, it'll draw that note out for me, yes?

When you press down the key it sends a MIDI NoteOn signal. When you release the key it sends a MIDI NoteOff signal. The "bar" you see in the piano roll is the time between those two signals. That's also why you sometimes see a PANIC button; if the NoteOff is never sent the synth just keeps playing, and PANIC forces a NoteOff to everything.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys. It does NOT go unappreciated AT ALL. If I can ever help any of you in some way, just ask.

Just make sure your first mix is not an mp3 of a recorded MIDI file with just a reverb effect thrown over it. Other than that, have a ball .

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that. Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see. I'm not tech savvy enough to throw numbers and specs at you, but it's one of the top choices of gaming nerds and audiophiles (think www.overclock.net and forums like those), so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

That product claims to do something which is, straight up, not possible. It fakes it with creative EQ and perhaps aural excitation, but the claims they are making about it are flat out not possible.

I think it's safe to say that it's crap.

Perhaps, from a listener/consumer standpoint, it's not all bad, but as a producer, it's completely useless, and introduces bias to how you monitor your mixes. You should never monitor your work on an "enhanced" system, you should monitor on as flat and transparent a system as possible.

Why should it be done on a flat and transparent system? What does that even mean?

You're a gymnastic coach, by the way, right?

[zircon]

"Flat" means that the frequency response curve is... flat. That means that if you listen to a song, the frequency balance in the song will be just as it should be. If the frequency response curve is NOT flat, then the frequency balance of the song will be "off" and not what it should be. There might be more bass, not enough bass, too much high end, not enough high end, weird stuff in the mid range... the list goes on and on. You don't want any of that. You want the true sound, even if the true sound doesn't appear pleasant to you (which is GOOD, because if your own mixes aren't pleasant, you need to work with them until they are!)

"Transparent" is a term mainly used with effects like EQs and compressors. A transparent EQ will alter a sound in a subtle manner, maybe even in a way that isn't perceivable on the conscious level, but makes a definite difference nonetheless. This is as opposed to something that is NOT transparent, where the effect is very noticeable and has a substantial impact on the color of the sound.

[SnappleMan]

So wait, I'm a bit retarded. Is that whatever it is claiming to produce flat mixes regardless of what you're listening on?

You can't get a true flat response unless your monitors and room are tuned to be completely flat. Unless the bundle comes with special monitors, room padding and a special harness that controls the vibration of the air around you, your midsection, and your sack.... forget it

[SnappleMan]

"Transparent" is a term mainly used with effects like EQs and compressors. A transparent EQ will alter a sound in a subtle manner, maybe even in a way that isn't perceivable on the conscious level, but makes a definite difference nonetheless. This is as opposed to something that is NOT transparent, where the effect is very noticeable and has a substantial impact on the color of the sound.

It's easier to think about it in terms of what you actually hear. If you can "hear" the EQ on a track, then it's not transparent. Kinda like salt, if you taste your steak, then it's a well seasoned "transparent" steak, if you taste the salt then you're eating at some assholes house.

[Yoozer]

Just a very small request: can you not quote everything and just include the part that you want to reply to?

Why should it be done on a flat and transparent system? What does that even mean?

It means that if you make your track on a Shitty McMegaBass stereo set, listening to it on another system will sound weird. E.g., aforementioned MegaBass will let your song sound like it's got quite some bass thump, while in reality, it doesn't have it. On another system, it'll sound thin - but that's because the MegaBass isn't there to "compensate" for it.

Every system "colors" the sound; what you want is something that colors the sound as little as possible. Since there are a lot of people here who might listen to your music on something that doesn't have the MegaBass included, you shouldn't mix and master in such a way assuming that they have .

You're a gymnastic coach, by the way, right?

THE PLOT THICKENS

[Yoozer]

Eh, that's just advertising. Every company does stupid shit like that.

"X-Fi sounds ZOMG AWESOME and injects LSD into your ears" tells me nothing. "24 bits, 96khz, 3ms latency and 0,05% THD" tells me something I can do with.

Give an X-fi a try, though, and you'll see.

I've got an E-mu 1212m - no need for another soundcard. Plus, an X-Fi doesn't have what I need, and it's got a lot of stuff I don't need . I need ADAT, S/PDIF, full-sized line I/O and I get a Firewire connection and 1 MIDI I/O thrown in for free (the MIDI would be a nice extra if it weren't for the fact that I've got 3 MIDI interfaces already).

With an X-Fi Elite Pro, I get a big box connected by a bulky parallel cable (If USB 2.0 and Firewire can do it, that bulky thing is not required). I get 4 really tiny outputs on the card and a few on front of the box. The bulky cable is weird, because again, Firewire and USB 2.0 can do the job, and an E-mu 1820 even uses its own protocol over a LAN cable.

With an X-Fi Fatal1ty, you get the connections in a front-panel of sorts. But, an E-mu 1212m is $30 cheaper.

Why the E-mu comparisons? Well, Creative owns E-mu but lets them make their own soundcards geared towards music production instead of gaming or watching movies .

Worst part? All the Crystalizer stuff that's supposed to make things better is unavailable in Audio Creation mode (which you are supposed to be using when making music).

so I don't think that many people could be wrong.

Well, for listening and gaming, pull out all the stops. Spice it up with all kinds of nifty effects. Make the bass cause chalk dust to come down from the ceiling. Pump it up. Go wild.

For -making- music, dear lord, no.

Overclock =/= audiophiles. True audiophiles are geezers probably as old as your father (I know my father's one, he worked in studio's since his college days, and he's over 50 now).

The most ironic part about audiophiles is that if they are of that age, several khz of frequency range is already gone due to aging .

I'm more than willing to bet this "X-fi" shit is just a little bit of creative EQing, which truth be told should NEVER be used by a producer.

Not only EQing - compression and exciting, too (high-frequency distortion to make things sound more fresh). The worst part? It's a single option; on or off.

But don't you need them hooked up to a PC to try them out? Or you just mean hit the keys and see how that feels?

You could ask them to hook it up to a synthesizer or module; but yeah, the feel is the most important. Then again, it's kind of hard to gauge without hearing any sound. Just let the salesperson hook it up to a Motif.

[Legion Kreinak]

Alright, the cheapest 88-key model out there is the Keystation ES I linked to. it's $200. All the other models are a good deal more expensive. Now, do you guys think I should:

A) Just go with the Keystation ES, despite its lack of knobs and sliders

Save up and get the Keystation Pro 88 (http://www.audiomidi.com/Keystation-Pro-88-P5167.aspx) which is riddled with knobs and sliders

Unless anyone wants to recommend a different 88-key model that's fair priced which I'm not finding.

[Yoozer]

Get the Pro. Adding as much knobs to an ES (which is semi-weighted - no hammer action!) as the Pro has will cost you just as much as the Pro will: see http://www.zzounds.com/item--EVOUC33E

So, the deciding factor is then the feel of the keyboard. Also, by saving up for the Pro you can directly play with the knobs - really worth it .