Midi Keyboard Help

[Mr.ToOn]

Hi, I've recently purchased a Yamaha PSR-K1 so I could use it as a midi-input device. After I completed the installation, I noticed that there's a little lag-time between each key pressed. Does that mean I need to upgrade my computer or is it simply a setup problem?

Also, can I transfer the soundfonts from my midi-keyboard to the computer so I could use it on my composition?

[OverCoat]

What are you using the midi controller with? In any good DAW you can adjust the latency levels to shorten the delay time. Latency [in audio production terms] is the time taken in digital audio systems to convert the signal from analog to digital, process it and then convert it back to analog. In computers this is adjustable. Depending on how good your audio drivers are, and the rest of your system, your latency will be low or high.

Careful though! If your latency buffer settings are too low, your system can't keep up and the audio will have "underruns," which means the audio will start to crackle and pop, and your project will become unworkable. You can always just set it a bit higher if that happens though. If your latency is still too high, you might look into ASIO4All, freeware universal ASIO drivers which are a big improvement over general consumer soundcards like Soundblasters. Google these terms if you're confused, and read the manual on your DAW to figure out how to change the latency.

[Mr.ToOn]

Thanks for the reply,

I'm planning to use my midi-input device to compose in the computer. I'm planning to use it with, mainly, FruityLoops. I'm still looking for composer softwares, but I am currently using GuitarPro 5 and Noteworthy at the moment.

So far, I've been using it with GuitarPro5 and Noteworthy and it seems to recognize my midi-input device. Although I've successfully inputed notes into the program with my input deivce, the lag-time is still there. I haven't yet tried to use it with FruityLoops because it takes up a great deal of my CPU's power and I am fairly new with the program as well.

I'll research the stuff you have said and I'll see what I can find. Thanks.

[MaliceX]

This sounds to me the response time of output of sound playback triggered from your MIDI controller. This is not your fault as most likely you are using a MIDI playback device such as the MSGS (crap). That thing has a delay between sending of notes and output, and that's actually normal for that.

With a DAW program however, you can usually adjust the buffer size or latency times, and whatever you output you will have that set. Of course, in DAW's, latency usually matters between processing of sound output, compared to MIDI Playback Devices where they run directly from a Windows Driver Model thing. (Their latency is deliberately programmed and set to cater for certain computers which are not fantastic)

[Yoozer]

Does that mean I need to upgrade my computer or is it simply a setup problem?

No, it means your soundcard sucks . Solve it temporarily by using www.asio4all.com - it won't take the latency away but it'll bring it down. A better solution would be to get an audio interface (soundcard geared towards music production).

Also, can I transfer the soundfonts from my midi-keyboard to the computer so I could use it on my composition?

No. In fact, there are no soundfonts in your keyboard at all, and it helps a lot to not think of 'm as soundfonts .

Your keyboard contains its sound samples in ROM (read-only memory) in a proprietary format meant to be read only by the keyboard's "engine" itself - memory you can't overwrite and can't transfer anywhere (if you even wanted to in the first place). The USB cable coming out of it just tells your computer that you've played the middle C for 3 seconds or so; that's it.

If you want to record the sound coming out of your keyboard, plug its audio outputs in your soundcard audio inputs.

If you want to record the sound of your keyboard, computer and more and record the whole, I recommend you go looking for an USB or Firewire audio interface that either allows a guitar to be plugged in or an audio interface combined with a small mixing desk.

[Mr.ToOn]

Thanks for all the reply.

Solve it temporarily by using www.asio4all.com

Thanks, I will try it.

I've lowered my DAW's option and settings to lower the extensive lag-time, now it seems workable. Yeah, I do need a new machine in order to dive deeper into world of music productions. I am currently financing for one, so wish me luck hahaha.

Btw, a question to FruityLoops users: I can't figure out why FruityLoops isn't recording what I play into the PianoRoll. Instead, it just records random notes into the step-sequencer. Is it because of the above hardware problems?

[OverCoat]

You probably have "record to step sequencer" enabled in the midi options.

[Mr.ToOn]

You probably have "record to step sequencer" enabled in the midi options.

Thank you, you're my hero