Switch instruments

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kechu
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2008/09/08 21:37:45 (permalink)

Switch instruments

Hello all,

I have a drum track and a bass track already recorded. Then, I open two softsythns. Let's say Massive and Absynth. When one of them it's highlighted, I can play it, but.. if I want to switch between them in the middle of my recording? I'm using a MIDI keyboard evolution MK449C for that purpose; it has 10 asignable buttons (midi). I want to make that, if I press the 1 button, highlights Massive and I play it, but in the middle of the performance I want to switch to Absynth by pressing the 2 button. And record that performance for each track.

I tried with Remote Control on the Input Echo button in the track and console views, but doesn't work.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot !
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    Beagle
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/08 22:27:59 (permalink)
    something doesn't make sense. you mean that if you have the windows focus on one of the softsynths you can hear it when you play your keyboard, but when you change focus you can hear the other one?

    what about your OUTPUTS of your MIDI track? what are they set to? is your MIDI track that you're recording ARMED? do you have TWO tracks you're trying to record the different synths on? you can't set the output of one MIDI track to two different synths, if that's what you're trying to do.

    from what i think you're trying to do, why don't you set up TWO MIDI tracks, one for each softsynth. record one until you get to the point where you want to change synths, then disarm that track, arm the other track and play there.

    either way - you realize you can continue to record MIDI on the same track and just bounce the first part to an AUDIO track using the first softsynth and then bouncing the 2nd part using the 2nd one no matter what synth you use to HEAR what you're recording, right?

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    #2
    kechu
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 00:06:43 (permalink)
    Sorry, I think I did not explained well.


    something doesn't make sense. you mean that if you have the windows focus on one of the softsynths you can hear it when you play your keyboard, but when you change focus you can hear the other one?


    No, I mean that if I focus on the midi track for that synth, it sounds, that's the obvious part. No, I can't hear the other one.


    what about your OUTPUTS of your MIDI track? what are they set to?


    Each synth has his dedicated MIDI track, so, each midi track outputs to the respective synth track.


    is your MIDI track that you're recording ARMED?


    Of course :)


    do you have TWO tracks you're trying to record the different synths on?


    Yep, as I said above, one MIDI track per synth.


    you can't set the output of one MIDI track to two different synths, if that's what you're trying to do.


    I know, that's why I assign separate MIDI tracks for each synth.


    from what i think you're trying to do, why don't you set up TWO MIDI tracks, one for each softsynth.


    That's what I did.


    record one until you get to the point where you want to change synths, then disarm that track, arm the other track and play there.


    Heeeeeeeere is the interesting part. I'll try to explain beter now. Let's say, I'm playin live performance. In that exact point where I have to change synths (in other words: change the focus on the other MIDI track), while playing, I want to do it with the same MIDI keyboard, in real time, by pressing one of the assignable buttons of my keyboard and changing that way, the focus on the other midi track (and changing the synth I'm playing/recording, instantly). I'm pretty sure there must be a way to just change the focus on other track while recording in real time by assigning each track a button on my MIDI controller, or something like that.

    This is all about live performance and MIDI assign to Sonar's interface. I want the MIDI keyboard to play more than one instrument, live. Press a button and BANG! switch from a piano to a synth. It may have something to do with ACT, dunno.

    Thanks a lot in advice!
    #3
    Marah Mag
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 00:39:58 (permalink)
    This is just a guess....

    What if, instead of trying to change which MIDI track has the focus, you armed both tracks, set each track to respond only on given MIDI channel, and when you want to switch tracks, you change channels. Would something like that work? (I rarely record more than one MIDI track at a time, and I never pay any attention to channels... so again, I'm just guessing.)
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    Beagle
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 08:50:24 (permalink)
    Ah - I see now. and Yes, I think Mara's got the answer. set your input to a particular channel for the keyboard and switch channels on the keyboard during live performance. that probably will work.

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    b rock
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 09:11:22 (permalink)
    set your input to a particular channel for the keyboard and switch channels on the keyboard during live performance.
    You'd have to take extreme care with switching MIDI channels while no key is currently pressed. Otherwise, you can split the MIDI note in half, orphaning it from its note off command, and resulting in a stuck note.

    Project5 can do this, with its 'MIDI Override' feature, in conjunction with the 'MIDI Override Follows Current Track' option. Unfortunately, you can't assign the Qwerty arrow keys to anything without a third-party application running in parallel.

    This is interesting. Program changes come to mind, but that's not always an option for soft-synths. I have tried using Remote Control in Sonar with an MFX to split and invert a controller message. This message is evidently 'intercepted' prior to reaching the Arm for Recording buttons in the Track Pane, so it didn't work as intended.
    #6
    kechu
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 20:39:37 (permalink)
    Thanks all, that's it.

    I assigned each midi track a midi channel, I turned input echo ON and I put the focus in another track (that I didn't wanted to play). Switching midi channels in the keyboard resulted in changing the instruments, being able to record up to 16 instruments by just switching the midi channel, each one in its separate midi track. The only detail is that, switching midi channels in my Evolution MK 449-C takes more that 1 button to press, but it's a detail.

    It's great for live performances.
    #7
    kechu
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    RE: Switch instruments 2008/09/09 21:11:04 (permalink)
    By the way, if I hold a key in "synth 1", then I change the midi channel to "synth 2" and I continue pressing that "synth 1" key, it keeps playing that note(s) no matter what instrument is in "synth 2" and if I keep playing the synth 2, the synth 1 keeps the sound as long as I keep the key pressed, if that is what you mean b rock. Pretty cool.
    post edited by kechu - 2008/09/09 21:12:14
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