MIDI and Soft Synth Issues

Do you have the Output of the soft synths going into an audio track?

The new synth needs to be highlighted - click on track number and make sure it gets darkened.  That " focuses"  the synth.  Then make sure it is on its own midi channel number so every midi synth doesn't play.

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Cartavian


Ok I guess I did not explain myself clearly. I am new to using soft synths and midi. I have gone through and followed the tutorials and set up everything as instructed.
 
So here is what I do:
 
  simply will not recognize any input from my controller.
 

 
Did you tell it to listen to your keyboard? Setting up track doesn't mean it is ready to take input from anything. You have to tell it what you want it to take input from.
John

Kalle Rantaaho


Please tell what tracks you have and what are the inputs and outputs set to, what drivers you are using and what does the Options dialogue show as your record and playback timing masters and MIDI-device. It seems your keyboard is detected and audio playback works, so it's the insertion of soft synth that fails.

Let's try the simple way:
You need a MIDI track with input from the E-MU (=your keyboard) and output to TTS-1.
You need an audio track with input from TTS-1 and output to Master Bus and from Master Bus to your soundcard.

Master Bus is not necessary, but I mention it because it's the recommended way to route everything through Master Bus. That helps you to keep routing organised in more complicated projects.

I recommend getting a decent audio interface with MIDI-connection. That way you can disable the useless onboard soundchip that is a troublemaker. The onboard chip can not use ASIO drivers, which are the most recommendable, but ASIO4ALL (free DL) works usually quite well, as does WDM.

Ok I will try this again. I open up a new project. I insert a new midi track (I have tried several methods for inserting a midi track. One is to right click on the track area and then click Insert Midi track. I have also used the pull down Insert menu at the top and tried going through the menus to TTS-1 or any of my other soft synths to insert) Next I click on the soft synth rack button in the toolbar at the top. I then load which ever synth I want to use. We will say TTS-1. When the track is created I go to the input tab and select Midi Omni (I have also tried using my EMU as my input as well). In the output tab I select the soft synth I am trying to use, we will just say TTS-1. I go on further to select a bank and patch. Now.. What I am struggling with is that when I choose MS Wavetable as my output everything works fine. When I press the keys on my keyboard the track meter lights up, the piano note (or whatever patch I choose) plays just fine. The problem I encounter is when I choose any other soft synth as my output it's as if it does not see any input from my controller. I have tried changing drivers. I have used ASIO, WDM, MME, and one more I cannot remember at the moment. I've tried them all. Under the options tab my timing masters are set to my realtek soundcard. My MIDI input/output is set to my EMU and MS GS Wavetable respectively. I do not choose the EMU as an out because my keyboard is only a controller and has no input port. 
 
I am certain it's something very easy. I know that I am getting the proper input from my midi controller. I know that it works. I simply cannot find a what I am doing wrong that prevents all my other soft synths except MS GS Wavetable from recognizing that input. It has to be a simple setting or somthing I am missing to turn on or focus or whatever.

+1 to what Chappel says. Read what we have written and follow it. In your post #8 you start straying around and explaining this and that just when you have inserted the MIDI track and you should insert audio track and start hearing something. Stay focused!

Well, generally, we know a soft synth is getting midi info because we can hear it. This is why I thought it was important to clarify that you have the midi track, soft synth, and audio track properly configured. Until that is ruled out it is hard to consider what else the problem might be. Those of us who have been around for awhile have seen many people with problems similar to yours and a very high percentage of those people had their soft synth incorrectly configured.

How is it that you know the TTS-1 soft synth isn't receiving Midi information aside from the fact you can't hear it?

Again +1 to Kev999 and Chappel.
What makes you think the soft synths are not receiving any input?

Already in my post #3 I pointed out that, say, TTS-1 can not recognise any input from keyboard, it's not supposed to do it. The inputs and outputs are on the MIDI track and TTS-1 plays exactly what the MIDI-tracks output sends to it. It can't be heard, though, if there's no audio track (with input from TTS and output to Master bus/soundcard).

You still haven't bothered to tell us what the track inputs and outputs are, and what are the soundcard settings etc., you just say that you have tried many ways. Our long forum experience has taught us to give little value to such definition :o)

Kevs suggestion to draw some music on the PIano Roll and see if it plays back is a good one. That would clear the picture a little.

I do admit, that if you have simply inserted a Simple Instrument Track via Synth Rack, it is a bit puzzling why it's not working (unless you have somehow changed the setting manually).

As much as has been written here, it's still not clear to us how the audio output part of your soft synth insertion is set.

If you really want to solve this, write less, but write the essential. We're on post #14 and we still don't know your track settings even though you've written a novel.

So you're saying that you paid a lot of money for something that you're not going to use?!?

After taking a closer look at your equipment I see that you are using the onboard Realtek audio device. No matter what program you use to record with, you should seriously consider upgrading to a soundcard or USB audio interface that is designed for pro audio applications.

Why are you using the GM Wave table synth in the first place? I turn mine off and use TTS, Dimention Pro or any of the other built in synths. And yes, get a real audio interface. Realtecs are very bad.
 
DaveT

Don't run away Cartavian. It won't help. All the DAWs have basicly the same principles in routing MIDI, audio etc. If you want to make music with a computer you either learn those basics or you don't make music with a computer.

The complicated bells and whistles you can leave for the future, when you got things working.
The #1 problem here was that you didn't focus on answering the questions we asked. Surely you know that with computers you need to do things in an exact and logical way, the difference between a dot and a comma is the difference between solution and a crash.