OK here goes. Bought T2 last week. I'm already pretty savvy with audio clips. I've RTFM'd, Googled and searched this forum but haven't found an answer to my problem.
I'm just starting to work with VST MIDI sequencers like stepbeater. I'm also using some ambient VST synths like Elogoxa's Sun Ra. I am aware that to record MIDI info you're supposed to assign a MIDI input to a track. But in both cases (using a VST sequencer to control a plugin synth and running an ambient VST that does its own random thing) there's no MIDI input to be recorded.
I want whatever's going on in the VST section (with no external MIDI input) to be recorded as MIDI info. I can hear it fine as audio. I'm under the impression that VST sequencer data contains MIDI information, correct?
Is this possible, and if so, how? Thanks in advance.
Embarrassing Newbie ?--Does T2 record VST sequencer info?
-
Winstontaneous Winstontaneous https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=98336
- KVRAF
- 2598 posts since 15 Feb, 2006 from Another Green World
-
- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
I tried to answer your question, but I ended up deleting it because I'm not sure I was addressing any issues. 
Other people might have a better way of cutting to the chase, but I felt like I was just adding too much information, some of which might not have been useful.
Here's how *I* would best be able to help, and I can't speak for anyone else:
Give me a concrete example of what you need to accomplish, and describe the steps you took to accomplish it without success. That way I'll know what end result you want, and where you (or Tracktion! It has certain limitations with these kinds of plug-ins and lack of external controller!) erred.
Cheers! Hope we can help,
Greg
Other people might have a better way of cutting to the chase, but I felt like I was just adding too much information, some of which might not have been useful.
Here's how *I* would best be able to help, and I can't speak for anyone else:
Give me a concrete example of what you need to accomplish, and describe the steps you took to accomplish it without success. That way I'll know what end result you want, and where you (or Tracktion! It has certain limitations with these kinds of plug-ins and lack of external controller!) erred.
Cheers! Hope we can help,
Greg
-
- KVRAF
- 1906 posts since 5 Feb, 2005 from UK - Stafford/Lancaster (uni)
So u want to record midi data? 
I dont have tracktion but id guess you add a midi track and assign the output of that midi track to watever vst you wanted?
WoJ
I dont have tracktion but id guess you add a midi track and assign the output of that midi track to watever vst you wanted? WoJ
-
- KVRAF
- 2565 posts since 30 Mar, 2004 from Phoenix AZ USA
If your VSTi has both audio and midi outputs then you can record either one of them.
Put it in the rack and see if it has a midi out.
If it does you can just route it to a new track and record it.
Put it in the rack and see if it has a midi out.
If it does you can just route it to a new track and record it.
-
Winstontaneous Winstontaneous https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=98336
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 2598 posts since 15 Feb, 2006 from Another Green World
(edit: this is a reply to Lunch Money's post)
I'm trying to put together my first all-electronic track (no external audio input). I would like to be able to record all VST synth output as MIDI whether or not there is an external MIDI controller sending info to a given channel.
Track 1 path: external MIDI kybd-->MIDI soundcard input--> T2 track 1 at left of screen.
Track 2 path: no external MIDI input. In Filter section at right of screen VST "Sun Ra" ambient synth (which generates random noises and processes audio files loaded into it). While its functions can be triggered via MIDI since it is textural/atonal/arhythmic this is not necessary.
Track 3: No external MIDI input. Stepbeater step sequencer into RM IV drum sampler.
The only track that's recording MIDI info is the one with ext. MIDI input (Track 1). Tracks 2 and 3, while outputting their audio just fine, do not record any MIDI info AFAIK (even though on track 3 Stepbeater is feeding RM IV MIDI info.)
I hope this is clear enough. Thanks for any help.
I'm trying to put together my first all-electronic track (no external audio input). I would like to be able to record all VST synth output as MIDI whether or not there is an external MIDI controller sending info to a given channel.
Track 1 path: external MIDI kybd-->MIDI soundcard input--> T2 track 1 at left of screen.
Track 2 path: no external MIDI input. In Filter section at right of screen VST "Sun Ra" ambient synth (which generates random noises and processes audio files loaded into it). While its functions can be triggered via MIDI since it is textural/atonal/arhythmic this is not necessary.
Track 3: No external MIDI input. Stepbeater step sequencer into RM IV drum sampler.
The only track that's recording MIDI info is the one with ext. MIDI input (Track 1). Tracks 2 and 3, while outputting their audio just fine, do not record any MIDI info AFAIK (even though on track 3 Stepbeater is feeding RM IV MIDI info.)
I hope this is clear enough. Thanks for any help.
-
- KVRAF
- 12977 posts since 29 Sep, 2003 from Ottawa, Canada
That's pretty clear:
Track 1: I assume you'll be putting a VSTi into there somewhere. When you press "record", your external controller's MIDI data will be recorded.
Track 2: You don't need to record Sun Ra's MIDI. The end result of ANY project is to hear audio, so you just need to capture the audio. Plug-ins like this are kinda sneaky, in T. T doesn't "know" that it's actually a track to be rendered because it's looking for MIDI data. The workaround is to insert a blank MIDI clip that's the length of the area to be rendered (in this case, I'd do the whole song, and then just fade in and out later if needed) and press the "render" button. This converts the pseudo-MIDI of Sun Ra into an audio file, which you can then mix into your project as you see fit.
Track 3: Same deal as Track 2, I believe (ie. using a blank clip). OR, since unlike SunRa, there IS MIDI content, you can drag and drop it into your track from the "drag" icon inside Stepbeater. Note that you should be working with one or the other-- if you drag and drop the MIDI information, StepBeater has then done its job and can be removed from the track. At that point in time your new MIDI clips will trigger RM IV instead of Stepbeater.
Now, for Tracks 2 and 3, you don't HAVE to convert them to audio as your song is being written. You can save that for the end. Keep in mind that they both offer "random" variations, though-- you might want to use the "blank clip render" trick several times and pick the best-sounding sections from each. This isn't a "limitation" of Tracktion and would be the case with any host.
If you want to record your "knob twiddling" in SunRa, you can record the VST automation by enabling the "A record" button in the transport area. Since each and every time, Sun Ra will produce a different result, though, this might not be the best option.
The best option for Track 2, after all, might be to use a free "recorder" VST like TapeIt, and just "tape" the realtime performance as audio. Once that's done, you can either keep playing it back from within TapeIt (having now removed Sun Ra since its purpose is complete), or just browse to wherever the audio file was stored (hopefully in your project directory!) and import it into Tracktion, thereby dispensing with TapeIt altogether and leaving you with simply an audio track of your SunRa "performance".
--
Another option for Track 2, since you have the flexibility to build one track at a time: DO use your external keyboard and at least send some controller messages even if you don't send "note" messages. This will be all the MIDI data you need for future rendering and so forth.
Greg
Track 1: I assume you'll be putting a VSTi into there somewhere. When you press "record", your external controller's MIDI data will be recorded.
Track 2: You don't need to record Sun Ra's MIDI. The end result of ANY project is to hear audio, so you just need to capture the audio. Plug-ins like this are kinda sneaky, in T. T doesn't "know" that it's actually a track to be rendered because it's looking for MIDI data. The workaround is to insert a blank MIDI clip that's the length of the area to be rendered (in this case, I'd do the whole song, and then just fade in and out later if needed) and press the "render" button. This converts the pseudo-MIDI of Sun Ra into an audio file, which you can then mix into your project as you see fit.
Track 3: Same deal as Track 2, I believe (ie. using a blank clip). OR, since unlike SunRa, there IS MIDI content, you can drag and drop it into your track from the "drag" icon inside Stepbeater. Note that you should be working with one or the other-- if you drag and drop the MIDI information, StepBeater has then done its job and can be removed from the track. At that point in time your new MIDI clips will trigger RM IV instead of Stepbeater.
Now, for Tracks 2 and 3, you don't HAVE to convert them to audio as your song is being written. You can save that for the end. Keep in mind that they both offer "random" variations, though-- you might want to use the "blank clip render" trick several times and pick the best-sounding sections from each. This isn't a "limitation" of Tracktion and would be the case with any host.
If you want to record your "knob twiddling" in SunRa, you can record the VST automation by enabling the "A record" button in the transport area. Since each and every time, Sun Ra will produce a different result, though, this might not be the best option.
The best option for Track 2, after all, might be to use a free "recorder" VST like TapeIt, and just "tape" the realtime performance as audio. Once that's done, you can either keep playing it back from within TapeIt (having now removed Sun Ra since its purpose is complete), or just browse to wherever the audio file was stored (hopefully in your project directory!) and import it into Tracktion, thereby dispensing with TapeIt altogether and leaving you with simply an audio track of your SunRa "performance".
--
Another option for Track 2, since you have the flexibility to build one track at a time: DO use your external keyboard and at least send some controller messages even if you don't send "note" messages. This will be all the MIDI data you need for future rendering and so forth.
Greg