okay since this is my first hardware "synth"

[multree]

okay since you may know... I have won the Receptor... and now I'm keen to know how I will be able to do things with it...

I'm excited to finally be able to use the M-Tron on stage - this will be oh so cool

but in the studio? - okay I get that I can load some of my VSTs (my beloved M-tron and soon my likewise beloved BFD) which will keep my Laptop's HD from filling and my CPU from spilling....

so now here's the question - I'm running Tracktion for all of my tracks... and record my audio stuff thru my MBox

on top of that I'd love to use the Receptor for my "VSTinstruments" which will be a great relief for my Laptop.

how will I be able to mix these together..... will I need to send MIDI from tracktion via MIDI into the Receptor and the audio back into my MBox ???

or is the ethernet connection capable of that?? (which would be cool - kinda like FX Teleport)



I know I will find out once the Receptor gets here.... but I'm soo excited to know

is the ethernet connection like the firewire connection on a powercore only that I can use VSTs on the Receptor??? (which would mean I could even run VST plugs on the receptor and process the audio on my PC with it??)

I'm kinda new to all this so don't blame me... or krim will be all over me saying hippies don't deserve Receptors

cheers,
mully

[Scot Solida]

Receptor is treated pretty much the same way you would treat any outboard hardware synth. You send MIDI to the thing, and record the audio via the outputs (there is a s/pdif output if you would rather not go through the added A/D conversion. Me, I like to run Receptor through my Manley pre for added grit, so I use the analogue outputs). The ethernet connection is for mounting the Receptor on your computer, where it can be treated as a hard drive. This is how you transfer plugs, samples, etc. The ethernet connection is also good for editing your Receptor from your computer (though Receptor has it's own VGA, mouse and keyboard connections, too).

Congratulations! You are going to have a blast. And Receptor makes a great MTron host...that was the first thing I thought when getting Receptor, as well: "MTron on stage!").

[multree]

Receptor is treated pretty much the same way you would treat any outboard hardware synth. You send MIDI to the thing, and record the audio via the outputs (there is a s/pdif output if you would rather not go through the added A/D conversion. Me, I like to run Receptor through my Manley pre for added grit, so I use the analogue outputs). The ethernet connection is for mounting the Receptor on your computer, where it can be treated as a hard drive. This is how you transfer plugs, samples, etc. The ethernet connection is also good for editing your Receptor from your computer (though Receptor has it's own VGA, mouse and keyboard connections, too).

Congratulations! You are going to have a blast. And Receptor makes a great MTron host...that was the first thing I thought when getting Receptor, as well: "MTron on stage!").

the D/A A/D conversion doesn't bug me much.... it's more of "my MBox filling up" that's the not so good part... and I guess I have to buy myself a MIDI interface in order to provide the receptor with tracktion's MIDI right?

but I guess I have to play with it to fully understand it anyway...

ah okay here's the next pre-having-recieved-it-question will I be able to use my Oxygen via USB (meaning can I install the MAudio drivers, guess not since it's a linux machine - actually I'll just jump to the M-Audio site to have a look)

thanks so far Scot
mully

[Scot Solida]

Hmm, are you using any other MIDI hardware besides the MBox, Receptor and the Oxygen 8? Your MBox shouldn't be "filled up". Remember that the Oxygen 8 is also a MIDI interface. So you can send MIDI to and from another hardware device va that. If you want to trigger the Receptor from the Oxygen 8, then you can do it two ways. The first, and maybe best for live use, is to simply send MIDI out of the Oxygen 8 into the Receptor. This will not be the best way to record, however. For recording, you will still need to use your Oxygen 8 with your computer via the USB connection. Set up your host to send MIDI out to the MIDI port that the Receptor is conencted to, and select the Oxygen 8 as the input for your MIDI tracks (just like you would when playing a softsynth with the Oxygen . You may not need to connect the Receptor's MIDI output to anything for most work.

For getting audio from the Recetor to the MBox, either connect it directly via audio or S/PDIF, or if you have other things you would like to play at the same time, via a mixer.

I don't have an MBox, so I am not terribly sure how it is set up for monitoring the input signals...(I have been meaning to grab a Digi002, but just haven't got around to it. Too many other tempting goodies keep getting released!).

If you need help when the Receptor arrives, you can feel free to e-mail or PM me, and I will work it out with you.

[multree]

thanks Scot.... I've just investigated and the MBox has a SPDIF in - yay...

regarding MIDI - the only MIDI device i have is the Oxygen8 (the Mbox has neither in nor out... let alone thru) and I always connect it via USB (no MIDI cables)

thanks for your help
much apreciated

mully

[Scot Solida]

Right, yeah, the Oxygen 8 sends MIDI via the USB, but I believe that it's built-in MIDI ports will been seen by Tracktion as a separate MIDI I/O. I may be wrong...I had one a long time ago...but The Oxygen 8 may provide you with a pair of MIDI outs in your host... If not, you can still use the MIDI thru on the Oxygen to connect the Receptor. I'm sure we can figure it out when it gets there.

[aMUSEd]

So can you actually sequence on the Receptor or is it just an audio source that feed into your computer for recording and mixing? If it is then even though you save some CPU power surely you lose the big advantage of using VST's which is that they stay editable as midi tracks till you render to audio - instead the VSTi becomes the equivelent of a hardware synth/effect.

[Scot Solida]

So can you actually sequence on the Receptor or is it just an audio source that feed into your computer for recording and mixing? If it is then even though you save some CPU power surely you lose the big advantage of using VST's which is that they stay editable as midi tracks till you render to audio - instead the VSTi becomes the equivelent of a hardware synth/effect.

At the moment, Receptor is used as an outboard hardware effects/instrument (or both). You could sequence on it by using a plug-in with a built-in sequencer, I reckon, but there is no sequencer within the host. Actually, that would be a nice addition for a future software update. Then Receptor could be an "all-in-one" workstation for live gigs.

[multree]

I've just found in the manual that the USB Oxygen8 has been tested with receptor

[tconrardy]

The way i do it in Tracktion is this:

Drag the MIDI IN icon ( from your MIDI controller) to a track. Have the OUTPUT of that track go to MIDI OUT ( which should be your OX8 MIDI out port)

The Physical MIDI OUT from your OX8 goes to Receptor MIDI IN via MIDI cable.
The physical Audio OUT of Receptor goes to your sound cards Audio IN.

Drag the AUDIO IN icon to another track in Tracktion. The Output is set to your default WAVE out.

This way upon hitting R on your qwerty, you will record the MIDI part and the Audio part at the same time.

However, theorietically, you could just record the MIDI part. Tweak the MIDI Part, then drag the AUDIO IN icon to a track and record it.

TC