KVR Audio

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:05 pm

Ok, I'm sick and tired of crappy workarounds to get a simple Bank Select MSB/LSB and Patch to my external synths. I should just be able to assign the numbers and get on with life, not tediously edit controller curves to get the MSB/LSB of the bank I want!

Sooo, which host out there handles interfacing with Honest To Goodness Hardware best? I have Tracktion2 which is pathetic at this kind of thing, eXT with is worse in some ways, and OPlat which is about 3/4 of the way there but drops the ball since it doesn't transmit MSB/LSB for bank select, just one of 'em.

Is anything under US$300 better at this, or should I bust out my old SynthEdit license and go through the trouble of learning how to write a plugin that does what I need MIDI-wise?

Feh, I'm tired of tearing my head out over this kind of thing.

mandolarian · Post by **mandolarian** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:29 pm

Yeah, Midi is still so new, it's hard to get such an advanced protocol fully implemented. Maybe come back in a hundred years or so.

But if you do dive back into synthedit, you can check out Dave's midi modules, which I'm sure you know about at: http://www.dehaupt.com/SynthEdit/semodules.htm

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:05 am

Ugh.. looks like there's nothing better out there in my price range. It's a pain in the butt as the sequencer on my Fantom X6 sends MSB/LSB/Patch properly...

Thanks for the link to Dave's MIDI modules.. I think I'm going to sit down and learn enough of SynthEdit to write myself some plugins to handle external hardware control!!!

mandolarian · Post by **mandolarian** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:24 am

Guess you can't automate roland's Fantom patch editor, eh?

a · Post by a » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:01 am

Why not try a host that started out life as an honest-to-goodness midi sequencer? They were developed to control Honest To Goodness Hardware after all

Sonar can do it. You should be able to get Sonar Studio edition for about us$300. Sonar Home studio should be able to do it (it's basically a old version of Sonar). It'd be about $150 methings.

Cubase SE or SL should cut the mustard as well.

a

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:38 pm

mandolarian wrote:Guess you can't automate roland's Fantom patch editor, eh?

Actually, I can drive the Motif easily from the Fantom, switch patches, etc. - and if I use the Fantom as master with something like Tracktion handling recording and MIDI pass-through, it works fine. It's just the Bloody Stupid Hosts that I have won't originiate the bloody stupid bank select/patch select properly!!!

I have successfully recorded bank/patch changes originating with the Fantom, but that's a weak-ass way to have to work. If I want to change the patch for a track, it's either tedious manual editing of the setup MIDI data or (actually faster) re-record the Fantom sending bank select/program change. Blech.

I hate changing hosts but I might have to, if I want to get really good integration of hardware and software. Feh.

I figured SONAR and Cubase would have the issue sorted... almost sorry I sold my SONAR 1 long ago..

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:00 pm

Hilariously enough, it appears that FLS has support for Bank Select MSB/LSB! I've downloaded the demo and I'm going to try it with the Motif ES Rack tonight at home. If it works.. omg.. I may become a FLS convert and fanboy!

mandolarian · Post by **mandolarian** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:11 pm

Hey, can't you just load FL as a VST in T? That would save you having to go thru all the cult-indoctrination stuff at the FL forum that can be so time consuming.

nuisance sonore · Post by **nuisance sonore** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:24 pm

Have you tried Podium Wooly?
http://www.zynewave.com/videos/video_hardware.htm

jsd · Post by **jsd** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:51 pm

woolyloach wrote:Ok, I'm sick and tired of crappy workarounds to get a simple Bank Select MSB/LSB and Patch to my external synths. I should just be able to assign the numbers and get on with life, not tediously edit controller curves to get the MSB/LSB of the bank I want!

Sooo, which host out there handles interfacing with Honest To Goodness Hardware best?

Cubase SX/SL does what you want.

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:38 am

I dl'ed Podium and it gives me a headache. It just doesn't work well with me, I know lots of other folks like it.. but not I! Sorry.

Cubase surely will, like SONAR Home Studio, but having installed and fiddled with the FL5 demo I'm pretty impressed! It runs my Motif ES Rack *and* my Fantom X6 *flawlessly* unlike my other hosts *cough T2 cough OPlat cough eXT cough*.

Geez, why can't everyone ELSE in the low-cost sequencer world get this right?

nuisance sonore · Post by **nuisance sonore** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:49 am

woolyloach wrote:I dl'ed Podium and it gives me a headache. It just doesn't work well with me, I know lots of other folks like it.. but not I! Sorry.

No need to be sorry, I just wanted to know if you tried it. I tried like a mad man to like it myself, just because the dev is such a great guy and I like the idea of a low cost sequencer with good hardware support, but I couldn't either.

Geez, why can't everyone ELSE in the low-cost sequencer world get this right?

I feel the same way.

jsd · Post by **jsd** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:15 am

I suspect it's because they imagine users with small budgets are going to be using free or cheap VSTIs these days instead of hardware modules.

Andywanders · Post by **Andywanders** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:33 am

woolyloach wrote:Geez, why can't everyone ELSE in the low-cost sequencer world get this right?

Good question. After all, it can't be that difficult to implement.

It's also the main reason why I'm sticking with Logic on a PC.

Caleb · Post by **Caleb** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 6:06 am

If I'm not mistaken CMuzys was pretty good with this sort of thing. Muzys itself was fantastic when it came to controlling outboard gear.

Caleb

Which host has the best easy control of external hardware?