connecting a drum machine to an interface

[jon the art guy]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Which alesis? There shouldn't be any sort of sound happening as midi is data transfer. Ground noise out of monitor outs maybe...

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Oh saw the pic finally. Sorry.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

OK, thanks--I guess I'll have to try that.

When I googled this issue there were lots of confusing and at times contradictory suggestions. I use a CyberPower UPS and both the PC and the Alesis are plugged into that. Some posts said that both units should be plugged into the same power source (which is the case here). Others said they should be plugged into different power sources. And others suggested covering the ground connection on the USB female or even stripping the cable to get access to the black (ground) wire and cutting that. Seems weird to me...

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

There shouldn't be any sort of sound happening as midi is data transfer. Ground noise out of monitor outs maybe...

Just saw this reply. I have the main left and right on the Alesis running into the rear inputs on the MobilePre. The line outs on the MobilePre aren't connected, if that makes any difference.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Hmmm, any sort of output volume modification in the machine? May just be a volume thing...
Sorry, will respond tomorrow. Too drunk now.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks, Jon. I'll screw around with it further to see if it's a volume thing.

Enjoy the rest of the 4th...

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

I just upgraded to the Avid MBox 3G and Pro Tools Express (aka Pro Tools 10).

The MBox has midi connections.

Should I get a midi to midi connector to hook up the Alesis to that? When I bought the Alesis I bought a midi to USB and was just connecting to my desktop (have never used the midi at all due to the ground loop hum issues I was getting).

Would running the Alesis midi to the MBox midi sync the clock?

(I am not midi savvy @ all.)

dg

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

USB or FireWire between the computer and I/O box. Old-fashioned five-pin plug MIDI between the I/O box and the drum machine.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks, Funkfingers.

I think by 'I/O box' you mean the interface.

I've got MIDI in and MIDI out on the Alesis and MIDI in and MIDI out on the MBox. The MBox is connected to the computer via USB.

So I think you're saying what I suspected: I need MIDI to MIDI in and out cables to connect the Alesis to the MBox (meaning I won't be using the MIDI to USB cable I have at all).

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Way off topic, but any pics of that bass in your avatar?

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Way off topic, but any pics of that bass in your avatar?

I have to take some new family portraits one of these days, but here's one.



It's a '68, which I bought off a band mate @ the time in 1981 for $150. 100% stock. Fun little bass.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Very cool!

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks

 

[dystrust]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks, Funkfingers.

I think by 'I/O box' you mean the interface.

I've got MIDI in and MIDI out on the Alesis and MIDI in and MIDI out on the MBox. The MBox is connected to the computer via USB.

So I think you're saying what I suspected: I need MIDI to MIDI in and out cables to connect the Alesis to the MBox (meaning I won't be using the MIDI to USB cable I have at all).

You only need a single MIDI cable. Since the only things sent over midi are essentially instructions, you'd need 1 cable to connect the MIDI out of your interface to the MIDI in on your drum machine.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

You only need a single MIDI cable. Since the only things sent over midi are essentially instructions, you'd need 1 cable to connect the MIDI out of your interface to the MIDI in on your drum machine.

Thanks. I have zero experience with MIDI. Somehow I thought I'd also be sending info from the MIDI out of the drum machine to the MIDI in of the interface.

 

[dystrust]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks. I have zero experience with MIDI. Somehow I thought I'd also be sending info from the MIDI out of the drum machine to the MIDI in of the interface.

If you're doing the programming on your drum machine and want to record the MIDI track on your computer, you could reverse the connectors which would allow your interface to capture the pattern you prorammed. When you want to record audio, connect the cables the way mentioned in my previous post which would send MIDI instructions from your computer to the drum machine.

I can't think of a reason you'd want to have both hooked up at the same time, and it could possibly cause problems.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

If you're doing the programming on your drum machine and want to record the MIDI track on your computer, you could reverse the connectors which would allow your interface to capture the pattern you prorammed.

This is exactly what I want to do. I guess you mean MIDI out on the drum machine to MIDI in on the interface for this step.

When you want to record audio, connect the cables the way mentioned in my previous post which would send MIDI instructions from your computer to the drum machine.

I guess you mean MIDI out on the interface to MIDI in on the drum machine to for this step.

Is this what you mean?

I can't think of a reason you'd want to have both hooked up at the same time, and it could possibly cause problems.

Like I said I have no experience with this (I was thinking the way analog audio connections would be set up in terms of inputs and outputs being connected).

Thanks for all your help. Previously I used an Alesis HR-16 before MIDI came into the picture the way it's used today.

 

[dystrust]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

This is exactly what I want to do. I guess you mean MIDI out on the drum machine to MIDI in on the interface for this step.

I guess you mean MIDI out on the interface to MIDI in on the drum machine to for this step.

Is this what you mean?

You're welcome; we all need to start somewhere. For sake of clarity, I'll detail the connections for each step here.

1. To record a MIDI pattern from your drum machine to your computer, connect the MIDI out of the drum machine to the MIDI in on the interface.

2. To play a MIDI pattern from your computer on the drum machine, connect the MIDI out of the interface to the MIDI in on the drum machine, and connect the audio out(s) of the drum machine to the input(s) on your interface.

I can't think of a reason you'd want to make both MIDI connections at once.

 

[dg27]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks.

Scenario 1 is the the likeliest for what I'm doing, but it's good to know scenario 2 is a possibility.

(I don't envision creating patterns on the computer without the drum machine, though I know lots of folks do it that way.)

 

[dystrust]

Re: connecting a drum machine to an interface

Thanks.

Scenario 1 is the the likeliest for what I'm doing, but it's good to know scenario 2 is a possibility.

(I don't envision creating patterns on the computer without the drum machine, though I know lots of folks do it that way.)

I listed them in that order because that would be the best way to record with the drum machine. First capture MIDI data for your drum pattern on the computer. Edit it if you wish, then have the computer play the pattern back to your drum machine which would be acting as a sound module at that point. This way your recording software makes sure that its notion of beat and the drum machine are perfectly in sync. It saves a ton of headaches later.