Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

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neomewilson
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Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by neomewilson »

I am a new person to the world of composing music although I've been a musician of sorts for over 40 years. I purchased a Nektar LX88+, I am evaluating Mixcraft 9 and would purchase the Pro version if I can figure this out. I have a Roland SC 55 my brother sent me. Here's what I need help on:

1. How can I use a combination of both Mixcraft and the Roland to produce music? There are sounds that the Roland can produce that have no latency and sound crisp. I would like to use some instruments from it but others from Mixcraft.
2. I have a high-end desktop computer with 16 GB RAM, Intel Processor with fast speed and a Nivida GTX 1080 graphic card. I own the Nektar keyboard, Roland SC-55. I have the SC-55 connected to my Midi keyboard through a MIDI cable. My LX88+ is connected by USB to my computer. All works fine. Now I want to record some of those sounds into Mixcraft. How do I do this?

I have the manuals for the Roland but this was manufactured in a world of technology that was different then current times. I know there must be a way, I simply have not been able to figure out what I need to add tracks produced with the Roland into Mixcraft.

Any help would be appreciated.

Michael
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Hi,

MIDI doesn't contain any audio, it's just musical instructions that tell hardware or software how to play the audio. If you want to capture the exact sound of your keyboard, you'd need to make an audio connection to your computer instead of a MIDI connection.

You would connect the audio out on the hardware device to the Line In on your computer. One possible roadblock is that a lot of computers don't have a Line In input these days. Also, if you use Line In, the latency will be higher (meaning it will take longer for sound to come out of your computer after you play some notes.

The other solution would be to get a low-latency USB audio interface of some kind. Here's one example: https://new.steinberg.net/audio-interfaces/ur22c/

Greg
Mixcraft - The Musician's DAW
Check out our tutorial videos on YouTube: Mixcraft 10 University 101
neomewilson
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by neomewilson »

First of all thanks for the quick response. I currently have the following setup:

1. Nektar LX 88+ keyboard with USB from keyboard to the PC. That allows me to work fine with Mixcraft on its own.
2. Nektar LX 88+ keyboard with MIDI out to MIDI in on the Roland SC-55. That allows me to use just the Roland SC-55 to power voices and effects and I hear it because of the RCA Outputs to my Bose Desktop speakers. No computer involved here.
3. The SC-55 has a MIDI out and MIDI Pass-through Port still available.

If I purchase a MIDI to USB device like the one linked to me I am assuming that I would connect the MIDI Out and MIDI Pass-through port from the SC-55 to the MIDI In and Out on the new device and plug the USB from the device into an available port on the PC. Is that correct?

I am also assuming that Mixcraft would allow me to add that device to a track so anything I played on the MIDI Keyboard using the SC-55 instruments could be recorded by Mixcraft. Is that correct?

Thanks again for the assistance.

Best Regards,

Michael
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Acoustica Greg
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by Acoustica Greg »

Hi,

You already have MIDI connections that work just fine, right? If you want to record the exact sound that your Roland produces, you'd need to record it as audioe, so you'd connect the audio out to Line In, or to a USB audio interface. This would allow you to record the sound of the Roland on an audio track.

There's no way to do this with MIDI, unless you found a virtual instrument plugin that sounds exactly like your Roland, and then the MIDI would cause the virtual instrument to make the sound.

Greg
Mixcraft - The Musician's DAW
Check out our tutorial videos on YouTube: Mixcraft 10 University 101
Drdish007
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by Drdish007 »

Hi,
I use Roland D5 synth/controller, a Roland U220 sound module, a Ferrofish B4000+ organ module, a 49 key controller, and a M-audio Keystation 88 controller. These are connected using 5 pin MIDI cables. I use a MOTU 5 channel MIDI interface to connect the controllers and modules. The MIDI interface connects to the computer with USB.
The audio out from the modules goes to a hardware mixer, which is connected to my 8 channel audio interface. I out put the main stereo output of the mixer to 2 channels of the audio interface. The other 6 inputs of the audio interface are used for microphones.

My MIDI connections are as follows. Keystation88 to MIDI interface input 1, D5 to input 2, 49 key to input 3.
MIDI interface out 2 goes to MIDI IN on the U220. U220 MIDI THRU to MIDI IN on the D5. D5 THRU to MIDI IN on organ module.
By changing MIDI channels I can control the different modules and virtual instruments. Example, on the organ module I use MIDI channel 1 for upper keyboard manual, MIDI channel2 for the lower keyboard manual. With this I can use the D5 for upper, and Keystation for lower.
With this or similar setup you could control hardware and virtual instruments. I don't have to change any MIDI connections, just change MIDI channels. Depending on what I am recording I do have to make audio connection changes to my hardware mixer, but all cables are close to the mixer. I also use/record my Rhodes piano which is not a MIDI instrument. The organ module goes through the mixers Mon out to a Leslie speaker, which is mic'd.

Hope this helps.
- Myran
Mixcraft9RS(469)64Bit, Win. 10 64Bit, Intel i5 @ 3.20GHz, ssd 250GB(os),1TB hdd(library audio),1TB hdd (recorded audio),Nvidia GeForce1050i video,16GB RAM,Focusrite 18I20 2nd gen usb,Motu 5 ch.midi interface, D5,U220,Keystation88,B4000+,Leslie,Rhodes73mk1
neomewilson
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by neomewilson »

I thank everyone who contributed to my understanding as a new person in this world of orchestrating and producing music. As an update. I purchased a MIO MIDI to USB device since I only had the one channel to worry about to the Roland Hardware DAW. It works very good with no lag time at all.

The MIO is seen by Mixcraft as another MIDI device. I use a Virtual Instrument track, set it to MIO and can then record that track using the voices from the Roland. I could not get an Audio track to work, I believe it's looking for a microphone device of some type vs. a MIDI. At least that is what it states in the dialog box when I try to set it to something.

It all works well and I was able to record the first few bars from Carol of the Bells using a Piano, Tubular Bells, Cello and Violin from the Roland. Everything is working well. The Mixcraft product has been easy for me to learn and I really like the edit feature where I can adjust or insert and delete notes as needed. I also like seeing the notation version on it since I have been sight reading music for a long time.

Again, thanks to all. Great product so far, and great forum response. I am impressed...

neomewilson - Michael
Drdish007
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by Drdish007 »

Hi,
When I record my hardware synths I set the audio track to record from the input on my audio interface that my synth is connected to. I can also record the MIDI data on another track set to the MIDI input and MIDI channel.

- Myran
Mixcraft9RS(469)64Bit, Win. 10 64Bit, Intel i5 @ 3.20GHz, ssd 250GB(os),1TB hdd(library audio),1TB hdd (recorded audio),Nvidia GeForce1050i video,16GB RAM,Focusrite 18I20 2nd gen usb,Motu 5 ch.midi interface, D5,U220,Keystation88,B4000+,Leslie,Rhodes73mk1
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FlyingsCool
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Re: Newbie Evaluation - LX88+, Mixcraft 9, and Roland SC 55 - Need Help

Post by FlyingsCool »

You asked how to capture audio from the SC-55 into Mixcraft.

So, the SC-55 looks like a very old device (mid '80's I assume, since it talks about connecting to PC-AT's in the manual (Blast from the past!) It is meant to capture MIDI control signals (a digital language format) from a device or computer and creates audio from the MIDI data.

On the back of the SC-55 you have 4 RCA jacks, 2 ins and 2 outs. They provide Line in/Out analog audio signal.

You could get something like a Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 or 6i6 USB Audio interface and use a pair of RCA to 1/4" audio connectors to it, and then connect the USB interface to your computer. This would allow you to capture audio directly from the SC-55 into an audio track in Mixcraft. The 6i6 also has a MIDI input/output connectors, so you could capture the MIDI output of the SC-55 directly into Mixcraft as well, or send a MIDI track to the SC-55 from Mixcraft. Getting a USB interface would give you the most flexibility in using this hardware.

I suggest the Focusrite 6i6 as it's a higher quality device than the 2i4 and has wall wart power which would give you more reliability if you ever use it with a condenser microphone requiring phantom power; and it's got MIDI and S/PDIF connectors as well (don't try to connect the SC-55 audio outs to the S/PDIF connectors on the 6i6, you won't get anything that way. The S/PDIF connectors are expecting a digital audio signal, whereas the SC-55 audio connectors are just analog speaker connectors).
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