How many Keyboard Players using MC6?

[squeakie]

Just curious..., how many keyboard/synth players do we have here? I know a lot of members use MC to record vocals, guitar, drums, ect, but am curious to know how many are doing all their work input via keyboard.

If you're a keys players.., what type of Audio Driver are you using? What latency setting do you find works best for your set up. What 3rd party VST's are you using?

Just thought I'd get us keyboard players on a thread bouncing ideas, tips, and tricks around.

[chibear]

Hi,

Using M-Audio Oxygen 8 and Keystation 61es. Using WaveRT with latency set at 19ms (I'm a sloppy keyboard player so don't notice the latency) VST: IK Miroslav Philharmonik, EWQL Play libraries (not the Hollywood series) and Kontakt 5 (factory & various 3rd party).

[TrevsAudio]

I guess I'll have to register as a wannabe in the process of learning.

I have a 32 key Roland Edirol and a Yamaha PSR 323 61 key as my "cheating" keyboard - I can transpose anything to C to make it easier to play. I use them on everything I do excluding guitars and bass. Anything from drums, strings, brass and on my latest, French horns. They have their own native drivers and are both usb into my comp and I use a Focusrite audio interface. I generally add Mixcrafts reverb or delay and tweak a little EQ and the usual quantising.

I've got this bundle which I'm plodding through but most times I have to take just a short passage, learn it then record it and move on to the next.

I'll certainly be following this thread to pick up any more tips en route.

[gypsy101]

I wouldn't call myself a keyboard"player".
I use an older Casio CTK-710 w/ usb that's too old for Vista so I just run the phones out to the a.i. inst-in & keep the volume low.latency is whatever is already running standard for everything else,usually around 256.
I basically just use it for piano parts,keyboard or drone beds,strings,& basic drums.
about the only vst's I use are reverb &/or classic eq. for drums,I may add compressor & the aural exciter.

the keystation 61 does look like a future option.

[Tiasdad]

I'm normally a guitarist but now tend to use the keyboard a lot more. I'm just learning to play in other keys apart from C and deliberately choose songs which challenge my ability.

I use an Alesis Multimix 8 USB interface with the ASIO4ALL drivers for input & output so that I can have my two guitars, mic, headphones, speakers & keyboard all plugged in at once so no messing with the spaghetti lol. The keyboard is a Yamaha PSR E433 which I have connected through USB midi and through the mixer for direct audio (via headphone jack) to utilize the keyboard sounds and rhythms and to mix them with midi in real time .. hence very little latency with standard ASIO settings as installed.

Gary

[squeakie]

Keys are my main instrument. I've been a keyboardist/pianist now for just over 30 years. I've owned so many various synths and workstations over the years it's hard to even keep track now. My current models are a Roland Juno-Di (used as a midi controller for MC), a Yamaha PSR-S700 Arranger Workstation (my go to board for quick song production), and a Roland RS-70 (it looks just like the older Roland Juno-D, but silver, better sounds, floppy disk, and 16 trk pattern sequencer).

I do play guitar (not as much as I used to though). I'm also a drummer (started playing when I was 8 years old). I attribute my ability to play manual keyboard drums to actually being a drummer

As for MC6. I don't use MC to record my guitar playing or even drums. I just record using MC's presets (and other included VST's). I also have Dimension LE (the watered down version of Dimension Pro), Garitan Pocket Orchestra, a few DSK freebies, and will soon add Korgs M1 VST. I also plan on picking up Acoustica's Pianissimo. I was sold on that one within the fist 10 minutes of the trial version.

I'm using the WaveRT driver and (due to my computers limitations) my latency setting will vary from 12-15. It's odd too because my Real Tek sound card with HD drivers is used by many others who seem to be able to get higher latency settings. I don't use an audio interface.., simply because I don't input any other audio into MC.

Sqk

[davefk]

I am using the XU Control UMX610 from Behringer. It's 61 keys and does the job of being a controller really well. I use a Focusrite 2i2 interface which is part of the Focusrite Scarlett-Studio bundle.

I use the Focusrite USB 2.0 Driver and have a latency set at 5ms and have had no latency issues as of yet. I use the Scarlett Plug-in Suite along with many Free plugins found at various online sites.

[fredfish]

I am also no native keyboard player (although in my head I am concert pianist standard!) being mainly a guitarist / vocalist. However in my work I use keyboards a lot, working with people with physical, sensory and learning difficulties giving them the opportunity to create and to record music.

For this purpose using the drumbeats that are built in to Mixcraft and then to use a keyboard with a VST that has arpegiated presets (such as Messiah and MiniMoog) is excellent. The opportunity for some one who has extremely limited physical movement to make music that still sounds right is terrific (one guy with acquired brain injury after a cycling accident 10 years ago simply gradually works his way up the keyboard, sometimes taking 1/2 an hour to move a couple of octaves - but he gets there).

Because of the varying abilities of the people I work with I have a number of keyboards of all sorts of sizes including a Line6 KB37 (amazingly has 37 keys ), a couple of Korg nano keys an AKAI MINI, a Behringher UMX61 and a full sized semi weighted ALTO 88.

I have the same bundle of piano tuition that trevlyns mentions and it is execellent, but I am still very much at the beginning stages with the keyboards - I can work out chords and I can pick out a melody - putting them all together is still a mystery to me!!

Watching this thread with interest - for tricks and tips.....

John

[TrevsAudio]

John, just wanted to throw in a huge thank you for the amazing work you're doing with disabled people. It must be so rewarding. Well done lad!

My lovely lady has been disabled since she was a little girl and I'm well aware of the complications and frustrations that face these special people on a daily basis.

Now, if I could just teach her to sing in tune ....

[fredfish]

Thanks for your comments Trevor - we all know who the really privileged one is here though!

With regards to your wife, its a shame Melodyne isn't real time!!

Regards

John

[squeakie]

Alright folks.., I'll throw up the first "Keyboard Tip" for the topic.

Creating a "Velocity Switched" Bass Guitar using the presets. Very simple and when used for recording tracks it's also "time saving".

If you're new to keyboards.., Velocity Switching in a nutshell is simply having a Preset/Patch/Tone/Program triggering multiple sounds based on the velocity setting for each sound. In this example., I'll show you how easy it is to make a velocity switched bass guitar.

I'm sure as you probably know.., a real bass guitar can be played in various ways (picked, fingered, slapped, your feet ect). One very vital utility within a keyboard bass sound is to be able to play BOTH a fingered bass and slap bass, using different velocity settings for each sound within the preset to trigger each part.

Making the bass;

1. Go under the Presets and choose the Fingered Bass Guitar.
2. Then "click" on the Show Details icon (it has a black wrench next to it).
3. On the lower left side of the Preset Box you'll see a Synth icon. Below that you'll see a drop down arrow (This will be the blank box below your currently selected fingered Bass). Simply click that and choose one of the two slap bass guitars from the Acoustica Presets (I prefer Slap 2). Be sure to check the box to the left to "activate" that sound.

Now the "magic settings" that makes it all happen: Setting Velocity Switch Points between the two

To the far right of each (synth part) you'll see an icon that says Velocity.
The velocity ranges from 0-127. Keep in mind these settings may vary for each player and there is no definitive set of velocity parameters as we all have different playing styles. You'll be setting the velocity setting for each part to suit YOUR playing style.

You want the Finger Bass to be your "primary", and the slap to be the "secondary". Here's an example. Let's say based on "John's playing style". He sets the velocity of the Fingered Bass from 0-115. What this means is that when John plays that Fingered Bass "by itself" the sound will no longer be heard once his playing reaches his velocity limit setting of 115.

Now John wants to bring it all together with the Slap sound. Well if his velocity limit for the Fingered Bass is 115.., naturally his velocity setting for the Slap sound will be 116-127. If John set that to 115-127 he would get a "doubling" effect once both parts reach that 115 limit (you don't want that).

Then if you like.., you can add effects as you see fit.

That's it! A very simple Bass Guitar to create, and it saves time because you can record both fingered and slap bass in ONE shot on a single track rather than breaking it into two tracks using two different sounds.

Hope this wasn't too confusing. This method doesn't just apply to bass guitar either. You can get creative by combining sounds with varying velocity levels to create some interesting and unique custom sounds.

[squeakie]

Oooooohhhhhh.., just remembered another very popular sound combo you'll find on more expensive synths/workstations and arranger workstations.

With (essentially) the same concept. A very good combo for Jazz Players is a sound that uses Piano and Brass Stabs. This set up triggers the brass stabs (with the piano) sound at higher velocities.

For example:

You'll keep your piano velocity set to 0-127. You'll want the brass stabs and piano to trigger at the same time so (for example) set the secondary sounds velocity at say 115-127. Now when you play you'll have piano at the full range from 0-127, and when you player harder you'll trigger a brass stab with the piano. Great for Jazz!

[TrevsAudio]

Squeaky, YOU ARE DA MAN!

I hereby appoint you chief keyboard tutorial fella. Lets have some more of this please.

[Ingun]

I'm a keyboard player, and I'm very happy with Mixcraft! I have a Nord Electro and an E-mu 404.

[squeakie]

Squeaky, YOU ARE DA MAN!

I hereby appoint you chief keyboard tutorial fella. Lets have some more of this please.

Thanks