Setting up a Sound Card in Ableton Live

First we open up preferences. And click on the Audio tab.

From here we can set up our sound card to run with Ableton Live.

In the Driver Type drop down, choose the right ASIO driver for your sound card.

You might also have the option of changing the Audio Device as well to match your sound card.

Remember it should be set to ASIO drivers and Device.

The next step is to set up the audio inputs we want to listen or record from. Click on the Input Config button.

You should see something similiar to the image below. Yours may differ depending on how many Audio inputs your sound card has.

This represents the physical audio inputs of  your sound card. To the left are mono inputs and to the right there are stereo inputs.

For the direct input of a electric guitar you would use a mono input. Also the same for a microphone or a bass guitar.

If you wanted to use a keyboard or a guitar multifx pedal box,  you would probably use a stereo input. 

Check your equipment manuals to see which you would need.

Click ok when your done to go back to the Audio preferences.

Now we just need to do the same with the Audio outputs.

Pretty much the same as the Audio inputs. From here you choose which physical audio output on your sound card you want to use.

For most set ups only one stereo output would be needed.

From Here

PWDM Midi Set up

Thought I would share my own midi set up as an example of what can be achieved using different techniques.

First a quick list of the equipment used with a short description of how it fits into the set.

CME-UF5
 A cheap midi keyboard controller from China. Gives me a 5 octave piano keyboard, 9 faders and 8 knobs.
Has a usb plug but is not very reliable when using it so I stick with the midi out instead.

Behringer BCR
A midi controller with 32 knobs and 24 buttons. A great controller in my opinion and with this editor, very versatile.

Philip Rees C16
Another midi controller this time with 16 faders. Very easy to edit and set up.

Korg Padkontrol
16 pads that make drumming with fingers very easy.

Recording from Vinyl into Audacity

Download and install Audacity and also the Lame3 mp3 encoder (needed to save the tracks as mp3)

Then plug in the lead from the Hifi/record player etc into Line input on the pc. (The input should be marked on the pc, its usually light blue)



Next start up Audacity and go to menu edit/preferences.



Now on the Audio I/O page you need to choose the sound input of your PC in the recording section.



Also under that make sure you choose Stereo for Channels.



Close that window and on the main page click the arrow pointing down next to the microphone icon. Click on Monitor Input.



Now play your record or tape and you should see the bars moving to show the audio input is working.



Now your all set to record your tracks. The transport is just like and old tape player, Stop,record etc.

What Is A MIDI Controller

As you can see from the previous few post a Midi Controller can come in many shapes and sizes. From a simple keyboard to a huge mixing desk arrangment. One thing they all have in common is that they can control your music software.

Most modern DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software has this ability built in and are usually very easy to setup,Take Ableton Live, all you have to do is click the midi learn button, then move a button/knob/slider on screen and finally move the control on the midi controller you want use. Thats it, now when you want to change that control in the software, you just move the control on the controller.

Take the example of my Waldorf Blofeld synth module. Most of the controls on the synth are to be found deep inside a menu driven OS. This makes editing a sound on the Blofeld slow and boring. (althought the Blofeld has a very good interfaces, its just not as hands on as using a midi controller).

Using the Berhinger BCR Ican map each knob to a separate control on the Blofeld. So for example I can control the envelope, filter, FX, etc.

This way I can create new sounds a lot faster and a lot more hands on experience.

Kid Beyond - Whats possible with Midi

A fairly basic setup using Ableton Live, Bomes Midi Translator and A Midi Footpedals.

A Few Examples of What MIDI is Capable of

Dj Controller

A Lava Lamp

Touch Screen

Keyboard

Best MIDI Software

When it comes to software tools for MIDI on the PC, you should not be without Midi-Ox and Bomes Midi Translator. (I,ll cover Bomes Midi Translator another time)

Midi-Ox is and all round Midi tool that can be used for many different fault finding or setup problems. One such problem is checking that an external Midi keyboard or Midi controller is sending Midi messages and that the PC is receiving them.

Open Midi-ox and go to the Options in the menu bar and click on Midi Devices

 

From here we can choose which Midi inputs or outputs. For this test we just need to choose the Midi input that our external keyboard/controller is plugged into. Just click on the input you need in the top left box.

In the picture below I have choosen the Midi input to which my Behringer BCR Midi controller is plugged into. (Note that I,ve renamed the Midi Input to BCR so I can remember what equipment is plugged into which Midi Input or Output, yopu can do this in Options/Customize Port Names)

 When you highlighted your Midi port click Ok and the window will close,enabling that Midi port to be used in Midi-Ox.

Now just make sure the Input Monitor window is open, by clicking View/Input Monitor.

Now when you press a key on the Midi keyboard or use a button or knob on the Midi controller, you should see a stream of numbers in the input monitor window.

The picture above shows that the BCR Midi controller is indeed working and the PC is recieving the Midi signal.