Lately i’ve been doing covers of themes, corrie, eastenders.
I got curious about the terminator theme, so I looked at a howto play it on paino. I’d show you a youtube clip so you could see the space between left and right hand, but youtube is not working for me right now.
THing is, it wouldn’t be possible for me to play both left and right hand on the microkorg, it’s got 37 keys.
Not to worry, I found a midi file, but it has multiple voices. Is it possible to play multiple presets on a microkorg? I’d be happy if I could just convert it to one voice.
I suppose that means I’m asking how do I edit midi files. No idea. I’ve stayed away from DAW’s and sequencers as I don’t find them fun at all, and if I’m not having fun making music, what am I doing?
Or you could talk someone (yourself, perhaps) into giving you an 88 key keyboard for a holiday gift. Used ones can go pretty cheap — kids stop taking piano lessons, you know how it goes — and believe me, controlling a synth with an 88 is a really eye opening experience. And definitely fun.
As a compromise, have you tried transposing the top or bottom notes up or down an octave? It’s quite possible you could achieve something playable that has a similar feel, but will fit into your keyboard.
As for editing MIDI files, it’s simple enough and there are undoubtedly lots of editors around. Here’s an open source one I found. No recommendation, because I haven’t tried it.
In a midi file that is meant to play multiple voices (which is called multi timbral) at the same time the notes for the voices will often be spread over different midi channels.
In a multi timbral synth you could (in advance to playing the file) set a different program/patch/sound for each midi channel and when receiving midi data that midi channel would play only that patch. If you want to combine them the easiest thing would be to load the midi file in a midi editor and set all midi channel values to the same channel and dump the result in a new file.
Setting the synth to a certain patch can be part of the midi file. A so called ‘program change’ can be used to set the synth to a specific patch. I often have a ‘program change’ at the beginning of a sequence for each midi channel which makes sure that the sequence will always be played with the same patches irrespective of what I’ve set the synth to earlier.
DAWs often make it easy to do so. You could e.g. import a midi file on a track in the daw. That track can then be set to output midi to only one channel. The daw will then on the fly convert the channel numbers to the output channel chosen.
I’ve ordered a midi cable and a midi to type A 3.5mm adapter to let me control the NTS 1 from the microkorg. I’m interested in having two osciliators playing simultaneously.
Yes, yes this is a good idea. I was playing an organ piece and I really wished I had more keys so my left hand could be playing a low accompiament.
Anyone heard of an E-MU Xboard 61 controller?
I saw a 61 key version, no power supply, but you can use batteries (usb power?)
I saw another video where someone had a sustain pedal in it. That’s so exciting, that’d really let me get into some deep ambient.
I don’t know who makes them. Looking up E-MU, I saw a website selling wooden headphones. I know next to nothing about the world of midi controllers, but the feature of aftertouch, if it’s not compatible with the microkorg, then nevermind, I can still do something with VCV rack, or another synth in the future.
Inta-Audio is a vendor. E-Mu was a subsidiary of Creative Technology, later merged with Ensoniq, another Creative acquisition. Both divisions were later dissolved. The Xboards were a 2006 product.
Hey thanks. I didn’t think creative did midi stuff. Which is strange as the sound blasters had those D sub to midi connectors, but back in the day all I used that for was a joystick.
and thanks for that product link, which confirms that it can be run off of USB. I have a power bank which I use for the NTS-1 (not noisy unlike my USB wall wart or PC) so I could plug that in as well.
I think, if the auction stays under £100, it’ll be a good buy.
