Sup fellas i got a delima I’m hoping to get some feedback on. I have a Protools 001 on a mac g4 500 (actually a Blue & White with a 500mhz g4 chip) an MPC 200xl and my old faithfull Yamaha SY 85. My buddy uses a Korg Triton Studio to make a lot of our beats but we record at my crib. I want the Motif rack but am not sure how thats gonna work with our sessions. On one hand I’ll have a boat load of new great sounds but then he’s gonna have to drag his keyboard over everytime we need to record sessions he made. I’m not really looking for advise on what to buy cause I’m pretty much getting the MO rack, but just some thoughts / ideas I might not have thought of that might help us till I get the triton rack in the fall.

Re: my Studio setup

Any midi sequencer, whether the Triton Studio, Motif keyboard, ProTools, Sonar, etc. will store a SONG (sequence) in its own internal format.

This internal format allows you to capture effect settings, program bank/patch settings, and controller settings.

When you have “different” equipment (e.g. ProTools and Triton Studio, or TStudio and Motif keyboard), the only way to transfer songs between them (besides having them physically connected) is to use Standard Midi Files (SMF).

Therefore, to use a TStudio song (without bringing his keyboard), he will have to save it in .SMF format. You can play that back from ProTools, sending the midi data to the Motif-Rack.

The concepts to keep in mind are that many midi devices (TStudio, Motif keyboard, MPC200XL) can be both midi sequencers AND midi tone generators.  A rack unit, like the Motif-Rack acts as a midi tone generator.  You simply need to set it in Multi-mode (16-part multi-timbral mode), assign each track to a specific receiving midi channel and patch, then send it midi data (to “sound” the Motif-Rack)

Re: my Studio setup

Hello,

i agree with MartinHines, except that things are not so easy (these is a long writing but with some basics because it can take some books to speak about Midi).

These that you call SMF (Standard ??? Midi Files) must be, in reality, called RS-MF (Random Standard - Midi Files).

There are 2 SMF format :
a) format 0 (f0): 1 track with all midi statements. (Small midi file)
b) format 1 (f1): 16 tracks with their own midi statements. (Large midi file)

Except if you have a very old keyboard, All Midi devices can read these two formats. Some save f0, some f1 and some f0 or f1 (you can choose).

Pay attention if you use third-party SMF they may be in different midi norms :

Yamaha use GM/XG/XF + GM2/XG-lite on some new Keyboards
Roland use GM/GM2/GS
Other use GM/GM2

In GM there is a list of functions (Some are commons and some are left at manufacturers exclusive use). For one functions some use one statement (often Control Change) other two statements. Devices are always GM complient but rarely true GM.

Also there are some difference between GM some use 0 to 127 other use 1 to 128 as voice number.

One thing that always works on any Midi norms is : Keyboard notes.  (This is the basics of a Midi files)

What i have write before is somewhat easy to understand and change but there are also the Sysex (System Exclusive Messages) and here if you are a midi Newbie you have no chance.

Also if you chain midi device :

for example Triton Studio -> Motif Rack -> MPC200XL. Each must have a midi receive channel like the street where you live each house have an address number.

Sometime it is simple to do (MDT = Midi Tone Generator / IOSx = Midi IN/OUT on Sound Card )
Audigy (MDT) + 2 IOS
IOS1 --> PSR 740 (MDT+ Keyboard + sequencer)
IOS2 --> PSR 2000 (MDT + Keyboard + sequencer)
Motif 8 on USB (MDT + Keyboard + sequencer + sampler)

All can work together (but there are some sync pb due to each device midi transmission speed so called Latency).

With a Software sequencer this is easy to send info where you want. You choose MDT nearly by is name .
On MAC there is FreeMidi where you ‘draw’ your Studio(devices and cables).

But with Keyboard or Rack Sequencer you have to remenber the Midi Receive Channel Number of each midi devices. In a midi chain you have a Master and some slaves that you can change at your own desire but if you make a change on one device you must also do this to other devices.

At last there is midi connection (Some Devices have Midi IN/OUT and Other Midi IN/OUT/THRU) . The IN of one device must be plugged in the OUT or THRU on the other and other way (OUT or THRU to IN).

But today there is a better way to connect your (Home) Studio devices : this is mLAN (Firewire or IEEE 1394 or I-link or maybe some other names).

You can find this on Computers (PC or MAC), mixer (Audio/video), keyboard, racks (and tomorrow other devices). mLAN can send and receive Midi but also Audio and Video. This is the future.

As I say at the begining things are not so easy.

Friendly.