Old 07-24-2011, 08:24 PM   #1
ReaperGuy
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Default Making the connection...

I always have problems connecting music devices to my computer.
I'm a musician not a technician, that's the problem.

Anyways if someone could help me make the connections I'd really appreciate it!

I'm using Reaper software.

I have a Roland GR-1 guitar synth/controller (Midi In-Out)
Edirol UA 25-EX audio interface with (Midi In-Out)
Mackie 1202 Mixer (old model)
Computer with USB connector for the Edirol.

My computer uses Logitech USB speakers for sound playuback.

That's it for the hardware/software.

Can anyone tell me how to connect everything so that I can hear sound when I play my guitar and also record into Reaper?
Right now I'm not hearing any synth sounds.

I hope I've covered all the basics.

TIA

P.S. I can record audio into Reaper, with no problems.
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Old 07-26-2011, 03:18 AM   #2
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Pretty much just plug it all in, and make sure you have the drivers/software you need for each device, usually installs automatically.

In reaper you want to find your sound card in the audio options, but if you can record audio, then maybe you can do this already? So I guess you would find your edirol soundcard in the audio options?

and your guitar is plugged into that?

The main menu that is important is the preferences menu under edit in Reaper. There you will select your midi device and audio card. then it should all work well.
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Old 07-26-2011, 07:07 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtthw View Post
Pretty much just plug it all in, and make sure you have the drivers/software you need for each device, usually installs automatically.

In reaper you want to find your sound card in the audio options, but if you can record audio, then maybe you can do this already? So I guess you would find your edirol soundcard in the audio options?

and your guitar is plugged into that?
Thanks for helping out mtthw!

I am making some progress.

A couple of days ago I discovered that under:
Sounds and Audio Devices Properties:
Midi music playback, default device (it wasn't set to UA-25EX)

Now I'm not saying that this is the solution, just something else to check.

I have the drivers installed for the UA-25EX, it's working.
My Roland GR-1 controller/synth didn't come with drivers.

Here's the problem as I see it.
When I record Midi now, I am seeing the midi show up on the track.
When I record I don't hear any Midi/synth at all, just acoustic guitar.
On playback, if I have the track set to (midi out) UA-25EX I hear nothing.
If I change midi out to MS GS Wavetable synth, I hear midi but it sounds
terrible and out of synch.

What I would like to have happen is this:
Use my GR-1 as a guitar controller and synth, which it is fully capable of.
Failing that, use the GR-1 as the controller and use a DXi software synth (not sure how to access it in Reaper).
And finally have the midi-synth sounds coming out of the same speakers (USB)
that currently have my audio.

The other day I was able to get my GR-1 synth sounds coming out of an external amp and speakers but I'd prefer not to use an external amp for recording/monitoring.

To answer your question about my guitar.
It's isn't plugged into the UA-25EX audio port. It's plugged into my GR-1 and the midi outs/ins are plugged into the UA-25EX midi ports. Then the UA-25EX is plugged into my computer via USB.


Thanks again!
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Old 07-26-2011, 08:41 PM   #4
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Oh, then it sounds like you want to record the synth audio.

So, the synth can send MIDI to Reaper, or the sounds that come out of the synth can be recorded into Reaper.

MIDI has no sounds, it is just data. Sends to the computer/Reaper what notes you are playing, and which controllers (knobs and faders) you are turning (these are MIDI CC controls)

So when you send MIDI from your keyboard, it only makes sounds because the MIDI gets routed to the Microsoft Wave Synth, which is a software synth of sorts, its the computer's basic sounds.

I think you want to plug the Audio output of your synth into your souncard/audio device and then record it into reaper. Your keyboard will send MIDI to Reaper, but you need a software synthesizer (VST plugin) to receive the MIDI data and play notes from it.
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Old 07-26-2011, 08:51 PM   #5
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Im not sure, but I think you should try connecting the Audio out of the Roland to the Edirol soundcard input, or to the Mixer and then the the Edirol input, and you have volume controls/faders on both of these. then send that through the USB to the computer.

then, select in Audio devices the edirol soundcard for input within Reaper preferences, and you should be able to record the audio that is coming out of the Roland.

For the MIDI part, this is only data, not audio. You can send midi from the roland to reaper or from reaper back to the roland, which will then play the notes.

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Old 07-28-2011, 01:50 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtthw View Post
Im not sure, but I think you should try connecting the Audio out of the Roland to the Edirol soundcard input, or to the Mixer and then the the Edirol input, and you have volume controls/faders on both of these. then send that through the USB to the computer.

then, select in Audio devices the edirol soundcard for input within Reaper preferences, and you should be able to record the audio that is coming out of the Roland.

For the MIDI part, this is only data, not audio. You can send midi from the roland to reaper or from reaper back to the roland, which will then play the notes.
Thanks Mtthw, I am having more success now.
I still don't have exactly what I'd like though.

I tried your suggestion above and was able to record the audio from my GR-1 into Reaper (going through my UA-25EX).

This is not bad at all.
It's just not what I was intending to do from the start.

I was intending to record the midi signals from my GR-1 (which I can do) and have Reaper play back the synth sounds from my GR-1, or failing that the synth sounds from DXi or VST.
The reason being that I assume I would have more control over the track if it were in midi rather than audio wave.

If I select on a Reaper track, fx:
and then DXi: VSC DXi
Up pops an Edirol software synth.

If I then change the first instrument to Harmonica (from piano) and close the box and play back the track, it plays back with piano and not harmonica.
I'm not sure how to fix this.

Getting back to your solution above (recording audio into Reaper from the GR-1).
There is a delay of a second or so when I record the GR-1 synth audio into Reaper.
Is there a way to make it immediate?

TIA
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Old 07-28-2011, 03:10 PM   #7
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OK even more success.
Still not quite there yet.

I was now just able to record and playback the midi from my GR-1 into Reaper (connected via UA-25EX) and hear the GR-1 synth sounds, while recording and playing back!

Here were my settings:
Track 11
Armed
Monitor on (green)
Midi: UA-25EX: All channels
io: Routing for track 11:
set Midi Hardware Output to: UA-25EX
I can now hear when monitoring

My main problem now with the midi is a slight delay between playing a note and hearing/recording it.

And I started to attack the audio latency problem just now as well.

I had audio device settings:
Audio system: Wave out
ASIO Edirol (I changed it to this)
Now I can't hear my recorded audio tracks or my new track I want to record!
ASIO4All (I changed it to this)
Now I can hear recorded audio tracks, and can record a new track.

The sound is better.
The latency is also better but still not perfect.
Not sure where to adjust it.

TIA

Last edited by ReaperGuy; 07-28-2011 at 03:58 PM. Reason: Update on what I've done...
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Old 07-29-2011, 12:58 AM   #8
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I don't know how to get the least latency for the midi setup, maybe someone else can make suggestions for this?

It should be possible, I mean, the MIDI goes very instantaneously to Reaper and Back out to the synth, so really a more or less zero latency should be possible.

As far as audio latency goes, there should be automatic time compensation going on, I guess you might have to plug speakers/headphones into the Audio Interface (edirol) for true zero latency monitoring.

But maybe other people have more ideas/experience to accomplish this?

Anyay this sounds like an awesome setup, this is the sort of thing I will do at some point if I can ever decide what hardware synth to get. Or if I get a super cheap one somewhere or something.
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