External instrument device

[rizza]

I have an iMac with a fireface 400 soundcard, I want to hook up some synth keyboards to record what ever I do on them, but I'm not sure how to set up the external instrument device and soundcard midi leads

Any help is much appreciated

Cheers RYAN

[Rabalder]

Have you read the manual?

[ttilberg]

Your question seems kind of vague, as I'm not sure if you mean recording the audio straight from the synth into Live, or recording the midi you are playing on your synth, and playing that back from your synth, and into Live...

The External Instrument device ultimately handles a few routing tricks in a single device:
1) It is a MIDI device that can send and receive midi information. It routes this midi information to a midi output you specify. In your example, it would likely be the midi out of your FF400. This means your FF400's midi out will connect to your synth's midi in, and vice versa.

2) It receives an audio input signal as specified by your routing. In your example, it would likely be your audio inputs from FF400. You will connect your synth's audio out to the FF400's input.

With this setup, Live will deliver notes to your synth via midi clips, or channels, and receive the audio your synth generates.

If you wish to record the midi as you play it on your synth, you will also need to specify that midi input in Live. I'm not sure what kind of problems you might encounter with midi feedback, as I've never had the pleasure of having a cool synth to route back into Live -- but you might have to change your MIDI: TO parameter on your External Instrument device to "No Output" while you play notes on the synth. I have a feeling it would try to send the notes back to the synth that you are generating from the synth in the first place. Then again, it is very possible that Live is smart enough to stop midi sending midi back to your instrument when you are in record mode... I don't really know.

Make sure in Live's preferences you have the correct Audio Input specified in the audio prefs, and have Midi Out Track and Remote enabled for your FF400 in the midi prefs.

If you are still lost in the sauce, I would recommend reading the chapters in Live's manual regarding audio and midi routing, and getting comfortable with these concepts. (Chapter 13: Routing and I/O)

I hope some of this helps.

[rizza]

Thanks heaps, big help