Ableton Forum

Can anybody tell me why I can't route a midi track to an audio track? When I pull down the input menu for the audio track, other tracks are not showing up.

Thanks.

dubstyle5000 wrote:Can anybody tell me why I can't route a midi track to an audio track? When I pull down the input menu for the audio track, other tracks are not showing up.

Thanks.

You have to drop an instrument in the midi track for it to show up in the audio tracks input possibilities.

I guess that's my problem then. I have a synthesizer selected as the input for the midi track. I just want the sound coming from the synthesizer to be recorded as audio on the audio track.

Can I do that?

Yes.

A "synthesizer as input" means you are recording MIDI notes from an actual hardware keyboard/synthesizer, right?

When that note data is recorded on a MIDI track inside Live, it is just notes. Like sheet music.

Drop an instrument plugin onto that track. Now those notes will cause that instrument plugin to create sound. You can now route this audio data to an audio track, and record it. Create an audio track, under the input area select "track 8 / Simpler" or whatever the name of your MIDI track is, arm the audio track and hit record.

But remember: MIDI data is just notes.... EVEN IF YOU CAN HEAR SOUND. The note data being sent from your synthesizer is not the same as the audio signal it may be creating (and you hearing) at the same time.

This is why people will make distinctions between "keyboards" and "synthesizers". Many "keyboards" are both! Some synthesizers have no keyboards, and some keyboards have no synthesizer. A piano has both keys (the keyboard) and a synthesizer (the strings and hammers).

dubstyle5000 wrote:I guess that's my problem then. I have a synthesizer selected as the input for the midi track. I just want the sound coming from the synthesizer to be recorded as audio on the audio track.

Can I do that?

so make an audio track to record it. you're overthinking the problem.

in Live 7 there's the 'External Instrument' plug-in that streamlines this for you.

I don't own a hardware synth, but it seems that if you routed the midi back out to the synth, then it would also show up as an audio input. Is this right Laird or Tone deft?

I understand what you're saying, but I want to be able to create the sequence in midi and then route it to be recorded as audio. I don't play the keyboard well enough to just record live

udp wrote:I don't own a hardware synth, but it seems that if you routed the midi back out to the synth, then it would also show up as an audio input. Is this right Laird or Tone deft?

the external synth is just connected to a sound card, whose outputs are available anyway regardless of whether or not midi is sent to it.

dubstyle5000 wrote:I understand what you're saying, but I want to be able to create the sequence in midi and then route it to be recorded as audio. I don't play the keyboard well enough to just record live

ok...

track 1 - midi track - midi data in it. monitor set to AUTO output set to the midi port where your synth is connected.

track 2 - audio track - track armed to record - monitor set to IN

hit play, track 1 will play your synth whose audio is recorded into track 2.


step 2 - go do the Live tutorial on latency to get things tightened up.

There we go. Thanks guys for all your help. I know noobs can be annoying.

Just a hint, I know this doesn't solve your problem at all, but: "noob question ... help" is a stupid description, isn't it? Noone will know from this title what your problem is and if he/she can help you, and a lot of people will skip the post therefore.

Sorry, I don't want to be a know-it-all here, just this "noob" thing is getting on my nerves a bit ...

Yes, you noobs sure can be annoying. Luckily I was never a noob, I was born knowing how MIDI worked. And an over-developed good-intentioned sarcasm gene.

I knew this would be misunderstood...

I just don't understand why it should be important that someone is a newbie. just go ahead and post your question, ...