Record MIDI notes and Audio simultaneously from piano keyboard?

Dean Papoutsis

Maschine Studio with 2.14.5 / MacOS High Sierra 10.13.6

I am a novice piano keyboard player (Yamaha MX88) that would like to simultaneously capture the MIDI notes and the audio samples generated by a single performance on my digital piano/synthesizer keyboard. I like the sounds, and the ability to modify them from within this keyboard synthesizer--as well as the great sustain pedal support.

I've easily accomplished this using Logic Pro X, but am struggling to make it work with Maschine. Can I have track 1 capture MIDI notes and track 2 capture Audio simultaneously (both in the same group)? I've been trying to make this work via Maschine's audio sampler/recorder to capture Audio. If I succeed at capturing Audio, I fail at capturing MIDI notes in the pattern editor grid and vice versa. Is it possible to see Midi notes in Track 1 and a wave form for the audio in Track 2 (I've also not been able to see any kind of wave form in the pattern editor grid)?

Can Maschine simultaneously capture MIDI notes and audio?

Thank you.

Dean Papoutsis

Thanks a million for your help Blindeddie.

Your comment on the "loopback" made me replace the MIDI DIN cable connected to the keyboard to the Audio Interface--with a single USB cable directly to the Mac computer. (Think this was responsible for the random odd notes appearing in the other tracks within the group . . .)

Maschine then seemed to make the new available connections show in Preferences (see first screen capture below).

Then I only had to make a single change to the Control section for the Single Track I used (see first screen capture).

This worked. I ended up with a single track which combined the MIDI notes with the Audio, which I could playback within Maschine and hear.

One thing which I could not figure out how to do was drag and drop the WAV from the Pattern Editor drag icon or File>Export Audio. However, Maschine did create a WAV file which it store in Native Instruments>Documents>Maschine 2>Recordings. And it appears if I save the project itself the MIDI notes and audio are saved together for playback from Maschine.

Thanks again.

Blindeddie

The answer is Yes, but requires some setup!

From what I read here, you are trying to record the audio output of your MX88 and also record the Midi Output of the KB Correct?

If so, here is how. we will record Midi in slot/track 1 and audio in slot/track 2

1. Select sound slot 1 then in the Control Area click the Channel Icon Click Input -> Midi and select "All" for "Source" and "All" for Channel
2. now click "Group" in the control area and select "Manual" for Key Mode "All" for Source and "All for Channel
3. Next select sound slot 2 and switch back to Sound in the Control Area then Choose "None" under Midi -> Source
4. with slot 2 selected go into sampler/recording mode choose the "Input" that the KB is routed to, and set Recording to "Sync" and select the length you want to record.
5. Click the Start Button in to engage recording, it should say "waiting"
6. Now Press Shift + Record. (I recommend setting a count-in for recording, 1 or 2 bars (set in Preferences -> General -> Metronome)

This should record the Midi on Slot 1 and Audio on Slot 2. If you want to do the same thing on 2 more tracks in the same group, make sure to set Midi input for the midi track you already recorded to "None"

Set Group Midi to "Off" if you wish to record on individual slots again.

Dean Papoutsis

Hi Blindeddie,

Thanks so much for your quick reply and workflow.

Spent about 3-4 hours trying to get this to work and failed. The results were inconsistent and sometimes wacky.

First, I have my Midi cables now connected from the MX88 KB (piano keyboard) plugged directly into the Maschine hardware MIDI IN and MIDI Out 1. On the KB I have "local control" off (but either On or Off, I still get inconsistent results). The MIDI cables had been directly connected to my Audio Interface.

I finally tried to break this down into smaller parts. So I focused just on the MIDI capture of the recommended workflow Steps 1 and Steps 2 (above) which seem like they alone, should allow me to play a couple notes on the piano keyboard (KB) and I should see the Maschine software Pattern Editor populate with notes. It does for Track 1, but something is also populating the rest of the grid with odd notes (and deselecting Track 1 and selecting Track 6 . . . See screen capture 1).

Then for some reason, even though I have the MIDI cable sending and receiving data, the above is soundless. It will not even trigger the playback of the sounds from within the MX88 KB. When I play it back, I hear nothing. I know the notes above are supposed to just trigger the KB, but I think I should be hearing sound from the MX88 KB built-in controller coming back thru my speakers. I am not.

Any other ideas/suggestions?

Thanks so much.

Blindeddie

i just took a look at the MX88 Manual and it is supposed to have USB Midi, do you have the KB connected to your computer via USB? By selecting ALL for the midi input and having USB and DIN midi connected, you may be sending multiple midi signals to Maschine which may be causing the odd behavior…this could be tough for me to troubleshoot as I don’t have that KB. Post screenshots of your Midi Inputs and outputs in Maschine… let’s start there as it may be as easy as selecting a specific input for both the group and sound midi input. Also in order to send the Midi to the KB to be played, you must specify the Midi out port and Channel that the KB is set to receive in…

Dean Papoutsis

Hi Blindeddie,

Thank you for your response.

At this time I have been using the MIDI DIN connectors from the MX88 KB to the Audio Interface.

Attachment 1: Startup Preferences--before making any changes to Control Area

Attachment 2: Track 1 Midi Instructions 1& 2.

This worked perfectly the first time--then when closed the program and tried it again, I got another fail. Random notes in the other tracks and could not hear the notes playback from the MX88 KB sound generator.

Attachment for Steps 3 & 4 of Instructions:

Attachment for Steps 5 & 6 of Instructions:

Attachment: Final Desired Result--worked the first time, failed after that.

Blindeddie, the results are inconsistent. Works occasionally, mostly not. Do I have too many boxes checked off in the Maschine Preferences (first attachment)?

Thank you again for all your help.

Blindeddie

what you can try is selecting the specific midi input port for the "source" in steps 1 and 2 (the midi input port the MX88 is connected too), I am wondering if you are not getting some kind of Midi loopback in which case you might select "None" for Output -> Midi-> Destination while recording...obviously if you want to send the midi back to the 88 then you will need to turn it on again...at which point you might want to turn of the Midi Input as the 88 may be sending the midi right back to the input (midi thru of sorts)...

Dean Papoutsis

Thanks a million for your help Blindeddie.

Your comment on the "loopback" made me replace the MIDI DIN cable connected to the keyboard to the Audio Interface--with a single USB cable directly to the Mac computer. (Think this was responsible for the random odd notes appearing in the other tracks within the group . . .)

Maschine then seemed to make the new available connections show in Preferences (see first screen capture below).

Then I only had to make a single change to the Control section for the Single Track I used (see first screen capture).

This worked. I ended up with a single track which combined the MIDI notes with the Audio, which I could playback within Maschine and hear.

One thing which I could not figure out how to do was drag and drop the WAV from the Pattern Editor drag icon or File>Export Audio. However, Maschine did create a WAV file which it store in Native Instruments>Documents>Maschine 2>Recordings. And it appears if I save the project itself the MIDI notes and audio are saved together for playback from Maschine.

Thanks again.