New to this. I recently purchased a LP SE II. I’m new to music synthesis and am thirsting for knowledge out there.
My question is if I have Ableton Live or any soft synth that my LP is hooked up to can it play the sounds that are in that program. (e.g. say there’s a software instrument, say cello in Ableton. If I select that instrument sound will I get that sound on the LP. To further this, I know the LP is monophonic, but what if the soft synth is a polyphonic sound, will it play as monophonic? Need help on these basics as you can tell.
thanks. Another question. I know the LP has the option of Midi over USB. Does this mean that I can take one USB cable going from the LP all the way to my laptop USB port bypassing an audio interface?
To my knowledge the USB is only for midi use, I don’t think the LP acts like a Virus TI / audio interface. A/D convertion in a Moog product would probably be like heresy or something though!
USB is only for MIDI. MIDI jacks are only for MIDI. The LP sound engine is 100% analog, and as such, sounds cannot be exported through either the USB or DIN jacks. Only patches can be imported or exported through the USB or DIN jacks.
That makes sense now. Only patches can be transferred using the USB line alone, and any midi sounds created by ableton or any soft synth need a midi audio interface. Is that correct?
I guess I just want to know what I need to go with my LP. Right now I have the LP amp’d with a Roland KC 150, and an old Yamaha RY8 drum machine amp’d. I want to be able to use Ableton, and the instruments and sounds that program provides, and use the LP as a midi controller to produce those sounds made in Ableton.
There seems to be some confusion about what type of data is contained in different signals.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) only contains data like note on, note off, velocity, pitch bend, knob turns, etc. It says nothing about what something SOUNDS like.
Audio is an analog signal (or digital signal that is converted to analog before being sent to the speaker) that is the electrical representation of a sound. The electrical signal is converted to pressure (sound) by a speaker.
I’m going to simplify things and ignore exceptions… Ableton instruments output audio data (in digital form). They can be CONTROLLED by MIDI data. This means your LP can control an Ableton Instrument by telling it what note you want to play and if you are bending the pitch or turning knobs. The LP is just sending MIDI data. The audio signal created by the Ableton instrument is sent to the Ableton Mixer and converted to an analog signal and sent to your speakers (monitors).
The LP’s sound is determined by it’s internal analog sound engine and can not play sounds generated by any other audio source (with the exception of using the external audio in, which is mixed with the audio generated by the LP’s oscillators). The LP, however, can be CONTROLLED by MIDI data just like the Ableton Instrument is controlled by MIDI.
I hope this was clear enough. Let me know if it was not.
For instance. In ableton under “The Essential Instrument Collection” there is an audio sound of a Strat Clean. I know I’d be able to hear the audio on my computer that sounds like a Strat Clean. Now if I put the Strat Clean in a midi track, can this midi be sent to the LP so that when I play the keyboard, the audio from the keyboard sounds like a Strat Clean coming out of the keyboard amp?
In other words, you want the Ableton instruments in the patch bank of the LP. I don’t think that’s possible. The LP requires it’s internal oscillators and filter and envelope generators and VCA to create sounds. There’s no way that you’ll ever hear a clean Strat coming out of the LP. The LP is an ANALOG SYNTHESIZER. It is not a sound bank.
So basically using the LP as midi controller means that I can only play its keyboard to make audio out of my computer as in Ableton, which would have to be heard coming out of the pc speakers
The MIDI can be sent to the LP, but the MIDI is just going to tell the LP to play notes and you’ll hear whatever patch is loaded on the LP. Remember, MIDI is just data about notes on, notes off, velocity, knob turns, etc. The LP has no way of knowing what the EIC Clean Strat sounds like.
What you want is to hear the EIC Clean Strat through your keyboard amp, correct? To do this you need to use an AUDIO output from your computer and patch that to the INPUT on your amp. The (usually green ringed) audio output on the back of your computer that you plug your computer speakers into would be an example of this. If you have a recording interface (like a MOTU or Presonus or DigiDesign etc) you can tell Ableton to send the Clean Strat out one of the outputs on the interface and patch that output to the keyboard amp.
Now we’re getting somewhere! That is correct! However, if you REALLY wanted to, you could get some powered studio monitors and run your sound card through those. I personally run my Mac Book’s headphone out to my stereo. Awesome sound quality, especially through those big 12" cabinets.
Yesss!!! Yessss!!! You guys have been lots of help. Now I’m understanding the concept. Much appreciated to both of you on your insight and midi knowledge.
