The basics of recording MIDI.
When you're recording MIDI from outside your computer, you first have to have a device to produce the MIDI notes. A MIDI Keyboard Contoller is such a device. See picture above. My MIDI keyboard controller is a Roland A-37. The controller has to go through an interface to reach your computer program. On the back of my Presonus Firepod, there is a MIDI in jack and a MIDI out jack. See picture below. There are similiar jacks on the MIDI keyboard controller with a thru jack included as well.
There's a special cable that's used on MIDI equipment. To get a MIDI signal inside your computer, you plug the cable into the back of your keyboard in the out socket. Then on the back of the interface, you plug it into the In socket. The MIDI signal is then routed into your computer via the firewire connection. Once inside the computer you have a choice of using a software synthesizer or an external hardware sythesizer.
If you're using an external synthesizer, you have to run a MIDI cable from the back of your interface (the out socket) to the input socket of your external synthesizer. After I get all of my notes corrected with the software, I switch to a software synthesizer. I mostly use Dimension Pro and load into the synthesizer whatever instrument I want it to play. Dimension Pro comes with a program (among many others) called Garritan's Pocket Orchestra. That's what I use to get my string sounds. I can choose individual instruments or section strings or a combination of both by opening another instance of Dimension Pro. Now what about recording MIDI inside the program (Sonar 7) itself. Let's say you don't have a MIDI keyboard controller. In Sonar 7, I can insert a MIDI track, then open the piano roll view and using the tools in the tool bar, I can place notes of any duration at precisely the point that I want them just by clicking with the mouse. I can then use the controller pane to increase or decrease the volume to my satisfaction. I can even right click on the note and change the volume. This is only the tip of the ice berg of what you can do with the producer edition of the program. There are many many features that are great. Does it sound like I'm sold on the program? I am! You can use MIDI to create about any instrument. I use it for the strings in my songs. Are you ready to hear what those strings sound like in a song? On the link that takes you to my Soundclick page, click it and it will open another page. There you can scroll down on the player to The Love Bug, Something I Can't Find, and My Angel Eyes. You'll have to wait until the chorus comes up to hear the strings. Click here to leave Recording MIDI and go to Recording Harmony. This link takes you from recording MIDI to my Soundlick page where you can sample the music.
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