The Neptunes - 01W

[affinitysound]

ive been using keyboards for creating and arranging my beats. My question is how do the the neptunes sequence all their keyboards? I saw a video of them in their studio and I read once that they use a korg 01/w keyboard for their sequencing. i dont quite understand how they have all these different keyboards but are using the korg to sequence them all. Im not too familiar with midi and it would be great to get my keyboards in sync to improve my workflow. can any one kinda break down their setup and how it works?

[KevWest]

Read up on basic midi connections. Its very simple. The 01w they r using works as a midi controller and sequencer for the other boards.

[Left Headphone]

CORNERING THE KORGS

N.E.R.D on recording Seeing Sounds | Interview with Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Shay and engineer Andrew Coleman on producing Seeing Sounds.

[R3altruth]

Once you figure out MIDI you will LOVE IT and you will see why it hasn't really changed since the 80's (Except for getting some USB functionality)

It's so functional and yet so simple.....


You'll wanna read up on it and learn but a basic explanation is:

Midi cable carries digital information... pretty basic info.... just instructions.. if you will

It communicates a few different things.....

What note is hit it pretty much just send a number from 0-127
velocity (How hard a key/pad was hit) in the range of 0-127
in terms of pitch bend or modulation it's a range from 0-127 and then it sends control codes that tell your other equipment the tempo.. to start playing.. to stop.. to record....

In your average DAW.. almost any function or parameter can be set to a midi fader/slider on a midi keyboard or control surface......

Connecting gear with MIDI does 2 things....

1. Your one keyboard (Or keyboard controller) can control the sounds in a midi module.. another keyboard.. a drum machine or even inside your computer with a virtual instrument....

and 2. It can sync it so it will all play when you hit start on your master... and if you are sending MTC (Midi Time Code) then it will stay synced up throughout recording/playback

Each MIDI cable transmits 16 channels of midi info....

Here is a quick setup/example.....

I have an AXIOM 61 plugged into my MPC drum machine using MIDI...

I have my MPC MIDI out going into my Yamaha Motif ES rack....

When I play something on the Axiom... it sends the code to the MPC... if I have the MPC set to transmit MIDI.. it will send that code to the motif.... in the MPC i specify which midi channel (1-16) the code is sent over....

In the MOtif rack I have 16 separate places on the internal mixer to set instruments... so if the MPC is sending the info over channel 1a (With "a" being the midi output) then it will control whatever instrument is in track 1 of the motif... 2a controls instrument 2 and so on.. The MPC stores the data on separate tracks.. so I can have up to 16 instruments from the MOTIF playing at the same time.....
and I have the MIDI output from my DAW going into the other MIDI input on the MPC... so when I arm a track for recording and select the input coming from the MPC or MOTIF.. I can just hit record in my DAW and the MPC and MOTIF will start playing and thereby recording into my DAW

[affinitysound]

i really appreciate the info. Sounds like this is gona drastically increase my ability to get ideas down quickly.

[Naptalene]

Most guys don't realize that they've been doing all of this in the box already with there soft-synths. Understanding midi will help in so many ways it's frightening. I used to programme off outboard gear regularly and it's amazing to see how the new younger guys who didn't have to do it get so confused if something goes wrong vs. the old-school guys who understand the underlying concept.

You also look really intelligent if you can use gear that doesn't have big pretty interfaces and just menu's

[affinitysound]

i also have an mpc 3000, and i like the sequencer on it .....very quick easy to use. if i midi's my keyboard to it would i be able to use the mpc to sequence but still use the keys on the keyboard? or would i be stuck using the pads?

[rhodesp04]

for a long time i only had an mpc and a roland fantom and i was straight

[WideawakE]

Originally Posted by affinitysound

i also have an mpc 3000, and i like the sequencer on it .....very quick easy to use. if i midi's my keyboard to it would i be able to use the mpc to sequence but still use the keys on the keyboard? or would i be stuck using the pads?

yeah man, just go midi in and out and record and play your keys

[ninjasoards]

Originally Posted by Left Headphone

CORNERING THE KORGS

N.E.R.D on recording Seeing Sounds | Interview with Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Shay and engineer Andrew Coleman on producing Seeing Sounds.

good read, thanks.