My First Post: Can't Hear My Oxygen 8 Options

[kidliquid]

Hi everyone-I'm a first time poster here, but hopefully I'll use this forum a lot. I'm also brand new to MIDI, having just bought an oxygen 8 keyboard, (which connects via USB) and installed oms and the keystation software that came with it. I can't hear the notes I record in protools, or any other audio software I use it in. It shows input from the keyboard, so I know it's communicating with the computer, but no sound.
OS 9.2.2.
Help?

[filarion]

Well, what are you trying to trigger with the Oxygen 8? It's a MIDI controller, so all it does is send MIDI Data to your Mac or other MIDI equipment (for instance, an Access Virus). Luckily, we live in the golden age of software synthesizers, so you can drive those with your Oxygen8.

[kidliquid]

I'm trying to get sounds to come out of my speakers when I press the keys on the keyboard...I'm guessing that's a start, and then I'll worry about what the sounds sound like...

[Synthetic]

i think you missed filarion's point... you see... midi itself doesn't carry a sound... the only way you are going to be able to hear a sound from your keyboard is if you run a software synth or sampler such as Reason, Absynth, Halion, FM7, and the list goes on. The notes you are recording in ProTools will never generate a sound unless you a) connect a hardware sound generator to protools using midi and then direct the recorded midi notes to the sound module or b) you run a soft sampler or synth with ProTools using directconnect such as Unity AS-1.

For example, I use a Yamaha CS6x 16 part multi-timberal synth... its a 61 note keyboard. I have it connected via midi and can play notes that record to ProTools or Logic. Since is 16 part multi-timberal, I can create up to 16 midi channels of midi data and use my synth to play back the data and record the audio output of the synth seperate from the midi data. This allows me to listen to my composition and if something is not right, I can go back and edit the midi data and re-record the audio again. So you see... the midi data has no sound only tells a hardware sound module or software sound module what to play and then you must record the audio output to get your sound from the midi.

The Oxygen8 differs from my keyboard by the fact that it has not internal sound generator and thus is consider a "controller" and this why you don't hear anything when you press the keys. If you wanted to actually hear the notes as you play... you will need to use software synths as mentioned above or sell the Oxygen8 and get yourself a Casio with midi input and output and then you can hear what you are playing and can use the midi data to play better sounds later.

[kidliquid]

OK Thanks, I have Reason. What do I do to start using the keyboard to make music? I mean, just to push the keys and hear notes come out? I know this sounds rediculously naiive, but seriously I can't get anything to happen even at a basic level.

[BusError]

It just plain wonderful to have all those software, like Reason etc. and not being able to make a sound with them.

I wonder what was in this gentleman's mind when he ... bought ... those very expensive pieces of software wihtout a clue about what MIDI is...

Hmmm

[kidliquid]

Hey buserror...
Reason came on the CD-it's a demo. Demos are free.
I only have the keyboard because I couldn't try it out in the store. I have 30 days to try it out and return it for a full refund. So there's no investment.
I thought I'd get an entry-level machine and dive into midi on my mac. Macmusic sounded like a good place to get some help. Of course, you take the grumps with the help anywhere you go...

[Synthetic]

ignore buserror...

are you running OS9 or X?

in os9 you will have to install OMS and make it read your Oxy8 drivers which handles the midi data... then in Reason... just goto preferences and look in midi prefs... set incoming midi options so it reads keystation i think... then in the sequencer window... click on track that is connected to device you want to play and you will see a circle with dots appear to left corner meaning that it is connected to your midi channel and then you should be able to play... you may need to look at the pdf manual for reason to understand some of this and more help.

[Presto]

Welcome, Kidliquid

I started not long ago, and I didn't even know the right keywords to do searches. Then when I knew a tiny bit I didn't formulate the questions properly.

My way of understanding midi is: I can record my performance so the machine can duplicate my fingers later on whatever instrument (that understands midi and has an amp and speakers) that I connect to it.

I know nothing else about midi. I record sounds. That's called audio. If midi has nothing to do with audio then I'll eat my old loudspeaker cables - still, when we say audio, it means not midi

I've been performing (singing) on and off for thirty years so accepting I'm a beginner is odd.

Nice to have you with us

[ghess]

We were all newbies once .

You need to have OMS installed and configured to use Reason. I assume it came with the demo. If not you can still find it on the web at www. opcode.com. Install and follow the directions. You may also need to install a USB driver for the Oxy8.

Once OMS is setup correctly, you can go to Edit:Preferences in Reason and select the Oxy8 as your MIDI input device.

After you've done all that, do a web search for articles on MIDI or invest in any of the many excellent books on MIDI. It will save you a lot of time and probably a few flames.

[kidliquid]

Thanks for all the input.
FYI I'm on a beige 266 G3 running 9.2.2
I installed OMS according to the manual that came with the unit. Then I installed KeyStation which supposedly (according to the manual) put two keystation extensions in my extensions folder (which it didn't). Then I ran OMS, it searched for the keyboard and found a keystation connection, but according to the manual it should have found oxygen 8, but what I got was an icon with a keyboard that had a question mark over it. Test midi, however, gave me "midi recieved" in a pleasant female voice, so I figured I was in business.
Then I ran protools free, inserted a midi track, and when I played on the keyboard I could see the green sound bar jumping up and down, but no sound was coming out of the speakers. I'm getting a clearer idea from all your help as to why this was happening.
Last night I ran Reason again and got some feedback, but I think it's going to take a ton of fiddling around before I'm really comfortable with it.

[Synthetic]

you will never hear anything in PT Free unless you connect a sound module via midi to your computer or run a soft synth or sampler that will work with PT Free. ProTools doesn't produce sound... it justs records it and midi data and allows you to edit the midi data or audio waveforms. You could create tracks in Reason and then save them as .aiff files to be pulled into ProTools for further editing and such but I wouldn't bother with PT Free and your Oxy8.

In OMS... keystation is the name of the driver your Oxy8 uses and you never see Oxygen 8 per say. The keyboard icon with question mark is just a generic icon and you can actually manually change it and the name if you wanted but its not really needed. As long as you get the female voice saying midi received then you are in business. Now it seems you need to look into purchasing a soft synth such as the Reason app or another to really get the most of the Oxy8.

[Bonitap]

If I were you, I would return the Oxygen and go to another store to buy a MIDI keyboard with sounds and amplifers on board. My first keyboards were Casio and Yamaha -- the Yamaha PSR series is pretty good for the price. There are 5 or 6 available, each a bit more involved as the series' number increases. And it's possible to find some at non-music stores. (But a trusted music shop with knowledgable, honest people is the best way to go.) Having amps already in a keyboard can make life easier so you don't need to have or haul amps with you.

Be sure to read the manuals for software. And then read them again as you sit atg the 'board to work through the instructions. Most of the time they are helpful. If you are a MIDI novice, go to the library for books or search online for MIDI tutorials.

Some keyboards come with software -- full versions of sequencing programs. It's already 12 years ago that I bought an entry-level, inexpensive but just fine sequencer app called MusicShop. When I moved up to a Yamaha PSR 510, it included FreeStyle by Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) which is a step-up from MusicShop in its capabilities. I like FreeStyle though I've just moved up to eMagic Logic which is more professional with many more features. But FreeStyle has been good to me.

Keep in mind that you have a Mac with USB. If the keyboard you get is USB, you'd get away without needing a MIDI interface to connect it to the Mac. Not all keyboards have been made for USB but still are serial. So you'd need a serial MIDI interface for the keyboard to communicate with the Mac. And if your Mac has no serial ports anymore, there are serial adapters for USB Macs.

Be sure to take your time getting into MIDI. It takes commitment to begin to understand the INs and OUTs, so to speak. There won't be online tutors who can spend the energy and time with you that you need to dedicate to the learning process yourself.

But it all surely can be worth the investment of time and a couple of hundred dollars (and up!) to be able to express yourself musically and to be able to share it through recordings.

Bonnie