But I dont have orchestral sounds on my keyboard. The only way to get it is by using sampling.How to achieve that?

Use a different app. Reason is the best in my opinion - for like an all-in-one sequencer package. Several synths and samplers, and a good sequencer that can be used with Rewire to sync up with audio tracking apps.

Acid can handle MIDI, but no sounds except for what's in your soundcard - if any. Most consumer cards have some MIDI sounds in them. Not sure on the pro side though. Sonar handles MIDI, Nuendo and Cubase as well.

So you mean that the soundcard I am presently using with V 4.0 for succesful recordings does not necessarily work with MIDI?
Do I need a sound module or is it OK with just sampling CD s.
Or maybe dont I need sampling CD;s if I have a module?
Sorry but I know nothing about this...

Here's my understanding of how MIDI works in PCs.

Some sound cards, like integrated units, SB16, Audigy etc, will have built into them a library of standard midi sounds. When you open up a program that has a MIDI editor(ACID, Sonar, Cubase etc) you have to tell the program WHICH sound source to use for it's MIDI sounds. If you only have a soundcard MIDI bank, that's the only thing that will appear.

If you add a software synth it functions the same way. When you tell your audio app which MIDI source to use, the new software synth will appear in your options. You can add as many software synths as you like, or as your system can handle. Soft synth examples are Native Instruments Absynth, Pro-53, etc. Also - MIDI controls samplers in the same way, such as Kontakt. You would just choose Kontakt/Absynth in your audio app as the MIDI sound source.

Also, there is an app from Propellerhead software that is called Reason. Reason is a full solution for MIDI recording. It has several synths built into it and drums machines too....a HUGE library of samples and patches, and a great sequencer. It utilizes Rewire as well. Rewire allows two programs to lock up in sync, much like striping an analog tape track to time code to sync a sequencer to a tapedeck. One chases the other or something like that. If your audio app uses Rewire you can sync the two(ACID, SONAR, CUBASE support Rewire).

One more note - having a sample CD has nothing really to do with MIDI. You would still need a sampler, played through a MIDI channel in a MIDI capable app such ass ACID, Sonar, Cubase etc. Vegas will not handle MIDI in Version 4 unfortunately.

Does any of that help?

is app application?
So what shall I tell my retailer tomorrow.If I want to purchase everything that can produce an orchestra,controlled by my keyboard,and recorded into the tracks of 4.0?

app = application.

That's a tough question man. I know for an orchestra you could use Reason for sure - and there are really good string sample libraries out there(in addition to what Reason ships with) depending on what you want to spend. Probably search Google for synth string sections or something. Id don't work a lot with orchestral sounds because it's very hard to get good ones without spending tons of money on premium samples. The ones i have in Reason do pretty well though. Reason would be my reccomendation for the easiest solution. If not that, than you'll need to buy a synth AND an audio application that will allow MIDI(if you don't already have one).

Reason

What soundcard are you using, what is your budget, Do you understand the basic pemise of midi? What exactly do you wish to do? be very very specific.
Steve S.

I have been going through my computer to find the name of the soundcard( as I have forgot) I dont know if soundMAX could be that card. other wise I dont know how to find out which card there is.I am using a Dell 8250 2.28 Ghz 256 MB.For Keyboard Nordlead2 ( with midi out) and I have a USB interface ( never used). Midi cables I have.
Budget £500 - 1000 ( or $)
I dont know really even how much I know about midi but I have worked with the method a few times.I believe it is possible to control a sound like an orchestra by a keyboard, where the intrument is some kind of sampledevice - or just a softwhere...
I am about to make music for a DVD production and want to use the Vegas 4.0 as editing tool. But what do I need to connect between (or in a chain) my keyboard and the computer to put theese sounds on the track?
I guess I have to go slowly on here...

I know what you are talking about - I have a Dell at home and work and the work machine has that same sound setup. That's a standard set of GM(General MIDI) sounds. THey can be accessed from any MIDI Roll editor. As stated before, these include the audio apps Cubase, ACID, SOnar and others as well as the synthesizer/sequencing app Reason.

I still say go with Reason. I put a link in my earlier post. I think it's $500 US. With Reason you get LOTS of really good samples. If you by an audio app like formentioned, you won't get all of those sounds - you'll be limited to the ones in the sound card. THAT SUCKS! With Reason you gets two different samplers(each with tons of patches), a subtractive synthesizer, a graintable synthesizer, an awesomely powerful sequencer, great drum machines, and more.

Just my opinion.

Examples of each:

These were made with the sounds you currently have in that Dell. I used Sonar to write the MIDI notes in by hand.
Prelude to This - Bach harpsichord piece I added much too.
Boomerang
Naptime

These were made with Reason. Not the same music but you can hear the drums and a little piano and synth. The only non-Reason music in these are the vocals, guitar and bass.
rectify - has some piano and drums
silent prayer - piano, synth, drums
turnaround - piano, synth, drums

***while I think Prelude to This has some decent orchestral sounds, it took many hours to get them that way. I could have done that piece three times as fast with Reason. The other two songs(boomerang and naptime) I don't think the MIDI sounds are very good at all....

Thanx for the roxongs,check out my mp3 at www.endofillusion.com The piano at Prelude sounded like Steinway, but was probably done by a cheap keyboard.Thats what i want but to use real stings and toms etc.
How about soundcard was that a problem? I was in the store today and they said I need Qbase - but that is a audio editing software, isnt it. I have Vegas isnt that enough? so you mean you bought the Reason and just installed it in the hard disc, and then you could control the sound with your keyboard?
They also told in the store that I needed to buy a hardware as for a modul. As far as I know that is also rubbish. software should be enough. I am getting more confused every minute

Read my previous posts carefully, all of these questions have already been answered. I'm gonna hit you with it once more..

The guy said buy QBase - CUBASE, you mean. Cubase is a tracking program same as Vegas. The difference between the two, as far as YOU are concerned is the Vegas doesn't allow for MIDI editing. MIDI editing is accomplished in almost all programs with a MIDI roll editor. This functions like a track in your project, but instead of storing wav files it stores note data, as in A,B,C,D,E,F,G and all inbetween. MIDI rolleditors have a piano up the left side or across the bottom so you can press the keyswith your mouse. They will also have edit tolls like a pencil to draw notes and eraser to kill them. If you have a MIDI controller device, such as a MIDI keyboard controller(or a keyboard with MIDI out) you can contol these MIDI tracks with the musical MIDI keyboard.

So you have three things going on:

1. You have a mechanism to make the MIDI notes(MIDI roll editor + mouse or a keyboard)
2. You have the MIDI soundbank(which can be a standalone software synth, Reason, Gigastudio, or even a cheapo soundcard with General MIDI sounds - as you have now)
3. You have a program to play the MIDI notes through a specified soundbank.
***Number 1 will be found inside the program picked for 2 or 3.

For example: if you have Vegas, a general MIDI soundcard and nothing else(sound familiar) you can write no MIDI music. Why? No MIDI Roll Editor. To make this work, you would need to buy an application that contains a roll editor, such as Cubase, Sonar, ACID, Reason, etc.

Now - if you were to buy Cubase, you would then have two audio tracking programs - redundant and a waste of money - and you still would NOT have any good sounds. Why? Cubase only has a Roll Editor, NO SOUNDS. It's that way with most audio tracking applications.

Since you already have an audio multitracking system - VEGAS, and you don't have a MIDI roll editor OR a good sound bank, it would be a good idea for you to buy a rogram that has a MIDI Roll Editor AND a good soundbank. I know of two such programs - Reason, and Gigastudio. Both programs have MIDI Roll Editors AND good soundbanks. Gigastudio is better, but more expensive. Both can be had for under $1000 US.

Phew. So don't by Cubase if you bought Vegas to multitrack, waste of money cause you'd still have to buy somethng with good sounds. Instead buy the good sounds WITH the Roll Editor - Reason or GigaStudio.

I think I am slowly grasping the basic now.I believe it is best just to buy the software and from there see how it works.Sounds safe.Might get back with some new questionmarks later on.

Buy WHAT software? Hopefully Gigastudio or Reason, and not another multitracking program.

You can get started right now without spending a dime. You will have to settle for your soundcard's onboard sounds and/or the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth but it will get you learning.

Go to www.midiox.com, download and install the free and very handy MIDI-OX app. for your OS, install it > launch it > Actions > MIDI devices, in the input window, select (name of your soundcard) External MIDI > in the output window, select either (name of your soundcard) Synth (or similar) or the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth.

Now you have set up a virtual MIDI cable from your soundcard's MIDI in thru MIDI-OX to either your soundcard's synth or the Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth. When you play your keyboard (MIDI controller) you should hear them play.

Now you can practice recording the audio output to Vegas.

In the windows mixer recording window (double-click the speaker icon in the systray > Options > Properties > Recording > OK, select either What U Hear, Mixed output, Stereo output or something named similar or the MIDI channel itself sometimes called Synth or MIDI.

Now Vegas will record what you play.

I'm not sure if the newer version of GigaStudio will record and edit MIDI, mine you select a MIDI editor to launch from within Giga. In my case Sonar.

MJ

Here's some more free, or really cheap, options you can play with before you spend much money...

A few terms first... MIDI,as you know, is a series of commands such as note on, note off, etc. A MIDI keyboard can either drive a MIDI instrument/synth directly or the series of commands can be captured ('recorded') and saved. That saved copy can be modified and then sent to any number of different instruments/synths to play... A sequencer is a program (or hardware module) that allows you to create or edit MIDI commands. Cubase, sonar, etc are combination MIDI sequencers and audio editors... There are lot's of sequencers out there, some in the less then $100 range, some in the $500 range, some in the thousands... It becomes a question of how you want to work and how much you want to spend...

Covnerting the MIDI commands to audio is done by a synth or MIDI instrument... In the software world, there are plugin synths that you control from the sequencer (hence the term plugin) or programs like Reason that are basically a bunch of synths that are controlled by it's builtin seqeuncer, or 'wired' to the output from some other sequencer (with 'rewire' support)... The standard plugin types for the PC world are DXi and VSTi. Any decent sequencer will support either DXi or VSTi, or both... A sequencer may also support Rewire so that it can control Reason...

The quality of the audio generated is a function of the quality of the synth, and , if the synth uses samples, the quality of the samples...

So with that in mind, here are some good options for learning this stuff...

Buy a copy of the UK magazine Computer Music. On the attached CD will be a sequencer (Computer Muzys) and several VSTi plugins, one of which, DS-404, is a sample based VSTi... You can find string samples for the 404. Not world class, but enough to get you going and to figure out what you want to do. Web site is www.computermusic.co.uk

There is a free VSTi synth from rgc Audio that uses Soundfonts for samples. It includes a mirco-Host, so that it will work even without a sequencer. This will allow you to route your keyboard to the synth, and the synth will generate the audio as you play. It also has the option of saving the audio to a wave file. You will need an ASIO driver for your sound card, and you will need soundfonts to use as the samples. Check out the following links:

http://www.rgcaudio.com/sfz.htm sfz free VSTi soundfont synth
http://michael.tippach.bei.t-online.de/asio4all/ free ASIO driver if you don't have one
http://www.hammersound.net/ Lot's of free Soundfonts

Information about VSTi and DXi synths and hosts

http://www.kvr-vst.com

go to the forum section, enter the rgc:audio forum, and there is a sticky post with lists of free soundfont sites.

Good luck...

ooo la la...the guts pour in! Correction - duh, Giga does in fact use the roll editor of the audio app....apologies.

Thanx all,there must be some reason for why it's so bloddy complicated to record those sounds - otherwise everybody could do it.