Original Message
RogueRocker....
Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (17-Dec-04 10:46PM
)
- I have an older Roland GR-30 guitar synth and I want to start using a sequencer with it to arrange synth lines to accompany by band's live performances (i.e. essentially record synth tracks and then play back live with our songs). I was wondering if someone could recommend a cheap, easy to use sequencer that would achieve this goal? I have been browsing on e-bay, but I have no idea how effective these machines are for my goal. When I talk to music stores, they all try to sell me expensive equipment. I have come across the Yamaha QY70 and have heard good things about it. Does you know anything about this sequencer? What about the Korg electribe er 1MKII? Or getting even cheaper (like $50), would the Yamaha QY10 work? Any advice you could offer would be great!
RogueRocker
Cerebral Infect....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (18-Dec-04 01:18AM
)
- The korg ER-1 mkII is a drum machine only... so for synth sound you might be off the mark.
But if you want to do real live situation, which kind of live ?
With pre-recorded midi sequence that you record before the performance ? It's possible, but you'll have to give a metronome click to your drummer or have you manually tap tempo the sequencer.
If you plan to record live your sequences, I don't know of a midi hardware sequencer that can do that. On my Yamaha RM1X, I had to press stop button (the stop button that stop everythings) after recording each sequence and that definitively a no go.
The yamaha RM1X is a good sequencer, lots of button, useful in a live situation where you can improvise, but it's sounds begins to get old. If you plan to get a separate sound module, anything with a tap tempo could do the job.
I saw a guy on a show user a Oberheim Echoplex build up complex arrangment with a midi guitar+sound module. See the link
Link: http://www.loopers-delight.com/loop.html
Cerebral Infect
Cerebral Infect....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (18-Dec-04 01:19AM
)
- I mean improvise with the order of sequences, mute some, solo some, change midi parameter value... but you cannot record live without stopping the sequencer.
Cerebral Infect
johnfingers....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (20-Dec-04 09:09PM
)
- If you feel the urge to experiment with pre-recorded backing, a Yamaha QY10 would be a good place to start, but you probably will end up making the tracks on the unit itself, rather than using your guitar synth for input. The QY10 will also be really helpful in writing new stuff (whether or not you use it live), and is worth every cent for the pretty painless education it provides. You might end up recording your results on minidisk or CD and just rolling them at the gig. Once you go down the road of sequencers etc. bear in mind you will have to learn to drive each one, and will have less time to play guitar. These days there are guys who can run all this stuff at the gig while playing drums and singing. You don't have to be the one doing it.
johnfingers
johnfingers....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Se (23-Feb-05 05:05PM
)
- Maybe a laptop with an audio interface and something like Polar. This way, all your midi stuff happens outside the unit and the loops are audio, not midi. I had heaps of fun with an old Atari ST running Notator. With pre-recorded multitracked parts, you can not only vary the end points of a cycle without stopping the flow, but also vary all kinds of parameters at the same time. I was re-recording in midi on another machine, and doing further editing later. I think you want to record on the fly tho'
johnfingers
johnfingers....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Se (23-Feb-05 05:16PM
)
- This might interest you
Link: http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Gibson ...
johnfingers
the Whiz....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (24-Feb-05 12:45PM
)
- RogueRocker, I have a QY70, and I use it to record the output from my guitar controller and my wind controller. It's pretty easy to use, and has a decent memory size. It's extremely portable, but it EATS batteries.
If you want to fit more in it, be sure to thin out the controller data you don't need, or get rid of it altogether (do you really need pitchbend data if you're not doing bends and such?).
The QY10 is a much more limited sequencer, in terms of total tracks and events/notes that can be recorded. It also doesn't have all the options and procedures available on the QY70. I have had a chance to pick one up for $20US for my son, and decided it wasn't worth it.
I've had my QY70 since they were first available. I also have computer sequencers, but the QY is so easy to use, and fires up instantly, that it is the first sequencer I use when I sit down to do music work.
Be sure to read the reviews of both pieces of gear, at the Synthsite right here at Sonicstate.com. Here's the link.
Cheers!
Link: http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/cfman.cfm?manid=2
the Whiz
johnfingers....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Se (24-Feb-05 07:03PM
)
- You're right, Whiz
johnfingers
RogueRocker....
Need More help... (28-Feb-05 09:51PM
)
- JohnFingers and Whiz,
Beers on me...Thanks...unfortunately I already got the QY10 on ebay...pretty short dough though...In terms of functionality, the QY10 is fine considering I often have a limited amount of time to pursue my music (I am a banker by day/rocker by night with a wife, an almost 2 year old girl, and the level III CFA exam to juggle). Sometimes less is more...I do have an interesting problem however...I am trying to drive my QY10 with my roland GR-30 guitar synth and I can't seem to record midi tracks with the sounds on the roland GR-30...The manual regarding driving external tone generators is vague (or I'm stupid). On page 38 the manual says "The QY10 can therefore drive external tone generators...as long as the various "instruments" are set to receive the appropriate MIDI channels. The QY10 transmits the sequence data on the following channels: ex Sequencer track 1 (TR1)=channel 1" I can't seem to do this...I've tried various connections between the GR-30 and the QY-10, but all I end up hearing on a recorded MIDI track are the QY-10 sounds!!!! Help!!! I'm trapped in 1992 and I need to at least get to 1995 via 1981...Thanks!
RogueRocker
the Whiz....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (01-Mar-05 12:09AM
)
- RR, from your description, I have to ask: are you recording the audio output from your QY10?
There's two things going on here.
MIDI is a completely digital communication system that only deals with the events and various performance parameters. It's carried by that 5-pin MIDI cable that you probably have running from your GR30 to the QY10.
That MIDI signal, however, must be output from the QY10 to the GR30, and the *AUDIO* output of the GR30 recorded or monitored, to hear the sounds from your GR30. The audio signal from the GR30 will *NEVER* pass through the QY10.
If you only have a cable running from the GR30 "MIDI Out" jack to the QY10 "MIDI In" jack, the QY10 will not trigger the GR30 sounds upon playing back the sequence.
One more issue: if you have a cable running from the QY10 "MIDI Out" jack to the GR30 "MIDI In" jack, and a cable running from the GR30 "MIDI Out" jack to the QY10 "MIDI In" jack, you must be sure that you are not passing that signal through the QY10 while you are recording your sequence, in the same way you have to set up your audio signal chain. There's a parameter for this, but I don't have a QY10 manual to tell you how to get to it.
Lastly, I'll point out that the internal voices of the GR30, IIRC, are triggered faster than the MIDI output is generated. So, don't expect to do fast leads, and have the GR30 respond as fast to the MIDI In data as to the line being played originally on the GR30.
Cheers!?
the Whiz
MetalMuse....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (14-Jun-05 05:16AM
)
- Rocker, you can email me and we can discuss this with my producer. metalmuse@juno.com.
Personally, I'm thinking you don't want a sequencer at this point. For sure, not a hardware sequencer. And the reason is that all your sound is AUDIO while the synth tracks you're talking about are MIDI. Playing MIDI live can be a real hassle because of the small delays. Your stage set-up really matters because you don't want long cables transmitting MIDI data. It would be a lot simpler to get a digital tracker, like a good used Roland, and record your tracks separately. Then you can run your pre-recorded tracks thru a mixer and out through the PA system.
To make synth sounds, you can get a suitable FX for your guitar, which you will probably get more use out of then having a keyboard. It's easier to haul also. But if you insist on a keyboard, then get one which is versatile, like a Triton and one that isn't too big, 32 keys is best for you, 61 would be the max. Anything larger than 61 keys is a real pain in the ass to cart around.
Email me and we can discuss this offline in more detail. My producer addressed this exact problem years ago and he has a very good solution. He can tell you more about what gear he selected, how he has it all wired together, and which software sequencer he finds the most useful.
MetalMuse
MetalMuse....
Re:Help I'm a guitarist who knows nothing about Sequencers...Gear Advice (15-Jun-05 07:19AM
)
- Okay, I reread ur post n realized I missed that part about u having a guitar synth. R u 100% MIDI iz the output n not audio? Either way, I still think u wud b better recording it as audio instead of running a sequencer for MIDI.
The Yamaha might work. But older gear needz maintenance. Akai also made a good sequencer. But again, why mess with a hardware sequencer at all. It's money down the drain. Put ur bucks into a good digital tracker.
MetalMuse
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