Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

Greetings all!

(Almost) total noob here, I recently got my Evolver desktop and now am 
looking at controller keyboards for it.

All of the £50-70 controllers (Oxygen, Behringer) have only a MIDI out -
 I figured if I got one with both MIDI in and out I can use it the link 
between the Evolver and the sound editor software, so the PC can talk 
to Evolver and Evolver can talk back.

This is the M-Audio controller I'm thinking of:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom25.html

The manual is here:
http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/060801_Axiom_UG_EN01.pdf

I'd really appreciate if someone could advise me if I'm correct in my 
thinking on this. Thanks all of you for creating a great forum!

welcome! i also am a total noob... but i do have an answer for you.
yes.
i have my polyevolver's midi running through my edirol's ins and outs 
which is connected to my computer via usb2. and i can access all of 
the polyevolvers commands with the sound editor and other software.

it's pretty easy.
good luck!

--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "spectralhelix" 
<spectralhelix@...> wrote:
>
> Greetings all!
> 
> (Almost) total noob here, I recently got my Evolver desktop and now 
am 
> looking at controller keyboards for it.
> 
> All of the £50-70 controllers (Oxygen, Behringer) have only a MIDI 
out -
>  I figured if I got one with both MIDI in and out I can use it the 
link 
> between the Evolver and the sound editor software, so the PC can 
talk 
> to Evolver and Evolver can talk back.
> 
> This is the M-Audio controller I'm thinking of:
> http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom25.html
> 
> The manual is here:
> http://www.m-
audio.com/images/global/manuals/060801_Axiom_UG_EN01.pdf
> 
> I'd really appreciate if someone could advise me if I'm correct in 
my 
> thinking on this. Thanks all of you for creating a great forum!
>

Greetings,

I am also new on this list, having recently purchased a Mopho.

The short answer to your question is that yes, you are correct. At simplest, there are even 
cables that have MIDI IN and MIDI OUT at one end and USB at the other (e.g. E-MU MIDI 
1X1).

The Axiom seems to be a fine keyboard controller. I would gently suggest getting a 49 
key version because 25 keys is rarely enough. I would also compare some of the Novation 
keyboards (because or personal experience/bias). 

One warning about all of these keyboards, though, is that they are very easy to set up so 
that their knobs send CC MIDI commands, which works great with most soft synths, but 
they are not so great with NRPN MIDI commands, which is what is necessary for most of 
the parameters in many hardware synths, including the Mopho (and probably the Evolver). 
However, this will not hinder using the device to transmit messages between the editor 
software and your Evolver.

If you are also planning to buy an audio interface to use with your computer, though, 
consider that most have MIDI IN/OUT, meaning that you could get away with a keyboard 
controller that does not have MIDI IN. 

Aaron




--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "spectralhelix" <spectralhelix@...> wrote:

>
> Greetings all!
> 
> (Almost) total noob here, I recently got my Evolver desktop and now am 
> looking at controller keyboards for it.
> 
> All of the £50-70 controllers (Oxygen, Behringer) have only a MIDI out -
>  I figured if I got one with both MIDI in and out I can use it the link 
> between the Evolver and the sound editor software, so the PC can talk 
> to Evolver and Evolver can talk back.
> 
> This is the M-Audio controller I'm thinking of:
> http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom25.html
> 
> The manual is here:
> http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/060801_Axiom_UG_EN01.pdf
> 
> I'd really appreciate if someone could advise me if I'm correct in my 
> thinking on this. Thanks all of you for creating a great forum!
>

Thank you Jason - that's really helpful & reassuring. The guitar shop I 
went to is having trouble getting anything out of M-Audio so I may end 
up with an Endirol - I checked that one out so thanks for your tip!

After a week getting into with Evolver my noobity is wearing off pretty 
fast ;)

Thanks very much!

>
> welcome! i also am a total noob... but i do have an answer for you.
> yes.
> i have my polyevolver's midi running through my edirol's ins and outs 
> which is connected to my computer via usb2. and i can access all of 
> the polyevolvers commands with the sound editor and other software.
> 
> it's pretty easy.
> good luck!
>

That's a very helpful response indeed Aaron, many thanks - and very 
timely as I've run into a major problem.

So far I've been completely unable to get the Evolver to respond to 
the keyboard! At one point Evolver was receiving because the dot 
flashed on the LED, but nothing was triggered. I've worked through 
the instructions for both of them forwards and backwards over the 
last couple of weeks and cannot get it going at all. Could this be to 
do with NRPN commands.

I'm not working with soft synths or anything like that - just need to 
work the Evolver off a keyboard, that's all. Using the Sound Tower 
would kind of be an "added bonus", but as you say I could just use a 
cable to do that part.

So do you think that the Axiom's just no good for the Evolver?

All best & thanks


--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "velocipedesound" 
<velocipede@...> wrote:
>
> Greetings,
> 
> I am also new on this list, having recently purchased a Mopho.
> 
> The short answer to your question is that yes, you are correct. At 
simplest, there are even 
> cables that have MIDI IN and MIDI OUT at one end and USB at the 
other (e.g. E-MU MIDI 
> 1X1).
> 
> The Axiom seems to be a fine keyboard controller. I would gently 
suggest getting a 49 
> key version because 25 keys is rarely enough. I would also compare 
some of the Novation 
> keyboards (because or personal experience/bias). 
> 
> One warning about all of these keyboards, though, is that they are 
very easy to set up so 
> that their knobs send CC MIDI commands, which works great with most 
soft synths, but 
> they are not so great with NRPN MIDI commands, which is what is 
necessary for most of 
> the parameters in many hardware synths, including the Mopho (and 
probably the Evolver). 
> However, this will not hinder using the device to transmit messages 
between the editor 
> software and your Evolver.
> 
> If you are also planning to buy an audio interface to use with your 
computer, though, 
> consider that most have MIDI IN/OUT, meaning that you could get 
away with a keyboard 
> controller that does not have MIDI IN. 
> 
> Aaron
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "spectralhelix" 
<spectralhelix@> wrote:
> >
> > Greetings all!
> > 
> > (Almost) total noob here, I recently got my Evolver desktop and 
now am 
> > looking at controller keyboards for it.
> > 
> > All of the £50-70 controllers (Oxygen, Behringer) have only a 
MIDI out -
> >  I figured if I got one with both MIDI in and out I can use it 
the link 
> > between the Evolver and the sound editor software, so the PC can 
talk 
> > to Evolver and Evolver can talk back.
> > 
> > This is the M-Audio controller I'm thinking of:
> > http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom25.html
> > 
> > The manual is here:
> > http://www.m-
audio.com/images/global/manuals/060801_Axiom_UG_EN01.pdf
> > 
> > I'd really appreciate if someone could advise me if I'm correct 
in my 

> > thinking on this. Thanks all of you for creating a great forum!
> >
>

Funny that my response was timely as I sent it more than a week ago, but it just came 
through! (Understandable since I am a new member.)

Does your Axiom allow you to send NRPNs from any of its controls? If not, does the Evolver 
receive any ordinary CC commands? ( (The Mopho does receive a limited but useful 
selection of CC commands.)

It's ironic that Dave Smith invented MIDI. I wish he would make a keyboard controller. 
None of the current controllers seem to be capable of working well with hardware that 
uses NRPN.

Aaron

--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "spectralhelix" <spectralhelix@...> wrote:

>
> That's a very helpful response indeed Aaron, many thanks - and very 
> timely as I've run into a major problem.
> 
> So far I've been completely unable to get the Evolver to respond to 
> the keyboard! At one point Evolver was receiving because the dot 
> flashed on the LED, but nothing was triggered. I've worked through 
> the instructions for both of them forwards and backwards over the 
> last couple of weeks and cannot get it going at all. Could this be to 
> do with NRPN commands.
> 
> I'm not working with soft synths or anything like that - just need to 
> work the Evolver off a keyboard, that's all. Using the Sound Tower 
> would kind of be an "added bonus", but as you say I could just use a 
> cable to do that part.
> 
> So do you think that the Axiom's just no good for the Evolver?
> 
> All best & thanks

Yes, there's a good selection of CC commands, I found the list at the 
DSI site, so that'll work OK - in principle. But at the moment I'm 
frustrated by the Axiom not even triggering the envelopes!

As for NRPNs out of the Axiom, this is an area of rocket science I am 
still gently drifting towards. Looks as if I'm going to be smashed 
against the rocks fairly soon though...



--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "velocipedesound" 
<velocipede@...> wrote:
>
> Funny that my response was timely as I sent it more than a week 
ago, but it just came 
> through! (Understandable since I am a new member.)
> 
> Does your Axiom allow you to send NRPNs from any of its controls? 
If not, does the Evolver 
> receive any ordinary CC commands? ( (The Mopho does receive a 
limited but useful 
> selection of CC commands.)
> 
> It's ironic that Dave Smith invented MIDI. I wish he would make a 
keyboard controller. 
> None of the current controllers seem to be capable of working well 
with hardware that 

> uses NRPN.
> 
> Aaron

Just to let you know that my Axiom key and Evolver are now happily 
talking to each other, just "as they were", CC commands with no 
tweaking or anything. It just started to work, so I don't know what 
was up there. Thanks for supplying moral support through the dark 
days :)

All best, happy weekend!

--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "velocipedesound" 
<velocipede@...> wrote:
>
> Funny that my response was timely as I sent it more than a week 
ago, but it just came 
> through! (Understandable since I am a new member.)
> 
> Does your Axiom allow you to send NRPNs from any of its controls? 
If not, does the Evolver 
> receive any ordinary CC commands? ( (The Mopho does receive a 
limited but useful 

> selection of CC commands.)
> 
> Aaron
>