Instrument + MIDI Controller + Audio Interface + Laptop. What do you use?

[Lorenzini]

Hello all, I have a question regarding a live setup that includes:

A bass guitar.

A MIDI controller to play keyboard bass or synths or horns, etc.

An audio interface that takes all of this, even the bass guitar, and...

Sends it to the laptop.

All whilst utilizing a full Aggy AG500SC/GS410. I want to hear the keyboard bass in the 410, obviously.

I've been looking at the Apogee Duet, but it only has 2 outs. Other options are the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra -- a little overkill, but has everything I need. I thought about the Fast Track Pro, and while it has 4 outs, only 2 of them are balanced. That'll kill me!

I also looked at the MOTU Ultralite MK3, which might be cool, again overkill.

So is there anything in between or some other solution any of you guys have worked out personally?

Tanks!

[seamonkey]

This might be my next interface, works standalone also. And as a control surface.
http://www.samsontech.com/products/p...2009&brandID=4

but ESI with DirectWire is just too handy to give up.

[Jehos]

When you say MIDI controller, do you mean just a keyboard controller? What is going to make the sound?

If you're doing the sound "in the box" on the laptop, just hook up a keyboard via USB, forget MIDI cables.

Also why doesn't an Apogee Duet work? You've only need 1 output going to the 4x10, right?

[Charling]

^ yeah,

what exactly is it that you need to do? if its just get keyboard and real bass to your amp at the same time there are a number of easy ways you can do it.

you could put your bass in the interface, plug the controller in via usb, or a usb/midi interface if it doesnt have usb out, then take output 1 of the soundcard to the bass amp.

the disadvantage of this would be - 1 both signals would come out of the soundcard into the amp at the wrong impedance and wrong level. you could get around this by turning down the output a lot an boosting your amps gain and running the soundcards output the WRONG way into a passive DI box to flip the impedance. It would still work without a DI, however, but may not sound quite as good as it could.

this would be very simple and allow you to add effects to your bass in real time, very flexible in that way, but you would need to keep latency to a minimum. shouldn't be that hard with a new ish computer and only two audio tracks going on.

you could also use a little mixer to do roughly the same thing, the bass goes to mixer then to amp, the laptop output goes to mixer then amp. You may still need a DI to switch impedance the other way to get the best results, but it wouldn't sound that bad without one.

a better option may be to get a passive signal combining box, that way the bass going though this box direct to the amp would not need to be changed in any way, it would basically be the same as plugging your bass into the amp and input 2 would take the laptop output. again, the laptop output needs to be turned down with the combining box (if it has that function, if not just do it on the soundcard) and MAY need a reverse DI to sound a little better.

If you don't need both to work at the same time a signal switching box would be SUPER cheap and very easy to make yourself, that way when you have finished playing bass you can step to the keyboard, flip a switch and your laptop is ready to go. you can make a box that does this yourself for only a few £'s

Do you need it to be split to a PA as well? if you have DI out on your amp, or the soundguy is miking you up then that will be enough, if you need to take a feed before your signal gets to the amp you need to be careful where you put it.

You would need to make sure any line outs where correctly switched, impedance wise, before it hits the soundguys DI. ie the laptops outputs put through a reverse passive DI, then it hits the combiner box (if using one) then after the signals are combined it hits the soundguys DI, he takes the balanced out and the thru out goes to your amp. you will have to be careful that the laptop output is about as low a volume as the bass' output (if the bass is not going through the laptop, otherwise you will give the soundguy a headache!).

Note, you could probably omit the reverse DI at any point in the chain, it wouldn't make a big difference it would just mean the soudguys DI/your amp will not be getting quite the right sort of signal and it may not sound QUITE as good as it could.

[Lorenzini]

Charling, thank you very much for your extremely detailed and most useful reply. It's going to take me a minute to digest all of this and research equipment, but to answer some of your questions while putting what I need and want in very simple terms:

I want to send my bass signal through the laptop so I am able to insert effects onto that signal, ie compressor, octaver, phase shifter, fuzz, etc.

I also want to control a laptop equipped with Logic/Mainstage with a [USB] keyboard controller. Plugins I will be running with Logic/Mainstage are Trillian, Omnisphere, ES1/2, etc. I will also be playing pads, strings and horns out of said laptop.

I have scoped out a few different interfaces, but to do what I want here, it looks like an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra or ProFire 610 would be the ticket.

I generally send my signal to the mixer with a DI straight from my AG500SC and then a mic on the cab. However, with this setup, I'd probably need to keep the mic, and send the "laptop" signal to him via the interface.

Lastly, I want the keyboard bass sounds to go through the bass amp. By controlling the outputs, I'll be able to send the "keyboard" keyboard sounds (pads, strings horns, etc) to the mixer from the interface.

Thanks!!! As I am finalizing my rig, everyone's help is appreciated.

[fretlessrock]

I would get the MOTU Ultralite and be done with it. Compact, enough I/O to keep you happy for a long time (past this project), MIDI I/O, better converters than either of the boxes you mentioned (IMO on par with the Apogee)...

That frees you up to find a keyboard controller with good feel and not have to worry about whether it has a lot of extra Audio/MIDI features. Something like the Novation SL series, for instance, or something more compact (Edirol?)

[Lorenzini]

Originally Posted by fretlessrock

I would get the MOTU Ultralite and be done with it. Compact, enough I/O to keep you happy for a long time (past this project), MIDI I/O, better converters than either of the boxes you mentioned (IMO on par with the Apogee)...

That frees you up to find a keyboard controller with good feel and not have to worry about whether it has a lot of extra Audio/MIDI features. Something like the Novation SL series, for instance, or something more compact (Edirol?)

Thanks for the input! I have been toying with the idea of the MOTU Ultralite MK3.

Otherwise, the controllers I'm looking at are the Novation SL MKII or M-Audio Axiom Pro, which both have their pluspoints.

[fokof]

+1 for the Ultralite MKIII.

You can also use it as a Standalone digital board , with comp & 4 band full parametric EQ on each channels ( @44.1khz)
Hard to do on other hardware mentionned here....

[dgelting]

Also check out Echo audio interfaces. Not as well known as the stuff we see advertised a lot but very well regarded.

[Lorenzini]

I'm checking out the Echo and the MOTU Ultralite MK3.

However, right now the RME Fireface 400 is winning.

[fokof]

MOTU has just modified the UltraliteMKIII.
It is now Firewire AND usb.....


http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite-mk3

[Lorenzini]

That's super hip. I much prefer USB

[Lorenzini]

I love the Ultralite, guys. But I'm probably going to go for the 610 because it has the whole M-Powered thing going on and that's very useful for me as I sometimes need to play a Pro Tools session and don't want to get a separate interface just for it.

It's also loads cheaper and I can buy a backup if needed.