Christopher Robert Morgan

Christopher Robert Morgan, Ph.D. Synthesis FAQ
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Turning a Keyboard Synthesizer's Local Control On or Off

Local Control is the ability of a keyboard synthesizer to play its own internal sounds. Believe it or not, sometimes you don't want this to happen. When sequencing in a multi-channel environment such as Digital Performer, you need to have Local Control off so that you only hear the sound on the channel that you are recording.

EX-5

Click on the Utilities button. Select on the 4. MIDI option and press Enter or press the F4 soft key. On the lower right-hand side of hte screen is a value labeled Local. Change it to On if you want to play the synth without having to use Digital Performer; set it to Off if you want to use the synth with Digital Performer.

K2000

Click on the MIDI mode button. Click the XMIT soft key. The third option down is the labeled Control: Set it to MIDI for Local Off or Both for Local On.

Creating an EX-5 Controller Set

There are 16 possible sets. Each set, whether it uses one or more controllers, maps these controllers to only one destination. In addition to choosing the destination, you must also turn the set on for that element and set the depth. You must choose destinations that are meaningful to your sounds type of synthesis. The EX-5 is not idiot proof in this respect. To test your knob assignments, you must press the Knob Mode button while in editing mode.

In Voice Edit mode click on the CTRL soft key.
Click the Set soft key.
Choose your set number, 1-16.
Turn the set on for each element 1 - 4 for which you want it to control.
Select the controller you want to map by cursoring over it and changing the empty block to solid with the increment/decrement buttons or the alpha wheel.
At the bottom, scroll through the list of possible DEST (destinations) to find the one you want.
At the bottom right, adjust the depth.

Importing Sound into Protools

Don't load sounds into Protools by using the import Audio File from the File Menu. this will create a track for each audio file giving you too many tracks. Instead, open the right-hand Regions panel. Under the Region Pop-Up menu, chose imort audio file. When done importing, drag the regions over to tracks that you have already created.

Creating synth sounds in Syd

Recording your EX-5 or K2000 sounds into Protools.

All you need to do to record your synth sounds into Protools as digital audio is press the MUTE/Alt 3/4 button on the Mixser. This sends the sound to the computer's audio input.
Select RCA In on the Computer's Control Strip. Launch Protools.
Create a track, record-enable.
Check for levels, then hit record and play.