What can I do with a Roland EM-101 Synth Module from '80s?

[DanLuedke]

Oh man... I wish I could answer that. If you're on a Mac you could use out Audio/MIDI Setup to get the keyboard talking to your output, but if you're on a PC ... hopefully somebody else can help. Sorry!

Sorry. They "why?" of my last post was asking why you wanted to know if my interface had midi. Also, not convinced that the Midi/usb interface will be able to go out of my computer and into the synth. I think it is designed to go Midi out and usb in. Thanks for all the help, Alpaca. I really want to see what this synth can do or at least what I can do with it.

Dan

[Russell Landwehr]

Heya Dan.

Your recording software should be able to recognize all MIDI input and output ports on your computer simultaneously. Often multiple ports will show when MIDI is available as USB and 5-pin. It is just a matter of assigning MIDI ins and outs during use. Unlike using ASIO audio drivers, a computer will recognize many simultaneous MIDI interfaces...

what DAW are you using?

Russell

[DanLuedke]

Thanks for not leaving me hanging on this one, Russell.

what DAW are you using?

I use Reaper. So I think you are suggesting that I can configure one of my USB ports as a MIDI out to my synth module? If so, I will need to buy a USB to MIDI cable.

Dan

[Russell Landwehr]

Heya Dan.

I see in the above posts that you have an M-Audio interface, I looked it up, it appears to have two audio inputs, and a MIDI In and Out. Your computer should see your USB Keyboard and the M-Audio Fast Track Pro as two separate devices available to Reaper simultaneously. You don't need to buy a new USB MIDI Dongle.

In order to use your existing equipment to play the Roland, you will:
Connect your USB Keyboard and Fast Track Pro to the computer via USB.
Connect the Fast Track Pro MIDI Out to the Roland MIDI In.
Connect the Roland audio outs to the Fast Track audio ins.
In Reaper you will probably need two tracks (I don't use Reaper, so I am just supposin' since all DAWs are basically the same.
One track will be an Audio Track using the Fast Track Pro audio inputs (that the Roland is connected to) and sending the audio to your speakers.
The other track will be a MIDI track with the input set as the USB keyboard and the output set as the Fast Track MIDI Out.
Make sure you have the same MIDI channel set on all gear or set to "global" or "all channels."
You will probably need to turn on something called "input monitoring" on the MIDI track.

Here is a manual for Reaper... http://dl.reaper.fm/userguide/ReaperUserGuide457C.pdf
on page 24 it discusses setting up MIDI.
page 66 discusses recording/playing MIDI.

Hope This Helps
Russell

[DanLuedke]

In order to use your existing equipment to play the Roland, you will:
Connect your USB Keyboard and Fast Track Pro to the computer via USB.
Connect the Fast Track Pro MIDI Out to the Roland MIDI In.
Connect the Roland audio outs to the Fast Track audio ins.
In Reaper you will probably need two tracks (I don't use Reaper, so I am just supposin' since all DAWs are basically the same.
One track will be an Audio Track using the Fast Track Pro audio inputs (that the Roland is connected to) and sending the audio to your speakers.
The other track will be a MIDI track with the input set as the USB keyboard and the output set as the Fast Track MIDI Out.
Make sure you have the same MIDI channel set on all gear or set to "global" or "all channels."
You will probably need to turn on something called "input monitoring" on the MIDI track.

Thank you so much, Russell. This is the answer I was looking for. I will try it today.

Dan

[DanLuedke]

Here is a manual for Reaper... http://dl.reaper.fm/userguide/ReaperUserGuide457C.pdf
on page 24 it discusses setting up MIDI.
page 66 discusses recording/playing MIDI.

Can't thank you enough, Russell. It took me a little while to figure out how to setup MIDI in Reaper but you sent me to just the right page in the manual.

-Dan