Upgrading from workstation to seq. software.

[byllsong]

Hi, everyone.
For years I've played and recorded on Korg Workstations, Triton Le and now Kross 61.
I'm considering getting an M-Audio Oxygen 49 to work with the included Ableton program.
I currently have an HP laptop, 4gb ram and 32gb storage operating on Windows 8.1.
I installed a 4gb SD card for extra storage.
Is anyone using this sort of set up or am I going in the wrong direction?
I hope this inquiry make sense.

[Len911]

Billy I'd certainly find a computer based sequencer/daw a lot easier and better in many ways than an onboard limited one in a workstation, and hopefully there are other reasons than the included Ableton software for purchasing the M-audio controller, because there are many sequencer options and any controller will work. I don't think it's a wrong direction and you really aren't out any money unless you are only buying the keyboard because you think the keyboards you have won't work with the computer software, because they will.

[byllsong]

Thanks for the reply Len.
The only reason I mentioned Ableton is because in comes with the keyboard.
Right now I am using the Kross and one of the transport buttons broke.
I'm in Nassau, in the Bahamas, and the hassle and cost to have it repaired in Miami
are not worth it. I have an old Music Creator 7.
I have connected the keyboard to the laptop but nothing happens.
I've watched tutorials and it's like listening to a foreign language.
I feel like I am missing some basic information
that is preventing me from allowing the key to respond the program.
So I thought just start from scratch, but if I can use the same keyboard
all the better.
I feel like I got left behind as technology moved forward.

[Tunesmith]

Hi,

I was in your shoes this past year actually, upgrading from a Roland VS1680 to software DAW. The route I took was the Behringer UMH 204HD Audio/MIDI interface and it came with Tracktion 6 DAW. I really like the GUI of Tracktion (now called Waveform, latest version), AND now tho, Tracktion 6 is free to download from their website with no purchase necessary. I bought a refurbished PC with 8 gig of ram.

I tried Tracktion 6 out on my dell laptop running Win 7, learning how to use it and it worked fine, but I didn't have a large plugin population asking for RAM, which can be an issue with 4meg.

https://www.tracktion.com/

I found the software DAW so much easier to use and was blown away by plugins! Having the previous recording experience, you will catch on right away, I'm sure!

Best,
Linda C

[byllsong]

Thank, Linda
I've been fiddling around all day.
I am able to get sounds and record, but latency is a problem.
I read that an audio interface could help.
Any ideas?
Thanks

[Len911]

What software are you using now? What controller Kross? The broken button might not be a problem with software, you said a transport button broke, if for example it was the play button you could use the play button in the software and midi would trigger the play in your Kross.

Yes normally an audio interface that uses asio drivers with a headphone jack or speaker outs would have much less latency than your computer audio. There is a caveat, if you are listening to the audio as it goes in from the keyboard you won't notice any latency, but if you are sending it to a plugin within the daw and then coming back to the headphone jack(interface) you will still notice latency.If you send midi to an instrument plugin within the daw and then out to the headphone jack (interface), you won't notice much latency. In other words, it's better not to load up an instrument you are playing with a lot of effects and plugins, and apply them later in the daw than at the same time you play.

Ideas for an audio interface. You probably need 2 input channels if the kross is stereo. You probably don't need midi. Do you want preamps or not? Do you need mic preamp or phantom power? Some have built in reverb or other effects. Some come bundled with software.

I did a quick search at Sweetwater, where you choose specs and this is what came up. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AudioBoxUSB96
It's maybe more to an ideal, and it's better to go through and spec yourself.

[Tunesmith]

Thank, Linda
I've been fiddling around all day.
I am able to get sounds and record, but latency is a problem.
I read that an audio interface could help.
Any ideas?
Thanks

The Behribger UMH 204HD interface I mentioned before has a knob to fix latency. It is the MIX knob. It works great.

Here is a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZJaZkgBOQs

Linda